Rubric for Grading the Project

Professional Format: 10 points

Your work should be make a good professional first impression. It should be presented in an acceptable professional format, and word-processed. Diagrams may be neatly drawn, and mathematical notations may be written in neatly by hand.

Points	Criteria
9 - 10	Well done, professional presentation
8	Good presentation with some minor flaws
7	Minimally acceptable presentation
< 7	Less than acceptable presentation from a graduating senior

Writing Style: 15 points

Write your paper or report in standard English, and pay attention to sentence structure. Use a spell checker (and ask a friend to proof-read your work). In a professional technical report, it is important to give the key results result clearly and immediately; then include supporting documentation and calculations. Always cite your sources – books, journals, internet sources, and even informal conversations with your colleagues.

Points	Criteria
14 - 15	Effective use of written communication, no errors in grammar or spelling
12 - 13	A few errors in grammar or spelling, weak sentence structure
11	Distracting errors in spelling, grammar, or sentence structure
< 11	Less than acceptable writing style from a graduating senior

Correctness of Content: 60 points

The work you present should be correct.

Points	Criteria
54 - 60	Work is essentially correct (possibly with some very minor errors); work is clearly and succinctly presented
48 - 53	Clear development of the problem and/or issues, with some errors; shows a good grasp of the overall problem and its solution
42 - 47	There are flaws in the presentation of the problem and/or issues; the solution is not correct, or the presentation is not clearly and logically developed.
< 42	The work is not correct and/or not well developed. The work that is presented is less than acceptable from a graduating senior.

Evidence of Synthesis and Integration: 15 points

Your work must show that you have really thought deeply about the issue or problem. The depth of your responses to questions or problems raised by your research gives an indication of how well you have internalized important ideas about the issue.

Points	Criteria
14 - 15	Excellent work
12 - 13	Good work; correct general approach, with some issues are glossed over or are not considered
11	The presentation shows some understanding, but lacks real depth
< 11	Less than acceptable depth of presentation from a graduating senior

Late Penalties:

It is assumed that work will be turned in at the beginning of class on the day that it is due. Papers which are one class period late will be assessed a late penalty of 5 points; papers which are more than one class period late will be assessed a greater late penalty.