Pre-AP English II: The Individual Writing Assignment (IWA)

Individual Writing Assignment (IWA) Guidelines

1. What is an IWA?
   
   An IWA is a short, to the point essay. You will write at least six of them throughout the course of the school year.
   
   Each IWA will cover a literary selection. You will be required to consider important topics and techniques in each IWA. Before writing an IWA, you must have read the selection closely. One cannot adequately compose an IWA based solely on in-class discussions and/or Sparknotes. You will be required to include textual evidence in each IWA. The questions you will be answering are modeled on essay questions from past Advanced Placement tests.



2. Why are we writing IWAs?
   
   The primary reason for writing IWAs is so that you become well practiced at revising your writing and reflecting on your thoughts. The more critical writing you do and the more care you put into revising, the easier the act of writing will become. The goal is for you to revise your writing on your own to an acceptable level (the meaning of this will be cleared up later). We may not get there; we will make great progress.



3. How will IWAs be turned in?
   
   One of your two-pocket portfolios will be your IWA portfolio. In the left pocket of a plain portfolio, you will place the IWA to be graded. In the right pocket, you will place any previous versions of the same IWA. I will only grade IWAs placed in the left pocket, so pay attention to what you turn in. Once an IWA is “accepted,” you will place it in your personal writing portfolio.



4. How will IWAs be graded?
   
   There are three grades possible on an IWA: rewrite, revise, and accepted.
   
   Rewrite – Indicates that the paper does not properly address the question and therefore must be largely rewritten. The paper cannot be fixed by just making a few changes or shifting things around. Questions regarding “rewrite” grades should be handled before or after school, as they may take some explaining.
   
   Revise – This is the most common grade on IWAs. A “revise” means that the paper may be adequate but could be much stronger by working on organization, style, and/or content. Additionally, punctuation and spelling errors will earn the paper a “revise”. Keep in mind that revising a paper does not simply mean changing a few words and handing the paper back in. Revision requires you to examine word usage, sentence structure, and thesis development. If you have questions about a “revise” grade, I will try to answer them on the spot if I am able. Otherwise, see me in tutorials.
   
   Accepted – This is the grade that you’re shooting for. “Accepted” does not necessarily mean that the IWA is flawless. It means that you have developed your ideas well, have presented them clearly, and have backed them up with solid textual evidence and reasoning.
   
   The Exception – From time to time, a student may attempt to simply turn in an IWA which does not contain a serious attempt at addressing the topic. These papers will not be graded and will receive no score.



5. What is the deadline for IWAs to be “accepted” and how many points will I get?
   
   As a rule, I require two days to grade an IWA, not counting weekends. Therefore, you should plan your writing time appropriately. IWAs have no fixed due dates, but I will no longer accept IWAs for the grading term after the fifth week. Write early because you will have to revise! For the first semester, “rewrite” grades will earn 70 points, “revise” grades will earn 85 points, and “accepted” IWAs get the full 100 points. For the second semester, “rewrite” grades will not be awarded.



6. How will IWAs be formatted?
   
   IWAs are formatted per the MLA guide. An MLA guide is available in the library and online for your reference.<