Essay Assignment

ANTHROPOLOGY 2301: PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY PRIMATE RESEARCH PAPER In this assignment, you will familiarize yourself with a particular primate species. Select a species, and present, in a paper of four to six pages long, the following information. Your essay will be graded according to a rubric (next page). Your paper should include the following information:

• Basic demographic information including:  common name  scientific name  physical characteristics or attributes

• habitat (current range and distribution with reference to modern countries, alterations in historical range/distribution due to human development, elevation, ecology in general and specifics (e.g. tropical, bamboo forests)

• diet • social structure • average group size (if appropriate) • life span and chronological development (life stages, with emphasis on infancy and reproductive years) • interesting or typical behaviors

Resources/Works Cited:

• This is a college-level academic research paper. Wikipedia should not be your main resource, if used at all.

• You should have AT LEAST two non-internet resources other than the textbook (i.e. you need to go to the library).

• Use MLA format to list and cite your sources. For proper citation methods, please see this document from the Lone Star Libraries. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this document for helpful citation information!

• To properly cite web pages, here is a very helpful web page. If you do use any internet resources, please also include the http address of the pages you reference so I can view them easily.

Helpful information: • Essays will be turned in to a “Turnitin” Drop Box in D2L. Turnitin.com is a comprehensive program that

scans your paper and compares it to all internet sources, all student papers ever submitted to the program, and scholarly (academic) resources such as journals. It is not possible to “trick” the program by pasting together pieces from a variety of sources and just changing a few words. Your essay MUST be in your own words.

• If you have trouble uploading your essay, email me a copy so that I know you did attempt to submit before the deadline. Please keep trying, though - contact the help desk (available 24/7/365) at 1-866-614-5014. They can usually help you troubleshoot whatever the problem is. At some point the paper needs to be in the drop box in order to generate the Turnitin® Similarity report, and in order for me to grade it via Turnitin® GradeMark®. Very important rubric information on the next page. Keep reading!

CATEGORY Exceptional Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Inadequate Basic Primate Information

20 17 14 10 6 Thoroughly details the full demographic information of chosen primate species.

Lists all basic demographic information of chosen primate species.

Addresses some of the basic demographic information AND/OR shows some misconception.

Addresses only a little of the basic demographic information AND/OR shows misconception on several points.

Little attempt to address demographic information, AND/OR shows major misconceptions.

Habitat & Diet 20 17 14 10 6 Accurately and thoroughly explains the habitat and diet of the species.

Accurately explains most elements of the habitat and diet of the species.

Does not fully explain habitat and diet AND/OR shows some misconceptions about habitat in general.

Explanation of habitat and diet is somewhat inaccurate and/or confusing and/or full of misconceptions.

Does not explain habitat and/or diet correctly, if at all.

Social Structure

20 17 14 10 6 Accurately and thoroughly explains social structure, including its relation to habitat, diet, group size, and behavior.

Accurately explains social structure, with some reference to its relation to habitat, diet, group size and/or behavior.

Does not fully explain social structure AND/OR shows some misconceptions.

Somewhat inaccurate and/or confusing and/or full of misconceptions.

Does not explain social structure correctly, if at all.

Life Span & Chronological Development

20 17 14 10 6 Accurately and thoroughly details life span and chronological development, especially infancy and reproductive years.

Accurately explains life span and chronological development, including infancy and reproductive years.

Accurately provides one or two pieces of information regarding life span and development, with no inaccuracies in other areas.

Accurately provides one or two pieces of information regarding life span and development but otherwise is somewhat inaccurate, confusing, and/or full of misconceptions.

Does not accurately provide information about life span and development.

Interesting or typical behaviors

20 17 14 10 6 Details several interesting or typical behaviors with accuracy and thoroughness.

Details one or two interesting or typical behaviors accurately.

Addresses behavior but without depth AND/OR with some inaccuracy.

Addresses behavior but without depth AND/OR inaccurately.

Does not address behavior of species.

Content Overall

20 17 14 10 6 Offers fresh insights, creatively addresses topic, and/or addresses topic in a meaningful way. Paper is an appropriate length.

Shows some depth of thought about the topic beyond information given, and/or creatively addresses the topic. Paper is an appropriate length.

Addresses the topic adequately but does not display depth of thought or creativity. Paper is slightly outside of the 4-6 page requirement.

Addresses some aspects of the assignment adequately, without much depth of thought or creativity. Paper is two or less pages, or 8 or more pages, in length.

Does not show any critical thinking or depth of meaning about the topic. Paper is one page, or is more than ten pages (not including charts/graphs/pictures).

Organization 20 17 14 10 6 Information is provided in a logical order that makes it easy and interesting to follow author's train of thought, sustaining reader's interest. A variety of thoughtful transitions are used, clearly showing how ideas are connected.

Information is provided in a fairly logical order that makes it reasonably easy to follow the author's train of thought. Transitions are used, for the most part, that show how ideas are connected.

Some of the information is not in an expected or logical order, distracting the reader and making the essay seem a little confusing. Some transitions work well, but some connections between ideas are unclear.

Much of the information is not organized in a logical way, making the essay confusing, and/or with unclear or abrupt transitions between ideas.

Most or all of the information is not organized, making the content of the essay seem inaccessible. The transitions between ideas are unclear OR nonexistent.

Wording 20 17 14 10 6 All sentences are well- constructed with varied and sophisticated structure and sophisticated and appropriate word choices/phrases.

Most sentences are well- constructed and there is some varied sentence structure in the essay. All or most word choices/phrases are appropriate.

Some sentences are well constructed, but some are not. May contain some problematic word choices or awkward phrasing.

Few sentences are well constructed. Some problematic word choices and/or awkward phrasing.

Most sentences are not well-constructed or varied.

Mechanics 20 17 14 10 6 Author makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Author makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Author makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Author makes 4-5 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Author makes 6 or more errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Format 10 8 6 5 3 All formatting is correct: double-spaced, 1" margins, appropriate font type and size, appropriate text justification and tabs, etc.

Most formatting correct, without distraction from ease of reading/grading paper.

One or more elements of formatting are incorrect (not double-spaced, tiny font, all text is centered, eg).

More than two elements of formatting are incorrect, making the paper difficult to read.

Most formatting requirements are ignored.

Citations / Bibliography

10 8 6 5 3 In-text citations are used appropriately. Sources are credible and cited correctly, and listed in a correctly formatted bibliography.

In-text citations are mostly used appropriately. Sources are credible and most are cited correctly, and listed in a correctly formatted bibliography.

In-text citations are made, but inconsistently or obscurely. Sources are credible and cited in-text correctly, but bibliography may be incorrect; AND/OR sources are not cited in- text, but a correctly formatted bibliography is provided.

In-text citations are made incorrectly. Sources are suspect (not credible) AND/OR are not cited correctly, AND/OR a correctly formatted bibliography is not provided.

In-text citations are not made. Sources are suspect (not credible) AND/OR are not cited correctly, and no bibliography, or an incorrect one, is provided.