Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación

Course: Academic Writing
Code: 551016

Activity Guide and Evaluation Rubric - Task 5 - Writing

1. Activity Description

Type of activity: Independent

Evaluation moment: Final
Highest score of the activity: 125 points
The activity starts on: Monday, The activity ends on: Sunday,
November 29, 2021 December 12, 2021
With this activity, you are expected to achieve the following learning
outcome:

Compose a five-paragraph essay on a provided topic using all the steps of the writing
process.

The activity consists of:

Step 1
- Sign in to http://www.myaccess.com with your Username (ID number with no
periods or commas) and Password (ID number with no periods or commas).
- In your Dashboard, click on the tab Assignments and choose one of the topics
for this course. Inform about the topic you chose in the forum so that no topics
are repeated among students.
- Click on the chosen assignment name to view the Prompt Details. Interpret the
directions given in the prompt by breaking the assignment into its subject and
direction words like we did in Task 1, and share it in the forum.
SUBJECT DIRECTIONS

Step 2
- Click on the tab Resources and from the General Planning section, choose the
prewriting strategy you liked the most. Download the chosen prewriting

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 strategy and use it to generate ideas about the chosen topic like we did in Task
2. Scan and share your prewriting strategy in the forum.
- Based on your prewriting strategy, write a tentative thesis statement for the
chosen topic and three topic sentences that you could use for paragraphs in a
rough draft. Share it in the forum, too.
Thesis Statement
Topic Sentence 1
Topic Sentence 2
Topic Sentence 3

Step 3
- Go back to MyAccess, with the information from Step 2, create an outline using
the template there and post it in the forum.
- Once you have done it, write a 5-paragraph rough draft essay that includes an
introduction paragraph, 3 body paragraphs and the conclusion paragraph about
the chosen topic.
- Click on the submit bottom so that you can see your writing performance
assessed for its overall quality (holistic score) and for trait specific qualities
(focus and purpose, content and development, organization, language use, and
mechanics and conventions). This would be your first submission in my
MyAccess regarding your topic.

Step 4
- In MyAccess, check the tab My Portfolio to deeply revise your essay in order to
improve it. Verify My Tutor Feedback to read the goals of the essay; in My
Editor Feedback verify your score for the trait specific qualities. Use your MY
Tutor® Revision Plan to identify goals and strategies to revise your essay.
Share this revision in the forum. Select ONE or more of the Revision Goals and
copy/paste it into your Revision Plan in the section marked My Goal. Click on
the goal statement to read the (1)goal, (2)directions and (3) the student
example. Write your strategy for revising in the section indicated in your
Revision Plan.
- Rewrite your essay in MyAccess for improvement. Click on the submit bottom
again and publish the clean copy of your essay in the forum. This would be
your second submission in MyAccess. Be sure it has 5 paragraphs total:
Your thesis statement goes here introducing the topic or the main idea of
your essay. Then, you will write your first subtopic. After that, you will write
your second subtopic. Thirdly, you will write your most important subtopic.

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 Finally, you will conclude your introductory paragraph by writing a catchy
sentence.
In this first body paragraph you will write your first subtopic or topic
sentence. It has the same structure as an opinion paragraph, you know, topic
sentence, reason 1, example 1, reason 2, example 2, reason 3, example 3 and
conclusion sentence restating the main idea.
In this second body paragraph you will write your second subtopic or topic
sentence. It has the same structure as an opinion paragraph, you know, topic
sentence, reason 1, example 1, reason 2, example 2, reason 3, example 3 and
conclusion sentence restating the main idea.
In this third body paragraph you will write your third subtopic or topic
sentence. It has the same structure as an opinion paragraph, you know, topic
sentence, reason 1, example 1, reason 2, example 2, reason 3, example 3 and
conclusion sentence restating the main idea.
Finally, you will need to write you conclusion paragraph. In this case, it
would have a similar organization as your introduction, carefully restating the
thesis statement using different words. You must also leave a take-away
message here. Since it is a draft, it should not be perfect.

Step 5
- Send a PDF document in accordance to APA rules (7th Edition in English) with
Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the Evaluation Environment.

For the development of the activity consider that:

In the Initial Information Environment, you must:

- Check the Course Agenda to organize your time.
- Check the Course News for important information.

In the Learning Environment, you must:

- Check the Course Contents and Bibliographic References for all Units.
- Go to the discussion forum for the task and actively participate with your
collaborative group.

In the Evaluation Environment, you must:

- Upload a PDF file with the task’s individual evidence. Identify your file as
follows: 551016 - Task 5 - Your Full Name.pdf

Evidence of independent work:

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The independent evidence to be submitted is:

A PDF file named 551016 - Task 5 - Your Full Name.pdf with the following pages:
1. Cover Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Step 1 - Assignment shared in forum
4. Step 2 - Prewriting strategy and thesis statement shared in forum
5. Step 3 - Draft and Revision Plan shared in forum
6. Step 4 - Clean copy of 5-paragraph essay shared in forum
7. APA References following the 7th Edition guidelines

Evidence of group work:

No collaborative evidence is required in this activity.

2. General Guidelines for the Development of Evidence to Submit

For Independent evidence, consider the following:

▪ Be sure to write proper citations and references for other sources you might
use.
▪ Be sure to answer all the questions with your own words.
▪ Be sure to revise content, structure and mechanics in everything you post in
the forums and/or sent for evaluation.
▪ Before submitting the requested product, student should check that it meets
all the requirements mentioned in this activity guide.

Please keep in mind that all individual or collaborative written products must comply
with the spelling rules and presentation conditions defined in this activity guide.
Regarding the use of references, consider that the product of this activity must
comply with APA style.
In any case, make sure you comply with the rules and avoid academic plagiarism.
You can review your written products using the Turnitin tool found in the virtual
campus.

Under the Academic Code of Conduct, the actions that infringe the academic order,
among others, are the following: paragraph e) Plagiarism is to present as your own
work all or part of a written report, task or document of invention carried out by

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another person. It also implies the use of citations or lack of references, or it
includes citations where there is no match between these and the reference and
paragraph f) To reproduce, or copy for profit, educational resources or results of
research products, which have rights reserved for the University. (Acuerdo 029 - 13
de diciembre de 2013, artículo 99)

The academic penalties students will face are:

a) In case of academic fraud demonstrated in the academic work or evaluation, the
score obtained will be zero (0.0) without any disciplinary measures being derived.
b) In case of proven plagiarism in academic work of any nature, the score obtained
will be zero (0.0), without any disciplinary measures being derived.

3. Evaluation Rubric

Type of activity : Independent

Evaluation moment: Final
The highest score in this activity is 125 points
First evaluation High level: The student actively participated in the forum by
criterion: posting all the steps in the writing process.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
Participate actively points and 20 points
on task.
Average level: The student participated in the forum by
This criterion posting some of the steps in the writing process.
represents 20 If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
points of the total points and 15 points
of 125 points of
the activity. Low level: The student did not participate in the forum by
posting some of the steps in the writing process.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points
Second evaluation High level: The student was able to break the chosen writing
criterion: assignment into its subject and direction words.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
Interpret writing points and 20 points
prompt.
Average level: The student had a hard time breaking the
chosen writing assignment into its subject and direction words.

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This criterion If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
represents 20 points and 15 points
points of the total
of 125 points of Low level: The student was not able to break the chosen
the activity. writing assignment into its subject and direction words.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points
Third evaluation High level: There is detailed evidence showing time spent
criterion: creating the mapping, organizing and writing out ideas for this
piece of writing.
Use a prewriting If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
strategy to points and 20 points
structure the essay.
Average level: There is little evidence showing time spent
This criterion creating the mapping, organizing and writing out ideas for this
represents 20 piece of writing.
points of the total If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
of 125 points of points and 15 points
the activity.
Low level: There is no evidence showing time spent creating
the mapping, organizing and writing out ideas for this piece of
writing.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points
Fourth evaluation High level: Outline and draft are complete; they clearly
criterion: include ideas that were brainstormed and organized during
prewriting. There are 5 paragraphs total.
Construct outline If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
and draft. points and 20 points

This criterion Average level: Outline and draft are not complete; they
represents 20 include limited ideas from the prewriting. There are not 5
points of the total paragraphs total.
of 125 points of If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
the activity. points and 15 points

Low level: No outline and/or drafting is sent for evaluation.

If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points

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Fifth evaluation High level: The student demonstrated clear evidence of an
criterion: ability to revise. The student obtained and incorporated a lot of
comments. The student made revisions above and beyond
Revise and edit own what is suggested. The student added new material, deleting
writing. weak or irrelevant material and substituting more relevant
material for less relevant material. The student rewrote
This criterion individual sentences (changing syntax for clarity and variety,
represents 20 re-ordering main and subordinate clauses, adding phrases,
points of the total cutting excess, etc.)
of 125 points of If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
the activity. points and 20 points

Average level: The student demonstrated some ability to

revise. The student obtained and incorporated some
comments. The student made some revisions. The student
reorganized presentation of evidence providing some improved
transitions that keep the focus clear, reworking the introduction
or conclusion and rewriting individual sentences (attempting to
add clarity and variety).
If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
points and 15 points

Low level: The student demonstrated a lack of ability to

revise in a substantial way. Whatever revision done, was not
sufficient to improve the content, focus, structure, clarity, and
coherence of an earlier draft. Revision was limited to sections
of the essay and demonstrated a lack of awareness of how
even small changes can affect the entire paper.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points
Fifth evaluation High level: The student was able to compose a five-paragraph
criterion: essay on a provided topic using all the steps of the writing
process.
Publish a clean copy If your work is at this level, you can get between 16
of the 5-paragraph points and 20 points
essay.
Average level: The student had a hard time composing a
This criterion five-paragraph essay on a provided topic using all the steps of
represents 20 the writing process.
points of the total

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of 125 points of If your work is at this level, you can get between 12
the activity. points and 15 points

Low level: The student was not able to compose a five-

paragraph essay on a provided topic using all the steps of the
writing process.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 11 points
Sixth evaluation High level: The document meets the criteria for presentation
criterion: and references according to APA standards.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 4
Present a document points and 5 points
according to APA
standards. Average level: The document partially meets the criteria for
presentation and references according to APA standards.
This criterion If your work is at this level, you can get between 3
represents 5 points and 4 points
points of the total
of 125 points of Low level: The document does not meet the criteria for
the activity. presentation and references according to APA standards.
If your work is at this level, you can get between 0
points and 3 points