READ CAREFULLY!!!

You can click on the links at anytime, think about what you want to write, and then start writing for your submission. Students only get ONE post and you should respond to at least 2 other posts. Additionally,  your submission cannot be similar to the submission of someone else.  You should plan before writing your post and submitting it. No attachments are allowed. Type your submission in the textbox. Your submission must be at least 400 words (not including documentation/citations) and your replies to other posts must be at least 5 well developed sentences.

This graded discussion is based on guided writing.  In order to be successful on this discussion, you need to CLEARLY demonstrate an understanding of the information and the questions presented.  OPINIONS need to be based on EVIDENCE.  This means you need to provide documentation for statements.  Following directions is important.

You will be given article(s) to read, then you will provide your opinions on the topic and provide evidence for your position.

READ/or LISTEN to the following about the topic:

Platoff, Emma and Alexa Ura. “Crystal Mason appeals five-year sentence for illegally voting.”  Texas Tribune. September 17, 2019.

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/09/17/crystal-mason-five-year-illegal-voting-provisional-ballot/  (Links para um site externo.)

Now follow these directions to complete the Graded Discussion:

Click on the above link(s) and read the article(s).  Then respond to ALL of the questions below.  In order to receive full credit for the discussion, you have to follow the guidelines provided. Remember to incorporate the articles/podcast in your response.  This means that you must briefly summarize and then make connections to them in your response.

Guidelines for submission:  Submissions must have at least 400 words, not including documentation/citations and quotes.  Students must also use proper grammar and punctuation, with no contractions. NO PLAGIARISM is allowed!  If you copy any portion of your submission from external sources, you will receive a 0!  Do not use phrases/quotes from the assigned link or external links to write your response.

You MUST document/cite your submission with in text citations and works cited or you will receive a 0!  

Elections in Texas  

1. How does Texas rank in relation to other states in terms of voter turnout in midterm elections?  What do you believe should be the role of state government in safeguarding elections for voters, if any?  Be specific in what you envision the state government should do and what limitations exist at the state level, if any.

2.  Provide a brief (clear and concise with elaboration of statements) summary of the article.  Overall, do you believe that the information in the article are valid?  Does this article impact the way that you view the topic or your decision to participate politically? (Elaborate.)

3.  Based on course topics, why is this topic relevant to the study of government? (This means that you need to make a connection between the article’s topic and at least one topic in the course and provide evidence.)  Why is this topic relevant to society as a whole?

Remember:  Your grade is based on following the directions carefully, your understanding of the topic presented, and your clear responses to the questions presented.

Grading Rubric:

Superior (100) ~  Student followed all the guidelines for the assignment in a clear, knowledgeable manner; met the word count (not including documentation/citations); provided informative, pertinent, and engaging information about the topic; no contractions; and used proper grammar.  Student provided at least 2 replies to other posts, documented/cited the submission and provided at least 1 other source to support statements in the article.  You will not score above 80 if you repeat ideas and do not show clear understanding of the topic.

Good (80) ~ Student followed the guidelines for the assignment, met the word count requirement, used contractions, and answered the questions in a generic manner with no elaboration of statements for clarity.  Student replied to posts and documented/cited the submission.

Insufficient (60) ~  Student mostly followed the guidelines for the assignment, met or did not meet the word count requirement, answered the questions for the assignment in a basic manner, and did not show a clear understanding of the assignment.  Student replied to 1 or no posts and word count was less than 400 words.

Needs Significant Improvement (40) ~ Student did not complete the requirements of the discussion, used lots of contractions; did not reply to other posts; word count was less than 300 words.

No submission (0) ~ Student did not submit a discussion post.  Student plagiarized portions of his/her submission.  Student did not document his/her submission.