Discussion Board Requirements:

Each discussion board will have two deadlines.

For the first deadline (Thursday), you will respond in four different threads, addressing four different authors, by 11:59 PM. Responses should be at least 100 words (about one paragraph), include analysis of textual examples, and make a specific interpretive point.
For the second deadline (Sunday), you will respond to two peers with a follow-up posts. Follow-up posts (responses to peers' posts) must be substantive in order to earn any points. They should be at least 50 words and include analysis of textual examples. Responses such as, "I agree" are not considered substantive. Responses such as, "What do you think of ….? I think …." and that explain your reasoning, are considered substantive. A minimum of two follow-up posts are required. Follow-up posts are due by 11:59 p.m.

In summary, for each weekly discussion board, you should have at least six posts, you must address at least four different authors, and ALL posts should include analysis of specific textual references to the week's assigned reading.

Discussion Tips:

Set the focus. Your posts should have a discreet focus and make an interpretive claim. You can use the questions that I provide to help you develop a focus, or you can set your own focus. You are not expected to cover every aspect of a text, nor are you required to answer a question from the list. I think they’re good questions, or I wouldn’t pose them, but they are conversation starters and points of departure, not an end in and of themselves. So, feel free to start with questions on the list, but don’t be limited by them.
Be original. Don’t repeat what someone else has said. Saying something that’s already been said by a classmate isn’t a discussion; we would never do that in a face-to-face class. Take a minute to imagine what that would be like in a face-to-face situation. Twenty-five people sitting in a room, and all the students giving a similar answer to the same question over and over as if the person who answered just before didn’t exist. Please remember that this is a discussion, not only a repository for reading responses.
Follow your interests. Your initials posts should address four different authors. After that, you can distribute your posts however you like among the week’s authors. This should allow you to pursue the conversation that is most interesting to you while still providing a breadth of coverage.

Discussion Resources:

How to Do a Close Reading
A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis
Using Literary Quotations
Analyzing Novels & Short Stories
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

Rubric:

This rubric will be used to assess your participation in the discussion boards.

Discussion Rubric
*Level of Engagement with peers and texts.*	Description
Excellent 10 Points	You have six or more posts, addressing at least four different writers. All posts include analysis of specific references to the assigned reading. You make specific interpretive points. Keep up the good work!
Satisfactory 7.5 Points	You have six or more posts, addressing at least four different writers. Some posts include analysis of specific references to the assigned reading. You may summarize more than you interpret. TIPS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Include more specific points about the reading and offer more specific evidence. Be sure to explain how your chosen evidence supports your points.
Unsatisfactory 6 Points	One or two posts may be missing. AND/OR You rarely included references to the week’s assigned readings. You may not have addressed three different authors. It’s not clear you did the assigned reading. TIPS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Do the reading and be sure your posts demonstrate that you have done so. Post at least five times. Be more specific with your points and use of evidence.
Failing 5 Points or fewer	More than two posts are missing. AND/OR You included no references to the week’s assigned readings. There's little to no evidence you did the assigned reading. TIPS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Do the reading and be sure your posts demonstrate that you have done so. Post at least five times. Be more specific with your points and use of evidence.
No Work Submitted. 0 points	You didn’t post anything.