Objective: Start the business planning process for a business venture you yourself will start. Each student will peer review the weekly observation of two class mates. Read Chapters 4 & 5 to fam

WEEKLY OBSERVATIONS

The weekly observation (WO) is a one-page essay that is due every Thursday night by 11:59 p.m. A written prompt will be provided in class. Respond to the prompt as specified. The paper must be typed in Microsoft Word and conform to the formatting described below. The writing assignment rubric outlines how the essay will be evaluated in-terms of content development, essay organization, and mechanics usage.

Formatting

A one-page paper will consist of 500 words. Aim for 475-500 words to be safe. The word count in Microsoft Word is a helpful tool. You can find the Word Count tool by clicking on the “review” tab. The “word count” icon will be located on the “review” ribbon. The review ribbon also contains a thesaurus as well as a spelling and grammar tool. To achieve the required word length the paper will need to be single spaced. Click on the “Layout” tab to control spacing within a paragraph. Points to remember:

Length (475-500 words)
Five Singe-spaced paragraphs
Double space between paragraphs
12-point font

Content

The WO content will be specified by the instructor. When you receive a writing prompt during class, respond to the assignment as specified. Sometimes you will receive a writing prompt via Canvas. These prompts like the in-class assignments, will require a specific response. On rare occasions, you will receive a writing prompt asking you to demonstrate your understanding of the upcoming chapter. Refrain from summarizing the chapter. Instead, the WO should go beyond a simple summary.

It could critique or extend the arguments given in the readings.
It could illustrate the points with examples drawn from your own experience.
It could draw connections to other concepts covered inside or outside the class.
It could connect recent events, or other articles you have read to the week's topic or assigned readings.

The goal of the paper is to motivate you to think about the week's topic and thus deepen your understanding. Topics assigned in Canvas may change based upon in-class discussions. Any changes that are assigned in-class should be prioritized and reflected in your final document.

Grading:
The writing assignment rubric will be used to evaluate your weekly observation. These papers are worth 50 points each and contribute to your final grade in the course. A grade of zero will be assigned to papers:

That are late.
That simply summarize the readings,
Do not demonstrate adequate thought about the prompt
Do not follow the formatting instructions.
Grammatical errors should be minimized.

The writing assignment rubric is on next page. Please become familiar with the rubric and plan your writing assignments accordingly.

Summary

The weekly observation (WO) is a one-page essay that is due every Thursday night by 11:59 p.m. The WO is one of the ways in which I give credit for class contribution. Follow the formatting, content, and grading requirements described in this document. You MUST turn the paper in on-time in Canvas to receive credit. I WILL NOT GRADE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE EMAILED TO ME.

Writing Assignment Rubric

	Distinguished 4	Proficient 3	Limited 2	Unsatisfactory 1
CONTENT:
Introduction	Attitude is defined; thesis is clearly focused; subject is significant	Thesis is clear; provides direction for written assignment	Unclear; formulaic; not creative	Introduction is incomplete, ineffective, or missing
Idea Development	Interesting; sophisticated; insightful	Clear and thoughtful	Simplistic; uneven in quality; lacking in relevance	Absent or ineffective
	Distinguished 4	Proficient 3	Limited 2	Unsatisfactory 1
Support or Evidence	Detailed; accurate; convincing	Sufficient and accurate	Vague	Missing or inaccurate
Word Choice	Engaging and powerful choice of words	Appropriate to task	Limited	Monotonous or inappropriate
Conclusion	Extends; connects; comments on topics	Purposeful and perceptive	Summarizes previously stated information	Absent, incomplete, or unfocused
ORGANIZATION:
Topic Sentence	Clearly related to thesis; comprehensive; incorporates effective transitions	Comprehensive and logical	Provides blank restatement of thesis; narrow or inaccurate	Absent
Paragraph Order	Contributes to an effective argument; reinforces the content	Demonstrates a clear plan	Ineffective or inconsistent	Random
Transitions	Effective and varied	Clear and functional	Mechanical	Absent
MECHANICS:
Sentence Structure	Complete; varied; interesting	Complete and correct	Variety is present; some errors are evident	Repetitious; fragments and run-ons are frequent
Punctuation/Spelling	Error-free	Some errors present, but they do not interfere with meaning	Careless or distracting	Errors interfere with the meaning
Voice	Distinctive; appropriate to task and audience	Clear and authentic	Mechanical, formulaic	Unclear

Weekly Observation Schedule & Due Dates

Week	Dates			Cengage Due Date		In-Class Due Date
	1/16/2023	1/22/2023	1/22/2023		WO 1 1/19/2023
	1/23/2023	1/29/2023	1/29/2023		WO 2 1/26/2023
	1/30/2023	2/5/2023	2/5/2023		WO 3 2/2/2023
	2/13/2023	2/19/2023	2/19/2023		WO 4 2/16/2023
	2/20/2023	2/26/2023	2/26/2023		WO 5 2/23/2023
	2/27/2023	3/5/2023	3/5/2023		WO 6 3/2/2023
10	3/13/2023	3/19/2023	3/19/2023		WO 7 3/16/2023
11	3/20/2023	3/26/2023	3/26/2023		WO 8 3/23/2023