Yes, I do make extra credit available in my sections of this course.  Since this is a “reading” course, extra credit naturally involves reading, and then requires writing a brief but interesting. roughly six paragraph book review (not a high school style “book report”).  See this link for specific instructions on how to do a college-level book review.  If you want extra credit, follow these instructions exactly in writing your review!  

For extra credit you may write a book review on one or more of the above six books (other than the one you may be using for the course):

For extra credit, write book reviews carefully following the instructions for Responses. Reviews should be detailed enough for me to see you read through the entire book, and should be seven to eight paragraphs long. Students may not review the same book they read for the course requirement.  If another student has the book you want and is done with it, you may wish to borrow it from them for your extra credit review, to keep costs and paper consumption down.

Depending on the quality of your book review, you can earn up to 10 points extra credit on your final grade (out of 100, which means up to a full letter grade increase). Obviously, no one can get over 100 (A) on their final grade, and extra credit is not meant to replace a required assignment that you refuse or fail to turn in. To earn a passing grade (“A,” “B,” or “C”) students must have completed all exams, paragraphs, and essays and achieved an average of 70% or better for the course.  Extra credit book reviews must be posted online on CourseMine—no printed or handwritten reviews are accepted.  Book reviews must be carefully proofread.

Of course, as always beware of plagiarizing reviews or comments from study guides or websites, or of copying directly from the book!  Your writing in this extra credit review (as in all work you turn in) must be YOURS, although, of course, you are free to get other people to look over and suggest corrections to your writing. Points will be taken off your extra credit for all violations of the Three Big Rules that I enforce in this class, for format errors, or for spelling errors.

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For educational purposes only.

OW 8/10

Owen M. Williamson - Education Bldg 211E - phone: (915) 747 7625 - fax: (915) 747 5655

The University of Texas at El Paso - 500 W. University Ave. - El Paso, TX 79968

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