ENGLISH COMPOSITION

FINAL EXAM
&
PORTFOLIO
Your semester exam will be in two parts: a portfolio and a final reflection essay. At the beginning of
the exam time, each of you will hand in a portfolio that contains your final revised essays that have been
placed in plastic page protectors and divided in three-ring binders. I want to see all pages without taking
them out of plastic protectors. Each essay must be corrected and re-written to course standards.

Choose five of the following essays from this semester to correct and then re-type for a final copy.
(80% of Final Exam grade)
Your portfolio should include FIVE of the following (only one journal essay may be included):
1. p. 24 Essay (Partner) 6. Process Analysis Essay
2. College Application Essay 7. Compare / Contrast Essay
3. Narrative / Descriptive Essay 8. Cause/Effect Essay
4. Character Sketch 9. Journal Essay 2
5. Journal Essay 1 10. Research Paper

A Reflection Essay will be typed and printed during the Final Exam time for this class. (20% of
Final Exam grade) All normal rules apply 3 being verbs, no usage of you, 12 font, etc.
Your 500-word reflection essay should have these parts (5 paragraphs):
I. Introduction Paragraph
II. Body Paragraphs
A. Consider your work as a writer (topic sentence)
1. What have you learned about writing?
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
3. How have you grown?
4. What do you still need to improve? (goals)
B. Analyze your portfolio as a whole. (topic sentence)
1. What do you think of this portfolio?
2. Which paper is your strongest piece of writing? Explain why.
3. Which paper is your weakest piece of writing? Explain why.
4. How does the portfolio reflect on you as a writer, thinker, and person?
C. Assess this course. (topic sentence)
1. What was the most memorable part of the course?
2. What advice would you give to an incoming Composition student?
3. How could the course and/or instruction be improved?
4. What are your future goals?
III. Conclusion Paragraph

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Put your essays in plastic sleeves in a to a 2 binder. Each chapter will be divided from the
others in the portfolio as the final fixed copy of the essay. If you want to use a different font on the
fixed essay from what we have used this year, you may, but use one that is still easily readable. All other
requirements for the assigned essay apply. The portfolio will be evaluated for an overall grade as part of
your semester exam (80% for the portfolio and 20% for the reflection essay). If your portfolio is complete
and shows creativity and thought, your grade will be no less than an 80/80. You should decorate your
portfolio with drawings, artwork, pictures, photographs, or material cut out of magazines, newspapers, etc.
to make it visually appealing. Any portfolio that does not contain at least five essays will receive a lower
grade, regardless of how fancy it is. A portfolio not ready at the beginning of the period on exam day will
receive deductions in grade up to 20%. A portfolio not turned in will lose 80% of final exam grade.