evil eye also known as ” nazar boncugu” jewelry? Or how people use this in their home? Which generation of people? How will you know their views on this? what does the evil eye mean to them ? whats the story behind it ? 

Short Paper & Audio on Middle East Culture Topic
Guidelines & Grading Rubric

MEST 318 Spring 2020

Due date: April 9, 2020 on Blackboard (regardless of whether we return to campus or not)
Paper length: 2-3 pages required, 5 pages maximum
Audio length: 5-10 minutes maximum

Choose a specific topic related to one or more Middle Eastern cultures and submit it on BB for approval (via the link “Culture topic of your choice”).

I will approve or send the topics back to you, and I will change the grade accordingly (so don’t worry if you see a zero at first – I have to enter a
number to comment). You can change topics, but your topic must be approved before you start writing. Do not pick a country or a whole
culture; instead think about some person/thing/building/custom (or other possible choice) and propose that on BB.

Please:

1. Check your submission topics on Blackboard. If you change topics, please change your BB entry.
2. If you do not know how to start this or how to choose, email me or talk to me on BB Collaborate in office hours or after class.
3. Cite your source(s) for any information you use. You can use any citation style, but please include the information needed to find this

source, including a web link if applicable.
4. Optional: you can use sources in English, French or Arabic. However, they must include full citation information, including a web link if

applicable.
5. Record an audio of you talking about the topic you chose and what you wrote in your short paper. See the rubric below for how that will be

graded. Focus on the content and presentation of that information, not the length. You do not have to use visuals for that recording.
6. Note that late submissions will lose 5 points per day that each submission is late, so please upload to BB as close as you can to the April

9th deadline. I will set BB to mark all submissions uploaded without 24 hours of that deadline as “on time” in case you have trouble uploading
(meaning your paper and recording must be on BB before midnight April 10th).

Please do NOT:
1. choose the Arabian Nights (or a Thousand and One Nights), the Prophet Muhammad or his family or associates or other prophets, Umm

Kulthum, Naguib Mahfouz, Edward Said, Mahmoud Darwish, Adonis, Nizar Qabbani, or any members of the ruling families in the UAE or
in the Middle East.

2. choose a topic that is very broad.
3. Read part or all of your audio.

There are two rubrics below. The first is for the paper and the second is for the audio. The paper is worth 15% of your grade and the audio is worth
5%.

Rubric for the Short Paper on a Middle East Culture Topic of your Choice (worth 15% of course grade)
Category Pts Failing or Very

Poor (0-14 pts)

Acceptable (15-16) Good (17-18 pts) Excellent (19-20 pts)

The writer’s
position on the
topic

20 Argument is
vague, confusing,
or very general. It
may be descriptive
or missing entirely.

Argument is present but
descriptive or very
general.

Clear, analytical argument in which
writer shows his/her position and
clearly answers the requirements
above.

Insightful, nuanced, and
with a clear position and
strong argument that ties
all of the essay together.

Organization 20 Organization lacks
a logical or
intentional
progression.

Organization is clear but
does not effectively
support the author’s
position.

Organization is clear and effectively
supports the author’s position.

Organization is clear and
well indicated to the
reader, with a thoughtful
use of argument and
evidence.

Use of
ethnographic
and/or other
reliable data and
evidence, sources

20 Evidence is poorly
chosen and/or does
not clearly
illustrate points or
argument, and/or
only includes
unreliable ones.
Author presents
others’ ideas as
his/her own.

Evidence generally
illustrates main points,
useful selection of
reliable sources with
mostly complete
references. All ideas
from others are clearly
cited.

Clear, focused connection to main
points and well-chosen reliable
evidence of different types, with
complete references. Clear explanation
of how evidence was gathered and
from reliable sources that significantly
impact the argument.

Well-chosen sources used
insightfully to support
and/or illustrate points
throughout. Reliable
evidence is clearly
referenced and shows
excellent understanding of
how these data or sources
impact the argument.

Evidence of
topic’s relevance
to one or more
Middle Eastern
Cultures and
analysis of that
relevance

20 Inattention to
detail, resulting in
information and
specifics that are
either inaccurate,
irrelevant or
repetitive. Topic
chosen is broad or
treated in a simple
way.

Information and
discussion are generally
on topic, with no
repetition or digressions.
Topic is related to one or
more Middle Eastern
cultures in a general
way.

Information is consistently from
reliable sources, without repetition or
digressions. Strong evidence of
relevance to one or more Middle
Eastern cultures in a specific way.

Information that is reliable
and nuanced in its
specificity. No repetition
or digression from the
paper’s focus. Information
is well chosen to support
the writer’s position.
Strong and complex
relationship between topic
and one or more Middle
Eastern Cultures.

Clarity, style, and
accuracy of
writing

20 Confusing or
unclear writing.
Style is
substantially

Mostly clearly written
but with some sections
that are confusing. May
include spelling and

Carefully & clearly written, with no
sections or passages that are confusing.
No spelling or grammatical mistakes
that impede understanding. Mostly

Carefully, clearly, and
thoughtfully composed,
with each section
balancing style, detail, and

different from
author’s style on
the midterm essay,
appears to have
been written by
someone else.

grammatical mistakes
that impede
understanding. Style may
differ some from
author’s style on the
midterm essay.

matches the style the writer used on
his/her midterm essay.

evidence. Very few or no
spelling or grammatical
mistakes. Closely matches
the style the writer
produced in his/her
midterm essay.

Rubric for the Audio Recording on your Topic of Choice (worth 5% of course grade)

Category Pts Failing or Very Poor
(0-14 pts)

Acceptable (15-16) Good (17-18 pts) Excellent (19-20 pts)

The speaker’s position
on the topic

20 Argument is vague,
confusing, or very
general. It may be
descriptive or missing
entirely.

Argument is present but
descriptive or very
general.

Clear, analytical argument
in which the speaker shows
his/her position on the
topic.

Insightful, nuanced, and
with a clear position and
strong argument that ties
all of the essay together.

Organization 20 Organization lacks a
logical or intentional
progression, or the
organization does not
follow the paper.

Organization is clear and
follow’s the paper
organization.

Organization is clear and
effectively supports the
speaker’s position. Audio
follows the paper’s
organization closely. Audio
may include some
additional information or
personal asides that are
relevant to the topic and
which add to the audio
presentation’s quality.

Organization is clear and
well indicated to the
listener, with a
thoughtful use of
argument and evidence.
Organization follows the
paper’s closely. Audio
includes additional
information or personal
asides that are relevant to
the topic and which add
to the audio
presentation’s quality.

Use of ethnographic
and/or other reliable
data and evidence,
sources

20 Evidence is poorly
chosen and/or does not
clearly illustrate points
or argument, and/or only
includes unreliable
sources. Speaker
presents others’ ideas as
his/her own.

Evidence generally
illustrates main points,
useful selection of reliable
sources. All ideas from
others are clearly cited
(meaning the speaker
mentions the author(s) or
titles of sources).

Clear connection to main
points and reliable
evidence of different types,
mentioning at least the
author and title of
references. Clear
explanation of how
evidence was gathered and
from reliable sources that

Well-chosen sources
used insightfully to
support and/or illustrate
points throughout.
Reliable evidence is
clearly referenced and
shows excellent
understanding of how
these data or sources

significantly impact the
argument. Explanation of
how these sources can be
considered reliable.

impact the argument.
Sound explanation of
how these sources can be
considered reliable.

Evidence of topic’s
relevance to one or
more Middle Eastern
Cultures and analysis
of that relevance

20 Inattention to detail,
resulting in information
and specifics that are
either inaccurate,
irrelevant or repetitive.
Topic chosen is broad or
treated in a simple way.

Information and
discussion are generally
on topic, with no
repetition or digressions.
Topic is related to one or
more Middle Eastern
cultures in a general way.

Information is consistently
from reliable sources,
without repetition or
digressions. Strong
evidence of relevance to
one or more Middle
Eastern cultures in a
specific way.

Information that is
reliable and nuanced in
its specificity. No
repetition or digression
from the paper’s focus.
Information is well
chosen to support the
speaker’s position.
Strong and complex
relationship between
topic and one or more
Middle Eastern Cultures.

Clarity, style, and
presentation of the
audio

20 Audio is unclear or
contains a lot of
background noise that
makes understanding
difficult. Speaker is too
slow, too rushed, or
sounds distracted.
Speaker sounds like s/he
is reading during all or
part of the audio.

Audio is clear, well-
prepared, and explains in
detail the topic of the
speaker’s paper. Delivery
is natural and does not
sound as if the speaker is
reading all or part of the
audio, or as if s/he is
bored or otherwise
distracted.

Audio is clear, well-
prepared, and explains in
detail the topic of the
speaker’s paper. Beginning
makes the listener want to
continue listening. Delivery
is natural and not read from
a script. Little background
noise.

Audio is clear, well-
prepared, and explains in
detail the topic of the
speaker’s paper.
Beginning makes the
listener want to continue
listening. Delivery is
clearly practiced but is
still natural and not read
from a script. Little or no
background noise.