Constitution Essay Contest September 17, 2015 marks the 228th Anniversary of our U.S. Constitution s signing. In honor of this historic occasion, ALL Brazos County high school seniors are invited to enter Republican Party of Brazos County s First Annual Constitution Essay Contest. CASH PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AT OUR REAGAN DINNER IN FEBRUARY 2016 GRAND PRIZE: $500 SECOND PLACE: $300 THIRD PLACE: $200 Teacher and School of Grand Prize Essay Winner Will Also Win Prizes Entry Deadline: Monday, January 4th, 2016 Essay Topic: Why did our forefathers find it necessary to include freedom of speech in the First Amendment? Using current events, explain how free speech is used and/or abused today. How is your life affected by this freedom? For more information and access to downloadable forms, please see our website, www.brazosgop.org under Important Reminders. If you have questions, feel free to call 979-268-2308 or email Constitution778@gmail.com. Approval for distribution of these materials is not an endorsement of such services, activities and/or products by Bryan ISD.
ENTRY FORM Republican Party of Brazos County s CONSTITUTION ESSAY CONTEST Open to All High School Seniors Who Reside in Brazos County Deadline: Monday, January 4th, 2016 Cash Prizes for Winners GRAND PRIZE: $500 SECOND PLACE: $300 THIRD PLACE: $200 Teacher and School of Grand Prize Essay Winner Will Also Win Prizes Print neatly. Your contact information will be used only for this contest. Name: School: Grade: Address: Phone: Email: Signature: Date: For more information and access to downloadable forms, please see our website, www.brazosgop.org under Important Reminders. If you have questions, feel free to call 979-268-2308 or email Constitution778@gmail.com.
Essay Contest Guidelines 1. Essay must be 750 words minimum to 1500 words maximum (include Word Count on essay s last page) and address this topic: Why did our forefathers find it necessary to include freedom of speech in the First Amendment? Using current events, explain how free speech is used and/or abused today. How is your life affected by this freedom? 2. Entry must be an original work (not plagiarized); it must not have previously appeared in any other medium. Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essay must be properly cited using MLA format. Include a separate Works Cited page. 3. Essays are to be word-processed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font with 1 margins. Number pages. In header with page number, place your initials. No other contact information should appear on your essay pages. Place essay title at top of page one. 4. Completed essays are to be submitted in two ways. (a) First, in Word or PDF format via email to: Constitution778@gmail.com. Please name the file with student s name (for example: JamesMadisonEssay.pdf ). (b) Second, mail or hand-deliver stapled hard copy, not folded, in large envelope to: Republican Party Brazos County, 1640 Briarcrest Drive, Ste. 122, Bryan, TX 77802. (c) Include in envelope: (1) Essay (2) Completed Entry Form (3) Cover Sheet, not stapled to essay, with student name, phone number, email address, school, sponsoring teacher s name and title of essay. (4) Signed Release Form 5. Entry Deadline: Monday, January 4th, 2016 for both electronic and hard copies. 6. Entries not meeting these submission guidelines will be automatically disqualified. 7. All entries are final. No revisions will be accepted. 8. Submissions will be judged by a panel that includes community leaders, professors and retired teachers using the scoring rubric on the following page. The decisions of the judges are final. 9. Winners will be notified by January 31st, 2016. 10. Prizes will be awarded at Brazos GOP s Reagan Dinner to be held at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr., Bryan on February 16, 2016. Winners, plus parents and teachers of winners, will be our honored guests at both the Dinner and Program.
Constitution Essay Rubric THESIS Easily identifiable, plausible, novel, sophisticated, insightful, crystal clear. STRUCTURE Evident, understandable, appropriate for thesis. Excellent transitions from point to point. Paragraphs support solid topic sentences. USE OF EVIDENCE Primary and secondary source information incorporated to buttress every point. Examples support thesis and fit within paragraph. Excellent integration of quoted material into sentences. Factual information is LOGIC AND ARGUMENTATION incorporated. All ideas flow logically; the argument is identifiable, reasonable, 10 9 8 7 6>0 and sound. Author anticipates and successfully defuses counter-arguments; makes novel connections which illuminate thesis MECHANICS Language is clearly organized. Correct word usage, punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar; correct citation of sources; minimal to no spelling errors; absolutely no run-on sentences or comma splices. Promising, but may be slightly unclear, or lacking insight or originality. Generally clear and appropriate, though may wander occasionally. May have a few unclear transitions, or a few paragraphs without strong topic sentences. Examples used to support most points. Some evidence does not support point or may appear where inappropriate. Quotations are integrated well into sentences. Some factual information is incorporated. Argument is clear and usually flows logically and makes sense. Some evidence that counterarguments acknowledged, though perhaps not addressed. Occasional insightful connections to evidence are made. Sentence structure and grammar strong despite occasional lapses; punctuation and citation style often used correctly. Some spelling errors and at least one runon sentence, sentence fragment, or comma splice. Unclear (contains vague terms), appears unoriginal, or offers relatively little that is new; provides little around which to structure the paper. Generally unclear, often wanders or jumps around. Few or weak transitions, and there are many paragraphs without topic sentences. Examples support some points. Quotations may be poorly integrated into sentences. There may not be a clear point. Moderate amount of factual information is incorporated. Logic may often fail, or the argument may often be unclear. May not address counterarguments or make any connections with the thesis. May also contain logical contradictions. Minor problems in sentence structure and grammar. Multiple errors in punctuation, citation style, and spelling. May have several (two to five) run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and comma splices. Difficult to identify and may blend restatement of obvious point. Unclear, often because thesis is weak or nonexistent. Transitions confusing and unclear. Few topic sentences. Very few or weak examples and factual information. General failure to support statements, or evidence seems to support no particular point. Ideas do not flow at all, usually because there is no argument to support. Simplistic view of topic, and there is no effort to grasp possible alternative views. Very little or very weak attempt to relate evidence to argument. Huge problems in sentence structure and grammar. Frequent major errors in citation style, punctuation, and spelling. May have many (more than five) run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and comma splices. Has no identifiable thesis or an utterly incompetent thesis. Shows obviously minimal lack of effort or comprehension of the assignment. No evidence structure or organization. No attempt has been made to incorporate factual information or interpret primary and secondary sources. Too incoherent to determine. Very difficult to understand owing to major problems in mechanics. *This rubric is a composite of several rubrics used in several American and World courses taught at Barry University, Bowdoin College, Yale University, Manatee Community College, and Florida International University. Borrowed from Tea Party Patriots, El Dorado Hills, www.teapartypatriotsedh.com, 9/4/15
Essay Contest Release Form Your essay (Essay) may be published and/or displayed on a public Internet website as well as in other Formats. By signing this release form (Release) you and/or your parent or legal guardian (if you are under 18), acknowledge that the Essay may be made publicly available and you and/or your parent or legal guardian consent to this use of your Essay. Mail or handdeliver the Release with Entry Form, hard copy of your Essay and Cover Sheet to 1640 Briarcrest Dr., Ste. 122, Bryan, Texas by entry deadline: January 4th, 2016. Participant Release Form Except for copyrighted materials separately identified, I hereby assign, transfer or otherwise convey to the organizers of the Republican Party of Brazos County s Constitution Essay Contest, all rights, titles and interests in and to the essay submitted for the contest, including without limitation all copyrights and other intellectual property rights therein. Furthermore, I agree that my Essay may be used, edited, reproduced, distributed and presented in any way deemed proper by the contest organizers without any additional consent, or payment to me or anyone else. There is no time limit on the validity of this Release nor is there any geographic limitation on where my Essay may be used, distributed or presented. Name of Student: Age: (Print Name) School: Grade: Student Email: Telephone #: Student: Date: (Signature) If Student is under 18: Parent/Guardian: (Print Name) Parent/Guardian: Date: (Signature) Should you win, do you want your name published on our website and/ or in newspaper? Yes No Borrowed from U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of CA, www.cacb.uscourts.gov, 9/4/15.