2- The Other Side of the Story Book Reflection Paper

The Other Side of the Story Book Reflection Paper

For this class, students are required to write a book reflection of the non-fiction book, The Other Side of the Story by Daphine Jack. The purpose of reading the book is for students to think critically and analyze the concept of wrongful convictions and possible inequities faced within the criminal justice system.

INSTRUCTIONS: Please refer to the next pages for tips about how to write a good book review. Simply writing about what the book is about is NOT sufficient. Below is a list of prompts to help you get started. Please note that these questions are not meant to be an exhaustive list of question to consider when writing your reflection; they are simply prompts to help you start writing.

1. Before reading the book, you may want to consider what you already know about the topic from past experience, research or courses. This will allow you to better gauge how the book has shaped your opinion about this topic. What is the author’s main goal in writing this book?
2. Explain the background of an event. Is the author trying to raise awareness about a particular issue? What are the author’s main points? What kind of evidence does the author provide to make her points? How convincing is this evidence?
3. What was the book about? Please provide a brief summary of the book.
4. What did you find most interesting about this book?
5. What parts of the book did you agree with (if any) and why do you agree?
6. What parts of the book did you disagree with (if any) and why do you disagree? ) Is there anything that you think could have made this book better?
7. How do the issues and themes discussed in the book relate to class materials (i.e. textbook reading, lectures, class discussions, etc.)?
8. What did you learn from this book?
9. How has this book shaped your view on the issues discussed?

FORMAT:
 Minimum of 3-4 pages (not including the title page and reference page) Papers less than 3pages receive automatic zero
 APA Format (See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)
 Times New Roman/size 12 font
 1 inch margins
 Body: double spaced

The Other Side of the Story Reflection Grading Rubric

GRADING CRITERIA POSSIBLE
SCORE ACTUAL
SCORE
Content: All required prompts have been addressed sufficiently, including (a) a brief summary of the topics/issues discussed in the reading, (b) a discussion on how this topic and the issues discussed relate to the course materials, (c) a detailed discussion of your opinion on the issue(s) The discussion of the reading demonstrates evidence of solid understanding of the main issues discussed and also provides evidence of critical thinking. 60
Clarity of Expression and Mechanics: The writing is clear and well organized. The reader does not have to struggle to understand what the writer is saying. The paper has been proofread so there are few if any errors in spelling, capitalization and grammar. 20
Format/Structure/Organization:
The paper is in full APA format, including a title page, a running head on each page, page numbers on each page, double-spaced, 1 inch margins. The paper should also be in Times New Roman, size 12 font. 20
Total: 100