Graded Assignments:                                                    All work turned in must have the following information included to ensure proper recording of grades: name, date, UF ID #, and email address.  Please, hold on to all returned assignments in case of any disputed grades.

Grades will be based upon the total number of points accumulated for performance on Exams, Small Group Activities, and Written Assignments.

Point Distribution: (maximum possible points)

Grading Scale: 
Final grades will be determined using the scale below:

Exams:
There will be three exams administered during the semester.  Exams will focus heavily, though not exclusively on the assigned readings.  Each exam will be worth 50 points.

Small Group Activities:
The class will be randomly divided into small groups.  Small groups will meet eleven times throughout the semester to discuss and complete a small group activity on an assigned topic.  Small groups activities will be facilitated by a teacher’s assistant, however, all group members are expected to contribute and participate in all the activities.  Small group activities are worth 10 points each and every present group member will receive the same grade. Each student will also be graded individually by their TA for a total of 40 points.

Personal Experience Paper:                                                       Students will be asked to write a short paper about their personal experience(s)- directly or indirectly- with drugs and/or alcohol.   The paper must be three to five pages in length with a separate cover page; stapled, typed, doubled spaced, in 12-point font, with one-inch margins. The paper must contain an introduction, a discussion, and a conclusion. The content of the paper will be kept confidential.  The personal paper is worth 40 points.

The paper needs to address all the following areas: Identify the substance(s) involved; How did you get involved with this substance; Identify thoughts and feelings you were experiencing at the time you were involved with the substance; Identify the physical, psychological, and social effects the substance had in your life; Identify positive and negative effects of the substance; Did you like using the substance or not and why; Identify your current thoughts and feelings about the substance and your behaviors; Did you learn anything from the experience and what;  What would you tell someone using the substance now; If you could do it all over again, would you do things differently, why and how; Identify and describe any changes in your behaviors after this your experience.

Final paper:                                                                           Students will be asked to write a paper on a drug of their choice.  The paper is going to be based on published articles on the drug you selected.  Throughout the semester you need to collect at least ten articles on the drug.  The paper must include the following: a separate cover page (see graded assignments); a rationale for choosing the drug; a  summary of each article; your reactions on the information you collected (i.e., what is the media telling us about the drug); what you learned about the drug; your thoughts and feelings about the drug based on what you learned from these articles.  You need to include a dated copy of the articles. You cannot include more than two articles from any one week period.  The paper must be at least seven pages long but no more than ten pages.  The paper is worth 60 points.

Extra Credit:                                                                                      Finally, as the instructor, I reserve the right to offer the class discretionary points on a totally subjective basis throughout the semester.  Everyone present in the class on that particular day will be offered the same number of points each time they are offered.  There will be no make-ups for extra credit opportunities