Rubric for Essay

Total Score: _______/50

Above Meets Approaching Below

CRITERIA Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations
10 8-9 7-5 4-0
The essay is The essay is The essay is
Focus / Main The essay
focused on topic focused on the focused,
Point poorly
and includes few topic and purposeful, and
addresses topic
loosely related includes relevant reflects clear
___ and includes
ideas ideas insight and ideas
irrelevant ideas
Provides little or Supports main Supports main Persuasively
no support for point with some point with supports main
Support the main point underdeveloped developed point with well-
reasons and/or reasons and/or developed
____ examples examples reasons and/or
examples

Little or no Some Organizes ideas

Organization Effectively
organization of organization of to build an
and Format organizes ideas
ideas to build ideas to build an argument
(Paragraphs, to build a logical,
an argument argument
Transitions) coherent
_____ argument

Some use of Appropriate use Effective and

Language elements of style! of elements of
Use, Style & Little or no use of creative use of
style! elements of style
Conventions! elements of
style! Contains to enhance
frequent errors in Uses correct meaning!
(Sentence grammar, grammar,
structure, word Many errors in
spelling, and spelling, and
choice, grammar, grammar,
punctuation punctuation with Uses correct
spelling, spelling, and
few errors grammar,
punctuation) punctuation,
makes spelling,
reader’s punctuation
comprehensio throughout with
_____
n difficult very few errors

Distinctive
Sufficient experimentation
experimentation with language
Originality! No Very little
with language and usage to
experimentation experimentation
and usage to enhance
(Expression of nor to enhance
enhance concepts!
the theme in a enhancement of concepts!
concepts!
creative way) concepts!
Does not exhibit Applies higher
Applies basic
No adherence creativity order thinking
creative skills to
_____ to the theme and creative skills
relay ideas
to relay complex
ideas