| | A | B | C | REDO |
Mechanics (20%)
| The essay has few if any mechanical errors. The errors that exist are minor and do not interfere with understanding.
| The essay has one or two mechanical errors that are confusing, but the student has demonstrated good use of grammar and spelling otherwise.
| The essay has several mechanical errors (more than five), but the effect does not detract from the clarity of the writing
| The essay has several mechanical errors that interfere with the meaning of two or more sentences.
|
Organization (20%)
| The essay has a thesis statement and topic sentences, which support the thesis statement, that are clearly connected. There are transitions between paragraphs and ideas within paragraphs.
| The essay has a thesis statement and topic sentences, which support
the thesis statement, however the topic sentences and thesis statement are mere restatements of each other and do not enhance the overall structure of the essay. There are
transitions between paragraphs and ideas within paragraphs.
| The essay has a thesis statement and topic sentences, which support
the thesis statement, however the topic sentences and thesis statement
are mere restatements of each other and do not enhance the overall
structure of the essay. There are
NO transitions between paragraphs and ideas within paragraphs. | The essay has superficial thesis statement or none at at all. There are few or no topic sentences that support the thesis. There are no transitions between paragraphs and/or ideas.
|
Analysis (30%)
| The thesis statement answers the question posed by the essay prompt. The topic sentences clearly argue one aspect of the thesis. Furthermore, each paragraph goes into extensive detail of why or why not the two topics are similar or different. The essay addresses substantive issues, not superficial ones (i.e. although both are totalitarian states, the United States's attitude toward China and Cuba are radically different. NOT China is in Asia and Cuba is in Central America). There is more commentary by the student than evidence. The evidence used is examined and discussed thoroughly.
| The thesis
statement answers the question posed by the essay prompt. The topic
sentences clearly argue one aspect of the thesis. Each
paragraph goes into detail of why or why not the two topics
are similar or different. The essay addresses substantive issues, not
superficial ones (i.e. although both are totalitarian states, the
United States's attitude toward China and Cuba are radically
different. NOT China is in Asia and Cuba is in Central America).
There is more commentary by the student than evidence. The evidence
used is examined and discussed, though perhaps superficially. | The thesis
statement is a restatement of the prompt. The topic
sentences argue one aspect of the thesis, but avoid nuanced argument. Each
paragraph explains why or why not the two topics
are similar or different. The essay addresses substantive issues, not
superficial ones (i.e. although both are totalitarian states, the
United States's attitude toward China and Cuba are radically
different. NOT China is in Asia and Cuba is in Central America). The student does not explain the evidence used in the essay except to mention it.
| The thesis
statement is a restatement of the prompt. The topic
sentences restate the thesis, but do not go into more depth. The paragraphs are repetitive and do not address substantive issues. (i.e. China is in Asia and Cuba is in Central America). The
student does not explain the evidence used in the essay except to
mention it or there is a complete lack of evidence altogether. |
Evidence (30%)
| The evidence used by the student is relevant, timely, and authoritative. The evidence is used to complement and support the arguments set forth in the essay. There are a wide rage of sources, which evidence the student's understanding of the issues.
| The evidence used by the student is relevant, timely, and
authoritative. The evidence is used to support the
arguments set forth in the essay, but there is too much or too little to do so effectively in some cases. There are a wide rage of sources,
which evidence the student's understanding of the issues.
| The evidence used by the student is relevant, timely, and
authoritative. The evidence is used to support the
arguments set forth in the essay, but there is too much or too little
to do so effectively in some cases. The evidence comes from three or fewer sources.
| There is no evidence.
OR
The evidence used by the student is irrelevant, not current, and/or lacks authority. The evidence is used to support the
arguments set forth in the essay, but there is too much or too little
to do so effectively in some cases. The evidence comes from three or fewer sources. |
