Claim Is Argumentative and Well Supported

Name:

• Claim is argumentative and well supported.

• Evidence clearly and effectively supports the Claim.

• Each piece of Evidence firmly supported by Commentary (accurate details, examples and explanations).

• Claim is mostly arguable and sufficiently supported.

• Evidence supports the Claim.

• Most Evidence supported by Commentary (accurate details, examples, and explanations).

• Claim is fairly arguable and adequately supported.

• Evidence tries to support the Claim.

• Some Evidence supported by Commentary, (details, examples, and explanations) though some may be weak.

• Claim is somewhat arguable and not really supported.

• Evidence rarely supports the Claim.

• Commentary (Facts, details, examples, and explanations) are lacking.

• No Claim is presented in essay

• No Evidence is present in essay

• No Commentary is present in essay

• Topic Sentence clearly communicates the Claim and writer’s thoughts regarding topic.

• Effective use of Text talker to introduce Evidence.

• Evidence in logical order of importance or chronology, which makes a better argument.

• Effective use of CommentaryStarter to introduce the Commentary.

• Effective Transitions used to make meaningful connections between ideas and sentences.

• Conclusion restates Topic Sentences using the key ideas of the Evidence.

• Topic Sentence gives a fairly clear view of Claim and writer’s thoughts.

• Effective use of Text talkers to introduce Evidence in most cases

• Evidence in logical order of importance or chronology, with few inconsistencies, mostly connecting with the topic.

• Effective use of CommentaryStarters to introduce Commentary in most cases.

• Effective Transitions used to make connections between most ideas and sentences.

• Conclusion restates Topic Sentence and uses most of the Evidence within the sentence.

• Topic Sentence that is somewhat unclear on topic and/or writer’s Claim.

• Occasional use of Text talkers to introduce Evidence.

• Evidence presented in somewhat logical order with some attempt at order of importance or chronology, only partially making sense for the topic.

• Occasional use of CommentaryStarters to introduce Commentary.

• Reader is left to make many connections between ideas and sentences, because of lack of Transitions.

• Conclusion restates Topic Sentence but uses no Evidence.

• Topic Sentence is unclear and/or not on topic with writers Claim.

• Little to no use of Text talkers to introduce Evidence

• Evidence’s organization doesn’t make sense for topic.

• Little to no use of CommentaryStarters to introduce Commentary.

• Has no Transitions, so the reader is often left to make connections between significant jumps in ideas and sentences. Writing seems very disjointed.

• Conclusion does not restate the Topic Sentence.

• There is no Topic Sentence in the essay.

• There are no Text Talkers in the essay.

• There is no Organization of Evidence in the essay.

• There are no Commentary Starters in the essay.

• There are no Transitions in the essay.

• There is no Conclusion in the essay.

• Vocabulary is suitable for content and clearly shows the writer’s specific meaning.

• Writer uses vivid words and phrases that draw pictures in the reader's mind.

• Choice and placement of words seem accurate, natural and not forced.

• Sentence fluency helps in the flow of the piece, with purposeful, varied sentence beginnings and length (simple, compound, complex, and compound- complex)

• Vocabulary is suitable for content, but some word selections could be more vibrant and powerful.

• Writer uses does not use vivid words that communicate clearly, and/or the writing lacks variety or excitement.

• Choice and placement of words are accurate but at times not natural or forced.

• Sentence fluency attempted, with varied sentence beginnings and length. (simple, compound, complex, and compound- complex)

• Vocabulary mostly suitable for content, but many word selections need to be thought about more.

• Writer attempts vivid words that draw pictures in the reader's mind, but occasionally the words are used inaccurately or seem overdone.

• Choice and placement of words are sometimes not accurate or natural and forced.

• Sentence structure rarely deviates, with few varied sentence beginnings and length. (simple, compound, complex, and compound- complex)

• Vocabulary is not suitable for grade level or content.

• Word selections are not vivid, often boring, unspecific, or questionable.

• Choice and placement of words are not accurate or natural and forced.

• Sentences are nearly all the same type, and some may cause the reader to stumble; sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling.

• Vocabulary is inappropriate for grade level or content.

• Word selection is boring and/or often questionable.

• Choice and placement of words is inappropriate and/or plagiarized.

• Sentences are all the same type; sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling.

• Little to no errors in conventions.

• Standard English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization are used appropriately throughout piece.

• Citations are accurate and purposeful.

• Few errors in conventions.

• Standard English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization are used with few problems.

• Citations are accurate.

• Errors in conventions are common but do not distract the reader too often.

• Standard English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization disrupt readers’ understanding.

• Inconsistencies with citations.

• Errors in conventions distract the reader from content.

• Minimal use of standard English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization which confuses the reader.

• Citations are incorrect or occasionally missing.

• Significant errors in conventions distract the reader from content.

• Poor use of standard English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization which often confuses the reader.

• There are NO citations in the essay.