Name______Class Period ______Date ___/___/___ Kinard 8th Grade Standards-Based Essay Rubric
4 - Advanced / 3 - Proficient / 2 - Partially Proficient / 1 - BasicWRITING AND COMPOSITION: RWC3-8.2 – Ideas and Content
Ideas and supporting details in informational and persuasive texts are organized for a variety of audiences and purposes and evaluated for quality
· Stays on the prompt and uses formal style for a specific audience through every sentence and idea.
· Develops the topic with specific details, references, and essential and/or unique quotations in order to prove the writing purpose.
· Elaboration of supporting evidence provides an innovative application, summary, or an original synthesis, beyond what the quote says.
· Introduction paragraph contains a higher level of analysis that presents a thoughtful thesis statement. / · Stays on the prompt and uses formal style for a specific audience.
· Develops the topic with details, references, and quotations in order to prove the writing purpose.
· Elaboration of supporting evidence provides an application, summary, or synthesis, beyond what the quote says.
· Introduction paragraph has a clear thesis statement that is developed throughout the essay. / · Stays on prompt inconsistently and uses formal style for a specific audience.
· Develops the topic with limited details, references, and off-prompt quotations, causing the writing purpose to lose focus.
· Elaboration of supporting evidence is obvious and does not incorporate the writer’s own thoughts and/or analysis.
· The introduction has a vague thesis statement that is not effectively argued throughout the essay. / · Does not stay on prompt.
· Includes few to no details, references, and quotations.
· Elaboration of supporting evidence is needed.
· Thesis is missing in the introduction paragraph and/or is off-prompt.
WRITING AND COMPOSITION: RWC3-8.2 – Organization
Ideas and supporting details in informational and persuasive texts are organized for a variety of audiences and purposes and evaluated for quality
· Organizes the body paragraphs based upon the 8th grade GBYRRYRRYRRG paragraph-writing format and customizes the format for a specific purpose.
· Presents the main topic using a fresh, inventive, and/or humorous hook and a thorough thesis statement in TAG format. (Hooks can never be questions or quotes.)
· Background knowledge only gives information essential to the argument.
· Uses transitions that are clear, embedded (most of the time), and varied, showing original relationships between ideas in the text.
· Summarizes in the conclusion paragraph the writing purpose and restates the thesis statement in different wording, without sounding repetitive. The final “hook” or “call to action” offers the reader a powerful take-away from your argument. / · Organizes the body paragraphs based upon the 8th grade GBYRRYRRYRRG paragraph-writing format.
· Presents the main topic using a hook and a thesis statement in TAG format in the introduction paragraph. (Hooks can never be questions or quotes.)
· Background knowledge is presented in a brief and concise manner that only gives information central to the thesis.
· Uses transitions that are clear, embedded (half of the time), and varied, showing relationships between ideas in the text.
· Summarizes in the conclusion paragraph the writing purpose and restates the thesis statement in different wording. / · Organizes the body paragraphs occasionally based upon the 8th grade GBYRRYRRYRRG paragraph-writing format.
· Presents the main topic using an ineffective hook and a thesis statement. (Hooks can never be questions or quotes.)
· Background knowledge in the introduction paragraph does not offer enough information OR offers too much information.
· Uses basic transitions that are not embedded. (For example: “first,” “second,” “third,” “in conclusion.”)
· Repeats the thesis statement in the conclusion paragraph, yet it is the same as the original thesis statement in the introduction paragraph and/or does not offer the reader anything new. / · Organizes the paragraph without using the 8th grade GBYRRYRRYRRG paragraph-writing format.
· Does not present the main topic clearly and/or does not use the TAG format.
· Background knowledge is not included in the introduction paragraph OR is inaccurate.
· Does not use transitions, causing confusion in the writing purpose.
· Does not use a restated thesis statement in the conclusion paragraph.
WRITING AND COMPOSITION: RWC3-8.1 – Style and Word Choice
Stylistic devices and descriptive details in literary and narrative texts are organized for a variety of audiences and purposes and evaluated for qualityCCSS W.8.3.D: Style and Word Choice
· Domain vocabulary masterfully strengthens the text; (approx. 25). Accurate advanced vocabulary supports content and flow without sounding like a thesaurus.
· Unique writer’s style is woven through a combination of advanced and varied vocabulary, sentence structure, and well-chosen and well-placed descriptive details.
· Voice elements (16+ throughout the essay), including rhetorical techniques and figurative language, are included in each body paragraph, as well as the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. / · Domain vocabulary is included approximately 20 times per body paragraph to demonstrate understanding of content.
· Unique writer’s style is maintained through strategies including varied vocabulary, sentence structure, and descriptive details.
· Voice elements (12-15 throughout the essay), including rhetorical techniques and figurative language, are included in each body paragraph, as well as the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. / · Domain vocabulary is included about half of the time (approx. 15 times), but the topic is presented with limited quality due to language.
· Unique writer’s style may include most elements; however, the writing may lack the personal tone, feeling, or expression unique to the person.
· Voice elements (11 or fewer) are included throughout the essay. / · Domain vocabulary is very limited (10 or less), or is not used accurately or consistently.
· Writer’s style is still in development.
· Voice elements are limited or not included.
WRITING AND COMPOSITION: RWC3-8.3 – Conventions
Editing writing for grammar, usage, mechanics, and clarity is an essential trait of a well-written document CCSS L.8.1: Conventions
· Academic language flows and strengthens formal tone.
· Present tense is always accurate, even after a quote in past tense.
· Active verbs are used always in the active voice; however, one sentence can be written in passive voice and/or use a state-of-being verb as the only verb.
· Capitalization, punctuation, spelling of advanced words, and sentence patterns are correct. / · Academic language builds a formal third person tone (he, she, they, the writer, etc.).
· Present tense is used.
· Active verbs are used almost always in the active voice; however, up to three sentences can be written in passive voice and/or use a state-of-being verb as the only verb.
· Capitalization, punctuation, spelling of words, and sentence patterns are correct. / · Academic language may be included in a non-academic tone, like first person (I, me, my) or second person (you, we, our).
· Present tense is correct sometimes.
· Active verbs are used sometimes, but the writer may slip into passive voice.
· Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are correct sometimes. / · Casual, rather than academic language, is presented.
· Present tense is not used or accurate.
· Active verbs are not maintained.
· Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling contain multiple errors.
RESEARCH AND REASONING: RWC4-8.1 – MLA FORMAT AND IN-TEXT CITATIONS
Individual research projects begin with information obtained from a variety of sources, and is organized, documented, and presented using logical procedures
· MLA format for in-text citations is used with zero mistakes, even with complex sources.
· MLA format for the paper is used with zero errors in heading, one-inch margins, double-spacing, Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
· A correctly formatted Works Cited page is included. / · MLA format for in-text citations is used accurately almost always; a minor error may occur when quoting complex texts.
· MLA format for the paper is mostly correct.
· A Works Cited page is included. / · MLA format for quotes may be attempted with errors, or the quotes may be included in “quotes” without the (in-text citation).
· MLA format for the paper may have minor errors.
· A Works Cited page is attempted. / · MLA format for quotes contains many errors or is not included.
· MLA format for the paper is mostly incorrect or is not used.
· A Works Cited page is absent.