Urbana School District 116: Narrative Rubric for 7th Grade (Aligned with Common Core Standards) –August 2013

Criteria for
7th Grade / Exceeds
(Above Grade Level) / Proficient/Meets
(On Grade Level) / Basic
(Approaching Grade Level) / Below Basic
(Below Grade Level)
WRITE TRAITS - IDEAS / Focus
CCSS:
W.7.3 /
  • Thoroughly develops real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences
  • Thoroughly engages and orients the reader by establishing context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters
/
  • Develops real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences
  • Engages and orients the reader by establishing context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters
/
  • Partially develops real or imagined experiences or events using some effective techniques, some relevantdescriptive details, and a roughly structured event sequence
  • Partially establishes context and/or partially introduces a narrator and/or characters
/
  • Does not develop real or imagined experiences using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, or a structured event sequence
  • Does not orient the reader to the context or the narrator/characters

Narrative Technique/ Descriptive Details
CCSS:
W.7.3 /
  • Uses a wide variety of narrative techniques to develop experiences, events, and/or characters
/
  • Uses narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters
/
  • Uses some narrative techniques to develop experiences, events and/or characters
/
  • Uses few narrative techniques to develop experiences, events, and/or characters

WRITE TRAITS – ORGANIZATION / Organization/
CohesionCCSS:
W.7.3
W.7.4 /
  • Organizes a well-developed event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically
  • Uses a wide variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events
  • Provides a conclusion that follows logically from the narrated experiences or events
/
  • Organizes an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically
  • Uses a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another
  • Provides a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events
/
  • Partially organizes an event sequence
  • Uses some transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events
  • Provides a conclusion
/
  • Does not organize an event sequence
  • Uses few transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events
  • Does not provide a conclusion

WRITE TRAITS - WORD CHOICE, SENTENCE FLUENCY, VOICE, AND CONVENTIONS / Language Usage/
Voice
CCSS:
L.7.1
L.7.2
L.7.3
W.7.3
W.7.4 /
  • Uses purposeful and varied sentence structures for meaning, reader interest, and style (effect)
  • Demonstrates creativity and flexibility when using conventions (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) to enhance meaning
  • Uses precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events
  • Consistently matches voice to narrative purpose
/
  • Uses mostly correct and somewhat varied sentence structure
  • Contains few, minor errors in conventions without causing confusion
  • Uses precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events
  • Matches voice to narrative purpose
/
  • Uses some correct sentence structure but does not vary for meaning, reader interest, and style
  • Demonstrates use of some grade level appropriate conventions, but errors obscure meaning
  • Uses some words, phrases, relevant descriptive details and sensory details to capture the action and convey experiences and events
  • Inconsistently matches voice to narrative purpose
/
  • Lacks sentence mastery (e.g., fragments/ run-ons)
  • Contains serious and pervasive errors in conventions
  • Uses limited words, phrases, relevant descriptive details and sensory details to capture the action and convey experiences and events
  • Voice does not match narrative purpose

Scoring Note: Teachers should consider the preponderance of evidence from student work when determining overall performance level. Students should also have multiple opportunities to work with the rubric, review exemplars, and revise/modify their work prior to any summative use of this rubric.

Strand / Sixth Grade / Seventh Grade / Eighth Grade
Writing / W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a.Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c.Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
d.Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
e.Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience. / W.7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a.Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c.Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
d.Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
e.Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
W.7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience. / W.8.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
  1. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
  2. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
  3. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationship among experiences and events.
  4. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
  5. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
Language / L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case
  1. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person
  2. Recognize and correct vague pronouns
  3. Recognize variations from standard English in their own and other’s writing and speaking
L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing (commas, parentheses, dashes to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements).
L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  1. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style
  2. Maintain consistency in style and tone
/ L.7.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  1. Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
  2. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
  3. Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers
L.7.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing (commas, parentheses, dashes to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements). Spell correctly.
L.7.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  1. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style
  2. Maintain consistency in style and tone
/ L.8.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  1. Explain the function of verb forms (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.
  2. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
  3. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
  4. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.
L.8.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing (commas, parentheses, dashes to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements). Spell correctly.
L.8.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action, expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

NOTES: In the left criterion boxes of the rubric, the CCSS-aligned standards have been identified. As a resource for teachers, the CCSS-aligned standards for the current grade as well as the grade above and the grade below have been included. The letter abbreviations are as follows: CCSS = Common Core State Standards, W= writing,

RL = Reading Literature, and L=Language.

READING STANDARDS THAT CORRELATE WITH NARRATIVE WRITING:

  • RL.7.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.7.3: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
  • RL.7.5: Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
  • RL.7.9: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

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