Mr. Sherrin’s Writing RubricName:

Learning Goal

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Cum Laude

(4) /

Approaching Collegiate

(3) /

Approaching Standards

(2) /

Beginning

(1)

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/ Claim & Reasons / -Establishes and develops a compelling, elegant, or very knowledgeable research question.
-Establishes and develops a compelling, elegant, or very knowledgeable claim and its significance
Provides coherent, complex, sophisticated supporting reasons / -Establishes and develops precise, knowledgeable research question
-Establishes and develops precise, knowledgeable claim
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-Provides coherent, sometimes complex supporting reasons / -Establishes research question
-Establishes claim
-Provides reasons to support claim / -No claim is present or includes a vague claim
-No reasons given
Counterclaim / -Develops counterclaims or complexity fairly and thoroughly and addresses audience concerns, while pointing out their strengths and limitations; responds to counterclaims in ways that sharpen the claim / -Develops counterclaims or complexity fairly
-Identifies strengths and limitations of the counterclaim(s) / -Describes multiple viewpoints / -Does not acknowledge alternate claims or complexity

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/ Context / -Arguments, ideas, and voice reflect a highly informed awareness of how claims fit and relate to the larger historical or historiographical context / -Arguments, ideas, and voice reflect general awareness of how claims fit and relate to the larger historical or historiographical context / -The paper shows some awareness of the historical or historiographical context, but not how the claims relate to it / - Arguments, ideas, and voice reflect no
awareness of larger historical or historiographical context
Significance / -Answers the question ‘So What?’ by thoroughly presenting and exploring broader implications of argument / -Provides a basic answer to the question ‘So What?’ by exploring broader implications of argument / -Alludes to broader implications of argument / - The broader implications of the argument are neither presented nor explored

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/ Selection of Evidence / -Supplies a wide variety of the most relevant, specific, accurate, verifiable, and highly convincing evidence for claim(s) & counterclaim
-Includes at least 5 primary sources as evidence
-Includes at least 5 high-quality secondary sources as evidence / -Supplies considerable relevant, accurate, verifiable, and mostly convincing evidence for claim(s) & counterclaim
-Includes at least 3 primary sources as evidence
-Includes at least 3 high-quality secondary sources as evidence / -Supplies some relevant evidence that supports claim(s) & counterclaim
-Includes at least 3 primary sources as evidence
-Includes at least 3 high-quality secondary sources as evidence / -Supplies reasoning for claims & counterclaim, but no evidence (or)
-Evidence presented does not seem to support claims & counterclaim
Use of Evidence / -Clearly and thoroughly explains and analyzes how evidence presented supports, extends, or challenges each claim and reasons / -Clearly explains how the evidence presented supports, extends, or challenges each claim and reasons / -There is some explanation of how the evidence presented supports, extends, or challenges each claim / -There is no explanation of how the evidence presented supports each claims
Mechanics / -Integrates evidence naturally and fluidly, avoiding over-reliance on any one source
-Includes correct citations for a variety of quality sources; includes comprehensive bibliography with perfect formatting. / -Integrates evidence avoiding over-reliance on any one source
-Includes correct citations for a variety of sources; includes bibliography with only slight formatting errors. / -Awkwardly integrates evidence into a larger sentence
-Uses citations for all sources; mostly correct formatting / -Plagiarizes
-Does not use citations for quoted or paraphrased evidence
Sourcing / -Provides deep evaluation of perspective/bias and credibility of sources
-Thoughtfully describes the usefulness and credibility of sources / -Provides evaluation of perspective/bias and credibility of sources
-Describes the usefulness and credibility of sources / -Identifies authorship of sources
-Somewhat describes the usefulness and credibility of sources / -Provides irrelevant or inaccurate evaluation of sources
-Does not describe the usefulness and credibility of sources

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/ Voice / -Organization efficiently sequences and synthesizes claims, counterclaims, and evidence with fluid transitions such that the structure advances the argument
-...achieving precision in language, and crafting succinct, elegant prose
-Short, coherent, connected paragraphs
-Perfect standardized English grammar
-Gripping, vivid hook / -Organization sequences and synthesizes claims, counterclaims, and evidence with consistent transitions
-maintains an appropriate style by attending to the norms of the discipline
-Short paragraphs
-Nearly perfect standardized English grammar throughout
-Functional hook / -Organization sequences claims and evidence with some transitions to develop arguments
-Sometimes maintains an appropriate style
-Long, winding, cluttered paragraphs
-Generally uses standardized English grammar
-Attempt at a hook / -Essay is unorganized or lacks clear structure
-Style is inappropriate (too informal, incorrect genre, etc)
-Language lacks clarity in word choice

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/ Accuracy / -Correct and specific factual accuracy that demonstrates a deep understanding of the complexity of the historical content. / -Correct and specific factual accuracy that demonstrates an understanding of the historical content. / -Correct factual accuracy that demonstrates a general understanding of the historical content. / -No factual information