Essay Grading Rubric

Overall Impression A Author directly addresses main question or issue, and may add new insight to the subject not provided in lectures, readings, or class discussions. The author has retained nearly all of the knowledge presented in class. He/She is able to synthesize this knowledge and relate it to material not covered in the course. B Author competently addresses main question or issue, but covers the material only in part -- perhaps missing an essential issue or topic covered in class. That said, it is clear that the author has learned a great deal in class and is able to communicate this knowledge to others. C D Author attempts to address main Essay does NOT address main question or issue, but fails. The question or issue and that little of the author has retained some information material covered in the course -from the course, but does not fully either in lecture, discussion, or understand its meaning or context reading -- is present in the essay. and cannot clearly convey it to others. F Essay does NOT address the main question or issue, and it is clear that the author does not understand the material.

Argument

Evidence

An argument is present or perhaps incomplete. The thesis statement may be week, or the reader must reconstruct it from the text. Provides compelling, accurate, and Provides necessary evidence to convince complete evidence that convinces reader reader of most aspects of the main to accept main argument. The argument but not all. The importance/ importance/relevance of all pieces of relevance of some evidence presented evidence is clearly stated and related to may not be totally clear. Reader must the thesis statement. There are no gaps in make a few mental leaps or do some reasoningi.e., the reader does not need additional research to fully accept all to assume anything or do additional aspects of main argument. research to accept main argument. The author has clearly analyzed the evidence presented in the essay. Excellent Good The author considers the evidence, or Author acknowledges that counteralternate interpretations of evidence, that evidence or alternative interpretations could be used to refute or weaken his/her exists, and lists them fully, but does not argument, and thoughtfully responds to it. effectively explain to reader why his/her argument still stands.

Essay contains a clear thesis, argument, and structure.

Author attempts, but fails, to make an argument. Either the thesis statement is missing, or it is very weak. Not enough evidence is provided to support authors argument, or evidence is incomplete, incorrect, or oversimplified. Information from lectures and readings is not effectively used.

Little attempt is made to articulate an No attempt is made to argument. articulate an argument.

Either little evidence is provided, or No evidence is there are numerous factual mistakes, provided or the omissions or oversimplifications. evidence lacks any There is little or no mention of relation to the main information from lectures and question or issue. readings.

Counter-Evidence

Needs Improvement Poor Author acknowledges some of the Little acknowledgement of countermost obvious counter-evidence and evidence or alternative alternative explanations, but is not interpretations. comprehensive in this task. There is little or no attempt made to respond to them.

F No acknowledgement of counter-evidence or alternative interpretations.

Sources

Evidence is used from the widest range of sources, including lectures and course readings. When necessary author also consults scholarly books, websites, journal articles, etc. not explicitly discussed in class.

Evidence is presented, but author relies on Uses few sources. a limited set of sources. Some effort is made to go beyond material presented in class when required, but not much. If outside sources are used, they are primarily non-scholarly (i.e., intended for a general audience).

Only minimally uses sources Does not use sources provided by instructor, or relies exclusively on non-scholarly outside sources.

Citations

All evidence is properly cited in footnotes or endnotes.

All evidence is cited in footnotes or endnotes, but there are some minor problems with completeness or format of some citations.

Some pieces are unreferenced or Little attempt is made to cite inaccurately referenced, and there evidence. are problems with completeness and format of citations. Needs Improvement Poor Essay contains an intro, main body, Essay has little organizational pattern. and conclusion. The introduction gives the reader an idea of what to expect in the paper, but does not effectively lay out the main argument. It may begin with a set of rhetorical questions, or an anecdote that is never fully explained. The conclusion does little more than restate the problematic introduction. Intro and/or conclusion may be too wordy or short. The structure of the body of the essay is unclear and does not always relate to the topic. A few sentences are grammatically incorrect or not clearly written. Several words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, but still contains several errors. Readers ability to understand essay may be compromised by these errors.

No attempt is made to cite evidence

Organization

Excellent Good Essay contains an intro, main body, and Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. Introduction lays out main conclusion. The introduction lays out the argument and gives an outline of what the main argument but gives the reader little reader can expect in the essay. All sub- idea of what to expect in the essay. The theses and supporting sections are clear conclusion may summarize the main and relate to the main thesis. There is a argument and evidence. The structure of logical progression and transition from the body is somewhat clear and generally section to section. relates to the issue or topic at hand.

F Essay has no clear organizational pattern.

Clarity and Style

All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. No words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are always explained. All information is accurate and up-todate. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread (ideally by you and somebody else), and contains no errors.

All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. An occasional word is misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are usually, but not always, explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, and contains no more than a few minor errors, which do not adversely affect the readers ability to understand the essay.

Paper is full of grammatical errors Paper is completely and bad writing. Several words are unclear in part because misused. Technical terms, words of lack of clarity and from other languages, and words from style. other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has not been spell-checked or proofread, and contains numerous errors. Reader has a difficult time understanding essay because of errors.