Paragraph Guidelines

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Choose a literary device from your short story and analyze its importance in the text.
Provide at least two quotations and lead-ins to quotations from the text to support your analysis.
Include an arguable topic sentence and concluding sentence to guide your argument.
Cite your sources using MLA format. Check Purdue Owl for an example:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/

Rubric:
Needs Work
Topic
Sentence

Quotes

Adequate

Strong

Student writes a
topic sentence, but

it is too vague or
too broad.
It does not
establish an
argument.

Clear but not

specific
Somewhat
establishes an
argument

Quotes do not
support topic
sentence
Does not provide
two quotes

Quotes do not

fully support topic

sentence
Two quotes

provided

All summary

Analysis
attempted, but not
always related to
argument
Some summary

Analysis

Clear and specific

Establishes an
argument

Excellent

Chooses quotes that

allow for further
analysis
Quotes support
topic sentence
Two quotes

provided

Quotes strongly
relate to topic
sentence to help
provide a strong
argument
Minimum of two
quotes

Relates quotes to
argument
Analysis supports
and advances
argument

Substantial evidence
provided that
supports argument
Describes points
that are not obvious
Links evidence to
argument creatively
and logically

Citations and
Lead-ins

Quotes aren't
integrated
No citations
provided

Attempted a leadin but awkward

Citations are
consistently
incorrect

Clear and specific

with a high degree
of focus
Establishes an
argument

Some smooth leadins, some awkward

lead-ins
Some citations
correct and some
incorrect

Quotes are smoothly

integrated
Citations are correct
throughout

Concluding
Sentence

Concluding
sentence not
present

Concluding
sentence provides
weak finished feel

Concluding
sentence provided
and somewhat
allows for a
conclusion

Concluding sentence
provides strong
finished feel

Grammar
and Spelling

Lots of
grammatical and
spelling errors
Uses basic
vocabulary

Some grammatical
and spelling errors
Tries some

academic
vocabulary, but
may not use it
correctly

Few grammatical
and spelling errors
Uses some
academic
vocabulary

Few or no
grammatical and
spelling errors
Uses academic
vocabulary
throughout