Rubric:

Qualities of an excellent essay:

 Your thesis statement is clear and focused. It demonstrates an explanation of the
topic you have chosen, as well as its importance to an understanding of the story.
 You develop and defend your thesis using compelling details and credible evidence
in the form of examples, quotations, and details from the story.
 You provide adequate explanation of how quotations and examples support your
thesis.
 You include a conclusion that summarizes your main points, restates the thesis
and leaves the reader with something to think about.
 Your grammar, mechanics, and punctuation allow for clear presentation free of
distraction, and the essay is an appropriate length.

Qualities of a good essay:

 Your thesis statement is focused. It demonstrates an explanation of the topic you
have chosen, as well as its importance to an understanding of the story.
 You generally develop and defend your thesis statement using details and
evidence from your research.
 You provide some explanation of how quotations and examples support your
thesis. You include a conclusion that restates your thesis, but either fails to
summarize your main points or fails to leave the reader with something to think
about. Minor errors in your grammar, mechanics, and punctuation are present but
do not distract the reader or interfere with the meaning of the report, and the
essay is somewhat short.

Qualities of an average essay:

 Your thesis statement describes a topicin the story, and there is some indication of
its importance to an understanding of the story.
 You provide minimal details and supporting evidence to develop and defend your
thesis.
 You provide minimal explanation of how quotations and examples support your
thesis.
 You include a conclusion that either fails to restate your thesis, fails to summarize
your main points or fails to leave the reader with something to think about..
 Errors in grammar, mechanics, and punctuation are obvious and distract the
reader but do not interfere with meaning, and the essay is short.

Qualities of a poor essay:

 Your thesis statement is non-existent, and there is no indication of its importance
to an understanding of the story.
 You give few or no details to develop and defend your thesis.
 You provide no explanation of how quotations and examples support your thesis.
 You include a conclusion that fails to restate your thesis, fails to summarize your
main points and/or fails to leave the reader with something to think about.
Numerous errors in your grammar, mechanics, and punctuation interfere with the
meaning of the essay, and the essay is very short.

Qualities of a failing essay:

 You did not create an essay on the topic and/or failed to have a thesis, details,
and a conclusion. The mechanics of the essay make understanding unachievable,
and the essay is very short.
 Your sources are not credited.