Persuasive Essay: Peer Review Worksheet

Part of your responsibility as a student in this course is to provide quality feedback to your peers to help them improve their writing
skills. This worksheet will assist you in providing that feedback. Submit this review as an attachment to both your instructor within
the assignment bin and into your reply to your peer’s post containing the assigned draft.

Name of the Draft’s Author:

Name of the Peer Reviewer:

Summary
After reading through the draft one time, write a summary (3–5 sentences) of the paper. This should include the stance and the three
sub-topics used to support the position within the essay. Do not place your own critique of the essay within this space.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Evaluate the Essay

After a second, closer reading of the draft, evaluate the essay using the Persuasive Essay: Final Draft rubric below. Determine the
level of achievement appropriate for each assignment criteria. (Level of achievement ranges from Unsatisfactory to Excellent and are
found at the top of the rubric. Assignment criteria are found in the left column of the rubric.). Please use the highlighting tool to score
your peer within each criteria. Then use the right hand side of the rubric to include a rationale with evidence and examples for the
score.
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 Topic 7 Rubric: Persuasive Essay: Final Draft

Criteria 1 2 3 4 5
Why was this score determined for
Unsatisfactory Less Than Satisfactory Good Excellent your peer’s essay? What
Satisfactory evidence/examples do you have for
this score?

% Scaling 0% 65% 75% 85% 100%

Content – 70%

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Objective Addresses a single Appropriately Appropriately Formulates a clear Formulates a clear Rationale for score:
Perspective source or view of identifies one’s identifies one’s and precise point and precise point
and Position the argument and own position on position on the of view of the of view of the
fails to clarify the topic. Vague topic. Explains topic. Clearly topic.
presented position explanation of the the position taken explains the Comprehensively
relative to one’s position is given. in a coherent way. position taken. explains the
own. Little reference to Sound reference Sound and position taken.
specific issues to specific issues detailed reference Specific issues
related to the related to the to specific issues related to the topic
topic is made. topic is made. related to the are fully presented
Position Position mostly topic is made. in great detail.
completely appeals to Position appeals Position appeals
appeals to emotion instead of mostly to reason. to reason.
emotion instead of reason.
reason.

Word Count Word count is less Body of essay is Body of essay is Body of essay is Within the Rationale for score:
than half the more than 100 more than 50 but over or under the appropriate word
minimum or more words over or less than 100 word count by 50 count.
than double the under the word words over or words or less.
maximum. count. under the word
count.

Argues to No real persuasive Presents a vague Presents an Presents an Presents an Rationale for score:
persuade argument is made. argument relative argument relative argument relative argument relative
No outside to the topic and to the topic and to the topic and to the topic and
sources are used. presents no presents minimal presents key presents key
evidence to evidence to evidence to evidence to
support the support the support the support the
argument. Fewer argument. Not all argument through argument through
than three outside evidence is a synthesis of a synthesis of
sources are used. relevant to the paraphrased and paraphrased

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 No Peer argument. At least quoted material. research.
Reviewed sources three outside Three sources are Identifies not only
used. sources are used used. At least two the main issues,
with at least one peer reviewed but also the
peer-reviewed journal articles are embedded,
journal article. used. implicit, or
unspoken aspects
of the topic. At
least three peer
reviewed journal
articles are used.
Direct quotes are
minimal.

Adheres to Fails to adhere to Adheres to few Adheres to some Adheres to many Adheres to most Rationale for score:
principles of almost all principles of principles of principles of of the principles
critical principles of critical thinking. critical thinking critical thinking. of critical
thinking critical thinking. on a surface level. Use of the thinking.
principles is clear Attempts to
Manage
to see. incorporate each
emotions and
avoid fallacies. one in a logical
and fluid way
Logical
reasoning is used
within arguments

Upholds
persuasive tone
rather than
manipulative

Acknowledge
other
perspectives and
evaluate
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assumptions
about the topic.

Organization and Effectiveness – 25%

Thesis Paper lacks any Thesis and/or Thesis and/or Thesis and/or Thesis and/or Rationale for score:
Development discernible overall main claim are main claim are main claim are main claim are
and Purpose purpose or insufficiently apparent and clear and forecast comprehensive;
organizing claim. developed and/or appropriate to the development contained within
Thesis is not vague; purpose is purpose. Thesis is of the paper. It is the thesis is the
stated in the not clear. Thesis not stated in the descriptive and essence of the
conclusion. is not stated in the conclusion. reflective of the paper. Thesis
conclusion. arguments and statement makes
appropriate to the the purpose of the
purpose. Thesis is paper clear.
stated within the Thesis is clearly
concluding restated in the
paragraph conclusion.

Paragraph Paragraphs and Some paragraphs Paragraphs are A logical There is a Rationale for score:
Development transitions and transitions generally progression of sophisticated
and consistently lack may lack logical competent, but ideas between construction of
Transitions unity and progression of ideas may show paragraphs is paragraphs and
coherence. No ideas, unity, some apparent. transitions.
apparent coherence, and/or inconsistency in Paragraphs Includes topic
connections cohesiveness. organization exhibit a unity, sentences that are
between Some degree of and/or in their coherence, and persuasive and
paragraphs are organization is relationships to cohesiveness. align with thesis
established. evident. each other. Topic sentences statement.
Transitions are and concluding Includes details
inappropriate to remarks are and rationale that

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 purpose and appropriate to support the main
scope. purpose. points of each
Organization is supporting
disjointed. paragraph. Ideas
progress and
relate to each
other. Paragraph
and transition
construction guide
the reader.
Paragraph
structure is
seamless with
transition between
paragraphs
Surface errors are Frequent and Some mechanical Prose is largely Writer is clearly Rationale for score:
Mechanics of pervasive enough repetitive errors or typos are free of mechanical in command of
Writing that they impede mechanical errors present, but are errors, although a standard, written,
(includes communication of distract the reader. not overly few may be academic English.
spelling, meaning. Inconsistencies in distracting to the present. A variety Essay is written
punctuation, Inappropriate language choice reader. Correct of sentence with third person
grammar, word choice (register), sentence structure structures and voice.
language and/or sentence sentence structure, and audience- effective figures
use) construction are and/or word appropriate of speech are
used. choice are language are used. used. Essay is
present. Essay is Essay is written mostly written
primarily written with third person with third person
in first and second voice with some voice.
person instances of first
or second person.
Format – 5%
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Paper GCU template is GCU template is GCU template is GCU template is All format Rationale for score:
Format (use not used used, but some used, and fully used; There elements are
of appropriately or elements are formatting is are virtually no correct.
appropriate documentation missing or correct, although errors in
style for the format is rarely mistaken; lack of some minor errors formatting style.
major and followed control with may be present.
assignment) correctly. formatting is
apparent.

Research No reference page Reference page is Reference page is Reference page is In-text citations Rationale for score:
Citations is included. No present. Citations included and lists present and fully and a reference
(In-text citations are used. are inconsistently sources used in inclusive of all page are complete
citations for used. the paper. Sources cited sources. and correct. The
paraphrasin are appropriately Documentation is documentation of
g and direct documented, appropriate and cited sources is
quotes, and although some citation style is free of error.
reference errors may be usually correct.
page listing present.
and
formatting,
as
appropriate
to
assignment
and style)

Overall Feedback
Feedback to your peer should be objective and useful.
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Three strengths of the paper are:
1)

2)

3)

Three things that could be improved are:

1)

2)

3)

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