Unit 1 Grading Criteria Rubric
Controlling Idea Evidence
Above Text presents a revelatory
Average controlling idea that
guides the text, supported
with the use of relevant
sub-claims that further
the author’s purpose/
intended meaning of the
text.
Average Text presents a controlling
idea, though it may not be
revelatory or clear and is
somewhat supported with
sub-claims, though some
may seem tangential. Text
presents ideas, but the
ideas do not further the
author’s purpose.
Below Text does not present a
Average controlling idea, nor does
the text present sub-
claims that are connected
to the claim. Author has
simply reported
information.
Description Genre Competence
Text presents evidence in Text presents a clear
a logical manner and has understanding of the
been chosen based on concept of
relevance to the description. Text also
controlling idea and presents evidence
ability to further the that demonstrates
controlling idea/author’s this understanding.
purpose.
Text presents evidence Text presents an
for the controlling idea, understanding of the
though not all the concept of
selected evidence description, although
furthers the author’s it is clear that that the
purpose or it is unclear author stumbles to
how the evidence works fully comprehend.
to do so. Some tangents Text presents some
present. evidence to
demonstrate the
understanding.
Text either does not Text presents a clear
present any evidence for lack of understanding
the controlling idea or the concept of
the evidence does not description and
further the author’s presents evidence to
purpose and is demonstrate such.
tangential.
Style, Grammar and the Writing
(Analysis)
Text presents a clear
understanding of the
description genre used and
the intended audience.
Text clearly understands
his/her purpose and uses
the genre as such.
Text seems confused about
the purpose of the analysis
genre, though the purpose
is accomplished. Evidence
of a misunderstanding of
audience and how the
genre works for the
author’s purpose.
Text does not present a
clear understanding of the
intention of the analysis
genre, including the
conventions required of
the audience and purpose
of the genre.
Process
Style and grammar are mostly
appropriate for the assigned genre and
audience. Text appears to have
benefitted from proofreading and
editing.
Style and grammar are somewhat
appropriate for the assigned genre and
audience. Text appears to have not
benefitted from proofreading and
editing.
Style and grammar are mostly
inappropriate for the assigned genre
and audience. Text appears not to have
been proofread or edited.
Unit 1 Grading Criteria Rubric

Fragko,

Thank you for the work you completed on Essay #1 in our ENGL1301 class. The essay, titled “The Impact of Laredo Community Health Center’s Newsletter on
Community Engagement and Well-being,” focuses on a newsletter published by an organization, a newsletter that is intended connect purpose and services with
community residents who are interested in learning more about its purpose and work. This is a good selection on which to focus for this essay assignment!

Later in the semester, you will include this essay as a featured document in your final Portfolio project for ENGL1301. You will also need to include all drafts of this
essay, your peer review feedback, and notes I’ve provided toward the development of the project. With all of this in mind, let’s look at some strengths of this essay at
this point in its development, and then let’s consider some areas in which the essay might benefit from another round or two of revision and editing.

In my notes below, I’ve offered some strengths, suggestions, and needs considered as I read through the final draft of this essay. Please read through my thoughts and
let me know if you have any questions as you work on upcoming essays in the course. Although there are only a few tips and strategies mentioned below, it looks like a
lot. My notes are a bit lengthy and detailed, and I appreciate the time you’ll take to read through them. I wanted to go into detail and explain what I meant with each
bullet point because we don’t have the opportunity to sit down together, and I wanted to offer all I could to share with you what you are doing well and why, and to
guide you on some ways that might benefit your writing going forward (and why) in ENGL1301, especially if this first major essay in the course is the one you select to
further revise for the upcoming Portfolio! I hope my notes are helpful.

Here are some strengths, suggestions, and needs found in the most recent draft of this essay project:

 One of the primary learning objectives established by the university for ENGL1301 focuses on the importance and power of revision to the writing process. To
attain this goal, each essay in the course requires students to demonstrate use of revision by producing and uploading at least two different drafts for each
major essay, an advanced draft and a final draft. When the two drafts are placed side-by-side, there must be significant and obvious revision found in the
written content shown between the two drafts. When your uploaded peer review draft and uploaded final draft were compared, revision was found to have
taken place, and the final draft of the essay noticeably benefitted from the additional work put into its development. Good work.

You’ll want to continue to revise each major essay in the course as the semester progresses. At the end of the semester, you’ll post an advanced draft and a
significantly revised final draft of each major essay into your Portfolio; one of the three major essays in the course will be further revised and you’ll include a
significant and obvious revision of one essay by posting three fully revised drafts (the advanced peer review draft, the “final” draft assessed during the
semester, and a new and fully revised draft of that “final” draft) into the Portfolio. By using revision on each essay, you are building a habit that will benefit
your writing in college and throughout your life!

 The published assignment description for the essay refers to the need for the “controlling idea” to be clearly presented. This is also known as a thesis
statement. This is well presented in the essay. The thesis statement/controlling idea is stated at the end of the introductory paragraph, and it informs the
reader of the specific topic to be discussed within the essay (an analysis of the organization’s newsletter), the specific angles (ways in which the newsletter
presents info) that will be discussed within the essay’s body paragraphs (analyzing specific components of the newsletter), and the reason the document items
are worthy of discussion. Good work.
Unit 1 Grading Criteria Rubric

 Each of the essay’s body paragraphs is structurally doing a good job serving the needs of the essay and the reader. Each body paragraph begins with a topic
sentence that informs the reader of the specific angle that will be discussed within the paragraph. Then, each body paragraph offers information and evidence
that supports the claim made within its topic sentence. Then, each body paragraph ends with a sentence or two of your own wording that synthesizes,
analyzes, or summaries how the evidence provided within the paragraph connects to the claim made in its topic sentence and to the promises made in the
essay’s thesis statement. Nicely handled.

 Good use of the single source within the body of the essay. If you had used more than one source, you’d need to cite each using MLA in-text citations at each
point at which information was used from each source, but because you only had one source, it was effectively used in the essay and the reader understood
that all info came from that single source. Go to the MLA section in our course textbook to learn how to properly cite sources on a Works Cited page. The setup
on the current Works Cited page is not yet correctly handled. The textbook has some great examples to help with these needs.

 There is an organizational issue you’ll want to consider when revising this essay, and it involves the placement of a couple of the essay’s body paragraphs. The
reader will understand from the thesis statement that the body paragraphs will discuss three main angles: design, content, and interactive features. And the
reader will expect the discussion of these three angles to appear in that order in the body paragraphs. With this in mind, you will either want to switch the
current paragraph 5, which discusses layout/design to appear as paragraph 4 instead; this will keep all the design paragraphs together.

 The conclusion paragraph does a good job summarizing the main points of the essay, but it will benefit from including the word “design” as one of the angles it
is summarizing because that was a focus of the essay and mentioned using that wording in the thesis statement.

 Although the essay is doing much of this already, if you decide to revise this for the upcoming Portfolio, here are some additional questions you might consider
for further analysis: Why has the organization has decided to use this specific newsletter? What is the organization’s goal in using the newsletter and not some
other means of communicating information to its intended audience? When the intended audience sees the newsletter, what do they expect regarding such
things as layout and the inclusion of certain types of information? What are those expectations, and how does the organization use those expectations to
communicate with community members? Again, the essay is doing much of this already, but I thought I’d offer the questions if you need some revision ideas.

 There are a few small editing needs still found in the document. One strategy I’ve found to address this in my own writing is to get my work as complete as I
can several days (or several hours) before a final draft deadline, and then print off a paper copy of the essay and set it aside for a few days (or hours) without
looking at it. After time has passed, I pick up the paper copy and read it slowly, making editing notes as I go. I’m always amazed at the number and types of
editing problems I find this way. It works because my mind gets to a point at which it doesn’t see what’s wrong/needs editing after I’ve looked at my computer
screen version; instead, my mind sees what it wants to see there, not what actually is there. By printing off a paper copy and then walking away from the
project for a while, I can read the paper copy with fresh eyes and actually see the things that need to be changed or adjusted. Then, when I return to my
computer copy, I can make the needed changes. Sometimes I do several rounds of this. It works. Try it if you are looking for an editing strategy!

Thank you again for your work on this essay. If you decide that Essay #1 will be the essay you’ll select for additional revision as required by the Portfolio project at the
end of the semester, I’ll look forward to seeing how it continues to develop. If you have questions about my notes on this draft, MLA needs, etc., please reach out and
let me know.
Unit 1 Grading Criteria Rubric

Julie