Rubric for Grading Essays

Any time I assign an essay, you can earn up to 13 points + twice (2 times) the number of paragraphs in the essay. Thus, a three-paragraph essay can earn up to 19 points and a five-paragraph essay can earn up to 23.

You will receive one (1) point for each paragraph you complete. For example, if I ask for a three paragraph essay, simply writing three paragraphs will earn you three points. You will receive another (1) point if you have at most one error in spelling, grammar, or punctuation in each paragraph. If a paragraph needs significant work (in terms of length, cohesiveness, structure, or in any other way), you will still receive one-half (0.5; ½) point for the paragraph.

If your poem is typed neatly, you will receive one (1) point.

You can earn up to four (4) points for your ideas, on the following scale:
1 -- Ideas are unconnected or irrelevant to the question.
2 -- Ideas are basic. If you were writing in reaction to a given text, an essay at this point in the scale restricts itself to those ideas explicitly stated in that text.
3 -- Ideas show some insight and thought. An essay at this point in the scale may not develop its ideas fully or may miss some important points and connections, but it nonetheless shows that the student has considered the question.
4 -- Ideas are deeply insightful and thoughtful. An essay at this point in the scale reflects deep thought on the part of its writer. Its ideas are fully developed and all important points and connections are considered.

You can earn up to four (4) points for how well you support your ideas, on the following scale:
1 -- Ideas are merely stated, with no attempt made to prove their validity. Alternately, the support provided is irrelevant and ineffectual. Argument against the essay's ideas is impossible.
2 -- Support for the essay's ideas is present, but is basic and simple. Much of the work of proving the validity of the essay's ideas is left to the reader. Argument against the essay's ideas is easy.
3 -- Support for the essay's ideas is thorough, but still weak. The reader still has to make some conceptual leaps. Argument against the essay's ideas is possible and presents some difficulties, but there are still holes in the essay's arguments to exploit.
4 -- Support of the essay's ideas is thorough and full. The writer's thought process is laid out in its entirety for the reader. Argument against the poem's ideas requires a long conversation and is likely to help both parties create new knowledge during its course.

You can earn up to two (2) points for how strong the voice in your essay is, on the following scale (one-half (0.5; ½) point for each level):
½ -- The essay has no personality; it sounds like an encyclopedia article, with just the facts. The writer seems to have no feelings about the topic, and there is no connection between the reader and the writer.
1 -- There are occasional moments of personality, feeling, and connection in the essay, but, for the most part, the language is general and impersonal.
1½ -- Though the essay reveals how the writer feels about the topic, that feeling is restricted to only one emotion. The connection between the reader and the writer suffers due to this flatness and/or due to occasional impersonal language
2 -- The writer has obviously written the essay to be read, not just as an assignment. The writer cares about the topic and shares a wide range of feelings about the topic. There is a strong connection between the reader and the writer.

You can earn up to two (2) points for how well organized your essay is, on the following scale (one-half (0.5; ½) point for each level):
½ -- The essay shows no clear sense of direction, with no connections drawn between the ideas. The introduction and conclusion (whether those are a sentence or a paragraph) cannot be identified. The essay seems to be a list of ideas with no transitions.
1 -- The essay has a clear introduction and conclusion, but is otherwise disorganized. Transitions are noneffective or are always achieved with the same word. The ideas are presented in some semblance of order, but it is ineffective and adds nothing to the reader's understanding of the essay.
½ -- The essay is clearly and effectively organized, with a strong introduction and conclusion, but the transitions are ineffectual or repetitive. The sequencing of the ideas is acceptable, but causes some confusion in the reader. Alternatively, the organization of the essay is generally of the highest level, but it is missing an introduction or conclusion.
2 -- The essay makes sense and is easy – even a joy – to follow. The introduction and conclusion are effective and likely very identifiable; a variety of transitions seamlessly connect all the ideas. The sequencing of ideas and details make sense and help the writer understand the essay. The conclusion of the essay brings the essay to a definite close.

RUBRIC FOR LITERARY RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

Each literary response and analysis question is worth two (2) points. In order to get full credit, you must fulfill two (2) separate criteria, each worth one (1) point: interpretation and evidence/support. Luckily, each of these criteria can provide either one-half (0.5; ½) or one (1) full point.

INTERPRETATION
One-half (0.5; ½) point can be earned if you provide an interpretation that is at least loosely connected to the piece in question. No special insight is necessary for this half-point, merely relevance and/or appropriateness.One (1) point can be earned if you provide an interpretation that is particularly insightful, interesting, or exciting. My focus on awarding this point is that you think new thoughts, either new to me or (so far as I can tell) new to you.

EVIDENCE
One-half (0.5; ½) point can be earned if you support your interpretation with even a slight reference to the rest of the piece. This can be as little as a single reference which nevertheless supports your point. Note that last clause: your evidence MUST support your interpretation in order for you to receive points for it. Note also that, if the question being asked references a particular line, set of lines, or phrase, your evidence may include evidence from that portion of the piece, but that you earn points by supporting your piece with evidence from elsewhere in the piece.One (1) full point can be earned if you support your interpretation strongly, with multiple references from the piece, probably including a consideration of the use of figurative language and poetic devices in the piece. If I cannot immediately dismiss your interpretation with a few well-placed comments – or if arguing your interpretation would involve a lengthy and probably quite fun conversation – then you have earned the full (1) point for evidence.

AN UNFORTUNATE CONSIDERATION
Unfortunately, these two criteria are not actually independent. Occasionally, one criterion's score depends upon the other. For example, if your interpretation is new enough, complex enough, or thoughtful enough, but your provide no support or evidence for it, I may not recognize it as being relevant or appropriate enough to earn the half-point (0.5; ½) for interpretation, let alone the full (1) point! Accordingly, if you revise your answers to provide sufficient support for me to understand just how insightful your answer actually is, then you just might raise a score of 0 or ½ all the way up to 2!

REVISING
As you hopefully recall, I accept revised work. Should you be unhappy with your score, you can turn in a revision stapled to your original work within a week of receiving your original work from me. I will then check to see if you deserve a higher grade and give you that new grade. There will be no reduction to your maximum possible score, and you can revise as many times as you please. Thus, everyone in this class can receive a 100% on every literary response and analysis assignment throughout the entire class. It also means that the score you receive is, in the end, entirely your choice and your decision. Use this power well.