The following rubric is adapted from the state writing assignment rubric, the 6 traits rubric, the assignment’s objectives, and student input. The criteria in bold is the primary focus for each score.

SCORE OF 6:  A 6 paper is OUTSTANDING.  An essay in this category:  is well organized and coherently developed, clearly explains or illustrates ideas and understanding of the literature, contains six correctly written quotes from the novel that clearly prove your ideas and logically support them, has a clear thesis that explains your chosen topic and background information about the novel that is essential to the audience, demonstrates sentence fluency and variations as well as excellent word choice and voice contains transitions at the beginning of paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 and more throughout the essay

SCORE OF 5  A 5 paper is STRONG. An essay in this category:  is generally well organized and coherently developed, explains or illustrates ideas and/or understanding of the literature, contains six quotes from the novel that prove your ideas and support them, has a clear thesis that explains your chosen topic and background information about the novel that is essential to the audience, demonstrates some sentence fluency and variations, as well as good word choice and voice, contains transitions at the beginning some of paragraphs and throughout

SCORE OF 4  A 4 paper is COMPETENT. An essay in this category:  is adequately organized and developed, explains or illustrates some of the ideas and some understanding of the literature, contains six or less quotes from the novel but they might not be very supportive or correct, has a thesis that explains your chosen topic and some background information about the novel that is essential to the audience, demonstrates adequate facility in the use of language, contains six or less quotes from the novel, contains transitions at the beginning some paragraphs, may contain one appositive, generally needs more detail and clear support from the text

SCORE OF 3  A 3 paper is LIMITED and clearly flawed.  An essay in this category reveals one or more of the following weaknesses:  inadequate organization or development, inadequate explanation or illustration of key ideas, limited or inappropriate word choice or voice, a pattern or accumulation of errors in CUPS, missing numerous required quotes, does not show an understanding of the text and/or is not supported from the text

SCORE OF 2:  SEE ME.