Curriculum Leaders/NRRC Summer Writing Institute
Rubric Template 2012-13
Grade: 2
Subject: Argument/Opinion Prompt # 2
Narrative (for ELA only)
Informational
X Argument/Opinion
Associated Writing Prompt: You have many important people in your life at home, and at school. Choose one person to write about. In your
opinion, what makes that person important to you? Be sure to give reasons to support your opinion.
Standards addressed by this writing prompt:
Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Fluency:
W.2.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the
opinion, use linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section)
W.2.8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Conventions:
L.2.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).
Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).
Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the
movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).
L.2.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.
b. Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.
c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).
e. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
L.2.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.2.6. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and
adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
Argument/Opinion Writing Rubric, Grade 2
Trait
(4) Strong/Exceeding
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Ideas

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
Organization
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
Voice



Word Choice



Fluency


Main idea is easily
identified and was
carefully selected
Writing is focused and
stays on topic throughout
the piece
Includes many interesting
details to describe actions,
thoughts and feelings that
strengthen the piece
Recounts an appropriately
sequenced event or series
of events
Uses more sophisticated
language to signal event
order (other than first,
then, next, last)
Provides an
interesting/creative
ending that provides
closure
Includes evidence of
writer’s personality and
begs to be read aloud
Writer thoughtfully
creates a personal
connection with the
reader
Voice is consistently
appropriate for the
purpose, audience, topic
and/or genre.
Includes carefully chosen,
precise words to convey
meaning
Words are consistently
appropriate for audience
and purpose
Avoids overused words
and includes a variety of
words to convey meaning
Includes all complete
sentences
Includes much variation in
sentence length
Includes much variation in
sentence beginnings
(3) Meeting/Developed
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(2) Developing/Emerging
Main idea is evident
Most of writing is focused and
on topic
Includes supporting details to
describe actions, thoughts and
feelings

Recounts an appropriately
sequenced event or series of
events
Uses temporal words to signal
even order
Provides sense of closure











Includes evidence of writer’s
personality
Reader feels a connection with
the writer
Voice is mostly appropriate for
the purpose, audience, topic
and/or genre.

Includes carefully chosen words
to convey meaning
Words are mostly appropriate
for audience and purpose
Avoids overused words








Includes a few incomplete
sentence relative to the length
of the piece
Includes some variation in
sentence length
Includes some variation in
sentence beginnings



(1) Beginning/Rudimentary
Main idea is weak or
limited.
Writing is often
unfocused and off topic
Includes minimal or
irrelevant details to
describe actions,
thoughts and feelings


Recounts a mostly
sequenced event or
series of events
Uses some temporal
words to signal event
order
Attempts some sense of
closure


Beginning to show
evidence of writer’s
personality
Reader begins to feel a
connection with the
writer
Voice is somewhat
appropriate for the
purpose, audience, topic
and/or genre.

Includes appropriate
words to convey meaning
Some words may not be
appropriate for the
audience and purpose
Includes some overused
words

Includes several
incomplete sentence
relative to the length of
the piece
Includes little variation in
sentence length
Includes little variation in
sentence beginnings









Main idea is not evident
Writing is unfocused and off
topic
Includes no details to
describe actions, thoughts
and feelings
Main idea is not evident
Writing is unfocused and off
topic
Includes no details to
describe actions, thoughts
and feelings
No evidence of writer’s
personality
Reader feels no connection
with the writer
Voice is not appropriate for
the purpose, audience, topic
and/or genre.
Includes a limited range of
words often used incorrectly
Words are not appropriate
for and audience and purpose
Includes many overused
words
Includes many incomplete
sentence relative to the
length of the piece
Includes no variation in
sentence length
Includes no variation in
sentence beginnings


Conventions

Has no errors in grade
level appropriate grammar
Has no errors in grade
level appropriate
punctuation and
capitalization
Has no errors in grade
level appropriate
conventional spelling and
learned spelling patterns



Has few errors in grade level
appropriate grammar
Has few errors in grade level
appropriate punctuation and
capitalization
Has few errors in grade level
appropriate conventional
spelling and learned spelling
patterns



Has some errors in grade
level appropriate
grammar
Has some errors in grade
level appropriate
punctuation and
capitalization
Has some errors in grade
level appropriate
conventional spelling and
learned spelling patterns



Has multiple errors in grade
level appropriate grammar
Has multiple errors in grade
level appropriate punctuation
and capitalization
Has multiple errors in grade
level appropriate
conventional spelling and
learned spelling patterns
Topic Development: _____/20 ____________________ Conventions: _____/4 ____________________ Total Score Combined:______/24_______________
Exceeds (17-20), Meets (14-16), Developing (8-13), Beginning (5-7)
Exceeds (4), Meets (3), Developing (2), Beginning (1)
Exceeds (20-24), Meets (16-19), Developing (9-15), Beginning (6-8)