Note: the shaded rows apply to the theme essay and the movie analysis essay!
Organization
Writes with focus, organization and supporting detail.
4
Essay is highly organized.
Order of ideas is thoughtful and aids understanding of ideas.
Thoughtful transitions and connections show insightful relationships between ideas. Paragraphs effectively organize ideas.
3
Organization is logical and fits the idea that your are communicating.
Basic transitions and connections show relationships between ideas. Paragraphs effectively organize ideas.
2
Essay is somewhat organized. Ideas needed to be presented in a different order. Lacks transitions or connections to show basic relationships between ideas. Paragraphs are not created effectively. Ideas run into each other.
1
Information is not understandable due to organization flaws.
Text Evidence
Writes with focus, org, and supporting detail.
Topic
Development
Analysis of
Text
Analyzes the elements of literature
Key Literary
Terms:
Analyzes the elements of literature to demonstrate comprehension
Context
Analysis:
Reads & Comp. a
Variety of
Grade Level
Texts
Uses standard
English conventions in writing, revising, and editing.
Textual evidence in essay gives excellent support for your thesis. Often, there are multiple pieces of evidence used to support an idea. Evidence is used skillfully to enhance ideas.
Analysis of evidence is thorough and explains how your textual evidence supports your main ideas insightfully.
Excellent! Soliloquy, the
3 types of figurative language, iambic pentameter, and prose are all clearly explained in your own words. Each quote is accurate and illustrates its key term.
You PROVE the quote uses the term.
Excellent paraphrases, in your own words, catch the meaning of each quote.
Accurately identifies the speaker & explains why she/he uses that lit. term at that point in the play.
Varied sentence beginnings, all words spelled correctly, correct use of punctuation and capitalization rules.
Perfect use of page citations.
Textual evidence included in essay provides adequate and focused support for your thesis. Each idea has focused textual support.
Analysis of evidence provides good explanation of how your textual evidence supports your opinion.
Good – you give an accurate example of each term.
Explanations are accurate, but may lack depth. May be excellent overall, but confuses 2 types of figurative language.
Good job – paraphrases catch the overall meaning of the lines, and analysis is accurate but may lack depth.
Sentences are of varying length, most words spelled correctly, no punctuation or capitalization errors.
Careful use of citations.
Textual evidence does not always support your opinion. Textual evidence may not be focused on your main idea. There are key ideas that do not have textual evidence.
Analysis of evidence provides some explanation of how your textual evidence supports your opinion.
Needs work. Has a mix of accurate and inaccurate examples. Shows limited understanding of the key terms. May have accurate examples, but has no explanations.
Has a mix of accurate and inaccurate information.
Correctly identifies speakers, but may be unclear about meaning of lines and the use of the key term in that scene.
Errors in sentence structure, spelling or incorrect usage of punctuation and capitalization are distracting to the reader.
Many errors in citations.
Textual evidence does not support your opinion, or there isn’t enough evidence to evaluate.
There is little to no analysis.
You don’t explain how your textual evidence supports your opinion.
Does not show a basic understanding of the key terms.
Multiple inaccuracies, or too brief to demonstrate understanding.
Contains multiple inaccuracies.
Work is too unclear or brief to show understanding.
Errors make your writing difficult to understand.
No page citations.

Name________________________________________________________________
Writing Pre-Assessment
Directions: Write an organized response to the writing prompt below. Be sure to use specific examples to support your response.
Writing Prompt: Adults at school can have a positive effect on your life. An adult may have said or done something special that helped you in some way. Choose a favorite adult at your elementary or middle school. Describe the qualities that make that person special to you.