Ideas and Content
Structure and
Organization
Shell and Medium
Appropriateness
Sentence Fluency and
Word Choice
Conventions
Presentation
5
• Intro/conclusion are
clear, well thought out,
and detailed
• Material in hermit crab
section is original,
engaging, creative and
thought-provoking
• Intro refers to author
and critics apropos.
5
• Organization of hermit
crab section is easy to
follow (given its format,
etc.)
• Sequencing is logical
and effective
• Intro’s creative and
analytical sections work
well together
• Ends with a “bang”
4
3
• Organization of hermit
crab section is relatively
easy to follow,
sometimes choppy or
confusing (given format)
• Sequencing is mostly
logical and effective
• Intro’s creative and
analytical sections seem
disconnected
• Ends with a “fizzle”
5
• Hermit crab essay is
thematically and
structurally appropriate
given the student’s
author and context
• Structure is original
and exciting
• Student execution takes
full advantage of given
mode/form
4
3
• Hermit crab essay is
thematically and
structurally appropriate
but student’s explanation
is not convincing / is a
stretch given author
• Structure is original
and exciting but student
does not take full
advantage of given mode
(or vice versa)
2
1
• Hermit crab essay is
not thematically and
structurally appropriate –
that is, student’s
explanation for choice of
mode is unconvincing
and seems forced or is
absent
• Student has not made
effective use of mode’s
creative potential
5
• Writing is easy to read
both in-text and aloud.
Reader never has to
pause to question
meaning of a sentence.
• Word choice is superb
and lively, vocabulary is
strong, no word use error
• Writing style
appropriate for medium
4
3
• Writing tends to be
more pleasant or
businesslike than
musical, more
mechanical than fluid,
sometimes choppy
• Word choice is
acceptable but
occasionally weak,
colorful language is rare
2
5
• Writer demonstrates a
masterful grasp of
grammatical conventions
• Grammar,
capitalization,
punctuation, spelling,
and paragraphing correct
• Errors absent UNLESS
called for by creative
medium for project
4
3
• Writing demonstrates a
reasonable control over a
limited range of standard
writing conventions
• Issues with standard
grammar, punctuation or
usage are not serious
enough to impede work
• Some errors not made
deliberately for project
(project discretion)
2
1
• Errors in spelling,
punctuation, usage,
grammar, capitalization,
citation use, and/or
paragraphing distract the
reader and seriously
impede meaning, even
given the mode of the
hermit crab portion
5
• Project is neat, well
formatted and pleasant to
see or easy to read
• Artistic elements and
graphics used if
appropriate for project;
used neatly and vividly
• Project looks visually
detailed, as if student
took pride in project
4
3
• Most of project is neat
but some parts seem
sloppy / rushed /
incomplete / not
completely formatted /
not easy to read
• Artistic elements
appropriate but possibly
unbalanced with project
or vice-versa
2
4
3
• Intro/conclusion are
mostly clear, well
thought out and detailed
but may need to be
added to and expanded
• Material in hermit crab
section is engaging,
creative, but not fully
fleshed out – creative
response may need to be
reworked slightly
2
1
•Intro/conclusion are
weak, not detailed,
unclear, need to be added
to and expanded
•Material in hermit crab
section is dull,
impersonal, not fully
fleshed out
• No clear unifying
theme between Part 3
and Parts 1 and 2
1
• Organization of hermit
crab section is confusing,
difficult to follow,
choppy or obtuse
• Sequencing logic is not
easily apparent
• Introduction seems
disjointed
• Ends with a “whimper”
1
• Reader struggles to
read text aloud; must
reread frequently for
meaning, sentences are
frequently choppy,
incomplete or rambling
• Word choice awkward,
frequent vocabulary
misuse, very little
colorful or thematically
appropriate language
1
• Project is not presented
in an appropriate way –
parts are sloppy, seem
rushed, incomplete, not
formatted correctly, not
easy to read, there is
little attention to detail.
Does not look as though
student took pride in
project’s presentation.