Winter 2015

Paragraph Rubric

Items / Very Good / Satisfactory / Below Standard
Ideas and Content / a) Ideas are interesting, fresh, and original
b) Content shows careful thought and planning
c) Clearly an Opinion
d) Followed directions and topic given / a) Ideas are ordinary
b) Content shows some thought and planning
c) Mostly an Opinion paragraph
d) Somewhat followed assignment’s perimeters – some off topic / a) Ideas are dull or not developed
b) Content shows little thought or planning
c) Not an Opinion paragraph
d) Did not follow directions regarding the assignment – off topic
20 19 18 17 / 16 15 14 13 12 11 / 10 ------1
Organization and Coherence / a) Main idea and all sentences are related
b) Clear major and minor supporting sentences
c) Topic sentence shows clear topic and controlling idea and is very effective
d) Shows clear logical Order of Importance order / a) Main idea and most sentences are related
b) Adequate topic sentence
Some supporting sentences are off - topic
c) Shows some elements of logical order – Order of Importance / a) Main idea not clear or many sentences not related to the main idea
b) Topic sentence is not effective or not present
Organization of supporting sentences is unclear
c) Doesn’t really show elements of Order of Importance
20 19 18 17 / 16 15 14 13 12 11 / 10 ------1
Clarity / a) All sentences can be understood
b) Ideas are expressed very well
10 9 8 / a) Most sentences can be understood
b) Ideas are expressed mostly clearly
7 6 5 4 / a) Many sentences can not be understood
b) Ideas are not expressed clearly
3 2 1
Sentence Structures / a) Many correct complex, compound and simple sentences / a) Some correct complex sentences , mostly correct simple and compound sentences / a) Very few or no complex sentences
b) problems creating correct simple and/or compound sentences
10 9 8 / 7 6 5 / 4 3 2 1
Verb Tenses: 1 point deduction for each verb tense (VT), verb form (VF), or subject-verb agreement (S-V) / 20 19 18 17 16 15 / 14 13 12 11 10 9 / 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Word Choice:
Singular/plural
Vocabulary choices
Word forms
Signal words/ transitions / Level 3 Vocabulary
Mostly correct word forms/ choices. Correct forms of signal words / Satisfactory vocabulary,
Word forms/ choices
Mostly correct forms of signal words / Below level 3
Major problems with singular and plural nouns
Incorrect or no signal words used
10 9 8 / 7 6 5 / 4 3 2 1
Spelling
Punctuation
Capitals / Correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization / Mostly correct / Below level
10 9 8 / 7 6 5 / 4 3 2 1