| Thesis/Focus |
Effectively and insightfully develops a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis that provides focus to the writing |
Develops a reasonable thesis that provides focus to the writing |
Develops a thesis that provides a limited focus to the writing |
Fails to develop a clear thesis or lacks a thesis |
| Support of thesis |
Demonstrates sophisticated critical thinking by using comprehensive examples, reasons, and supporting evidence |
Demonstrates competent critical thinking by using adequate examples, reasons, and supporting evidence |
Demonstrates some critical thinking by using examples, reasons, and supporting evidence that maybe inconsistent or inadequate |
Uses weak critical thinking and inappropriate or insufficient examples reasons, and supporting evidence. |
| Organization |
Presents information with a clear coherence and smooth, logical progression of ideas |
Presents information with coherence and a logical continuity of ideas |
Presents information with some lapses in coherence or progression of ideas |
Presents ideas that are disjointed or incoherent |
| Word Choice |
Use of variety of highly effective word choices |
Uses a variety of generally effective word choices |
Sometimes uses weak vocabulary or inappropriate word choice |
Uses incorrect or simplistic vocabulary |
| Sentence Structure |
Develops a variety of sophisticated sentence structures |
Develops some variety of sentence structures |
Develops sentence structures that lack variety of demonstrate problems |
Develop sentence structures with severe flaws or frequent problems |
| Language Conventions |
Utilizes appropriate language conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage that are free of most errors |
Utilizes appropriate language conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage that demonstrate few errors |
Utilizes language conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage with errors which somewhat interfere with meaning |
Utilizes language conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage with frequent inaccuracies which interfere with meaning |
| Conclusions |
Provides effective and complex closure that synthesizes ideas |
Provides effective closure which summarizes the main points |
Provides some sense of closure |
Fails to provide sufficient closure |
