Essay
#1 Grading Criteria & Revision Checklist
See
also Essay #1 Directions (Online) Handout
These
Basic Requirements are met:
___a. Topic
Choice is one AofA argument authorized for this Essay #1
assignment
___b.
Manuscript Form & Suggested Length: Essay is typed/wordprocessed
& double spaced, using MLA-style heading, centered title, running page
headers, margins, type or wordprocessed in readable font and point size,
double spaced, etc. Scope of thesis claim and number of supporting points are
neither too narrow nor too broad for successful treatment in an essay of
suggested length (3-to-5 pages).
___c.
Citing Source(s): timely author tags, accurate & correctly
punctuated quotations, faithful paraphrases and summaries that do not
distort the meaning of the original, parenthetical page citations for
quotations and paraphrases—all work together to avoid plagiarism &
allow readers to trace citations clearly back to the original AofA
argument—good faith effort is also made to use ellipses, brackets, block
long quotations correctly when needed, & any additional/outside sources are cited.
___d.
Genre: This
paper is an essay, written
to support a clear thesis.
These
Special Requirements are met:
___1.
Analytical & Evaluative Methods from
AofA textbook, WR 122 handout & class discussion are applied.
___2. Bias
Statement & its impact are stated explicitly in the essay.
___3. Body
points address at least one strength and at least one weakness in the AofA
argument.
Evaluation Guide:
___
= Excellent; ___ = Very good;
___ = Satisfactory, but could improve; ___ = Weak/needs work
1.
Essay Title,
Bibliographical Entry, Introduction
____a.
Title effectively reflects
the issue and student’s essay thesis/claim.
____b.
Complete & correct MLA (Works Cited) style
bibliographical entry is given.
____c.
AofA argument
is clearly & formally re-introduced (author, title, and other relevant information about the
rhetorical/communication context).
____d.
The issue addressed in the AofA
argument is clearly identified.
____e.
The AofA author’s
major claims & purposes are clearly & concisely
summarized,
including any key definitions, qualifications, and/or exceptions.
____f. The
student author’s own central thesis
claim is effectively placed and clearly presented, including any
necessary definitions, qualifications and/or exceptions needed to encompass
both the strength(s) and weakness(es) of the AofA argument to be
discussed.
____g. Optional preview of main supporting points (reasons/evaluation
criteria to back the student author’s thesis claim) aids coherence by
accurately presenting all main supporting points addressed and in
the same order that they are addressed in the body of the essay.
2. Thesis Claim, Evaluation Criteria, & Major Supporting Points
____a.
Student author’s thesis claim/recommendation
presents a reasoned evaluation in
response to the central question(s) given for this assignment in the direction
handout.
____b.
Thesis recommendation/evaluation offers necessary definitions, qualifications,
concessions, and/or exceptions needed to encompass both the
strength(s) and weakness(es) of the AofA argument to be discussed
and enable the
student author to unify the essay.
____c. Evaluation Criteria used to determine strength(s)
& weakness(es) of the AofA argument are “good”: valid,
effective and persuasive for an audience of diverse, critical readers (i.e. thesis support/evaluation criteria are not determined solely by the student-author’s
bias, position on issue, agreement/disagreement with the AofA
arguer’s position on the issue);
____d.
Selection & development of main supporting points apply these “good”
evaluation criteria and
demonstrates that they are
“relevant” to the case of the AofA argument evaluated.
3.
Bias Statement
/ Character
(ethos/self-presentation/tone)
of Student Author
___a.
Bias statement is placed
and presented effectively, such that its
impact does not undermine the student author’s thesis claim or create
a negative view of her/his character/ethos with a diverse audience of
fellow-sister “inquirers”;
___b.
Student-author is well-informed on the topic/AofA argument;
his/her self-presentation and tone
inspire confidence in essay analysis and thesis evaluation among diverse
critical readers (who may have very different opinions on the issue, on the
effectiveness of the AofA argument).
___c. The student author anticipates and addresses any likely
and weighty opposition, concerns, reservations relevant to his/her
central thesis claim, evaluation criteria, and main supporting points; treatment
of such opposition is
fair, balanced, effectively placed and persuasive.
4.
Essay Unity: Thesis evaluation controls, unifies content,
emphasis, proportional development:
___a.
Main
supporting points
(reasons/evaluation criteria) are consistent
with student author’s stated overall thesis claim (& the optional preview if applicable)—and this
consistency is strengthened by well-placed,
effective thesis transitions that
demonstrate clear relationships between body points and thesis evaluation;
___b.
Development of strength(s) and/or weakness(es) of the AofA
argument, is accompanied by qualification,
exception, concession, refutation, and/or reconciliation as needed to
support the student author’s overall thesis evaluation and its emphasis.
___c. Essay
unity is achieved without oversimplifying or falsifying the case of
the AofA argument being evaluated; student author does not ignore
or dismiss significant aspects of the AofA argument that might
otherwise contradict or challenge the student author’s analysis and
evaluation.
5.
Essay Organization and Coherence
___a.
Overall ordering plan and arrangement
of main supporting points are logical/effective;
___b.
Clear, controlling (topic)
sentences unify body paragraphs, & paragraph
breaks are logical and effective;
___c.
Coherence is strong: internal
paragraph structure is logical and effective; expression
is clear; timely, logical, timely transitions show
relationships among ideas, and guide readers smoothly from point to point; grammatical
errors that hurt clarity and coherence are avoided (e.g. unclear word
choice and pronoun references, illogical shifts in tense or person,
confusing fragments, mixed sentence structures).
___d. Essay Conclusion
reemphasizes the student author’s central thesis claim, reaffirms her/his
persuasive purpose & recommendation, and provides a satisfactory sense
of closure.
6.
Essay Body develops strong, specific, convincing case in support
of thesis evaluation:
___a. One full body paragraph is devoted
to each major supporting point: each body point is explained clearly
and developed in satisfactory depth and detail, without redundancy;
___b.
Command of a range of relevant Wr 122 analytical methods and
convincing evaluation criteria is demonstrated and effectively applied to
well-selected specific examples from the AofA argument:
___c.
Specific examples and
citations from the AofA argument are well
selected to support the student author’s points, and developed
fully & persuasively with clear, insightful, well-reasoned analysis,
explanation to demonstrate that evaluation criteria are/are not met; Citations
are accompanied by sufficient interpretive commentary to make the student
author’s point (i.e. student author does not assume diverse readers will
automatically read, interpret, emphasize in the same ways that the author
intends
7.
Effective Sentence Style & Word Choice, Proficient Command of
Standard Written English (i.e. generally correct grammar, usage, punctuation,
and mechanics, no major errors)
_____1.
(a) Essay Title, (b) Bibliographical Entry, Introduction
to: (c) AofA argument; (d) Issue it addresses; (e) Main points
summarized; (f) student author’s thesis recommendation;
(g) (optional) preview main supporting points (reasons/evaluation
criteria)
_____2.
Thesis
Claim, Evaluation Criteria, Major Supporting Points: (a) Thesis responds to central question(s) of Essay
#1 directions & (b) offers qualifications needed to encompass both
strength & weakness to be discussed; (c) evaluation criteria valid,
persuasive for diverse readers & relevant to AofA argument; (d)
main supporting points apply these criteria in body development
_____3.
Bias Statement / Character (ethos/self-presentation/tone) of
Student Author:
(a) Bias stmt is well placed & effectively presented; (b) Student author
is well informed, and self-presentation & tone inspire confidence in essay
analysis & evaluation; (c) anticipated opposition is effectively addressed
and treated fairly.
_____4.
Essay Unity: Thesis evaluation controls, unifies content,
emphasis, proportional development: (a) Supporting points are consistent with overall
thesis recommendation; (b) Development of AofA argument’s
strengths/weaknesses is qualified or reconciled when needed; (c) Essay unity
is achieved without oversimplifying/falsifying the case of the AofA
argument
_____5.
Essay Organization & Coherence:
(a) Organization & arrangement of ideas are logical, effective; (b) Clear
topic sentences unify body paragraphs, paragraph breaks are logical,
effective; (c) Strong coherence achieved via logical internal paragraph
structure, clear expression, timely & logical transitions, few grammatical
errors that hurt clarity; (d) Conclusion is effective
_____6.
Essay Body develops strong, specific, convincing case in
support of thesis evaluation: (a) At least one well-developed body paragraph is devoted to each
major supporting point; (b) Student demonstrates command of a range of methods
of analysis & evaluation, which are well selected & effectively
applied to specific examples from AofA argument (c) Specific examples
& citations from AofA argument are well selected & persuasively
analyzed to support student author’s points, and all citations (esp.
quotations) are accompanied by student commentary
_____7.
Effective Sentence Style & Word Choice; Proficient Command
of Standard Written English (i.e. generally correct grammar, usage, punctuation, mechanics; no
major errors)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prep Work: Outlines, Drafts,
Workshops
WR 122 Competencies: As stated
in the WR 122 Syllabus, the Humanities Department Composition
Committee has identified the following core competencies, or student learning
outcomes, for all WR 122 courses. Essay #1 Analysis and Evaluation
& preparatory assignments were designed to help you achieve the following
targeted competencies. Please
read each competency statement and rate your skills using this scale: 5=Excellent/A;
4=Very
Good/B; 3=
Satisfactory/C; 2=Weak/D; 1=Poor/F
___Competency 1. Demonstrate the ability to
use a variety of analytical and argumentative essay patterns, such as evaluation
of a published argument…
___Competency 2. Demonstrate the ability to use
several quotations from …published sources…, which are (1) integrated
into the student's
own writing (at both the paragraph and the sentence level), and (2) correctly
documented according to some currently accepted practice.
___Competency 3(a): Demonstrate the ability to adopt a
persona or tone [e.g. integration of Bias statement and presentation
of your Character/Ethos as a fair-minded critical thinker and evaluator] that
serves one's
persuasive purposes in written argument [evaluation is the type of
argument in the case of Essay #1];
___Competency 3(b): . . . and [demonstrate the
ability] to identify and anticipate audience considerations (e.g.
readers'
knowledge, assumptions, beliefs/values, attitudes, needs) in the selection
of evidence and presentation of the writer's argument [in
the case of Essay #1, addressing a diverse audience of college-level critical
readers effectively, and choosing persuasive criteria for analyzing and
evaluating the AofA argument--other than simply that you agree or disagree
with the author’s position]
___Competency 4: Summarize published arguments and
analyze components of written arguments…[i.e. applying the Methods of
Analysis and Evaluation that we have studied in WR 122 this term to the AofA
argument in Essay #1]
___Competency 5: Use writing [or oral
communication] to provide a peer [i.e. other student writers] with alternative
viewpoints and suggestions for revising and editing.
___Competency 6: Adopt a[reading, analysis, and]
writing process…[effective for completing Essay #1 assignment
successfully]
___Competency 7: Analyze and evaluate one's own argument [i.e.
your own Essay #1], identifying strengths, weaknesses and potential
biases…--and suggest some means of improving [your own] argumentative
practice [i.e. through feedback and revision opportunities].
