1. You are to write paper explaining how you use literature in your life as a student. This paper must be one (1) page in length--which means you must include an introduction, body, and a conclusion.2

20.0 pts

Excellent: Engaging opening introduces topic and informs the audience on the topic that is being analyzed. The thesis is easily identifiable, well-phrased and organized. The thesis identifies the purpose and the specific idea to be analyzed and proven within the essay. The idea offered in the thesis reflects sound critical, analytical thinking; title and author or poet’s work is appropriately referenced.

15.0 pts

Good: Generally engaging opening; areas to be strengthened may include: presentation of general topic; development of transition between general opening and specific thesis statement; thesis statement is phrased as an argument but may be strengthened through clarification of the main idea being offered.

10.0 pts

Satisfactory: Opening is functional but too brief and/or simplistic; essay’s topic is apparent but needs to be developed to engage the reader; abrupt transition from first sentences to the thesis statement; paragraph may be incoherent; jumping from one point to the next without developing a smooth progression of ideas; thesis may be too general or vague, or imprecisely phrased; thesis may not directly address the prompt (directions) (though still an argument that assess the text).

5.0 pts

Marginal: Opening is ineffective, poorly organized, and undeveloped (inappropriately brief); thesis may summarize plot point rather than present argument about text; thesis may not address the prompt at all; author and/or title of text may not be referenced properly (i.e. only author’s last name, titled incorrectly formatted).

0.0 pts

Unacceptable: Failure to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

20.0 pts

Excellent: Each topic sentence clearly connects to the thesis and offers identifiable, well-phrased idea to be proven in the paragraph; concrete details are well-chosen and incorporated; paragraphs are well organized to create a coherent, carefully developed and supported analysis; transitions between ideas are logical and each idea builds on the preceding; writer maintains focus and control of argument so that the point of each paragraph is always clear.

15.0 pts

Good: Each topic sentence generally connects to the thesis but in one or more topic sentences the main idea may need to be clarified; concrete details are generally well-chosen though some may be irrelevant or insufficient as evidence to effectively support the thesis and/or topic sentences; paragraphs are generally well-organized, although some transitions may be awkward and there maybe gaps in the development ideas; focus and control of the argument need improvement because the point of a paragraph may not always be clear.

10.0 pts

Satisfactory: Topic sentences are present but more than one is weak in the following areas: main idea not discernible; a fact about the text is summarized; unclear connection to thesis. Concrete details are present but weak because they provide insufficient evidence to support topic sentences and/or irrelevant because they do not support an insightful inference. Lack of coherent organization of ideas within individual paragraphs or from one paragraph to the next; abrupt transitions impede smooth flow of ideas; essay lacks consistent focus and control of argument; paragraph(s) may lack clear point(s); content of paragraphs does not consistently support or connect with thesis and/or topic sentences.

5.0 pts

Marginal: Topic sentences absent or consistently lack focused ideas, either offering general , irrelevant comments or stating facts about text; there is no discernible argument or point guiding essay; concrete details are absent or ineffective/insufficient; consist lack of coherent organization of ideas within paragraphs and from one paragraph to the next; points of paragraphs are unclear.

0.0 pts

Unacceptable: Failure to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

20.0 pts

Excellent: Writing in poetry, drama, or fiction reflects a critical, analytical understanding of the text; the writer uses specific techniques in analyzing and evaluating the works of literature (i.e. figurative language terms, literary criticisms, etc.) Writer draws inferences from the major works of selected African American writers of America and/or Africa as well as from concrete details to support the connected ideas of thesis and/or topic sentences; inferences are developed so that all claims sand points made are well supported and persuasive; analysis focuses on either the literary criticisms, thematic or stylistic elements of the text, demonstrating the writer’s ability to interpret the function of literary devices and appropriate balance of in-text citations and writer’s analysis; writer is clearly engaged with and moved by his/her thinking process.

15.0 pts

Good: Writing in poetry, drama, or fiction generally reflects a critical, analytical understanding of the text but is uneven; the writer uses specific techniques in analyzing and evaluating the works of literature (i.e. figurative language terms, literary criticisms, etc.) Writer generally draws inferences from the major works of selected African American writers of America and/or Africa as well as from concrete details to support the connected ideas of thesis and/or topic sentences, but it could be developed further; inferences are developed so that a few claims sand points made are generally supported or lacking support and persuasive; analysis focuses on either the literary criticisms, thematic or stylistic elements of the text, demonstrating the writer’s ability to interpret the function of literary devices and there is an unbalancing of in-text citations and writer’s analysis; writer is attempting to be engaged with his/her thinking process.

10.0 pts

Satisfactory: Writing in poetry, drama, or fiction somewhat demonstrates some awareness of the text but not a critical, analytical understanding of the text; the writer barely uses any techniques in analyzing and evaluating the works of literature (i.e. figurative language terms, literary criticisms, etc.) Writer restates content of cited concrete ideas rather draws significant inferences from the major works of selected African American writers of America and/or Africa as well as from concrete details to support the connected ideas of thesis. Writing marked weakened by frequent generalization, unsupported claims, assumptions, vague statements.

5.0 pts

Marginal: Writing in poetry, drama, or fiction demonstrates some awareness of text details but not a critical, analytical understanding of the text nor evidence of literary criticism(s) or techniques used to analyze literature are embedded in the writing; points made are vague unsubstantiated; essay lacks focus; no literary analysis present.

0.0 pts

Unacceptable: Failure to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

20.0 pts

Excellent: Writing is academic in tone, demonstrating a clear sense of purpose and audience; writer’s voice is evident --- confident and sophisticated; vocabulary and phrasing are academically appropriate, persuasive, and sophisticated without being pretentious.

15.0 pts

Good: Writer is generally academic in tone; writer’s voice may not be consistently persuasive but is discernible; writing demonstrates an awareness of the purpose to persuade; vocabulary in some places may be simplistic or ineffective.

10.0 pts

Satisfactory: Writing tends to be mechanical in tone; writer’s voice is not discernible in the essay; writing demonstrates inconsistent awareness of the purpose to persuade; vocabulary tends to be simplistic, marked by instances of informal or imprecise diction.

5.0 pts

Marginal: Writing is mechanical in tone; writer’s voice is not discernible in essay, writing demonstrates no awareness of purpose to persuade; vocabulary is simplistic and/or inappropriate.

0.0 pts

Unacceptable: Failure to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

20.0 pts

Excellent: Essay includes a variety of sentences marked by varying opening words and structure; effective syntax and grammar demonstrate a mastery of writing conventions and serve the author’s purpose; consistent adherence to MLA guidelines; accurate Works Cited page; absence of misspellings and punctuation errors.

15.0 pts

Good: Essay’s sentences generally effective but may lack appropriate variety (some repeated opening of words and structure); syntax and grammar may be awkward in places (but not distracting); a few misspellings (but not distracting); consistent adherence to MLA guidelines; accurate Works Cited page.

10.0 pts

Satisfactory: Essay sentences lack variety (frequently repeated opening words and sentence structure); awkward syntax and grammar confuse writer’s point and distract reader; misspellings, contractions, fragments, referring to “you” diminish academic nature of the writing and distract reader; inconsistent adherence to MLA guidelines (but does not compromise integrity of essay); Work Cited page may contain inaccuracies (but does not compromise the integrity of the work).

5.0 pts

Marginal: Frequent syntax, grammar, misspelling errors that distract the reader; lack of adherence to MLA guidelines undermines integrity of essay; inaccurate Works Cited page compromises integrity of essay.

0.0 pts

Unacceptable: No adherence to MLA guidelines (missing citations, lack of proper format); No Works Cited page.

25.0 pts

Excellent

21.0 pts

Good

17.0 pts

Satisfactory

14.0 pts

Needs Improvement

25.0 pts

Excellent

21.0 pts

Good

17.0 pts

Satisfactory

14.0 pts

Needs Improvement

25.0 pts

Excellent

21.0 pts

Good

17.0 pts

Satisfactory

14.0 pts

Needs Improvement

25.0 pts

Excellent

21.0 pts

Good

17.0 pts

Satisfactory

14.0 pts

Needs Improvement

25.0 pts

Excellent

21.0 pts

Good

17.0 pts

Satisfactory

14.0 pts

Needs Improvement