Historical Essay #2: America and the Great War

GRADING RUBRIC FOR YOUR PAPER

In order to grade your assignments as accurately as possible, I have borrowed a grading rubric which has been approved by the North Central Accrediting Agency and is widely used by English teachers on the secondary and college levels. For the purpose of simplicity, I have divided the grading into three categories:

1. Content and Organization. This category includes the basic content and organization of the paper. The paper should be focused and on target, where all content adds to the whole. The paper should include an inviting introduction, with a thesis statement, and a satisfactory conclusion. The paper should meet the basic page requirements for the given assignment.

2. Sentence Fluency and Voice. This category takes into account the student’s active engagement with the topic. Papers should exhibit strong sentences, with interesting vocabulary. Papers at the highest level should be individual, personal, and compelling. The paper itself would invite expressive oral reading.

3. Grammar Conventions and Presentation. This category takes into account the basics of English composition: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and paragraphing. Short paragraphs tend to make a paper choppy and difficult to read. Papers at the highest grade level are ready to publish and demonstrate an above average proficiency in English. All papers are expected to conform to APA standards as regards formatting and references.

I will use the above chart to refer to your assignment. E.g. “2.While your paper is well-written, it is often mechanical. Sentences tend to be choppy and awkward. The essay is pleasant but not overly compelling.” Please email me with any concerns you have after the grading.

Overall guidelines: The paper should be typed and double-spaced, on standard 8 ½” x 11”, 20-pound white paper. All margins should be set at 1 inch. The paper should use an acceptable font and size.