EN 1250 | Assessment Rubric, Essay Four

Due Date | 8 May 2025 (Final Exam Scheduled Time)

Criteria | I will base your grade on how well you do the following: 

  • 1. Responds to others’ arguments through agreement, disagreement or both. 
  • 2. Demonstrates basics of doing research in an academic library. 
  • 3. Applies the basics of argumentation
  • 4. Integrates the templates and suggestions from our text, Graff and Birkenstein. 2024. They Say/I Say.
  • 5. Uses APA style to identify the source text, other texts and in-line references.
  • 6. Authors a writer’s memo about writing process. (See link for details).

1. Responds to others’ arguments through agreement, disagreement or both. 

  • Exceeding (5 points) | Clearly states agreement, disagreement, or both with a well-defined position.
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | States agreement, disagreement, or both, but the position lacks clarity in some areas.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Response is somewhat unclear, making it difficult to determine agreement or disagreement.
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Response is unclear or fails to state a position.

2. Demonstrates basics of doing research in an academic library. 

  • Exceeding (5 points) | Critically evaluates sources for credibility, relevance, and authority.
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | Evaluates sources but may overlook some credibility factors.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Uses sources without fully assessing their reliability.
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Fails to evaluate sources, leading to poor selection of materials.

3. Argument | Claims, evidence and analysis

  • Exceeding (5 points) | Develops a strong, well-organized argument with clear reasoning and substantial evidence.
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | Presents a solid argument with supporting evidence but may have minor gaps.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Argument is present but lacks depth, organization, or strong evidence.
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Argument is weak, underdeveloped, or lacks supporting evidence.

4. Integrates the templates and suggestions from They Say/I Say.  

  • Exceeding (5 points) | Ideas flow logically, with transitions that demonstrate a clear connection between “They say” and “I say.”
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | Generally well-organized, though some transitions between “They say” and “I say” could be smoother.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Organization is uneven, with unclear or missing connections between “They say” and “I say.”
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Lacks clear structure; little to no connection between “They say” and “I say” is evident.

5. Use of APA style to identify the source text, other texts and in-line references. (Use the Little Seagull text for guidelines).

  • Exceeding (5 points) | All sources are correctly cited in-text and in the reference list, with no APA errors.
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | Most sources are correctly cited, with only minor APA formatting errors.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Several citation errors; some sources not properly cited or referenced.
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Many citations are missing or inaccurate; reference list is incomplete or incorrect.

6. Author a writer’s memo about your writing process (For every assigned essay)

  • Exceeding (5 points) | Rigorous and in-depth understanding of content and purpose through the development and support of their writer’s memo. Appropriate organization and style is evident.
  • Meeting (3-4 points) | Thoughtful understanding of content and purpose through the development and support of their writer’s memo. Appropriate organization and style is evident.
  • Emerging (2 points) | Awareness of content and purpose and attempts to develop and support their Writer’s Memo. Appropriate organization and style is evident.
  • Needs Improvement (1 point) | Minimal or no attention to content and purpose. Writer’s memo may be unsuitable, and/or the writer may not develop or support an argument. Appropriate organization and style might not be evident.