Essay #1 Rubric

Essential Criteria for Essay #1	Total Point Value	Points Achieved
Thesis Statement Appears in the first paragraph, stated explicitly and clearly indicates topic or main idea of essay; the single most important sentence in the essay; every paragraph and detail should, in some way, support this statement.	10 pts.
Content  & Knowledge Adequate information from the reading selection(s) MUST be given as evidence to support the thesis statement; paragraphs MUST be developed with examples and details that are presented, analyzed and related to the thesis. It is NOT sufficient to present a summary of a story; one MUST interpret, analyze and explain.	25 pts.
Organization, Unity, Fluency & Coherence ·        Thought must be given to the best manner of presentation (organization) of the analysis;  one way of presenting evidence is in the chronological order that it is presented in the story; another way is to build evidence from your weakest point to your strongest, leaving a strong impression on the reader in the conclusion. ·        Unity results when a strong thesis leads to paragraphs that directly relate and support the main idea. There are no wasted or superfluous words, no meaningless information. ·        Fluency comes from the logic established between sentences and paragraphs through transitions and logic. ·        Coherence comes from writing that is free of sentence flaws and mechanical errors. In order for thoughts and ideas to be understood, all sentences must make sense and be free of distractions that inhibit clear understanding. A paper will fail if there is an excess of fragments, run-ons, comma splices, or agreement	40 pts.
Conventions of Academic Papers on Literature: MLA Format required, Tense   do NOT shift tenses; try to use present tense, if it becomes impossible, use past tense but do not shift 3rd Person Active Voice verbs: Refer to:                 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/	25 pts.