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iRubric: Identifying The Theme - scoring guide rubric
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Middle School Writing Rubrics
In my book Blended Learning in Grades 4-12 , I shared the following middle school writing rubrics with my readers. Unfortunately, the short links I provided in my book have timed out, so I wanted to share these on my blog so any middle school teachers interested in using them have access! Feel free to make a copy and adjust as needed.
bit.ly/6-8ArgumentativeWritingRubric
bit.ly/6-8InformativeWritingRubric
bit.ly/6-8NarrativeWritingRubric
I will be posting the high school writing rubrics as soon as I can get them reformatted in a shareable version. If you have rubrics you use, love, and are willing to share, I’d love to crowdsource rubrics here!
45 Responses
Thank you for this wonderful resource! I love getting the emails from your site.
What are your thoughts on putting the high score description in the 2nd column next to the criteria? Students’ eyes are naturally drawn to the columns in order of left to right, so putting the high scoring description makes it the first thing they look at. It sets the tone for them, as if to say, “Do this! This is the best!”
Thank you again for providing this rubric. The descriptions and criteria are very well-written.
You are absolutely welcome to edit and rework them! My co-teacher prefers rubrics that start with 4 on the left side for those exact reasons. Mentally, it works better for me this way. That said, they are easy to copy and change!
Thanks so much!
[…] Middle School Writing Rubrics | […]
Thank you so much for sharing such a valuable resource!
Hello, are the high school rubrics available on the website, or in the book?
They are in the book, Carly. They are also so similar to the middle school rubrics that I did not want to publish a separate post for them.
Dear Ms Tucker
I was browsing and came across you rubrics for students writing. I read them and immediately fall in love with the simplicity of their structure. Thanks for making these resource available, easing research time.
I deem it a pleasure to be able to use them for my assessment.
You’re welcome, Emileta!
I’m glad these will save you time!
These are awesome rubrics! Thank you so much for sharing! They are a great resource.
Any ideas for a poetry rubric. I hate “grading” poetry. I truly believe students should have absolute freedom, but Texas TEKS say otherwise…..so…..
I so appreciate the clarity and ease of understanding these rubrics provide!!
I tend to agree with you. However, if you are expected to assess poetry, I’d start with the language in the TEKs and work backward. What do the TEKs want you to assess when it comes to poetry? Figurative language, sensory details, thematic progression? I’d isolate each “skill” or element of poetry they want you to assess then use those as your criteria and describe what that skill or element looks like in each stage–beginner, developing, proficient, mastery.
Thank you so much for sharing your rubrics with teachers! Extremely helpful and greatly appreciated.
You’re so welcome, Vanessa!
Take care. Catlin
Thank you for sharing your rubrics.
Thank you so much for sharing the rubrics. I use them in class for students’ projects.
Thank you so much for this lovely set up! It has helped a lot of new teachers!
Words can not describe how grateful I am.
Thank you so much! I am always having trouble teaching language art since I feel much comfortable with numbers..
You’re welcome, Helen! Happy to help 😊
Thank you for this very helpful resources, appreciated it!
You’re welcome, Shiela!
Thank you so much for this resource! This is the best rubric I’ve seen for middle school writing!
Thank you, Anna!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful resource!!! You are amazing!!!
You’re welcome, Michelle! So glad these are useful. 😊
Thank you so much for providing these! I’m “Yearbook Teacher” and these are wonderful since I have no clue how to grade written work (I normally teach a CTE course but with virtual/hybrid staff is spread thin.
Nick Pascual
You’re welcome, Nicolas! I’m so glad these are useful 😊
It appears 28 possible points can be earned……the sum of points earned would be at what grade level…..for example, if a student earned all 4’s on the Argumentative Writing Rubric what grade level would his writing rank…….or are their ranges for the sum of points……I would prefer to have a grade level…..
Hi MaryIsabel,
I assess on a 4 point mastery scale, so the final score calculates an average then that number 1, 2, 3, 4 is inserted into the grade book (if you have a mastery-based grade book option). Otherwise, you will need to convert your number on a scale.
Thank you. You are so kind. God bless you.
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
I am unable to open the rubrics. Are they still available for teacher to access?
Hi Jennifer,
The short links are below each image of the rubric, and they force you to make a copy. You’ll need to be logged into your Gmail account so your copies save in your Google Drive.
These are excellent! Thank you for sharing Dr. Tucker!
You’re welcome, Laura!
Life saver! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Carolyn!
Thank you so much for sharing these rubrics! I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been mentioned in the posts above. Love the idea of creating a “rubric bank” available to all who may need it.
You are very welcome, Carolina! I’m thrilled they are useful.
Good Evening , Ms. Tucker
Have you published a persuasive writing rubric?
Hi Yolanda,
I do not have persuasive rubrics. I focused on argumentative writing instead.
THIS IS A LIFESAVER!! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!
You’re very welcome, Tammy! 😊
WOW! I’m so loving these… as we are developing our standards for our program, this gives us a total jump start! By chance, do you have the High School writing rubrics?
My high school versions are very similar to these. Here is an example: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TLkY6Yt-AdXdwCwvXJ7YAqzsoYZmT6G3QiT_yefAHV8/edit
Good luck with your rubrics! AI can be a very helpful resources when generating rubrics with the skill descriptions!
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Musing From The Middle School
Four Steps for Teaching Theme in Middle School
February 25, 2019 by jwyks 2 Comments
This is my 14th year of teaching. Twelve of those years have been spent teaching 6th and 7th graders. And that means that for twelve years, I’ve been trying to get middle schoolers to wrap their heads around the important, yet tricky concept of THEME.
Today, I’m going to take you through the step-by-step process that I use to get my students to:
- Define the term “theme.”
- Recognize the theme of a story.
- Write a theme sentence.
- Explain in writing, using text evidence, how the author develops the theme of the story.
March 24, 2019 at 10:29 pm
Thanks for sharing that video. My students struggle with that topic specific to the novel vs. theme as well. I'll be using that idea for sure!
January 31, 2022 at 4:52 pm
What books did you find helpful to use in the theme stations for teaching theme?
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- Use this rubric to self-assess your narrative writing skills.
Narrative Writing Rubric—Middle School
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Theme Rubric | Theme Analysis Rubric | EDITABLE
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This is a student-friendly rubric that can be applied to any written analysis of theme in literature. The rubric is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for determining theme(s) in literary texts, citing specific evidence, and producing clear and coherent writing. The universal language of this rubric allows it to work across multiple grade levels.
The rubric is included in both a standard-specific and holistic format to fit your needs. This download also includes both a printable PDF file and an editable Google Doc file.
The rubric is divided into four columns:
- Analysis of Theme: assesses the students' ability to identify and describe the development of an original theme that is appropriate for the text.
- Evidence: assesses the students' ability to cite specific, relevant text evidence
- Language: assesses the students' ability to compose a response using objective, precise language
- Writing Quality: assesses the students' ability to produce clear and coherent writing using a logical structure, as well as using proper spelling and grammar
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Home > Resources > Short essay question rubric
Short essay question rubric
Sample grading rubric an instructor can use to assess students’ work on short essay questions.
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Discuss this rubric with other members. Do more with rubrics than ever imagined possible. iRubric J722B4: Scoring guide to measure how well someone has identified and explained a theme from a literary work. This uses a 1 - 5 scale to be in sync with our school's grade scale.. Free rubric builder and assessment tools.
Middle School Writing Rubrics. Catlin Tucker |. August 22, 2018 |. 45. In my book Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, I shared the following middle school writing rubrics with my readers. Unfortunately, the short links I provided in my book have timed out, so I wanted to share these on my blog so any middle school teachers interested in using them ...
"Theme in Literature" In order to write an effective essay, students need to: 1. Understand what "theme" is and how it is applied to literature. 2. Be able to understand and interpret the novel/story they are writing about. Understanding Theme: • Teach students what theme is and share tips for identifying a theme (page 1).
GRADE 6 LITERARY ANALYSIS RUBRIC Score 4 3 2 1 Reading Comprehension Provides an in-depth and accurate demonstration of what is stated in the text and/or what can be inferred from the text(s). Demonstrates a complete understanding of central ideas and information. Provides an accurate demonstration of what is stated in the text and/or what can be
CommonLit 360: Literary Analysis Rubrics. 9th-12th Grade. GRADE9-10LITERARYANALYSISRUBRIC Score 4 3 2 1 Reading Comprehension Presentswhatisstatedinand/or whatcanbeinferredfromthe ... theme Analyzeshowanauthor's structuralchoicescreatemystery, tension,orsurprise Explanationsdrawclear,logical connectionsbetweenthethesisand
Narrative structure is noticeable, but the reader may have to infer it-sequence of episodes moves logically through time with some gaps. Some appropriate paragraphing. Evidence of coherence may depend on sequence. If present, transitions may be simplistic or even redundant. Structure is attempted, but reader may still have to infer.
7 6. Topic sentences are present and make an argument connected to the thesis; however, ideas are obvious and basic. 5. Topic sentences are not linked to the thesis. Topic sentences show misunderstanding or prompt or text. 4 3. Topic sentences not evident. Topic sentences are facts or summaries.
Use these standards-based rubrics to assess your middle school students' writing skills. This set features rubrics for argument writing, informational writing, and narrative writing for sixth-grade, seventh-grade, and eighth-grade students. Each rubric covers the major standards of the grade and type of writing and uses a 3-point scale to help you indicate whether students have a beginning ...
There's a clear structure to the writing. The main purpose of the writing is clear, though the organization may not always be focused. Some appropriate evidence and details are used. Paper lacks any sense of organization or structure. Little or no evidence and details are appropriately used. Voice, Tone & Fluency.
Middle School Narrative Essay Rubric Exceeding Expectations 4 Meeting Expectations 3 Approaching Expectations 2 Beginning 1 Purpose • The writing creatively engages the reader through the telling of a story about a problem, situation, or observation. • The story has a narrator and well-developed characters. • All questions posed, or
The idea behind these stations is basically that the author leaves the reader clues throughout a story to help us infer theme. In my room, we talk about four places to look for these clues: 1.) the title and symbols, 2.) the plot, 3.) the characters, and 4.) the setting. I set up a station for each one of these "clues" with several guiding ...
Grading rubrics can be of great benefit to both you and your students. For you, a rubric saves time and decreases subjectivity. Specific criteria are explicitly stated, facilitating the grading process and increasing your objectivity. For students, the use of grading rubrics helps them to meet or exceed expectations, to view the grading process ...
Essay Rubric Directions: Your essay will be graded based on this rubric. Consequently, use this rubric as a guide when writing your essay and check it again before you submit your essay. Traits 4 3 2 1 Focus & Details There is one clear, well-focused topic. Main ideas are clear and are well supported by detailed and accurate information.
2. 1. Theme. My story has a theme that makes an important or interesting statement about people, nature, or the world. All the components of my story add to the theme. My story has a theme that makes an interesting statement. My story has a theme that ties the story together, but not all of the components support the topic.
Holistic scoring is a quick method of evaluating a composition based on the reader's general impression of the overall quality of the writing—you can generally read a student's composition and assign a score to it in two or three minutes. Holistic scoring is usually based on a scale of 0-4, 0-5, or 0-6.
These one trait (or single trait) rubrics will help you refine your writing instruction, help students better understand characteristics of effective writing and how their work is assessed, and simplify your scoring process.The idea is simple: since we teach. Subjects: Writing, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository.
The rubric is divided into four columns: Analysis of Theme: assesses the students' ability to identify and describe the development of an original theme that is appropriate for the text. Evidence: assesses the students' ability to cite specific, relevant text evidence. Language: assesses the students' ability to compose a response using ...
Memoir Rubric Created by Rebecca Addleman Lead Lead grabs attention through action, dialogue, or thoughts Lead introduces story but ... middle and end The story proceeds logically but is missing one or more aspects (beginning, middle, or ... deal with main theme The story has a general focus but contains unnecessary details or information
4. 4. Notes: Writer's style is mostly effective and appropriate, and parts of the paper are expressive and engaging. Writer shows moderate command of grammar with occasional spelling and grammar mistakes. 3. 3. Notes: Writing is formulaic and simple with no varied sentence structure or expressive language.
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Teaching with this printout. When assigning a compare and contrast writing assignment, students need to be aware of what makes an outstanding written work. This rubric is a great tool to show students what is expected of them in a concrete way. Additionally, this rubric will help teachers assess this student writing and inform further instruction.
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY RUBRIC GRADE 8. Criteria. Level 4: Exceeding Standards. Level 3: Meeting Standards. Level 2: Approaching Standards. Level 1: Below Standards. Focus & Structure. Essay maintains a clear, relevant and logical organization. Essay is organized into multiple sections that creatively and intelligently build up to support a unique ...
The paper moves from one idea to the next, but there is little variety. The paper uses comparison and contrast transition words to show relationships between ideas. Some transitions work well; but connections between other ideas are fuzzy. The transitions between ideas are unclear or nonexistent. Grammar & Spelling (Conventions)