University of Hartford

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Five-Paragraph Essay Rubric

Topic/Idea Development
1	2	3				4	5		6
Little topic/idea development, organization, and/or details Little or no awareness of audience and/or task	Limited or weak topic/idea development, organization, and/or details Limited awareness of audience and/or task	Rudimentary topic/idea development and/or organization Basic supporting details Simplistic language				Moderate topic/idea development and organization Adequate, relevant details Some variety in language	Full topic-idea development Logical organization Strong details Appropriate use of language		Rich topic/idea development Careful and/or subtle organization Effective/rich us of language
Notes/Comments
			Nicely Done					Needs Improvement
Topic Development	The overall effect of the essay		clearly stated thesis clear, concise, original introduction body paragraphs reflect and develop thesis conclusion nicely summarizes/completes the essay thorough and correct response to the prompt					unclear or missing thesis weak, unfocused introduction unfocused or underdeveloped body paragraphs missing, weak, or unclear conclusion incorrect or incomplete response to the prompt
Organization	The degree to which the essay is focused clearly and logically ordered clarified by paragraphs and transitions		effective prewriting consistently focused from beginning to end effective use of paragraphs effective use of transitions					ineffective prewriting unfocused: ___lacks unity ___lacks coherence organization into paragraphs transitions between ideas and/or paragraphs
Details	The degree to which the essay includes details and examples that develop the main ideas		carefully chosen, relevant details details show, instead of just telling					more effective choice of relevant details development of ideas beyond listing
Language/Style	The degree to which the use of language, including vocabulary, word choice, clarity, and sentence variety enhances the essay		varied sentence structure word choice enhances meaning shows personal and unique voice, tone, and style					more variety in sentence structure more variety/richness in word choice lacks distinct or personal voice, tone, and style
Sentence Structure, Mechanics, Usage, and Grammar
1	2		3					4
Errors seriously interfere with communication AND Little control of sentence structure, grammar and usage, and mechanics	Errors interfere somewhat with communication and/or Too many errors relative to the length of the essay or complexity of sentence structure, grammar and usage, and mechanics		Errors do not interfere with communication and/or Few errors relative to length of essay or complexity of sentence structure, grammar and usage, and mechanics					Control of sentence structure, grammar and usage and mechanics (length and complexity of essay provide opportunity for student to show control of standard English conventions)
Notes/Comments
					Nicely Done			Needs Improvement
Sentences	The degree to which the essay includes sentences that are clear and correct in structure				clear and correctly structured sentences			unclear, awkward, or incorrect sentence structure ___ROS ___SF ___ AWK ___UNCLEAR
Grammar and Usage	The degree to which the essay demonstrates correct use of standard grammatical rules of English word usage and vocabulary				shows understanding of grammatical rules control of word choice and usage			incorrect application of grammatical rules word choice and usage ___slang ___incorrect ___inappropriate
Mechanics	The degree to which the essay demonstrates correct spelling capitalization punctuation				vidence of proofreading control of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation adds clarity essay shows advanced knowledge of mechanics			more careful proofreading spelling capitalization punctuation ___commas ___apostrophes ___ end punctuation ___other:
Technical Content
1	2		3					4
Serious technical errors interfere with results and arguments	Technical errors interfere somewhat with results or argments and/or Too many errors relative to the length of the essay		Minor technical errors that do not interfere with results or arguments Few errors relative to length of essay					No technical or engineering errors
Total Points (out of 14):				Final Grade:
LSN - 1/20/2008