Freezers Social Writing Rubric
The following are the rubrics used to evaluate writing assignments in Social Studies it will form the basis for how you will be marked in this courseIt is critical that you establish the critical skills in effective writing technique now so that they are second nature when you enter post-secondary education. More importantly - learning to write well in social studies teaches you the skill of articulating convincing arguments that will help you negotiate better wages, working conditions, deal with community problems, and motivate your political representative to action. Below the rubric I have written a short description of the criteria I am using to evaluate your writing.
Major Writing Assignment Rubric
Used for all major writing assignments and essays
How to write a useful thesis statement
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Minor Writing Assignment Rubric
A few words about important aspects of writing that will affect your writing as you udevelop your work. Please keep these in mind as you write in this class.
Sentence Structure/Clarity: I am looking for clear ideas that are expressed in complete thoughts.
Generally the mechanics of writing should be second nature. If you are struggling with this aspect of your writing it will be difficult to communicate even your most profound ideas effectively. Remember that writing is not the same form of communication as speaking - what sounds good spoken does not always make for a well written piece.
Thesis: I am looking for a clear statement at the beginning of your work that identifies the argument or idea that you are going attempt to prove in the written material you are submitting. A thesis statement does not have to be clever or fancy writing. It should be the type of statement that focuses the readers thoughts in the direction that you intend to take with the piece. A thesis paragraph ought to additionally identify why your position is important to consider and provoke the reader to want to know why you are convinced about a certain position.
Supporting Content: I am evaluating your ability to find sources (unless they are already given to you) that prove your thesis. Your thesis should be 'backed-up' by arguments that connect logically to prove your position. These arguments need supporting facts. these supporting facts give legitimacy to your opinion. your ability to use sources effectively to support your arguments is the most important part of social studies writing.
Terms and Vocabulary: I am looking for your ability to use terms and concept we have been studying effectively and accurately in the material you write. Think about ways that you can prove to your reader that you understand the concept you are talking about. Sophistication in terminology will make your writing stand out but using $20 words that you are clueless about will cost you marks.
Conclusion: I am looking for a statement that summarizes what you have proved in your writing. An essay should have a concluding paragraph that traces the line of argument that you have taken in your essay. This is not the place to introduce a brand new idea or to try to prove something you forgot to address in the body of your work. Wrap it up.
Sources identified: You should list the sources that you used to develop your argument. Generally you should include these at the end of your essay and are not considered part of the overall length of an essay. If you fail to list your sources you risk plagiarism which is a form of cheating.
Leading question: I am looking for a question that your ideas and arguments might lead to. This should be incorporated into your final paragraph in an essay or the concluding statements of a shorter piece of writing. Based on what you have written what might be the next idea that needs to be studied or Given your arguments what might the next step be in solving the problem you have identified. This is a higher level of thinking process and not easily mastered but critical to achieve excellence in writing.
Check out this link for additional help in structuring a good essay.
Here are a few more helpful hints in making your work stand out:
-Never list items. Use complete sentences and good paragraph style.
-Proofread your essay. It is a great idea to hand in a draft before the due date to get suggestions from your teacher for ways to improve your work. Have another pair of eyes look at your work.
-Never use slang.
-Double space your work to allow the teacher to write comments on your work. Write legibly, or double space type in a 12-point font.
-Never refer to an individual by first name only; use both names or the last name.
The following is a student exemplar of a paragraph written to answer the question:
To what extent should we embrace nationalism...
Nationalism is defined as a people’s sense of belonging and loyalty to a nation. It is a very complex and multi-opinionated subject. Nationalism can be broken into two groups; good nationalism and bad nationalism. Good nationalism is shown when people take pride in their nation and want to improve the society they live in, but are also interacting with other nationalities. Bad nationalism is when a country is so nationalistic, they believe they are superior and turn destructive. Over the years strong nationalism has caused very negative events such as the Holocaust. However, when nationalism has been embraced positively many new technologies and ways of life have been passed between nations. This is why nationalism should be embraced, but not to the point of chaos and discrimination.
