This document provides grading rubrics for two assignments: a poetry essay for an English course and a philosophy of education paper. The poetry essay rubric evaluates students on development of ideas, organization and structure, grammar and diction, and proper formatting. The philosophy paper rubric assesses completion of the paper, use of first person to articulate beliefs, formatting, grammar, addressing various aspects of education like the role of school and society, views of students and teachers, and inclusion of families.

1. ENGL 102
Poetry Essay Grading Rubric
Criteria
Levels of Achievement
Points Earned
Excellent/Good
Fair/Competent
Deficient
Development
(CCLO #2)
39 to 45 points
· Major points are stated clearly and are well-supported.
· Content is persuasive and comprehensive.
· Content and purpose of the writing are clear.
· Thesis has a strong claim.
· Audience is clear and appropriate for the topic.
· Supportive information (if required) is strong and addresses
writing focus.
31 to 38 points
· Major points are addressed, but clarity or support is limited.
· Content is somewhat persuasive or comprehensive.
· Content is inconsistent and lacks clear purpose and/or clarity).
· Thesis could be stronger.
· Supportive information (if required) needs strengthening or
does not address writing focus.
0 to 30 points
· Major points are unclear and/or insufficiently supported.
· Content is missing essentials.
· Content has unsatisfactory purpose, focus, and clarity.
· Supportive information (if required) is missing.
Organization and Structure

2. (CCLO #1)
39 to 45 points
· Writing is well-structured, clear, and easy to follow.
· Introduction is compelling and forecasts the topic and thesis.
· Each paragraph is unified and has a clear central idea.
· Transitional wording is present throughout the writing.
· Conclusion is a logical end to the writing.
31 to 38 points
· Writing is adequately organized, but some areas are difficult
to follow.
· Introduction needs to provide a stronger gateway into the
writing.
· Some paragraphs lack unity and coherence.
· Better transitions are needed to provide fluency of ideas.
· Conclusion is trite or barely serves its purpose.
0 to 30 points
· Organization and structure detract from the writer’s message.
· Introduction and/or conclusion is/are incomplete or missing.
· Paragraphs are not unified (e.g. more than 1 topic included,
missing or inadequate controlling and concluding sentences).
· Transitions are missing.
· Conclusion, if present, fails to serve its purpose.
Grammar and Diction
(CCLO #1, #3)
39 to 45 points
· The writing reflects correct grammar, punctuation, and
spelling standards.
· Language is accurate, appropriate, and effective.
· The writing’s tone is appropriate and highly effective.
31 to 38 points
· The writing contains some grammar, punctuation, and/or
spelling errors.
· Language is unclear, awkward, or inappropriate in parts.
· The writing’s tone is generally appropriate and moderately
effective.

3. 0 to 30 points
· The writing contains many grammar, punctuation, and/or
spelling errors.
· Language use is largely inaccurate or inappropriate.
· The writing’s tone is ineffective and/or inappropriate.
Format: Current MLA/APA/ Turabian Paper Requirements
(CCLO #6)
11 to 15 points
· Writing correctly follows formatting guidelines.
· Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations are used
correctly and appropriately.
5 to 10 points
· Writing follows most formatting guidelines, but some flaws
are detected.
· Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations are
incorrectly formatted or used.
0 to 4 points
· Writing lacks many elements of correct formatting.
· Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations and/or
references are not provided.
Total
/150
Instructor’s Comments:
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Philosophy Paper Grading Rubric
Criterion Exemplary Proficient Acceptable Unacceptable
Paper

4. Completed
Personal beliefs
about education are
clearly articulated
using first person.
Personal beliefs
about education are
clearly articulated
using first person.
Personal beliefs
about education are
articulated using first
person.
Beliefs about
education are not
personal and are not
articulated using first
person.
Formatting Paper is minimum
two pages in length
double-spaced with
one-inch margins
with a 12-point font.
Paper is minimum
two pages in length
double-spaced with
one-inch margins
with a 12-point font.
Paper is minimum

5. two pages in length
doubles-paced with
one-inch margins
with a 12-point font.
Paper is not at least
two pages in length
double-spaced with
one-inch margins
with a 12-point font.
A number of
grammatical errors.
Grammar No grammatical
mistakes
1 or 2 grammatical
mistakes
3-4 grammatical
mistakes
5 or more
grammatical
mistakes
Society Thoroughly
addresses the role of
school in
society?
Addresses the role
of school in
society?
Mentions the

6. role of school in
society?
Does not address
the role of school in
society?
Student Thoroughly
addresses how they
view the student.
Addresses how they
view the student.
Mentions how they
view the
student.
Does not address
how they view the
student.
Teacher Thoroughly
addresses how they
view the role of the
teacher.
Addresses how they
view the role of the
teacher.
Mentions how they
view the role of the
teacher.
Does not address

7. how they view the
role of the teacher.
Instruction Thoroughly
addresses how they
will design
curriculum,
instruction,
assessment and
classroom
management.
Addresses how they
will design
curriculum,
instruction,
assessment and
classroom
management.
Mentions they will
design
curriculum,
instruction,
assessment and
classroom
management.
Does not address
how they will design
curriculum,
instruction,
assessment
and classroom
management.

8. Families Thoroughly
addresses how they
will include
families in the
education of the
students.
Addresses how they
will include
families in the
education of the
students.
Mentions that they
will include
families in the
education of their
children.
Does not address
how they will include
families in the
education of their
children.
ENGL 102
Use the following template as a cover page for each written
essay:
Title of Assignment
COURSE # and

9. TITLE_________________________________________
(e.g., ENGL 102: Literature and
Composition)
SEMESTER OF ENROLLMENT_______________________
(e.g., Fall D 2017)
NAME_________________________________________ID
#____________
WRITING STYLE
USED________________________________________________
_____
(e.g., MLA)
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ENGL 102
Poetry Essay Instructions
You must complete the required textbook readings in
preparation for the Poetry Essay. This will equip you to
objectively respond to the readings by compiling information
from a variety of sources in order to compose a persuasive
analysis of a literary work. You will also learn to follow
standard usage in English grammar and sentence structure;
identify the theme and structure of each literary selection and
the significant characteristics or elements of each genre studied;
and evaluate the literary merit of a work (Syllabus MLOs: A, B,
C, D, F, G and Module/Week 5 LOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
In Module/Week 5, you will write a 750-word (approximately 3
pages) essay that analyzes 1 poem from the Poetry Unit. Before
you begin writing the essay, carefully read the below guidelines
for developing your paper topic and review the Poetry Essay
Grading Rubric to see how your submission will be graded.
Gather all of your information, plan the direction of your essay,
and organize your ideas by developing a 1-page thesis statement

10. and outline for your essay as you did for your Fiction Essay.
Format the thesis statement and the outline in a single Microsoft
Word document using current MLA, APA, or Turabian style,
whichever corresponds to your degree program; check your
Perrine’s Literature textbook, the Harbrace Essentials
Handbook, and/or the link contained in the Assignment
Instructions Folder, to ensure the correct citation format is
used.
The final essay must include, a title page (see the General
Writing Requirements), a thesis/outline page, and the essay
itself followed by a works cited/references/bibliography page of
any primary and/or secondary texts cited in the essay.
You must submit the thesis and outline by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on
Monday of Module/Week 4 for instructor feedback.
You must submit the Poetry Essay by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on
Monday of Module/Week 5.
Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic
The “Writing about Literature” section of your Perrine’s
Literature textbook (pp. 1–54) and the “Writing” section of
Harbrace Essentials (pp. 1–12, 18–21, 22–28) provide pointers
which will be helpful for academic writing in general, and more
specifically for your literary essay. Be sure that you read this
section before doing any further work for this assignment. Take
particular notice of the examples of poetry essays on pp. 43–48
of Perrine’s Literature.
Choose 1 (ONE) of the poems from the list below to address in
your essay:
· “The Lamb,” or “The Tiger,” or “The Chimney Sweeper” by
William Blake
· “Batter my heart, three-personed God” or “Death Be Not
Proud” by John Donne
· “Journey of the Magi” by T. S. Eliot
· “God’s Grandeur” or “Spring” by Gerard Manley Hopkins

11. · “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats
· “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
· “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
· “Sailing to Byzantium” by William Butler Yeats
· “The Road Not Taken” or “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening” by Robert Frost
· “It Sifts from Leaden Sieves” or “There’s No Frigate Like a
Book” by Emily Dickinson
· “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
· Psalm 1 or 23
· “Virtue” by George Herbert
· “That Time of Year” (Sonnet 73) by William Shakespeare
Consider answering the following questions about the poem that
you have chosen:
· What is/are the theme(s) of the poem?
· Is there a literal setting or situation in the poem? What lines
from the poem tell the reader this information? What details
does the author include?
· Is the setting symbolic?
· How would you describe the mood of the poem? What
elements contribute to this mood?
· Is the title significant to the poem’s content or meaning?
How?
· What major literary devices and figures of speech does the
poet use to communicate the theme(s)?
· How are rhyme and other metrical devices used in the poem?
Do they support the poem’s overall meaning? Why or why not?
· Is the identity of the poem’s narrator clear? How would you
describe this person? What information, if any, does the author
provide about him or her?
· Does the narrator seem to have a certain opinion of or attitude
about the poem’s subject matter? How can you tell?
NOTE: These questions are a means of ordering your thoughts
while you collect information for your essay. You do not need
to include the answers to all of these questions in your essay;

12. only include those answers that directly support your thesis
statement.
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