Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School © 2010 Ruth Culham, Scholastic • page 4
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Scoring Guide: Narrative WritingNarrativewritingre-createsarealorimaginedexperience.Itusuallycontainsfourelements:characters,asetting,achronologicalsequenceofevents,andaconflictorproblemtobesolved.Thewritertypicallybuildsinhighpointsbyputtingcharactersintointerestingsituations,weavinginplottwists,incorporatingvividdetails,andcreatingacentralconflictorproblemthatbuildssuspenseandholdsthepiecetogether.
exceptional
• Startswithaleadthatsetsupthestoryanddrawsinthereader.
• Containscharactersthatarebelievable,fresh,andwelldescribed.Thecharactersgrowandlearn.
• Describesasettingthatisuniqueandrich.
• Featureseventsthatarelogicallysequencedandmovethestoryforward.Timeandplaceworkinharmony.
• Isacompletestorythathasneverbeentoldorisanoriginaltwistonafamiliarstory.Theplotiswelldeveloped.Thereisakeyconflictorproblemthatiscompellingandeventuallysolved.
• Featureswell-usedliterarytechniques,suchasforeshadowingandsymbolism.
• Leavesthereaderfeelingintrigued,delighted,surprised,entertained,and/orinformed.
• Endssatisfyinglybecausethekeyconflictorproblemissolvedthoughtfullyandcredibly.
Strong
refining
• Startswithaleadthatsetsthescene,butispredictableorunoriginal.• Containscharactersthatareabittoofamiliar.Thecharactersshowlittlechangeintheirthinkingor
understandingasthestorymovesalong.• Offersasettingthatisnotdescribedallthatwell.• Featureseventsthataregiventhesamelevelofimportance.Significantonesminglewithtrivialones,and
sometimesstrayfromthemainstoryline.• Isanearlycompletestorythatmaynotcontainnewororiginalthinking.Theplotmovesforward,butthen
stumbles.Minorconflictsandproblemsdistractfrommajorones.• Containsexamplesofliterarytechniquessuchasforeshadowingandsymbolismthatarenotallthateffective.• Leavesthereaderengagedatsomepoints,detachedatothers.• Endsbyprovidingthereaderwithasenseofresolution,butheorshemayalsofeelunsatisfiedorperplexed.
developing
emerging
• Startswithaleadthatisperfunctory:“I’mgoingtotellyouaboutthetime…”• Containscharactersthatdon’tfeelreal.Theunconvincingcharactersarestereotypesorcardboardcutouts.• Offersasettingthatisnotatalldescribedclearlyand/orcompletely.• Featuressimple,incompleteeventsthatdon’trelatetooneanotherand/oradduptoanythingmuch.Thereis
amismatchbetweenthetimeandplace.• Isastorythatjumpsaroundillogically.Thereisnoclearconflictorproblemtobesolved.• Containsnoexamplesofliterarytechniques—or,atmost,poor,purposelessones• Leavesthereaderfrustratedand/ordisappointed.Heorshefeelsthestorywasnotthoughtoutbeforeit
wascommittedtopaper.• Finisheswithnoclearendingor,atmost,ahalfheartedattemptatanending,leavingthereaderwondering
whyheorshebotheredtoreadthepiece.
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Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School © 2010 Ruth Culham, Scholastic • page 5
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Scoring Guide: Expository WritingTheprimarypurposeforexpositorywritingistoinformorexplain,usingreliableandaccurateinformation.Althoughusuallyassociatedwiththeresearchreportortraditionalessay,expositorywritingneedn’talwayscontain“justthefacts.”Thewritermightincludepersonalexperiences,detailsfromhisorherlife,toenliventhepiece.Strongexpositorywritinghasanauthoritative,knowledgeable,andconfidentvoicethataddscredibility.
exceptional
• Delvesintowhatreallymattersaboutthetopic.
• Offersaninsider’sperspective.
• Providesunexpectedorsurprisingdetailsthatgobeyondtheobvious.
• Isfocused,coherent,andwellorganized.
• Invitesthereadertoanalyzeandsynthesizedetailstodrawhisorherownconclusions.
• Isburstingwithfascinating,originalfactsthatareaccurateand,whenappropriate,linkedtoaprimarysource.
• Containsanecdotesthatbringthetopictolife.
• Anticipatesandanswersthereader’squestions.
• Staysonpointandcontainsacompellingvoiceuntiltheend.
Strong
refining
• Providesanoverviewofthetopicandonlyafewkeyfacts.
• Offerstheperspectiveofanoutsiderlookingin.
• Lacksfreshthinkingorsurprises.Reliestooheavilyoncommonknowledge.Providesmostlymundane,predictabledetailsaboutthetopic.
• Isrelativelyfocused,coherent,andorganized.Generallystaysontopic.
• Containsfocuseddescriptions,butalsofuzzyones.Thewriterdoesn’tconsistentlyconnectthedots.
• Includesfactsthataresomewhatsuspiciousandnotlinkedtoprimarysources.
• Featuresfew,ifany,anecdotestobringthetopictolife
• Doesnotanticipatethereader’squestions.
• Speaksinaspottyvoice—commandingonemoment,cautiousthenext.
developing
emerging
• Missesthemainpointcompletely.Thewriter’spurposeisnotclear.
• Offersacompleteoutsider’sperspective.
• Containsdetailsthatarecompletelyunrelatedtothemaintopic.
• Isunfocused,incoherent,andpoorlyorganized.
• Makessweepingstatements.Nothingnewisshared.
• Lacksfascinating,originalfacts.Anyfactsthepiecedoescontainareseeminglyinaccurateorunsupported.
• Containsnoanecdotestobringthetopictolife.
• Doesnotanticipatethereader’squestions.Infact,thepiececontainsnoevidencethatthewriterhasthoughtaboutaudienceatall.
• Requiresenergytoreadfrombeginningtoend.
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Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School © 2010 Ruth Culham, Scholastic • page 6
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Scoring Guide: Persuasive WritingPersuasivewritingcontainsastrongargumentbasedonsolidinformationthatconvincesthereadertoembracethewriter’spointofview.Sometimespersuasivewritingisacalltoaction,suchasadonationsolicitationfromacharitableorganization.Othertimes,it’sanattempttochangeattitudes,suchasanop-edpieceinyourlocalnewspaper.Regardlessoftheformat,thewritingneedstobeclear,compelling,andwellsupported.Thewritershouldnotwaverinhisorherposition.
exceptional
• Influencesthereader’sthinkingthroughsoundreasoningandacompellingargument.
• Containsopinionsarethatwellsupportedbyfactsandpersonalexperiences.Differencesbetweenopinion,facts,andpersonalexperiencesareclear.
• Takesapositionthatisdefensibleandlogical.
• Exposesweaknessesofotherpositions.
• Avoidsgeneralitiesandexaggerations.
• Includesmanymomentsofsoundreasoningandjudgment.
• Revealsonlythebestevidencetomakethestrongeststatementpossible.
• Connectstoalarger“truth.”
Strong
refining
• Raisesquestionsforthereader,butmayfailtopersuadehimorherbecausethethinkingissuperficialandonlyhintsatsomethingdeep.
• Mixesopinions,facts,andpersonalexperiences.Thepiecereliesonemotionmorethantruth.Datamaybepresent,butnotusedtofulleffect.
• Containsanargumentthatstartsoutstrong,butfades.Offersfewnewinsightsintothetopic.
• Attemptstoexposeholesinotheropinions,withmixedresults.
• Featuresgeneralitiesorexaggerations,butalsoconcreteinformationandclearexamples.
• Includesafewmomentsofsoundreasoningandjudgment.
• Containssomeevidencethathitsthemarkandsomethatveersoffcourse.
• Waffles.Manystatementsareplausiblewhileothersarefar-fetched,leavingthereaderunconvinced.
developing
emerging
• Doesnotinfluencethereader.Thewriter’sthinkingandreasoningisvulnerabletoattack.
• Aboundswithopinionsthatarenotsupportedbyfactsorpersonalexperiences.
• Takesapositionthatisnotclearornotcredible.Theargumentisillogicalorimplausible.
• Ignorestheopposingsideoftheargument.
• Offersonlygeneralitiesandexaggerations—nohardfactsthatcouldswaythereader.
• Includesnomomentsofsoundreasoningandjudgment.
• Lackstheevidencenecessaryforthereadertotakeastand.
• Doesnotquestionordoesnotprobe.Thepiecemissesthetarget.
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