Argumentative Essay Writing-6th Grade

Writing Trait

Points

Criteria

Idea

Development,

Organization, and Coherence

This trait examines the writer’s ability to effectively establish a claim, to support the claim with evidence from the text(s) read, and to elaborate on the claim with examples, illustrations, facts, and other details. The writer must integrate the information from the text(s) into his/her own words and arrange the ideas and supporting evidence in order to create cohesion for an argument essay.

4

The student’s response is a well-developed argument that effectively relates and supports claims with clear reasons and relevant text-based evidence.

• Effectively introduces claim(s)
• Organizes supporting reasons and evidence clearly
• Supports claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence using specific, well-chosen facts, details, or other information from credible sources and demonstrating a good understanding of the topic or texts
• Uses words, phrases, or clauses effectively to connect ideas and clarify relationships among claim(s) and reasons
• Establishes and maintains formal style that is appropriate for the task, purpose, and audience
• Provides a strong concluding statement or section that logically follows from the argument presented

3

The student’s response is a complete argument that relates and supports claims with some text-based evidence.

• Introduces claim(s)
• Organizes supporting reasons and evidence
• Supports claim(s) with reasons and evidence using some facts, details, or other information from generally credible sources
• Uses words, phrases, or clauses to connect ideas and link claim(s) and reasons
• Uses formal style fairly consistently for the task, purpose, and audience
• Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented

2

The student’s response is an incomplete or oversimplified argument that partially supports claims with loosely related text-based evidence.

• Attempts to introduce claim(s)
• Attempts to organize supporting reasons and evidence
• Attempts to support claim(s) with facts, reasons and other evidence sometimes, but logic and relevancy are often unclear
• Uses few words, phrases, or clauses to connect ideas and link claim(s) and reasons; connections are not always clear
• Uses formal style inconsistently or uses informal style that does not fit task, purpose, or audience
• Provides a weak concluding statement or section that may not follow the argument presented

1

The student’s response is a weak attempt to write an argument and does not support claims with adequate text-based evidence.

• May not introduce claim(s)
• May be too brief to demonstrate an organizational structure, or no structure is evident • May not support claim(s)
• Uses minimal or no words, phrases, or clauses to connect ideas
• Uses very informal style that is not appropriate for task, purpose, or audience
• Provides a minimal or no concluding statement or section

0

The student’s response is flawed for various reasons and will receive a condition code: The condition codes can be found on page 81 of this guide .

Writing Trait

Points

Criteria

Language

Usage and

Conventions

This trait examines the

writer’s ability to demonstrate

control of sentence formation, usage, and mechanics as embodied in the grade-level expectations of the language standards.

3

The student’s response demonstrates full command of language usage and conventions .

• Effectively varies sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style
• Shows command of language and conventions when writing
• Any errors in usage and conventions do not interfere with meaning*

2

The student’s response demonstrates partial command of language usage and conventions.

• Varies some sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style
• Shows some knowledge of languages and conventions when writing
• Has minor errors in usage and conventions with no significant effect on meaning*

1

The student’s response demonstrates weak command of language usage and conventions.

• Has fragments, run-ons, and/or other sentence structure errors
• Shows little knowledge of languages and conventions when writing
• Has frequent errors in usage and conventions that interfere with meaning*

0

The student’s response is flawed for various reasons and will receive a condition code:

The condition codes can be found on page 81 of this guide .