Pennsylvania Domain Writing Rubric

Document Based Question (DBQ) and Free Response (FR) Rubric

Research Paper Rubric

Five Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer (Word Document)

Advanced Essay Writing (Word Document)

Reading and Thinking Strategies (Word Document)

Has a clear well-developed thesis that "answers" the prompt and which guides the essay throughout. 

Demonstrates understanding of the complexity of the topic. 

Effectively uses all or a substantial number of documents and interprets them correctly (DBQ); uses many accurate facts and details from the time period (FR).

Effectively analyzes, interprets, and makes inferences from the information.

Supports thesis with substantial relevant outside information and interprets the information correctly.

May contain insignificant errors that do not hinder argument or organization. 

Has a thesis that addresses the essay prompt.

Clearly explains the differences or similarities of the issue; some imbalance is acceptable.

Effectively uses some of the documents (DBQ) or uses some detail to support interpretation (FR).

Includes some outside information with little or superficial interpretation.

May contain minor errors that do not interfere with comprehension. 

Has a limited, confused, poorly developed thesis, may restate the prompt, and has weak organization and writing.

Describes differences or similarities in a general or simplistic manner; may cover only part of the topic.

Ineffectively uses documents: briefly cites or quotes documents in a "laundry list" (DBQ), interprets documents or outside information incorrectly (DBQ & FR), simply mentions facts without interpretation (FR).

Contains little outside information or contains information that is irrelevant or inaccurate.

May contain major factual errors. 

Has no thesis or a thesis that does not address the topic.

Shows inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the question.

Contains little or no understanding of the documents or ignores them completely.

Contains inappropriate or no outside information.

Includes numerous factual errors, both major and minor. 

Has a clear well-developed thesis that guides the paper throughout. 

Effectively uses a substantial number of supporting documents and/or sources and analyzes, interprets, and makes inferences those sources.

Sophisticated arrangement of content with evident and/or subtle transitions.

Precise, illustrative use of a variety of words and sentence structures.

May contain insignificant mechanical or factual errors that do not hinder argument or organization. 

Has a thesis that addresses the essay prompt.

Adequately uses a number of supporting documents and/or sources and analyzes / interprets them superficially.

Generic use of a variety of words or sentence structures.

Function arrangement of content that sustains a logical order with some evidence of transitions.

May contain minor mechanical or factual errors that do not interfere with overall comprehension. 

Has a limited, confused, poorly developed thesis, may restate the prompt, and has weak organization and writing.

Contains limited supporting information or contains information that is irrelevant or inaccurate with minimal analysis and/or interpretation. 

Confused or inconsistent arrangement of content with or without attempts at transitions.

Limited word choice and control of sentence structures.

May contain major factual or mechanical errors that somewhat hinder the argument and/or organization.

Has no thesis or a thesis that does not address the topic.

Contains inappropriate information or information with no analysis or interpretation.

Minimal control of content arrangement.

Minimal variety of word choice and control of sentence structures.

Includes numerous mechanical and factual errors, both major and minor.   Errors hinder the argument and/or organization.