CIVIL WAR THESIS PAPER RUBRIC
Student Name: _________________________________________________ Period _____________________
15-13
ContentQuality/Quantity:
Information from reputable
sources, paragraphs with topic
sentences and supporting details
12-10
9-7
6-4
3-0
Included facts, conclusions, and
opinions from reliable sources.
Included opinions of subject-matter
experts. All research strongly backs
up thesis statement and is accurate.
Included facts, conclusions,
and opinions from reliable
sources. All research backs up
thesis statement and is
accurate.
Included a mixture of facts from
reputable sources and opinions
from unreliable sources. Most
of the research backs up thesis
statement and is accurate.
Included more opinion than fact.
Information was taken from
unreliable sources. Some of the
research strongly backs up thesis
statement or may be inaccurate.
Little to no evidence and much is
accurate. Most of the research does not
back up or relate to thesis statement.
Thesis Statement is clear, concise,
original, and thought-provoking.
Thesis Statement is somewhat
concise and original.
Thesis Statement is underdeveloped and not specific; it
makes an attempt but doesn’t
deliver.
Thesis Statement is vague or not
valid.
Thesis Statement is missing.
Paper contains enough detail/evidence
to support the thesis well. All
citations are appropriate and used
accordingly.
Paper contains enough
details/evidence to support the
thesis. All citations are
appropriate.
Paper is lacking a few key
details to support the thesis but
all citations are appropriate.
Paper is lacking key details and not
all of the details that require
citations have them.
Paper is lacking detail. There are few to
no citations used.
Writer shows a strong command of
language and there are no errors in
grammar/spelling.
Paper is well organized and
coherent, and there are few to
no errors in grammar/spelling.
Paper is organized but there are
some errors in
grammar/spelling.
Paper is organized but there are
significant errors in
grammar/spelling.
Paper is not organized into appropriate
paragraphs and/or there are enough
errors in grammar/spelling to distract the
reader.
Notes were extremely well organized
and planned. Students extracted
relevant information including key
facts, details, and examples.
Written in student’s own
words/quoted correctly.
Notes were organized.
Extracted mostly relevant
information.
Students extracted mostly
relevant information including
key facts, details, and
examples. Written in student’s
own words/quoted correctly.
Notes may be unorganized.
Extracted some relevant
information.
Included facts that answered
some of the research questions
Some notes were written in
student’s own words.
Notes were unorganized. Extracted
mostly irrelevant information.
Some notes were copied directly
from the original source.
Few or no note cards were created
Extracted no relevant information.
Most/all notes were copied from original
source.
Outline is in the correct format and is
very detailed. It is a clear “road map”
for the essay.
Outline is in the correct format
and is fairly detailed. It is a
solid “road map” for the essay.
Outline is in the correct format.
It is a basic “road map” for the
essay, but may be lacking some
details.
Outline is in the correct format, but
is not detailed enough to be a “road
map” for the essay.
Outline does not contain the correct
components.
10-8
7-6
5-5
3-2
Student worked well each day.
Mostly stayed on task and was
focused. Research folder is
complete and organized.
Student was not always focused,
but did complete most of the
task. Research folder is
complete.
Self-Evaluation: __________
Thesis statement
Self-Evaluation: __________
Evidence/Citations
Self-Evaluation: __________
Conventions/Fluency
Self-Evaluation: __________
Note taking
Self-Evaluation: __________
Outline
Self-Evaluation: __________
Work Ethic/Research Folder
Self-Evaluation: __________
Student worked diligently each day.
Always stayed on task and was
completely focused. Research folder
is complete and organized.
Self-Evaluation Total: __________________/100
Student had a hard time staying
focused and completing task.
Research folder may be missing
one piece.
1-0
Student did little to no work and was not
focused on the task and/or two or more
pieces are missing from the research
folder.
Teacher Evaluation Total: __________________/100