Ideas and content is the part
of the writing that deals with having sound ideas, specific details, and interesting
tidbits that support the main point. If a paper has strong ideas and content,
the main idea is clear, and the writer is not left with questions about the
paper. The reader is not confused and does not have to fill in blanks as he
reads. The writing should stay on the topic and not have a lot of unnecessary
information.
What
is the ideas and content rubric and how do I use it to evaluate my child's
writing?
Use the rubric to evaluate
the sample paper 1. Based on the rubric, decide for yourself what the
score should be.
Then view the score and
rationale for the paper to see if you were correct.
It may be helpful to print
off the rubric to have next to you as you read the story.
Repeat the process for
Sample Paper 2.
Ideas and Content Rubric
5 – Paper: Focused, Clear,
and Specific
My writing is full of the kinds of details that keep the reader’s attention
and show what is really important about my topic.
· I know a lot about this
topic, and when someone else reads it, they’ll find out some new or
little-known information.
· I made sure to show what was happening (“The wildly spiraling
tornado aimed straight for our barn”) rather than telling what happened
(“It was scary”).
· I filled my paper with interesting tidbits that make reading it fun
and lively.
· I made sure my topic was small enough to handle. “All About
Baseball” was too big- I changed it to “How to Steal a Base.”
· I could easily answer the question, “What was the point of
this paper/story?”
3 – Paper: Some Really
Good Parts, Some Not There Yet
The reader usually knows what I mean. Some parts will be better when I tell
just a little more about what is important.
· Some of the things I
said are new, but other things everyone already knows.
· Some details I have used are pretty general, like: “Her hat
was nice,” or “It was a sunny day.”
· I think my topic might be too big and I got bogged down trying to
tell a little about a lot instead of a lot about a little.
· Sometimes I was very clear about what I meant, but at other times,
it was still fuzzy.
1 – Paper: Just Beginning to Figure
Out What I Want to Say
When someone else reads my paper, it will be hard for them to understand what
I mean or what it is all about.
· I haven’t shared
much information. I guess I don’t know enough yet about this topic to
write about it.
· My details are so vague it is hard to picture anything.
· I’m still thinking aloud on paper. I’m looking for a
good idea.
· Maybe I’ll write about his, but then, maybe I’ll write
about that…
My favret dogs name was blandy.
He would take me and my sister to the bus stop. He would wach us go to school.
After school he would be there right on time. He was the best dog ever.
I love my cat Cougar. I play with him by rolling a ball across
the living room floor and he chases it. The game he enjoys most is when
I take a string and flip it around. At night he cuddels on my bed. He acts
like a watchdog sometimes by looking out the window and swishing his tail
back and forth. My cat is not like other cats. He does not consiter milk
his favorite dish. My cat is a picky eater. Theres only a certain kind of
meat he likes. I get mad at my cat sometimes. He likes to stock up on a
bird or a mole and spring thow the air and land on top of it. I scrach him
in part where he iches and every morning I brush him. I appreciate my cat.
He is like a member of our family.
