Arkansas Text-based Writing Rubrics Narrative Grades 6-HS

The organization of the narrative, real or imagined, is fully sustained and the focus is clear and maintained throughout. The response includes most of the following: an effective plot helps to create a sense of unity and completeness; effectively established a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view; consistent use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas; strong connection between and among ideas; natural, logical sequence of events from beginning to end; effective opening and closing for audience and purpose.

The organization of the narrative, real or imagined, is adequately sustained, and the focus is adequate and generally maintained. The response includes most of the following: an evident plot that helps to create a sense of unity and completeness, though there may be minor flaws and some ideas may be loosely connected; adequately established a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view; adequate use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas; adequate sequence of events from beginning to end; adequate opening and closing for audience and purpose.

The organization of the narrative, real or imagined, is somewhat sustained and may have an uneven focus. The response may include the following: an inconsistent plot and/or flaws may be evident; unevenly or minimally established a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view; uneven use of appropriate transitional strategies and/or little variety; weak or uneven sequence of events; opening and closing, if present, are weak.

The organization of the narrative, real or imagined, may be maintained but may provide little or no focus. The response may include the following: little or no discernible plot or just a series of events; writing that may be brief or that exhibits little to no attempt to establish a setting, narrator and/or characters, and/or point of view; few or no appropriate transitional strategies; little or no organization of an event sequence; frequent extraneous ideas and/or a major drift may be evident; no opening and/or closing.

The narrative, real or imagined, provides thorough, effective elaboration using relevant details, dialogue, and/or description. The response includes most of the following: clearly developed experiences, characters, setting, and/or events; effective use of a variety of narrative techniques that advance the story or illustrate the experience; effective use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that clearly advances the purpose; effective, appropriate style and voice that enhances the narration.

The narrative, real or imagined, provides adequate elaboration using details, dialogue, and/or description. The response includes most of the following: adequately developed experiences, characters, setting, and/or events; adequate use of a variety of narrative techniques that generally advance the story or illustrate the experience; adequate use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that generally advances the purpose; generally appropriate style and voice.

The narrative, real or imagined, provides uneven, cursory elaboration using partial and uneven details, dialogue, and/or description. The response may include the following: unevenly developed experiences, characters, setting, and/or events; uneven and inconsistent narrative techniques; partial or weak use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that may not advance the purpose; inconsistent or weak attempt to create appropriate style or voice.

The narrative, real or imagined, provides minimal elaboration using few or no details, dialogue, and/or description. The response may include the following: experiences, characters, setting, and events that lack clarity and/or may be vague or confusing; use of narrative techniques that may be minimal, absent, incorrect, or irrelevant; little or no use of sensory, concrete, or figurative language; language that does not advance and may interfere with the purpose; little or no evidence of appropriate style or voice.

The response demonstrates an adequate command of basic conventions. The response may include the following: some minor errors in grammar usage but no patterns of errors; adequate use of punctuation, capitalization, sentence formation, and spelling.

The response demonstrates a partial command of basic conventions. The response may include the following: various errors in grammar usage; inconsistent use of correct punctuation, capitalization, sentence formation, and spelling.

The response demonstrates a lack of command of conventions, which frequent and severe errors often obscuring meaning.