WP2 Rubric

Writer's name:
/6 Introduction: The writer introduces the current social attitude toward her chosen issue and then
draws a compelling contrast between the current and past attitudes. The writer provides an overview of
different reasons for this change in attitude and then directs her readers' attention to one very
compelling influence that she will focus on.
/8 Thesis: the thesis is a specific and strong argument about the exact way and the extent to which
her chosen influence affected society's overall attitude. The thesis is easy to find in the introduction. It
is concise while also clearly outlining the writer's big ideas. After reading the thesis, a reader will
know exactly what the body contains.
/9
Primary Research: The writer picks appropriate and relevant source material to include
in her essay. This material helps her support her thesis. The writer does a good job in the following:
introducing the research, choosing an appropriate amount of strong evidence from it, correctly
incorporating the evidence into the essay, explaining the evidence, analyzing it, connecting it to her
thesis, balancing it with her own analysis.
/9
Secondary Research: The writer picks credible and relevant seconary research to include
in her essay. This research helps her support her thesis. The writer does a good job in the following:
introducing the research, choosing an appropriate amount of strong evidence from it, correctly
incorporating the evidence into the essay explaining the evidence, analyzing it, connecting it to her
thesis, and balancing it with her own analysis.
/9
Interview: The writer picks relevant and colorful interview results to include in her
essay. This research helps her support her thesis. The writer does a good job in the following:
introducing the interviewee, choosing an appropriate amount of strong evidence from the interview,
correctly incorporating the evidence into the essay, explaining the evidence, analyzing it, connecting it
to her thesis, balancing it with her own analysis.
/12
Logic: The writer has discovered and presented logical and satisfying answers to the big
questions of this essay. She has considered and answered the most-likely objections to her thesis,
reasons, and evidence. She has avoided making her readers confused by or dismissive of her
reasoning.
/10
Organization: The writer has chosen to present her ideas in a logical way that clearly
shows readers how all the different ideas are related. The writer uses sophisticated transitions to clearly
show the relationships between different ideas.
/10
Overall Focus: The writer has chosen a suitably small issue, attitudes, and reason to
focus on. The writer keeps his/her attention on that reason and and does not stray into little-related
issues.

/8
Tone: The writer controls the tone of her writing. The writer resists the temptation to
state opinions about the change (e.g. whether it was good or bad). Instead, the writer focuses on
explaining how her chosen influence changed society. She maintains an objective, analytical tone.
/10
MLA Style: The writer correctly provides in-text citations for all sources and a Works
Cited list at the end of the essay.
/6 Conclusion: In the conclusion, the writer concisely takes her readers from then to now, clearly
summarizing the role her influence had on society's attitude. The conclusion answers the questions So
what? and Who cares?
/3
Writing Conventions: The writer follows standard rules of capitalization and
punctuation. The opinion piece has a title.
/100