Biographies Magazine Article Rubric - Elementary

 

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Content: Theme

My article is about one main idea, and all the details tell about the theme.

My article is about one idea, and most of the details tell about the theme.

My article has a main idea, but many of the details are not related to the theme.

My article is about many different ideas.

Content

I select many specific details that show what is important and interesting about the person.

I use some appropriate details to show what is important and interesting about the person.

I use a few details, but the reader doesn’t really learn what is important and interesting about the person.

I do not use very many details, and the reader does not learn what is important or interesting about the person.

Organization: Title

I have a title that gives a hint at what the article is about and makes people curious to read it.

I have a title that tells what the article is about.

My title does not give readers an idea what the article is about.

I do not have a title.

Organization: Introduction

I have an introduction that tells what the article is about and makes people curious about my person so they want to read more.

I have an introduction that tells what the article is about in an interesting way.

I have an introduction that tells what the article is about, but it is not very interesting.

I do not have an introduction.

Organization: Paragraphing

I start a new paragraph when I change the subject and when the speaker changes in conversation. My paragraphs are different lengths.

I start a new paragraph when I change the subject.

I have some paragraphs, but there may be too many long ones or short ones.

I have one long paragraph or many really short ones.

Language: Vocabulary

I use interesting and lively words that show rather than tell about the person.

I use interesting words to describe the person.

I use some interesting words, but most of the language in my article is ordinary.

The language in my article is ordinary.

Language: Quotations

When it makes sense to do so, I include some of the person’s exact words in quotation marks in my article along with my descriptions of what the person said to make the story more interesting.

Sometimes I include the person’s exact words.

I try to include the person’s exact words, but sometimes it doesn’t really make sense.

I do not include any of the person’s exact words.

Conventions

I do not have any mistakes in sentences, spelling, punctuation, or capitalization in my article.

I do not have any mistakes in sentences, spelling, punctuation, or capitalization that make it hard for the reader to understand what I have written.

I have a few mistakes in sentences, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization that make it hard for the reader to understand what I have written.

I have so many mistakes in sentences, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization that readers have a hard time understanding what I have written.

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