Week 2 Story Rubric

We will use the following rubric to evaluate the story you write after class in week 2.

1. (10 pts) Overall, the grammar, spelling, and style in this story was
   1. Terrible. I can’t believe you proofread your writing. (2 pts)
   2. Pretty bad. The problems in this area hindered my understanding the action. (4 pts)
   3. An error or two. A few things jumped out, but I could follow it. (6 pts)
   4. Good. No significant errors and it worked. (8 pts)
   5. Phenomenal! The style added significantly to this work! (10 pts)
2. (10 pts) The point of view in the story
   1. I couldn’t figure out which point of view the author was trying to use. (2 pts)
   2. I think I could figure out the point of view, but it kept shifting, even in the paragraph or sentence. (4 pts)
   3. The point of view was obvious, but got confused once or twice. (6 pts)
   4. The point of view was consistent within each paragraph. (8 pts)
   5. The story probably would have been weaker if told from a different point of view. (10 pts)
3. (35 pts) The main character of the story was round and had all three parts: habitual action, purposeful action, and gratuitous action.
   1. I couldn’t figure out which character was the main character. (7 pts)
   2. None. (14 pts)
   3. One. (21 pts)
   4. Two. (28 pts)
   5. Three. (35 pts)
4. (35 pts) The action in the story
   1. What action? Nothing happened! (7 pts)
   2. Something happened, but I’m not sure it mattered to any of the characters. (14 pts)
   3. There was some action and reaction, but it was confused. (21 pts)
   4. The action and reaction flowed in the proper order: feeling, reflex, rational action and/or speech. (28 pts)
   5. Everything worked together: each action and reaction created the motivation for the next reaction or action. (35 pts)
5. (10 pts) I would recommend this story to my friends and family.
   1. No way. Not even if I was asked to. (2 pts)
   2. If you made me, but it is not representative of good work in this class. (4 pts)
   3. Do I have to? It is really just average in quality. (6 pts)
   4. Okay. Some people would like it. (8 pts)
   5. As soon as this story is on the web, I’m passing out the URL!!! (10 pts)

Points are weighted for each question, though question 3 and 4 are special: the higher of the two will be counted twice. This means that you can do pretty well focusing on just one of them.

My evaluation of your story makes up 90% of your grade on the story. The other 10% is based on how well your self-evaluation matches my evaluation. Since a letter grade is 27 points, you will get full credit for the 10% if your score is within 14 points of mine. If it’s more than 14 points different, but less than 28 points different, then you will get half credit for the self-evaluation portion. If we differ by 28 points or more, then you will receive no credit for the self-evaluation portion.

For example, let’s assume that someone got the following grading for their story. This is a story that has not been proof-read, has a one-dimensional character, has a few point of view problems, doesn’t have enough or good action, and is uninspiring. This story would receive a C.

If the student gave themselves an 80 in their self evaluation, then they would be bumped up to a C+ (70 * 90% + 135 * 10% = 76.5). If they gave themselves an 85 or a 55, then they would keep the C (70 * 90% + 67.5 * 10% = 69.75). If they gave themselves a 100 or a 30, then they would get dropped to a C- (70 * 90% + 0 * 10% = 63).

A: 109–135 points

B: 82–108 points

C: 55–81 points

D: 28–54 points

F: 0–27 points