Speak and You Shall Be Heard Rubric

Ideas and
Content

Organization

Voice

Sentence
Fluency

Word Choice

Conventions

Target (9-10)

Acceptable (7-8)

Needs Work (6 or less)

Target is the bar. Students that

achieve Target will fulfill
expectations in a unique way.
The product can serve as a future
example/mentor text.

Acceptable means that students

have met the requirements of the
assignment. This product might
appear weak in areas, but it
embodies the objective.

If a product needs work, it does

not meet the requirements of the
assignment. The final product
demonstrates little to no
attention to parameters and
expectations.

-Introduces hot spot from

external spoken poem
-Establish significance and
rhetorical appeal of the hot
spot
-Includes one instance each of
the rhetorical appeals to an
audience in personal response
to the hot spot
-Creates cohesion and clarity
between the hot spot and the
personal response
-Create logical sequence of
claims, reason, evidence
-Vary syntax to link major
sections of text
-Abides by structure of chosen
presentation
-Thoughtful transitions connect
ideas to clarify relationships and
showcase content
-Uses appropriate style and tone
for audience and discipline
-Voice is engaging, passionate,
and compelling
-Author shows individual
thinking

-Mentions hot spot from

external spoken poem
-Minimally addresses the
significance of the hot spot
-Does not discuss rhetorical
appeals
-Only includes an instance of
two or less rhetorical appeals in
personal response
-Provides minimal cohesion and
clarity between the hot spot
and the personal response
-Attempts a logical sequence of
ideas
-Attempts to use proper
structure of chosen presentation
-Basic transitions between ideas
and concepts

-No mention of hot spot from

external poem
-Audience is unclear
-Rhetorical appeals are absent
-No connection between an
external spoken poem and the
personal response

-Uses appropriate style and tone

for audience and discipline
-Voice is moderately
enthusiastic or passionate
-Broadly discusses hot spot
without proper explanation

-Little to no tone
-Monotone and disengaging
-No development or mention of
hot spot

-Sentences/verse lines enhance

and engage the aphorism advice
-Sentences/verse lines are
balanced in variety, beginnings,
connectives, and rhythm
-Writing invites expressive oral
reading
-Uses words, phrases, and
clauses appropriate to claim
-Word choice is natural yet
original
-Parts of speech are crafted to
best convey the message
-Understandable message
-Few, if any, errors
-Language enhances readability
and meaning
-Author effectively manipulates
conventions for stylistic effect

-Sentences/verse lines relate to

the aphorism advice
-Attempt at sentence/verse line
variety and connectives
-Writing is slightly challenging
to be read aloud

-Large use of simple

sentences/verse lines
-Repeated beginnings that do
not enhance writing
-Lack of connectives and rhythm
-Writing is choppy and
unnatural when read aloud
-Rudimentary language
-Inappropriate or lack of use of
clauses and phrases
-Message is undefined

-Attempted use of words,

phrases, and clauses to illustrate
a message related claim
-Message is muddled or difficult
to understand

-Errors are slightly distracting

but the readability is clear
-Mechanical and simplistic
writing
-Some editing necessary

-No logical sequence

-Disregard of structure
completely
-No transitions to clarify or
connect one though to another

-Numerous errors impede the

readability
-Inconsistent and choppy
language
-Extensive editing necessary