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Your    essay   should  not explain whether you agree   with    [the    author’s]   claims, but rather

explain how the author  builds  an  argument    to  persuade    [his/her]   audience.

In the essay, you will:

• carefully read a text


• understand how an author appeals to a reader’s logic, emotions, or morals


• write a logical analysis of an argument


• explain how style choices can affect an author’s persuasiveness

In the essay, you will NOT:

• give your opinion about a text


• memorize examples from history or literature


• have previous experience with the text

Two graders will read and score the essay on a 1–4 scale in three different categories: Reading, Analysis,
and Writing.

4   =   Advanced

3   =   Proficient

2   =   Partial

1   =   Inadequate

The scores will be determined using the following rubric. There is a lot of information here. You don’t
need to memorize this, but it may help you understand the scoring a little more. We’ll go through the first
two tasks in this chapter, followed by the third task—Writing—in Chapter 19.

Essay   Scoring

Reading,    Analysis,   and

Writing scores  will    be

combined    for a   total   score

of  3–12.   (Each   category

will    receive a   total   score

of  2–8,    which   is  found

by  adding  the individual

1–4 scores  from    your    two

readers.)   Each    task

(Reading,   Analysis,   and

Writing)    is  scored

individually,   so  a   high

score   in  one does

not guarantee   a   high

score   in  another.