Short Story Grading Rubric

Student Name: _________________ Grade: ___________

Exceptional Good Fair Poor
CATEGORY Points Earned
5 4 3 2
Themain Themain Themain Itishardtotell
charactersare charactersare charactersare whothemain
namedandclearly namedand named.Thereader charactersare.
described.Most described.Most knowsverylittle
Characters readerscould readerswouldhave aboutthe
describethe someideaofwhat characters.
characters thecharacters
accurately. lookedlike.
Manyvivid, Somevivid, Thereadercan Thereaderhas
descriptivewords descriptivewords figureoutwhen troublefiguringout
areusedtotell areusedtotellthe andwherethe whenandwhere
Setting whenandwhere audiencewhenand storytookplace, thestorytook
thestorytook wherethestory buttheauthor place.
place. tookplace. didn'tsupplymuch
detail.
Beginningofstory Beginningofstory Catchybeginning Noattemptwas
hasaverycreative hassometypeof wasattemptedbut madetocatchthe
"grabber".The "grabber".The didnotgrabthe reader'sattention
Engaging
reader'sispulled readerispulled readersattention. inthebeginningof
Beginning intothestory. intothestory. thestory.Story
beginsabruptlyor
awkwardly.
Itisveryeasyfor Itisfairlyeasyfor
Itisfairlyeasyfor Itisnotclearwhat
thereaderto thereaderto thereaderto problemthemain
Inciting understandthe understandthe understandthe charactersface.
Incident/Rising problemthemain problemthemain problemthemain
Actions charactersfaceand charactersfaceand charactersfacebut
whyitisaproblem. whyitisaproblem.
itisnotclearwhyit
isaproblem.
Itisveryeasyfor Itisfairlyeasyfor Itisfairlyeasyfor Itisnotclearwhat
thereaderto thereaderto thereaderto problemthemain
understandthe understandthe understandthe charactersface.
Climax problemthemain problemthemain problemthemain
charactersfaceand charactersfaceand charactersfacebut
whyitisaproblem. whyitisaproblem. itisnotclearwhyit
isaproblem.
Thesolutiontothe Thesolutiontothe Thesolutiontothe Nosolutionis
character's character's character's attemptedoritis
problemiseasyto problemiseasyto problemisalittle impossibleto
Falling Action understand,andis understand,andis hardto understand.
logical.Thereare somewhatlogical. understand.
nolooseends.

 Short Story Grading Rubric

Exceptional Good Fair Poor
Points Earned
CATEGORY 5 4 3 2
Thewriterendsthe Thewriterendsthe
Thesolutiontothe Nosolutionis
piecewithasense piecewithasolid
character's attemptedoritis
ofsolidclosurethat senseofclosure.problemisalittle impossibleto
inspiresreader Therearenoloose
hardto understand.ORthe
reflection.There ends. understand.The writerendsthe
arenolooseends. storydoesn'tquite piecewith"tobe
Resolution feelcompletedyet. continued,"an
Moredetailand inappropriate
descriptionare cliffhanger
neededtofully
bringthestorytoa
close.
Thestoryisvery Thestoryispretty Thestoryisalittle Ideasandscenes
wellorganized.One wellorganized.One hardtofollow.The seemtobe
ideaorscene ideaorscenemay transitionsare randomlyarranged.
Organization followsanotherina seemoutofplace. sometimesnot
logicalsequence Cleartransitions clear.
withclear areused.
transitions.
Thestorycontains Thestorycontains Thestorycontains Thereislittle
manycreative afewcreative afewcreative evidenceof
detailsand/or detailsand/or detailsand/or creativityinthe
descriptionsthat descriptionsthat descriptions,but story.Theauthor
contributetothe contributetothe theydistractfrom doesnotseemto
Creativity reader's reader's thestory.The haveusedmuch
enjoyment.The enjoyment.The authorhastriedto imagination.
authorhasreally authorhasused usehis/her
usedhis/her his/her imagination.
imagination. imagination.
Allofthewritten Almostall(about Most(about75%) Manyrequirements
requirements 90%)thewritten ofthewritten werenotmet.
(typed,double requirementswere requirementswere
spaced,#ofpages, met. met,butseveral Titlepagehas
font,margins)were werenot. fewerthan3ofthe
Requirements met. Titlepagehasthe requiredelements.
title,author's Titlepagehasthe3
Titlepagehasthe name,grade, ofthe4required
title,author's illustration. elements.
name,grade,
illustration.

Total Number of Points /50