Syllabus Course: Common Core State Standards in Literacy, Grades 3-8 Presenters: Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey Credits: 3 Required Text: Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work™, Grades 3 – 5, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, Solution Tree Press, 2013. (Note teachers of grades 6 – 8 will be provided with material appropriate to their grade level.)

Course Overview States across the union are in the process of implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which (in the language of their developers) “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.” Through workshop footage, classroom footage, and interviews, this course, focused on the CCSS for English Language Arts, will prepare educators to satisfy the standards’ main goals by selecting appropriate texts for their students, developing lesson plans focused on close reading and text-based discussion, mastering the art of checking for understanding through a variety of tasks, and linking assessments with instruction. Educators will learn how to render their students increasingly and effectively responsible for their learning and how to differentiate instruction even as they align their instruction and assessment to the standards. Presenters’ Bios Doug Fisher, Ph.D.—whose awards include the Innovation Award from the Academy of Educational Publishers, the Elva Knight Research Award from the International Reading Association, and the Farmer Award for Excellent in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English, among many others—is a professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. In addition to teaching on the college and high school levels, Fisher has been a co-director at the Center for the Advancement of Reading and policy fellow at the National Association of State Boards of Education. Fisher is the author of numerous articles (many with co-presenter Nancy Frey) for such publications as Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership, and Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. He is also author, co-author, and/or editor of multiple books, including, with Frey, Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives: Comprehending, Analyzing, and Discussing Text (Solution Tree), The Purposeful Classroom: How to Structure Lessons with Learning Goals in Mind (ASCD), and, with D. Lapp, Handbook of researching on teaching the English Language Arts (Taylor & Francis). He has also participated in plentiful funded projects all relevant to education and literacy. Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is a Professor of Literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. She is the recipient of the 2008 Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference, as well as a co-recipient of the Christa McAuliffe award for

excellence in teacher education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In addition to publishing with her colleague, Doug Fisher, she teaches a variety of courses in SDSU’s teacher-credentialing and reading specialist programs on elementary and secondary reading instruction, literacy in content areas, and supporting students with diverse learning needs. Nancy is a credentialed special educator and reading specialist in California, and is co-editor of the NCTE journal, Voices from the Middle. She is privileged to learn with and from students and teachers at Health Sciences High and Middle College every day. Course Objectives After completing this course, educators will know:

The expectations of the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

How to align instruction and assessment to the Standards Student Learning Outcomes After completing this course, educators will apply the following skills:

Identify the major goals of the CCSS in English Language Arts

Gradually release responsibility to students to foster their learning

Develop lesson plans based on close reading and text-based discussions

Check for understanding using oral language, questions, writing, and projects and performances

Link formative and summative assessments with instruction Unit 1: Introduction In this unit, presenters Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey introduce participants to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English and Language Arts. Teachers and administrators weigh in on the promise of the standards and the challenges of implementation. Dr. Frey briefly describes the history of the CCSS. A video tour highlights key features and organization. Text: Introduction and Chapter 1, “Using Collaborative Teams for English Language Arts” Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

The reasons for the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

How the CCSS are organized

Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Locate the standards specific to their grade level or discipline Unit 2: What to Teach: Anchor Standards In this unit, Fisher and Frey look closely at anchor standards in four strands: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. We visit two classrooms to see how teachers address Reading Standards and Speaking and Listening Standards with their eighth-grade students. Text: Chapter 2, “Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Reading” Text: Chapter 3, “Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Writing” Text: Chapter 4, “Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Speaking and Listening and for Language” Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

The components of the ELA Standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language

Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Develop modifications to their ELA instruction to align with the CCSS Unit 3: How to Teach: Gradual Release of Responsibility In this unit, Fisher, Frey, and the workshop participants explore how to purposefully and systematically shift responsibility for learning from teacher to student. They discuss the essential sequence from articulating the purpose of a lesson by aligning with the CCSS, modeling the cognitive work, and embedding guided instruction, to providing opportunities for students’ cooperative and independent learning. We visit a third-grade classroom to watch how the teacher models a think-aloud strategy and gradually releases responsibility to her students. Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

Strategies that shift the responsibility for learning from teacher to student Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Model cognitive work and provide guided instruction

Embed opportunities for collaborative and independent learning

Assign homework aligned with the gradual release of responsibility Unit 4: The Instructional Planning Process In this unit, Fisher and Frey delve into the issues of curriculum and instructional planning. They consider such issues as how to facilitate students’ investigation, how to assess their progress and process, and how to address text complexity. They also examine how to design interrelated lessons and determine appropriate groups for collaborative work. Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

Components of the CCSS that affect curriculum and instructional planning

Assessment and grouping strategies

The relevance of text complexity to the CCSS Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Use the CCSS in their curriculum and instructional planning

Assess students’ progress and process

Group students purposefully

Select texts of appropriate complexity Unit 5: Model Lesson (4th Grade) In this unit, presenter Frey models an ELA lesson plans for 4th graders. She and the workshop participants examine the role of read-alouds, how to model and facilitate re-reading, how to determine an author’s point of view, and the role of text-dependent questions and their different types. They also delve into the planning process, the purpose of co-planning, how to develop appropriate culminating tasks, and how to facilitate close reading at any grade level. Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

ELA strategies for reading and responding to text Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Model read-alouds

Facilitate re-reading

Design literal and inferential questions based on text

Develop lesson plans as part of a collaborative team Unit 6: Model Lesson (8th Grade) In this unit, presenter Fisher models an ELA lesson plan for 8th graders. He and the workshop participants examine the role of read-alouds, how to model and facilitate re-reading, how to determine an author’s point of view, and the role of text-dependent questions and their different types. They also delve into the planning process, the purpose of co-planning, how to develop appropriate culminating tasks, and how to facilitate close reading at any grade level. Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

ELA strategies for reading and responding to text Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Model read-alouds

Facilitate re-reading

Design literal and inferential questions based on text

Develop lesson plans as part of a collaborative team Unit 7: Checking for Understanding In this unit, Fisher, Frey, and the workshop participants examine different strategies for checking for understanding through oral language, questioning, writing, and projects and performances. Participants will investigate how to teach students to engage in academic discussion; ask elicitation, elaboration, and clarification questions; and facilitate multiple writing projects, casual and formal—all to discern what students are understanding, what to re-teach, and how to do so. Text: Chapter 5, Implementing Formative Assessments to Guide Instruction and Intervention” Unit Objectives After completing this unit, educators will know:

Strategies for checking for understanding Student Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, educators will apply the following skills:

Assess students’ understanding through oral language, questioning, writing, and projects and performances

Methods of Instruction:

Videos (presentations consisting of lecture, interviews, and classroom footage)

Text (required reading)

Reflection questions (open-ended questions at intervals throughout the video presentations where participants are asked to reflect on the course content, their own practice, and their intentions for their practice)

Checks for understanding (selected-response quizzes to assess understanding of the video presentations and text content)

Discussion forum (prompts that engage participants in online dialogue with their cohorts)

Midterm (a project intended to get teachers to begin to develop their practice by putting to work in the classroom what they have learned)

Final (a project that enables educators to reflect on their practice and assess their students’ work through the lens of what they have learned)

Plagiarism Policy

KDS recognizes plagiarism as a serious academic offense. Plagiarism is the passing off of

someone else’s work as one’s own and includes failing to cite sources for others’ ideas, copying

material from books or the Internet (including lesson plans and rubrics), and handing in work

written by someone other than the participant. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade and may

have additional consequences. For more information about plagiarism and guidelines for

appropriate citation, consult plagiarism.org.

Course Requirements

Reflection questions 25% Quizzes 15% Midterm 25% Final 35% In order to complete the requirements of the course, the participant must complete all course work (e.g.,

reflections, quizzes, and any midterm and/or final), including watching all videos and participating in all

discussion forums. We do not award partial credit.

Grading Policy

3.5-4.0 A 2.5-3.4 B 1.5-2.4 C 1.0-1.4 D > 1.0 F

Quiz/Reflections Rubric

Activity Distinguished (4) Proficient (3) Basic (2) Unsatisfactory (1-0)

Quizzes 90 – 100% 80-89% 70-79% 69% or below

Reflection questions

Participant has provided rich detail and supporting examples from the course content. Participant has made responses to prompts personally meaningful and relevant to his or her teaching practice.

Participant has included appropriate content from the course content. Participant has made thoughtful comments in direct response to the prompts.

Participant has included little that indicates consideration and comprehension of course content. Participant has answered most questions directly but some too briefly.

Participant has included little to no content indicating consideration and comprehension of course content. Participant has not addressed the specific questions posed. Participant has not responded to all reflection questions.

A Key Reflection Prompt is found in each of the 7 Units of this course. These reflections will be evaluated and responded to by your online coach as per the timeline for feedback. Below is a chart of the Key Reflection Prompts.

Although key reflection prompts allow for targeted feedback, all reflection responses will contribute to your overall course grade. All reflection prompts in the course must be completed.

Unit Key Reflection Prompt Suggested Completion Date

Feedback Date

1 Segment 1: History of the CCSS April 1st April 8th

2 Segment 3: Reading Anchor Standards April 8th April 15th

3 Segment 4: Guided Instruction April 15th April 22nd

4 Segment 4: Text Complexity April 22nd April 29th

Midterm May 6th May 20th

5 Segment 5: Providing Scaffolding May 13th May 20th

6 Segment 3: The Process May 20th May 27th

7 Segment 5: Developing Checks for Understanding

June 3rd June 10th

Final June 17th July 1st

Midterm

For your midterm design an original lesson plan appropriate to a specific grade level, that

includes the following: clear objectives, detailed activities, and text-dependent questions. The

lesson plan must be clearly aligned to a Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in reading,

writing, speaking and listening, or language. If you have any questions, please consult the

Common Core State Standards available through the Resources button in the eClassroom.

You must complete all of the following:

1. Identify the following:

a. The grade level for the lesson plan.

b. A Common Core State Standard for reading, writing, speaking and listening, or

language the lesson plan is focused on.

c. The lesson’s learning objectives.

d. A focus text that is appropriately complex for the grade level.

2. Include in your lesson plan each of the following with descriptions of how each activity

will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students.

a. Modeling of close reading

b. Guided instruction

c. A cooperative activity

Include how you would group students for this element.

d. An independent activity

3. Reflection: Explain how the lesson plan would help students meet the CCSS you chose.

Midterm Rubric

Step Distinguished (4) Proficient (3) Basic (2) Unsatisfactory (1)

Identify the grade level for which the lesson plan will be aimed. Choose a Common Core State Standard (CCSS) for reading, writing, speaking and listening, or language that is clearly aligned to the lesson plan. Identify the lesson’s learning objective(s). Choose a text to focus the lesson around and explain why it is appropriately complex for your chosen grade level.

Participant has identified the grade level for which the lesson plan is aimed and it is developmentally appropriate. Participant has identified a clearly relevant and highly appropriate CCSS, well aligned to the lesson. Participant has developed highly rigorous and appropriate learning objective(s), clearly aligned with the lesson plan. Participant has chosen a text highly suitable for meeting the lesson’s learning objectives.

Participant has indicated the grade level for which the lesson plan is aimed. Participant has identified an appropriate CCSS sufficiently aligned to the lesson. Participant has developed learning objective(s) that are aligned with the lesson plan. Participant has chosen a text suitable for meeting the lesson’s learning objectives.

Participant has in some way alluded to the grade level for which the lesson plan is aimed. Participant has identified a CCSS to target, though it is not sufficiently aligned to the lesson. Participant has developed learning objective(s), though they do not align well with the lesson plan. Participant has chosen a text but it is unclear how it relates to the lesson’s learning objectives.

Participant has not identified the audience for the lesson plan and has not stated learning objective(s). Participant has not identified a CCSS. Or: The CCSS, if identified, is not aligned to the lesson. Participant has not developed learning objective(s). Or: The learning objectives do not align with the lesson. Participant has not chosen a suitable text for meeting the lesson’s learning objectives.

Description of Modeling of Close Reading activity that includes: how the activity will be introduced and facilitated. Description also includes any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity clearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is expertly designed to support student success. Description includes a thorough description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is adequately designed to support student success. Description includes a description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant provides both literal and

Activity partially or unclearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is vaguely designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students or does not include all of the

Activity inadequately relates to the CCSS and/or learning objectives and is not designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of the majority of the following or does not include most/any of the following: how the activity will be introduced or facilitated and any text-dependent

Participant provides a balance of literal and inferential questions that require readers to return to the text, and presents text complexity that is grade-appropriate.

inferential questions that require readers to return to the text, and presents text complexity that is likely to be grade-appropriate.

descriptions. Participant provides only literal and/or inferential questions that require readers to return to the text, and presents text complexity that does not appear to be grade-appropriate.

questions for students. Participant does not provide literal or inferential questions and presents text complexity that is clearly not grade-appropriate.

Description of Guided Instruction activity that includes: how the activity will be introduced and facilitated. Description also includes any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity clearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is expertly designed to support student success. Description includes a thorough description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant clearly outlines questions, prompts, cues, and direct instruction for the learner.

Activity relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is adequately designed to support student success. Description includes a description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant identifies several of the following: questions, prompts, cues, and direct instruction for the learner.

Activity partially or unclearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is vaguely designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students or does not include all of the descriptions. Participant’s description is missing several of the following: questions, prompts, cues, and direct instruction for the learner.

Activity inadequately relates to the CCSS and/or learning objectives and is not designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of the majority of the following or does not include most/any of the following: how the activity will be introduced or facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant does not address any of the following: questions, prompts, cues, and direct instruction for the learner.

Description of a Cooperative activity that includes: how the activity will be introduced and facilitated. Description also includes any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity clearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is expertly designed to support student success. Description includes a thorough

Activity relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is adequately designed to support student success. Description includes a description of how the activity will be

Activity partially or unclearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is vaguely designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete

Activity inadequately relates to the CCSS and/or learning objectives and is not designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of the

description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant includes a strategy for creating mixed-ability groups and the learning tasks require interdependence and opportunities for students to learn from each other.

introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant indicates that he/she will create mixed-ability groups. The learning tasks are appropriate for a cooperative group.

description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students or does not include all of the descriptions. Participant suggests that he/she will create mixed-ability groups, but does not identify a strategy for doing so. The learning tasks do not suggest cooperation among learners.

majority of the following or does not include most/any of the following: how the activity will be introduced or facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant does not indicate that he/she will create mixed-ability groups. The learning tasks would be inappropriate for cooperative learning.

Description of an Independent activity that includes: how the activity will be introduced and facilitated. Description also includes any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity clearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is expertly designed to support student success. Description includes a thorough description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students. Participant describes tasks that require students to apply skills already mastered and of appropriate difficulty (neither too hard, nor too easy).

Activity relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is adequately designed to support student success. Description includes a description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students.

Activity partially or unclearly relates to the CCSS and learning objectives and is vaguely designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of how the activity will be introduced and facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students or does not include all of the descriptions.

Activity inadequately relates to the CCSS and/or learning objectives and is not designed to support student success. Description includes an incomplete description of the majority of the following or does not include most/any of the following: how the activity will be introduced or facilitated and any text-dependent questions for students.

Reflection: Explain how the lesson plan would help students

Participant has richly described, with ample detail, how the

Participant has described, with sufficient detail, how

Participant has minimally described how the lesson plan

Participant has not described how the lesson plan would

meet the CCSS you chose.

lesson plan would help students meet the targeted CCSS. Participant’s explanation of how the lesson plan would help students meet the CCSS he/she chose is convincing and appropriate to the standard.

the lesson plan would help students meet the targeted CCSS. Participant’s explanation of how the lesson plan would help students meet the CCSS he/she chose is applicable to the standard.

would help students meet the targeted CCSS. Participant’s explanation of how the lesson plan would help students meet the CCSS he/she chose is only loosely tied to the standard.

help students meet the targeted CCSS.

Formal issues Participant has made no grammatical errors or typos. Participant has organized paragraphs around clearly articulated main ideas. Participant has written in an effective and eloquent style—i.e., has varied his or her sentence structure and made careful word choice.

Participant has made a few grammatical errors or typos. Participant has organized most paragraphs around clearly articulated main ideas. Participant has written in an effective and eloquent style—i.e., has varied his or her sentence structure though not always found the right word.

Participant has made some distracting grammatical errors and/or typos. Participant has organized some paragraphs around main ideas but not others. Participant has written in a style that communicates his or her thoughts but with no marked eloquence and insufficient attention to word choice.

Participant has made multiple grammatical errors and/or typos. Paragraphs are not organized around main ideas. Participant has written in a style that does not effectively communicate his or her thoughts.

Final

For your midterm, you designed a lesson plan aligned to a Common Core State Standard (CCSS). For your final, you will revise the lesson plan to reflect your increasing understanding of what such a lesson plan should incorporate and you will indicate where, when, and how you would incorporate formative and summative assessment. Refer to the resources section of the eClassroom to download “Responsive Curriculum Design for English Language Arts” and use this template to guide your lesson planning.

Note: In order to track revisions, include a copy of your original lesson plan and indicate where you made changes.

Please track your changes in one of the following ways:

Using a different color font text.

Using the “track changes” feature in the Review section of Microsoft Word.

Writing directly on your midterm then scanning and uploading your work.

Please do the following:

1. Revise your original lesson plan by making changes that:

a. Improve the quality of the text-dependent questions.

b. Ensure all students are accountable for group work

2. Work into the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through each of the following (remember that formative assessment occurs while the students are learning and is not meant to be graded; summative assessment applies to a graded assessment meant to determine student achievement of learning objectives):

a. Oral language.

b. Questioning.

c. Writing.

d. Projects or performances.

3. Design a rubric to use as a summative assessment tool for one of the four activities in the original lesson plan: modeling close reading, guided instruction, the cooperative activity, or the independent activity.

4. Write a reflection describing how you think the project (i.e., the lesson and the rubric) will help students meet the CCSS you chose.

Final Rubric

Step Distinguished (4) Proficient (3) Basic (2) Unsatisfactory (1)

Revise your original lesson plan by making changes that: a. Improve the quality of the text-dependent questions. b. Ensure all students are accountable for group work

Participant has made meaningful and significant changes to the lesson plan he or she designed for the midterm based on highly relevant information gleaned from the course content in all of the following areas:

Participant has made changes to the lesson plan he or she designed for the midterm based on information gleaned from the course content in all of the following areas: a. Improving the

Participant has made few changes to the lesson plan he or she designed for the midterm and/or has only made changes in some of the areas below: a. Improving the quality of your text-

Participant has made no changes to the lesson plan he or she designed and submitted for the midterm or the changes made are not significant or meaningful.

a. Improving the quality of your text-dependent questions. b. Ensuring all students are accountable for group work.

quality of your text-dependent questions. b. Ensuring all students are accountable for group work

dependent questions b. Ensuring all students are accountable for group work

Work into the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through each of the following): a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances

Participant has developed and embedded into the revised lesson plan productive opportunities to check for understanding and provide rich and ample feedback to students—using formative assessment—through all of the following: a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances

Participant has included in the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through all of the following: a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances

Participant has included in the revised lesson plan vague and limited opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through all of the following: a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances Or: Participant has included in the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through 3 of the following : a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances

Participant has not included in the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment or the formative assessment included is extremely limited, vague and/or inappropriate and not significant or meaningful. Or: Participant has included in the revised lesson plan opportunities to check for understanding and provide feedback to students—using formative assessment—through 2 or fewer of the following: a. Oral language b. Questioning c. Writing d. Projects or performances

Design a rubric to use as a summative assessment tool for one of the four activities in the original lesson plan: modeling close reading, guided instruction, the cooperative activity, or the independent activity.

Participant has designed a rubric with clear and highly appropriate categories and detailed descriptors at each level of achievement for one of the following: modeling close reading, guided instruction, the cooperative activity, or the independent activity.

Participant has designed a rubric with clear categories and descriptors at each level of achievement for one of the following: modeling close reading, guided instruction, the cooperative activity, or the independent activity..

Participant has designed a rubric but without sufficient categories and/or vague descriptors for one of the following: modeling close reading, guided instruction, the cooperative activity, or the independent activity..

Participant has not designed a rubric or has done so without categories or descriptors. Participant submitted a checklist rather than a rubric.

Write a reflection describing how you think the project (i.e., the lesson and the rubric) will help students meet the CCSS you chose.

Participant has written a compelling reflection explaining in rich detail why he or she made specific revisions to his or her original lesson plan and how he or she thinks the complete project—i.e., both the lesson and rubric—will help students meet the CCSS selected.

Participant has written a reflection indicating why he or she made overall revisions to his or her original lesson plan and how he or she thinks the complete project—i.e., both the lesson and rubric—will help students meet the CCSS selected.

Participant has written a reflection that incompletely indicates why he or she made revisions to his or her original lesson plan. He or she has vaguely indicated why he or she thinks the complete project—i.e., both the lesson and rubric—will help students meet the CCSS selected.

Participant has not written reflection or the reflection does not address why he or she made revisions to his or her original lesson plan. He or she has not explained why he or she thinks the complete project—i.e., both the lesson and rubric—will help students meet the CCSS selected.

Formal issues Participant has made no grammatical errors or typos. Participant has organized paragraphs around clearly articulated main ideas. Participant has written in an effective and eloquent style—i.e., has varied his or her

Participant has made a few grammatical errors or typos. Participant has organized most paragraphs around clearly articulated main ideas. Participant has written in an effective and eloquent style—i.e., has varied his or her

Participant has made some distracting grammatical errors and/or typos. Participant has organized some paragraphs around main ideas but not others. Participant has written in a style that communicates his or her thoughts but with

Participant has made multiple grammatical errors and/or typos. Paragraphs are not organized around main ideas. Participant has written in a style that does not effectively communicate his or her thoughts.

sentence structure and made careful word choice.

sentence structure though not always found the right word.

no marked eloquence and insufficient attention to word choice.