Criteria

GOOD PARAGRAPH WRITING            Rubric
Controlling Idea Soon after the spraying had ended there were unmistakable signs that all was not well. Within two days dead and dying fish, including many young salmon, were found along the banks of the stream. Brook trout also appeared among the dead fish, and along the roads and in the woods song birds were dying. All the life of the stream was stilled. Before the spraying there had been a rich assortment of the water life that forms the food of salmon and trout — caddis fly larvae, living in loosely fitting protective cases of leaves, stems or gravel cemented together with saliva, stonefly nymphs clinging to rocks in the swirling currents, and the wormlike larvae of black flies edging the stones under riffles or where the stream spills over steeply slanting rocks. But now the stream insects were dead, killed by DDT, and there was nothing for a young salmon to eat.
Specific facts or details that give
support to the
topic sentence.
Lots of who, 
what, where, 
why and how
details.
Effective closing
sentence that  comments on the
topic sentence
Decent length
 
 

Paragraph Writing Rubric
Points
 
4
3
2
1
  
Main/Topic Idea Sentence
 Main/Topic idea sentence is clear, correctly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence. Main/Topic idea sentence is either unclear or incorrectly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence. Main/Topic idea sentence is unclear and incorrectly placed, and is restated in the closing sentence. Main/Topic idea sentence is unclear and incorrectly placed, and is not restated in the closing sentence.
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Supporting Detail Sentence(s)
 Paragraph(s) have three or more supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea. Paragraph(s) have two supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea. Paragraph(s) have one supporting detail sentence that relate back to the main idea. Paragraph(s) have no supporting detail sentences that relate back to the main idea.
____
Elaborating Detail Sentence(s)
 Each supporting detail sentence has three or more elaborating details.  Each supporting detail sentence has at least two elaborating details.  Each supporting detail sentence has one elaborating details.  Each supporting detail sentence has no elaborating details. 
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Legibility
 Legible handwriting, typing, or printing. Marginally legible handwriting, typing, or printing. Writing is not legible in places. Writing is not legible.
____
Mechanics and Grammar
 Paragraph has no errors in punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.  Paragraph has one or two punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors. Paragraph has three to five punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors. Paragraph has six or more punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors.
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Total---->
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