• States a clear and specific argument about the course of action to be taken (thesis).
• States clear and specific arguments in support of the overall argument (thesis) about the call to action/course of action (Topic sentences).
• Supports the argument about the call to action/course of action with specific details from the relevant source material (Supporting evidence).
• Demonstrates an understanding of source material (Support).
• Demonstrates an understanding of how evidence from sources supports the thesis being argued [Claim, Context, Cite, Connect] (Supporting evidence)
• Incorporates relevant details from sources in support of an argument (Supporting evidence: data rather than statements).
• Demonstrates a mastery of MLA documentation, both in creating a works cited list and in properly citing references to source material (Documentation).
• Expresses ideas clearly and succinctly in a compelling way (Style).
• Expresses ideas in formal language appropriate to the assignment (Style).
• Expresses ideas in grammatically correct English, demonstrating a mastery of basic language skills (Grammar and style)
• Expresses in a logical, clear, succinct, and compelling manner the significance, importance, relevance, or value of a particular argument (Essay structure: Introduction, thesis, topic sentences, conclusion)