Letter to the Editor Rubric Student Name Date Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your opinion of the decision by the United States Directions: Supreme Court in Include in your letter what you believe will be the consequences of the decision. New York Times v Sullivan. Category 4 3 2 1 Score This letter is written This letter is written This letter is written with The letter does not with an interesting with a lead to bring a boring lead which does contain a lead or Introduction lead to bring the the reader into the not encourage the reader lead is reader into the story. to continue. story. unsatisfactory. This letter contains This letter contains This letter contains This letter contains an abundant amount some background very little background no background of background information about information about the information about the information about the the issue. issue at hand. issue being issue. discussed. This letter has a This letter has an This letter has an The writer is very clearly stated opinion opinion that could confusing about opinion which is Opinion toward the beginning be stated more somewhat confusing. his/her opinion on of the piece. clearly using better the issue. wording. Support This letter contains This letter contains at This article contains This article does not at least 3 different, least 2 logical reasons only one opinion. contain any valid but logical reasons of support for the reasons for the of support for the stated opinion. given opinion. stated opinion. Organization The letter is well The letter is The letter is hard to Ideas and scenes organized. One idea organized, but one follow. The transitions seem to be follows another in a idea may seem out of are sometimes not randomly arranged. logical sequence place. Clear clear. with clear transitions are used. transitions.
Letter to the Editor Rubric Student Name Date Directions: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your opinion of the decision by the United States Supreme Court in New York Times v Sullivan. Include in your letter what you believe will be the consequences of the decision. Category 4 3 2 1 Score Introduction This letter is written with an interesting lead to bring the reader into the story. This letter is written with a lead to bring the reader into the story. This letter is written with a boring lead which does not encourage the reader to continue. The letter does not contain a lead or lead is unsatisfactory. This letter contains an abundant amount of background information about the issue. This letter contains some background information about the issue. This letter contains very little background information about the issue at hand. This letter contains no background information about the issue being discussed. Opinion This letter has a clearly stated opinion toward the beginning of the piece. This letter has an opinion that could be stated more clearly using better wording. This letter has an opinion which is somewhat confusing. The writer is very confusing about his/her opinion on the issue. Support This letter contains at least 3 different, but logical reasons of support for the stated opinion. This letter contains at least 2 logical reasons of support for the stated opinion. This article contains only one opinion. This article does not contain any valid reasons for the given opinion. Organization The letter is well organized. One idea follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions. The letter is organized, but one idea may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used. The letter is hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear. Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.