CATEGORY

1 = emergent

2 = evident

3 = skilled

4 = advanced

Problem/Conflict

It is not clear what problem the main characters face.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face but it is not clear why it is a problem.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.

It is very easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.

Characters

It is hard to tell who the main characters are.

The main characters are named and described.

Most readers would have some idea of what the characters looked like.

The main characters are named and clearly described in text as well as pictures. Most readers could describe the characters accurately.

Setting

The reader has trouble figuring out when and where the story took place.

The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn't supply much detail.

Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.

Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.

Solution/Resolution

No solution is attempted or it is impossible to understand.

The solution to the character's problem is a little hard to understand.

The solution to the character's problem is easy to understand, and is somewhat logical.

The solution to the character's problem is easy to understand, and is logical. There are no loose ends.

Focus on Assigned Topic

No attempt has been made to relate the story to the assigned topic.

Some of the story is related to the assigned topic, but a reader does not learn much about the topic.

Most of the story is related to the assigned topic. The story wanders off at one point, but the reader can still learn something about the topic.

The entire story is related to the assigned topic and allows the reader to understand much more about the topic.