Rubric - Compare/Contrast Essay (Block Method)

There are certain types of essays that our students write every year - a Compare/Contrast Essay typically being one. Having a quality rubric to assess those essays makes the grading go much faster and provides students with specific feedback.

The rubric is broken down into 4 categories (IVOC) and assesses students on their ideas, voice, organization, and conventions. Each of those categories is further broken down with detailed explanations so students can easily understand what is expected if they wish to earn an A (10 points) or a C (7 points). The final explanation describes why a student would be given an F (5 points) in a specific category as well.

Although it may appear rigid because your only options are to give a 10, 7, or 5 in each category, please don't limit yourself to those scores. If a student falls in between two descriptions, any scores may be given (including half points).

Here, students are asked to organize their comparisons using the Block Method, but this rubric can easily be revised if you have chosen the Point-by-Point Method of organization instead. The rubric is not topic specific, so it may be used no matter what your students are writing about - as long as a comparison is the goal, this rubric will meet your needs.