Luz Castilla

LBS 355
Analyzing Argumentative Essays Using Common Core Standards
Paper #1
March 7, 2016

Todays colleges and businesses are full of new demands. One can not expect to be
successful with just basic knowledge. Therefore, the Common Core State Standards are design
to help children in America be more successful and efficient. It prepares our children to be ready
to take on what the college and business world expects from them. The CCSS are also design to
help teachers guide their students throughout their learning process. Something as simple as a
rubric can help us see what is expected for our students. The grade 3-5: Generic 4-Point Opinion
Writing Rubric is one of many tools that provide teachers with the expectations for writing.
According to the CCSS rubric categories purpose/focus, elaboration of evidence, and
conventions, the work of two students in the fourth grade were graded as following.
The first aspect to focus from the rubric is statement of purpose/focus, and both essays
got a score of three, because their responses to the prompt are adequate. Their opinion towards
the prompt is clear and maintained for the most part of the essay. Both students believe life on
the missions was not positive. And in their essay they each provide three examples that shows
why they do not believe life on the missions was positive. For example, both students state that
Native Americans were mistreated, did all the work, and lost their freedom. I believe a good way
to help these students achieve a better score, would be by having class debates on the prompt.
Hearing their classmates ideas is always a good way to help students that are struggling with the
focus and purpose of their essays.
The second aspect to focus on is elaboration of evidence. The score I gave John for this
category is a three. The reason why I gave John a score of three is because his evidence from the
sources is adequately integrated to the essay. Tough Johns sources support his opinion; his
citations are not clear. John refers to his sources as, According to Source 3 and As for
Source 1 says In his essay he never mentions the origins of the sources. The same error is

done by the student from Sample #2, Maria. Yet the score she received in this category is a two.
The reason behind this is because the sources she uses are minimal in the essay. As a teacher, I
would help my students cite their sources by providing them with starter sentences. For example,
The author stated that or According to the text. By doing this I can show my students that we
need to tell where the source was found.
The third and last aspect of the CC Rubric to focus on is conventions. John received a
score of three, because he demonstrates an adequate command of conventions. In his essay we
can see how John makes some errors such as confusing the use of the word their and there. But
for the most part, we can see that no systematic pattern of errors is displayed through out the
essay. The few errors on Johns essay are common for the grade level of the student. On the other
hand, Maria demonstrates an uneven command of conventions. Therefore, acquiring a score of
two for this category. The errors in Marias essay are clearly visible as she misspells words such
as happy and because. Maria should be able to spell those words, common for her grade level.
That being the case, as a teacher, I would pair students such as Maria and John in a writers
workshop activity. With my assistance, I would make them peer edit their essay in order to have
less errors.
Being a T.A. at an urban middle school, I have learned that sometimes we might work
with student that are not working at their grade level. Therefore, using the CCSS rubric to grade
my students work would be unfair for them. I believe that using the Common Core Standards is a
great idea. But from time to time I might have to make modifications to it, based on what type of
students I am working with. In the end, I know my job as a teacher is to help my students
become successful academically.