Describe the purpose of the Constitution Explain the purpose of the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution A thesis statement which lists and explains the amendments which you will discuss. Include in each body paragraph: A clear topic sentence stating the amendment/aspect which you will discuss in the paragraph. An explanation of what the amendment means to the common citizen. (What may citizens do or what are citizens protected from due to the amendment?) An explanation of why this amendment is so important to citizens. (What is the government prevented from doing to citizens and/or what must the government protect citizens from due to the amendment?) Thesis Statement – Does this paper have a thesis statement? Is the thesis statement related to the topic? Is the thesis statement clear? Do you understand it? (15 Points) – Thesis statement unrelated to topic. (10 points) Maximum score15 Supporting Evidence Examine each paragraph for the information below. a. Identify the topic sentence for each paragraph. This topic sentence (usually the first or second sentence of the paragraph) should resemble a minithesis statement. It should contain one idea or concept. The rest of the paragraph must present the evidence that proves that topic sentence (one idea or concept.) Does each paragraph have a topic sentence? b. Does each paragraph contain just one idea or concept? c. Does this author use evidence to support his/her argument? d. Has the author provided citations for his/her evidence? Maximum score40 Format Does this paper have a beginning (introduction), a middle (body), and an end (conclusion)? (10 points) Maximum score10 Grammar Less than 5 mistakes a. Does this paper have proper punctuation? b. Are words spelled correctly? c. Does the author provide full and complete sentences? d. Does this paper have consistent verb tense, voice, and thirdperson usage? Are proper nouns capitalized? Maximum score10 Vocabulary a. Does it use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text? b. Does it use precise language and domainspecific vocabulary?
