Assignment: Identifying Your Thesis Statement
ENG 122 Identifying Your Thesis Statement Guidelines and Rubric Overview: Let’s work on identifying the thesis statement in your work. In Summative Assessment Part Two Milestone One, you created a first draft of your critical analysis essay by answering a series of questions in a Microsoft Word document. At this point, your preliminary thesis may not be at the end of the introductory paragraph, or it may not be as concise as it will be in the final draft. In this “hide-and-seek” exercise, you will find your hidden thesis statement. And when you are finished, you will have a workable thesis that will help you complete the reverse outline later in this module. Prompt: Review the first draft of your critical analysis essay and identify your main claim. The main claim should summarize your reaction to your selected reading and your supporting points. Remember that a strong thesis statement should contain a main claim and three supporting points to back up the main claim. (Feel free to return to the 6-1 reading to review the material on thesis statements.) Use the framework below for help constructing your thesis statement.

Main Claim Key Points

The article’s main claim of ____ is ____ because ____, ____, and ____.

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Save your work in a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Then, check your writing for errors. Once you have proofread your document, submit it via the Assignment: Identify Your Thesis Statement link in Brightspace.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Main Claim Identifies claim that relates to selected work

Identifies claim, but relation to selected work is vague

Does not identify claim 40

Supporting Key Points Identifies three relevant key points in support of claim

Identifies three key points, but they do not support the claim

Does not identify three key points

40

Articulation of Response

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

20

Total 100%

ENG 122 Identifying Your Thesis Statement Guidelines and Rubric