Scorae › Rubrics › Compare and Contrast Essay Rubric (Grades 6-12)
Compare and Contrast Essay Rubric (Grades 6-12)
This compare and contrast essay rubric covers grades 6 through 12 and works for two texts, two characters, two historical figures, or two positions. The two rows teachers use most are Balance of Points and Organizational Pattern, since lopsided coverage and mid-essay pattern switches are what actually go wrong in these drafts. Middle school and high school use the same criteria; the notes below explain what to adjust for younger writers.
- Grades 6-12
- Subject ELA
- 100 points
- 5 criteria
- Free to copy, print and adapt
| Criterion | Exceeds | Meets | Approaching | Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basis for Comparison and Purpose20 points | 18-20 ptsStates what the two subjects share that makes comparing them worth doing, and states what the reader should understand by the end that neither subject alone would show. | 14-17 ptsNames both subjects and the category they share, and states a purpose, though the purpose stays broad, as in to show they are alike in some ways and different in others. | 10-13 ptsAnnounces that two subjects will be compared without naming the category they share or what the comparison is meant to reveal. | 0-9 ptsThe two subjects have no stated connection, or the essay describes only one of them for most of its length. |
| Balance of Points20 points | 18-20 ptsCompares the same three or more points for both subjects and gives each subject roughly equal space on every point. | 14-17 ptsCompares the same points for both subjects, but one point gets noticeably more coverage for one subject than for the other. | 10-13 ptsDiscusses a feature for one subject that is never addressed for the other, so the reader cannot compare them on that point. | 0-9 ptsThe points discussed differ between the two subjects throughout, or one subject is covered in a single sentence. |
| Organizational Pattern20 points | 18-20 ptsHolds to one pattern, either point-by-point or block, from first body paragraph to last, so a reader can predict what the next paragraph will cover. | 14-17 ptsHolds to one pattern with a single break where a point appears out of the order the essay established. | 10-13 ptsSwitches between point-by-point and block partway through, or covers two unrelated points inside one paragraph. | 0-9 ptsNo pattern is detectable; details about both subjects appear in the order they occurred to the writer. |
| Evidence and Specific Detail25 points | 23-25 ptsEach point is supported with named specifics such as a quotation, number, date, or example, rather than a general characterization of the subject. | 18-22 ptsMost points carry specific detail, though one or two rest on a general statement the reader has to take on trust. | 13-17 ptsComparisons are stated as generalities, as in one is more modern than the other, with no example, quotation, or figure behind them. | 0-12 ptsDetails are missing or inaccurate, or the same example is reused to support several different points. |
| Transitions and Comparative Language15 points | 14-15 ptsMarks every shift between subjects or points with a word that names the actual relationship, such as similarly, whereas, unlike, or by contrast. | 11-13 ptsUses comparison words at most shifts, though a few shifts are signaled only by a new paragraph or by and. | 8-10 ptsRepeats the same one or two connectors throughout, or uses a contrast word where a similarity is being described. | 0-7 ptsSubjects change mid-paragraph with no signal, leaving the reader unsure which subject a sentence is about. |
Total: 100 points across 5 criteria.
How to use it
- Before scoring, sketch a two-column grid of the points the essay covers. Empty cells are the Balance score, and columns of different lengths are the Organizational Pattern score.
- For grades 6-8, require point-by-point only and drop the Exceeds language about predicting the next paragraph; also accept three points where high school should reach four.
- Move 5 points from Transitions to Basis for Comparison if your students already handle connectors well, since the so-what problem outlasts the transition problem in most classes.
- Give students the pattern choice in writing before drafting. Most mid-essay switches happen because the writer never decided which pattern to use.
What students most often get wrong
- Listing similarities and differences without ever saying what the comparison shows, so the essay ends where it started.
- Writing two mini-reports side by side, one per subject, and calling that block organization even though the points do not match up.
- Comparing the subjects on features that are only defined for one of them, which leaves half the grid blank.
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