Performance Assessment: Reading Journal

Reading Journal Introduction

Open book with 5 pages folded and tucked back into the spine to make a fan shapeYou’ll be putting the reading skills you’re encountering in this module to immediate use, by keeping a Reading Journal as you progress.

Assignment Details

Look for the Try It pages along the way to help you complete the Reading Journal. The Try It activities will walk you through the completion of the finished product, by working on each component individually.

Worked Example

Journal entry assignments tend to be more flexible than other types of writing assignments in college, and as a result they can be tailored to your own experiences as long as they answer the primary questions asked in the assignment.

Rubric 

In order to successfully complete this assessment, a submitted journal must reach “Meets or Exceeds Expectations” in all categories.

Criteria Ratings
Identify Type of Reading Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes a paragraph identifying the type of reading and justifying that identification
 Approaching Expectations

  • identifies the type of reading but includes no justification for that identification
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include a paragraph identifying the the type of reading
Active Reading Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes Two-Column notes made during reading, with at least 3 questions and 3 answers
 Approaching Expectations

  • includes Two-Column notes made during active reading, with 1-2 questions and 1-2 answers
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include Two-Column notes, or
  • is missing either questions or answers
Specialized Reading Strategies Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes a detailed paragraph describing the application of specialized reading strategies to the text
 Approaching Expectations

  • includes a paragraph broadly broadly describing the application of specialized reading strategies to the text
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include a paragraph describing the application of specialized reading strategies to the text
Vocabulary Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes a paragraph describing which of 5 methods was most useful in providing a definition for 1 word
  • includes paraphrased definitions of 5 words from the text
 Approaching Expectations

  • includes a brief paragraph describing which method was most useful in providing a definition for 1 word
  • includes paraphrased definitions of 1-4 words from the text
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include paragraph describing methods of defining 1 word, or
  • does not include paraphrased definitions of 5 words
Thesis Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • identifies a thesis statement from the reading and notes it as implicit or explicit
  • includes a paragraph showing the relationship between thesis and topic sentences, including quotes as appropriate
 Approaching Expectations

  • identifies a thesis statement from the reading, but does not define it as explicity or implicit
  • includes a paragraph showing the relationship between thesis and topic sentences, but quotes may not be included
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not identify a thesis statement from the reading, or
  • does not include a paragraph showing the relationship between thesis and topic sentences
Supporting Claims Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes a paragraph describing the types of support used in 2 body paragraphs
  • includes a paragraph comparing the support used in 2 body paragraphs
 Approaching Expectations

  • includes a paragraph describing the types of support used in 1 body paragraphs
  • includes a paragraph comparing the support used in body paragraphs
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include a paragraph describing the types of support used in 2 body paragraphs, or
  • does not include a paragraph comparing the support used in 2 body paragraphs
Logic and Structure Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • identifies all rhetorical modes used in the text, with justification of that identification
  • analyzes effectiveness of each rhetorical mode used in the text
 Approaching Expectations

  • identifies some rhetorical modes used in the text, with justification
  • analyzes effectiveness of some rhetorical modes used in the text
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not identify the rhetorical modes used in the reading, or
  • does not analyze the effectiveness of the rhetorical modes used
Summary Skills Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • includes a summary of the complete text, with a paraphrase of its thesis, major ideas of the source, and brief quotations as necessary
  • summary maintains a neutral tone
 Approaching Expectations

  • includes a summary of the text, with a paraphrase of the thesis, some major ideas of the source, and quotations
  • summary may not maintain a neutral tone
 Does Not Meet Expectations

  • does not include a summary, or
  • does not paraphrase the text’s thesis and main ideas