Dear Sixth-Graders:

I want to give you a high score. I really do. But you have to help me help you. Here are a few things you can do to get a good score:

Follow the directions. For example, if the questions asks you to "provide at least three examples" please do not provide two examples, one example, or no examples. You may however provide four or five examples. This is where the "at least" part comes into play. In fact, since I only award points for correct examples (I do not take points away for wrong examples) a surplus of examples is advisable.

Please use examples that are actually based on the text. Max's mother may have worried about him, but it never says that in the text, so I cannot give you credit.

I do not care about your conclusion paragraph. I know it's cruel, but it's true. By the time I reach your conclusion I've already decided your score. Let's make both our lives easier and keep it short.

I do, however, love a good introduction. If your introduction outlines your thesis and examples, I am willing to stop right there and give you full credit. After all, I have a quota to meet.

Please do not lie to me. I have read the same stories you read. What's more I have the text in front of me, so if I ever forget whether Max was difficult to catch, I can check right away. (For the record, he was not).

Finally, if you are going to lie, at least make your lies plausible. Max is a moose. Moose do not have boats. Ergo I find your proposition that, "Max’s boat sprung a leak," to be dubious at best.

I hope you find this advice useful.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Hanson