Join us for conversations that inspire, recognize, and encourage innovation and best practices in the education profession.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more.
Developing Writers: A Workshop for High School Teachers
Build a Rubric Activity
Rubrics provide students with clear expectations and consistent feedback. Build a customizable rubric that can be used for any writing activity your class might be completing.
“I think kids need to know that their writing – what’s on the page – has value.”
— Kylene Beers
Rubrics are an important tool for all teachers. They carefully explain the criteria that will be used to judge a particular piece of student work.
Rubrics benefit both teachers and students. By using a rubric:
- Teachers have a complete analysis of every student’s work measured against a consistent scale.
- Teachers can provide better feedback to student writers.
- Students clearly understand what is expected of them in a particular assignment.
- Students can clearly see the areas of their writing that need improvement.
In this activity, you will build a customizable rubric that can be used for any writing activity your class might be completing. Follow the steps to complete the rubric.
Sample Rubric #1
Roll your mouse over the rubric to find out more about it.
Sample Rubric #2
Build a Rubric
Teacher tip: Creating rubrics with students before an assignment begins can help them see the task before them more clearly.
Step 1
Give your rubric a title.
Step 2
Choose a format. Click on an image below to view a larger version of Table Format and List Format examples.
|
 |
|
|||||
Step 3
Apply a rating system.
Numbers 4 – 1 (with 4 being the highest and 1 the lowest)
- Advanced, proficient, basic, needs improvement
- Excellent, good, fair, unacceptable
- Exemplary, accomplished, developing, beginning
- Excellent, nearing standard, improving, emerging
- Strong, proficient, basic, weak
Step 4
Decide the order in which you want the rating system to appear:
- Best to worst (i.e., 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 or excellent – good – fair – unacceptable)
- Worst to best (i.e., 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 or unacceptable – fair – good – excellent)
Step 5
Select the criteria or elements of the writing assignment you will evaluate.
Add as many criteria as you need, and write a performance statement for each.
Some criteria are more appropriate for one kind of assignment. For example, characterization and description are more suited for use in rubrics that evaluate creative writing.
|
|
|
Step 6
Review the list of criteria and performance statements you have selected.
Arrange them in the order you want them to appear in your document.
Step 7
Congratulations. You have completed your rubric.
