Rubric

Background: Students will be learning about Native American food from our four major regions. In the coast region, students will be catching fish with nets in my son's pool. They'll enjoy goldfish during their meal. ;) In the desert region, they will eat prickly pear from the cactus. They will carefully take the prickly pear from the cactus, rub it in sand, and hold it in the sun to dry it out in order to make it last longer. While they visit the mountain region, they will fill holes with water (blue paper) and move the grasshopper into the hole using sticks. Their last stop will be the valley, where they will gather acorns and mash them to make soup.

RUBRIC:

Level 1: Below Grade Level

Level 2: Approaching Grade Level

Level 3: At Grade Level

	3	2	1
TOPIC	Fully introduces topic and includes the region and name of food.	Vaguely introduces topic or alludes to which region and/or food.	Does not introduce the topic.
OPINION/REASONS	States both an opinion and supplies a reason for the opinion.	States opinion or a reason for the opinion.	Does not state an opinion or reason for the opinion.
CONTENT	All facts about the region and materials are true.	Some true facts about the region and materials are true.	No facts are true.
CLOSURE	Provides a sense of closure related to the topic.	Provides a sense of closure that is unrelated to the topic.	Does not provide a closure.

Students do the best when they know what they are trying to achieve. A rubric gives clear expectations so the students know how to reach their goals. When creating this rubric, I kept in mind the different learning styles and abilities in my classroom. Students can choose to write informational paragraph, create a video, write a song, perform a play, or any other idea they come up with as long as they provide an introduction about the topic, include opinions that are supported by facts, and have a clear conclusion.

The rubric doesn’t define how the end project needs to be done, which leaves the student with more options that fit their individual needs. Students can also choose to work individually or in partnerships. This helps students who prefer to work with groups and the solitary student who prefers to work alone. Additionally, a student who likes movement might prefer to perform a skit to show their understanding. While a student who is more logical thinking might prefer to have time to think and then write a paragraph about his/her understanding. For all of these reasons, this rubric is an excellent example of how to incorporate differentiation in assessment.