Scientific Report Rubric

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/tidepoolunit/Rubrics/reportrubric.html

Title of Report __________________________________

Authors' names: __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________

Beginning 1 Developing 2 Accomplished 3 Exemplary 4 Score

Introduction Does not give any information about what to expect in the report.

Gives very little information. Gives too much information--more like a summary.
Presents a concise lead-in to the report.

Research Does not answer any questions suggested in the template. Answers some
questions.

Answers some questions and includes a few other interesting facts.

Answers most questions and includes many other interesting facts.

Purpose/Problem Does not address an issue related to tidepools. Addresses a tidepool

issue which is unrelated to research.

Addresses an issue somewhat related to research.

Addresses a real issue directly related to research findings.

Procedure Not sequential, most steps are missing or are confusing. Some of the steps
are understandable; most are confusing and lack detail.

Most of the steps are understandable; some lack detail or are confusing.

Presents easy-to-follow steps which are logical and adequately detailed.

Data & Results

Data table and/or graph missing information and are inaccurate.

Both complete, minor inaccuracies and/or illegible characters.

Both accurate, some ill-formed characters. Data table and graph neatly completed and
totally accurate.

Conclusion

Presents an illogical explanation for findings and does not address any of the questions
suggested in the template.

Presents an illogical explanation for findings and addresses few questions.

Presents a logical explanation for findings and addresses some of the questions.

Presents a logical explanation for findings and addresses most of the questions.

Grammar & Spelling Very frequent grammar and/or spelling errors. More than two
errors. Only one or two errors. All grammar and spelling are correct.

Attractiveness Illegible writing, loose pages. Legible writing, some ill-formed letters,
print too small or too large, papers stapled together.

Legible writing, well-formed characters, clean and neatly bound in a report cover,
illustrations provided.

Word processed or typed, clean and neatly bound in a report cover, illustrations
provided.

Timeliness Report handed in more than one week late. Up to one week late. Up to two
days late. Report handed in on time.

Total

Return to the Cabrillo Tidepool Study page.

http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/profdev/rubrics/middlelschresearchrubric.html
Research Process Rubric - Middle School

CATEGORY Exemplary Proficient Partially Proficient Incomplete POINTS

Research Questions 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points ___/3

Wrote thoughtful, creative, well-worded specific questions that were relevant to the
assigned topic.

Wrote well-worded, specific questions that were relevant to the assigned topic.

Wrote questions which lacked focus, were poorly stated, and were not entirely relevant
to the assigned topic.

Wrote questions which lacked a specific focus, were poorly stated, and not relevant to
the assigned topic.

Selection of Sources 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points ___/3

Identified highly appropriate sources in a variety of formats (books, journals, electronic

sources).

Identified mostly appropriate sources in a variety of formats (books, journals, electronic

sources).

Identified a few appropriate sources but made little attempt to balance format types.

Identified no appropriate sources in any format.

Note-taking & Keywords 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points ___/3

Extracted relevant information. Extracted mostly relevant information.

Extracted a lot of information which wasn’t relevant.

Extracted irrelevant information.

Brainstormed keywords, categories, related terms that were effective in researching the
questions.
Selected mostly effective keywords to use in researching the questions.

Selected some keywords that were not effective in researching the questions.

Selected no effective keywords to use in researching the questions.

Wrote notes including succinct key facts which directly answered all of the research
questions and were written in the student's own words.

Wrote notes which included facts that answered most of the research questions and were
written in the student’s own words.

Wrote notes which included irrelevant facts which did not answer the research
questions. Some notes were copied directly from the original source.

Wrote notes which included a majority of facts which did not answer the research
questions. Most or all notes were copied word-for-word from the original source.

Organization and Synthesis 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points ___/3

Presented content clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and effective
supporting evidence.

Presented most of the content with a logical progression of ideas and supporting
evidence.

Presented content which failed to maintain a consistent focus, showed minimal

organization and effort, and lacked an adequate amount of supporting evidence.

Presented content which was unfocused, poorly organized, showed little thought or
effort and lacked supporting evidence.

Selected an appropriate and effective format to creatively communicate research

findings.

Selected an appropriate format to structure and communicate research findings.

Needed to select a more effective format to structure and communicate research

findings.

Failed to select an appropriate format to communicate research findings.

Citations/Documentation 3 points 2 points 1 point 0 points ___/3

Cited all sources of information accurately to demonstrate the credibility and authority
of the information presented.

Cited most sources of information in proper format and documented sources to enable
accuracy checking.

Cited most sources of information improperly and provided little or no supporting

documentation to check accuracy.

Created citations which were incomplete or inaccurate, and provided no way to check
the validity of the information gathered.

Used information ethically all of the time.

Used information ethically most of the time.

Failed to use information ethically some of the time.

Failed to use information ethically.

TOTAL POINTS ___ /15

University of Wisconsin - Stout — Schedule of Online Courses, Online Certificate

Programs, and
http://www.stclair.k12.il.us/services/scilit/sciexpa.htm
Assessment of Experiments and Science Projects Using a Generic Rubric

Teacher Information:

There is a great deal of time involved in assessing and grading such things as science
experiments and projects. However, the end result is that you have a better picture of
what students truly know, understand, and are able to do. A complete assessment of
experiments and/or science projects is something that needs to be carried out no more
than once a year or once in a benchmark year. Please remember that students should still
be conducting scientific investigations in between these assessments to enhance their
understanding and use of the scientific method, and the process skills. NOTE: There are
no student sheets to this assessment because of its design.

Assessment Options: Because of the time factor, when grading experiments and science
projects teachers should consider breaking the assessment into sections. This will allow
for multiple local grades to be given and also allow the teacher to spread the evaluation
of student work over a broader expanse of time. Suggestions for splits:

Section #1 - Background Research and Stated Hypothesis; Section #2 - Identified

Variables and Experimental Procedure; Section #3 - Chart of Collected Data and Graph
of Results; Section #4 - Student Observations, Conclusions, Inferences,
Recommendations, and Teacher Observations

Other Advantages to Consider: A generic scoring rubric of this type gives you the option
of allowing students to pick their experiment, or opens the door for teachers of different
science courses to assess students in their particular field. This evaluation measures the
methodology and the processes which should be the same for all science fields.

Other Options: This generic rubric can easily be expanded to measure other science
skills as well, such use of scientific equipment, model formulation, proper safety
procedures, etc.

NOTE: This is only an example of what a science experiment rubric could resemble.
Please adapt it to fit your particular needs.

Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric for Experiments Using the Scientific Method:

Research:
Conclusive (Answer contains an exceptional amount of prior knowledge): 3 pts. exceeds
Partially conclusive ( Answer contains a reasonable amount of prior knowledge): 2 pts.
meets Inconclusive: (Answer indicates lack of prior knowledge): 1 pt. does not meet

Hypothesis:

Correctly stated with both variables identified: 3 pts. exceeds/meets No hypothesis: 1 pt.
does not meet

Variables:

All variables are stated correctly: 3 pts. exceed All variables are stated correctly, but not
all controlled variables are listed: 2 pts. meet One of the three types of variables is
missing or incorrectly stated: 1 pt. does not meet

Procedure:

Easily followed containing all procedural steps in their correct order. Metric units are
used where necessary: 3 pts. exceeds Written, but some steps are vague or unclear.
Metric units are used: 2 pts. meets Procedure missing two or more critical steps; metric
units not used: 1 pt. does not meet

Chart of Data:

Complete and correctly labeled: 3 pts. exceeds Complete, but lacking a clearly
explanatory title and/or labeling: 2 pts. meets Incomplete, lacking any of the following:
a title, dependent or independent variable, or collected data: 1 pt. does not meet

Graph of Results:

Complete and correctly labeled: 3 pts. exceeds Complete, but lacking a clearly
explanatory title and/or labeling: 2 pts. meets Incomplete; lacking any of the following:
a title, dependent or independent variable, or collected data: 1 pt. does not meet

Observations:

Very descriptive using a variety new vocabulary terms: 3 pts. exceeds Partially
conclusive using some new vocabulary terms: 2 pts. meets Inconclusive demonstrating
limited vocabulary terms: 1 pt. does not meet

Conclusions, Inferences, and Recommendations:

Tells whether hypothesis was proven correct or incorrect by providing sufficient
information for all of the following - conclusion (a statement of the results), inferences
(assumptions that can be drawn from the conclusion) and recommendations for the
design of a new experiment: 3 pts. exceeds Provides sufficient information for any two
of the following - conclusion, inferences, recommendations: 2 pts. meets Provides
insufficient information for two or all of the following - conclusion, inferences,
recommendations: 1 pt. does not meet

Teacher Observation:

Student performed experiment honestly, accurately, and independently: 3 pts. exceeds

Student performed experiment honestly and accurately, but needed teacher assistance: 2
pts. meets Student did not perform the experiment honestly and/or accurately: 1 pt. does
not meet

Overall Rating:

Exceeds = 25 - 27 pts. Meets = 18 - 24 pts. Does Not Meet = Below 18 pts.