Class-Created Rubrics

It was in the first few weeks of my practicum when the earthquake and tsunami occurred in Japan and naturally my students were very interested in the event.  My associate teacher and I took the opportunity to explore the details of the devastation, and to teach global awareness to students that live in safe, comfortable houses here in Toronto.  At the time I was completing lessons with the students on Area, Perimeter, and Grids, and wanted to incorporate the current events of Japan into our math in some way.  I decided that I wanted to blend math and social studies together and have students do a research-related project with a partner to look at the land and communities that were affected by the earthquake and tsunami, including the area and amount of land that was ruined. 

With the class, we created a rubric to use in assessment as their projects were completed.  We began by looking at what a Level 3 assignment would look like, and filled in the rest of the boxes afterwards.  I had never made a rubric with the class before, but their ideas were stimulating and interesting and I could definitely feel their involvement during the process.  They were engaged in how they were going to be assessed, and we were able to create something that all parties (student, teacher, and myself) could agree upon that was fair, challenging, and appropriate for the assignment.

I learned that creating rubrics with the students can help increase their motivation in the assignment as they feel motivated to use what they created themselves.  There is a new sense of responsibility as they feel ownership over what they decided as a collective group.  I had concerns that the students would not challenge themselves as see this group-created rubric as a 'free ride', but I was sorely mistaken and was shown the complete opposite. They are interested in their progress, their grades, their contributions to the class.  I could see a large change in the dynamics of the class as the students worked with their partners to complete the assignment, using the rubric that they also created themselves.

Below is a copy of the rubric we created.

RUBRIC	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding	-Group shows minimal understanding of events that have occurred -Information is limited and non-relevant -Group does not identify connections between math and social studies	-Group shows some understanding of events that have occurred -Minimal information is given in a broad, vague manner -Group makes small connections between math and social studies	-Group shows a good understanding of events that have occurred -Information is detailed, specific, and clear -Identifies connections between math and social studies	-Group shows an excellent understanding of events that have occurred and presents plenty of information -Information that is presented is highly detailed, relevant, specific, and clear -Group clearly identifies connections between math (area/perimeter/grids)
Thinking	-Group shows a minimal understanding of how the disaster affects lives of people in various communities -Group shows limited or no examples of thinking globally or showing empathy	-Group shows a decent understanding of how the disaster affects lives of people in various communities -Group shows minimal examples of thinking globally, showing empathy	-Group shows an understanding of how the disaster affects lives of people in various communities -Group shows examples of thinking globally, showing empathy	-Group shows an exceptional understanding of how the disaster has affected lives from various communities, both in Canada and Japan -Group shows several examples of thinking globally, acting locally, and expressing empathy
Communication	-Poster is unorganized, plain, not creative -Poster contains minimal photos and information -Presentation is unorganized, does not provide the audience with important information	-Poster is fairly neat, has some elements of creativity and organization -Poster contains some photos, drawings, and headings -Presenters speak fairly clearly and provide the audience with information as requested	-Poster is neat, organized, and creative -Poster has several photos, drawings, graphs, headings, and other visually appealing characteristics. -Presenters speak with clear, articulate voices, providing the audience with important information	-Poster is very neat, organized, creative, and detailed -Poster includes a variety of resources, graphs, photos, headings, drawings, etc. -Presenters speak with clear, articulate voices and are obviously knowledgeable on the topic if asked questions
Application	-Group does not provide an example of how students at their school can help those in Japan -Group completes minimal reflection requirements (5 sentences) and does not express personal feelings regarding the disaster	-Group gives an example of how students at their school can help those in Japan -Group reflects on their personal feelings regarding the disaster	-Group gives examples of how students at their school can help those in Japan -Group thoughtfully reflects on their personal feelings regarding the disaster	-Group gives several examples of how students at their school can help those in Japan, and/or communities in Canada -Group thoughtfully reflects on their personal feelings regarding the disaster, and offers suggestions for students, staff, the community, and the government to assist those in Japan