History
COURSE RUBRICS
Dr. Dennis
Rubric #1
Defining Class Participation.
Class participation is an essential component to studying and learning world history. The discovery of
knowledge and the transmission of ideas cannot take place in isolation. Class participation is more than just
showing up to class and occupying space in a chair. Students need to obtain the necessary skills to navigate
academia and participating in all aspects of the educational process will strengthen skills. Class
participation for this course is defined as class attendance, responding to course emails, attending office
hours, and turning in notes taking during lecture.
Components of Class Participation
Poor
Fair
Good
0-10 pts
11-20 pts
25 pts
Participation
Poor
Fair
Good
Class participation is a
graded requirement for
Poor attitude toward
Little involvement in
Allot of involvement in
this course. In order to
projects and class
general lecture
class discussions; many
participate in class, you
discussions; no comments discussions; comments are comments shared, attends
must attend class.
or thoughts offered during forced out of student. Is class on time and is
discussions. Is frequently late once or twice to class prepared.
late to class.
and unprepared for
topic.
Notes
Poor
Fair
Good
From time to time, the
instructor will ask
Does not turn in notes
Takes general notes each Notes follow the general
students to turn in their
from class lecture. Does lecture. Notes do not
course of the lecture.
notes, following a
not take notes with
include adequate
Notes include information
lecture.
enough frequency.
information on important on dates, concepts,
dates, concepts, themes, themes, names and events.
names and events. Notes Notes are organized and
are not organized,
demonstrate a excellent
haphazardly written, and awareness of lecture.
demonstrate just a general
awareness of the lecture.
Attending Office Hours
Poor
Fair
Good
Students are expected to
attend two (2) office
Does not attend two
Attend one office hour
Attends both office hour
hours during the semester
office-hour sessions
session during the
sessions, comes prepared
By attending office hours,
during the semester.
semester. Does not come with questions and/or
students are learning how
prepared to discuss
concerns, brings
to effectively
academic performance or assignments or essay
communicate with an
ways to sustain or
rough drafts to instructor
instructor, which can
improve skills. Does not for review.
benefit their academic
bring assignments or
experience.
essay rough drafts.
Course Emails
Poor
Fair
Good
General course emails are Does not answer any of
frequently sent
the course emails
throughout the semester.
Answers a couple of
Responds promptly to
emails; lacks proper email each course email with
1
Students need to learn to
frequently check and
communicate with
instructors via email.
Students should respond
to course emails, which
indicate a response is
needed.
Proper email etiquette
will be discussed on the
first day.
throughout the semester. etiquette and/or answers
emails after the fact.
Does not bring email
attachments/Moodle
documents to class
proper email etiquette.
Will ask follow-up
questions for clarification
about content in course
email.
Rubric #2: Short Answer Paragraph (s)
When writing a one or two paragraph answers for course exams, this rubric defines what your answer will
be graded on.
Short Answer Paragraph(s)
Grading
Poor (D/F)
Components
(N/A)
Grammar &
Poor (D/F)
Spelling
15 % of grade
Paragraph has many
grammatical and
Students need to
spelling errors.
demonstrate proper
grammatical skills
in college level
writing exams.
Content
Poor (D/F)
75 % of grade
The content of the
paragraph should
answer the question
and demonstrate
both breadth and
depth of history.
Question was not
fully addressed in
answer. Did not
provide details, such
as names, dates,
events, people.
Fair (C)
(N/A)
Fair (C)
Above Average (B) Excellent (A)
(N/A)
(N/A)
Above Average Excellent (A)
(B)
Paragraph has more
Paragraph does not
than three
Paragraph has one or have any
grammatical and
two grammatical and grammatical or
spelling errors.
spelling errors.
spelling errors.
Fair (C)
Above Average Excellent (A)
(B)
Question was
Question was
addressed but not
answered correctly
Question was
answered
with details, such as
addressed and
sufficiently.
answered somewhat names, dates, events
Sentences were short sufficiently, as
and people.
with no elaboration. sentences were
Sentences provided
Provided general
longer in length with full details and
details, but did not some elaboration.
explanations.
cite specific details Provided a few
Described places,
in answer. Provided general details and events, and people;
an overview, but
included one or two provided historical
lack substance.
specific details, such background;
as a date, or the last demonstrated both
breadth and depth of
name of a person.
subject/topic
Provided a solid
overview, but could
have elaborated on
specific issues in
several places.
2
Length
10 % of grade
Poor (D/F)
Fair (C)
Above Average Excellent (A)
(B)
Paragraph was not Sentence length met
Sentence length met
Students need to be fifteen sentences in the requirement.
Sentence length met the requirement.
comfortable with
length.
the requirement.
different types of
writing answers to
exam questions. The
length of the
paragraph is fifteen
sentences. This
means that your
answer needs to be
focused and
organized.
Rubric #3: Short Essay/ Long Paragraph
Poor
(D/F)
Introductory
paragraph
5 pts Thesis
statement
Support
15 pts Use of
Evidence Within
Essay
Content
15 pts Development
of Ideas
Poor
Fair
(C)
Good
(B)
Fair
The introduction
The introduction
does not clearly state states the topic and
the topic, and/or no includes a thesis
thesis statement is statement, but the
present.
thesis is either
flawed or does not
provide a preview of
the main points of
the essay.
Poor
No sufficient
number of evidence,
misinterpreted
evidence, and/or no
evidence is used to
support the author's
main points.
Poor
Fair
The evidence
provides some
support to the
author's main
points.
Fair
Good
Excellent
(A)
Excellent
The introduction
The introduction is
clearly states the
very interesting,
topic and includes an clearly states the
adequate thesis
topic that will be
statement that
developed in the
provides a preview essay, and includes a
of the main points of well-constructed
the essay.
thesis statement that
provides a preview
of the main points of
the paper.
Good
Appropriate and
adequate number of
evidence is used to
support the author's
main points.
Good
The writer is unclear The writer shows an The writer has a
about the topic he or understanding of the good control of the
she is writing about. topic, but some ideas topic he or she is
The discussion is not are not fully
writing about. Main
Excellent
Strong and adequate
number of evidence
is used to support the
author's main points.
Excellent
The author
demonstrates a
superior
understanding of the
3
focused.
Conclusion
5 pts
Organization and
Language
10 pts
developed.
Poor
Fair
The essay does not
contain a detailed
conclusion restating
the thesis or main
points. The essay
ends with the reader
doubting the
viewpoint of the
author. The meaning
of the discussion is
not clear.
The essay has a
conclusion restating
the thesis or main
points. The reader is
not completely
convinced as the
conclusion is not
fully clear.
Poor
Fair
The paper lacks
internal paragraph
coherence. Some
ideas do not relate to
the thesis and/or a
few paragraphs lack
topic sentences.
The paper, at times,
does not flow
smoothly from
paragraph to
paragraph. A few
topic sentences are
either general or
flawed.
ideas are adequately topic he or she is
developed.
writing about. Main
ideas are fully
developed.
Good
Excellent
The essay has a
The essay has a
detailed conclusion detailed conclusion
restating the thesis or restating the thesis or
main points. Little main points and
doubt is left in the wrapped up the
reader's mind.
paper satisfactorily.
The reader is fully
convinced by the
author's argument.
Good
Excellent
Proper transitions
are used. Every
paragraph contains a
clear topic sentence.
Ideas flow logically
from one paragraph
to the next.
Excellent transitions
and topic sentences
are used in the paper
to guide readers
through the
progression of ideas.
Readers can see how
one idea is
developed from the
previous one.
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