Life on the American Frontier Rubric

Diary Entry
& Opinion
Essay

Exemplary
4
Student
maintained
focus on
prompt
Student wrote
from the point
of view of given
character

Qualified
3
Student mostly
maintained
focus
Student mostly
wrote from the
point of view of
the given
character

Information
stemmed from
research of the
Homestead Act

Most
information
stemmed from
research of the
Homestead Act

4
Student
brainstormed a
list of 10 pros &
cons

3
Student
brainstormed a
list of 7-9 pros &
cons

Student
thoughtfully
responded to all
6 questions on
the PowerPoint
handout

Student
responded to all
6 questions on
the PowerPoint
handout

Developing
2
Student often
lacked focus

Beginning
1
Student had no
focus

Student mostly
did not write
from the point of
view of the given
character

Student did not

write from the
point of view of
the given
character

Some
information
stemmed from
research of the
Homestead Act

No information
stemmed from
research of the
Homestead Act
1

PowerPoint
Response
and Pro/Con
Worksheet

2
Student
brainstormed a
list of 4-6 pros &
cons

Student
brainstormed a
list of 1-2 pros
& cons

Student briefly
responded to at
least 4 questions
on the
PowerPoint
handout

Student
responded to
less than 4
questions on
the PowerPoint
handout
1

2
Homestead
Act Poster

Student
presented a
polished and
thoughtful
poster,
containing at
least 7 separate
images relating
to the
Homestead Act
4

Student
presented a
poster that
contained at
least 5 images
that related to
the Homestead
Act

Student
presented a
poster
disordered
poster,
containing at
least 4 separate
images relating
to the
Homestead Act

Student
presented an
careless poster,
containing less
than 3 images
relating to the
Homestead Act

1
2

Critical

Student

Student

Student

Student

Thinking

Computer
Lab
Manners

Total: ____/20
____/100

demonstrated
higher level
thinking and
critical analysis
through the
entirety of the
WebQuest

demonstrated
some higher
level thinking
and critical
analysis through
the entirety of
the WebQuest

demonstrated
little higher level
thinking and
critical analysis
through the
entirety of the
WebQuest

Student
explored only
websites that
were part of the
Web Quest and
worked only on
Web Quest
material
4
20

Student
sometimes
explored other
websites OR
worked on other
assignments

Student often
explored other
websites OR
worked on other
assignments

3
15

demonstrated
very low critical
analysis and
high level
thinking
through the
entirety of the
WebQuest
1
Student did not
attempt to
work on Web
Quest while in
computer lab

2
10

1
5