Grading Criteria for Research Paper 

Needs
No Credit Insufficient Good Excellent
  Improvement
0 pts 1 pts 3 pts 4 pts
2 pts
TITLE  No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent
Improvement
No Title  Title page missing, Average - basics Complete.
but title present on Title page covered, but may Excellent quality.
first page  Incomplete  have incorrect font Correct font, all
or poor information
appearance  present. 

INTRODUCTION  No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Improvement
No introduction  Unclear. Major Minor errors in one Clearly stated:
errors and Minor errors in two area.  Justification for
omissions.  or three areas. your topic,
importance of
Does the understanding your
background relate topic
to the topic? Is the Citations used
topic stated? Is the appropriately. 
hypothesis stated?
etc. 

Materials and No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Methods 
Improvement
No materials and Unclear, Major Minor errors in one Flows clearly. All
methods  errors and Major errors and or two areas.  pertininent
omissions.  omissions, and/or information on how
minor errors in 3+ the experiment
areas. was conducted is
Such as using: I, included. 
we, us, etc.;having
a list of
materials;writing
as a set of
instructions to
someone else; etc.

Results  No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Improvement
No Results  Data tables and Data tables and Clear data tables
graphs are Data tables and graphs are clear and graphs. Text
disorganized, one graphs are present, and easy to accurately points to
or more may be but may not be understand. Only important trends in
missing. No written labeled clearly. minor errors are the data. 
explanation of the Written text is present in the
data.  confusing.  written text 

Conclusion / No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Discussion 
Improvement
No conclusion  Conclusions Clearly stated Clearly stated
unclear and Conclusions conclusions. conclusions. Critical
disorganized. unclear and More in-depth thinking applied to
Critical thinking disorganized. Lack analysis would discussion of
skills not applied.  of in-depth improve papter.  principles,
Major omissions in analysis. Minor omissions in significance and
discussion.  Major omissions in discussion.  techniques.
discussion.  Citations used
appropriately. 

Literature Cited  No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Improvement
Not included Major errors and Minor errors in one Correct CSE
(Plagiarized)  omissions. Less Minor errors in two area; At least three format.
than 3 appropriate areas or major appropriate All citations in text
references. errors in one area, references.  are in bibliography
Portions appear to and/or less than 3 and vice versa. At
be plagiarized appropriate least five
because of lack of references, or appropriate
references and/or Quotations lacking references. 
quotes  where needed. 

OVERALL  No Credit Insufficient Needs Good Excellent

Improvement
Does not contain Mainly Average Cohesive, Consice,
all required uninformative. Disorganized. organization, some Organization
componenets  Detracts from Errors in areas could be enhances
presentation. communication better organized. presentation. 
Guidelines not met. and/or guidelines. Minor errors in Guidelines met.
Major errors in Major errors in grammar and/or Proper grammar
language usage. grammar and/or spelling.  and spelling. 
spelling. 

DNA 3-D Model 

Marginally
Outstanding Very Effective Effective Ineffective
  Effective
10 pts 8 pts 6 pts 2 pts
4 pts
Construction / Outstanding Very Effective Effective Marginally Ineffective
Materials 
Effective
Appropriate Appropriate Appropriate Inappropriate
materials were materials were materials were Some appropriate materials were
selected and selected and there selected and materials were selected and
creatively modified was an attempt at modified to create selected but contributed to a
in ways that made creative a model.  minimal product that
them even better. modification to modification was performed poorly. 
Student went make them even attempted to
above and beyond better.  create structure. 
criteria for project.

Quality of work  Outstanding Very Effective Effective Marginally Ineffective

Effective
Great care taken in Constuction was Construction Construction
construction careful and accurately followed Construction appears almost
process so that the accurate for the the plans, but 3-4 appears careless or non-existent.
structure is neat, most part, but 1-2 details could have haphazard. Many Student supplied
attractive and details could have been refined for a details need some material that
follows plans been refined for a more attractive refinement for a has no organization
accurately.  more attractive product.  strong or attractive or evidence of
product.  product  product. 

Meiosis/Mitosis Outstanding Very Effective Effective Marginally Ineffective

criteria 
Effective
Included all Included most Included some of Included almost no
required aspects of required aspects of the required Included very few required aspects of
cell division cell division (1 aspects of cell required aspects of cell division (more
model.  criteria left out). division (2-3 cell division (4-5 than 5 criteria left
Can still see criteria left out). criteria left out). out). Materials
 specific structures can still see little recognized used to produce
and difference differences.  structure.  something hard to
between mitosis recognize mitosis
and meiosis.  and meiosis. 

Accuracy  Outstanding Very Effective Effective Marginally Ineffective

Effective
All aspects of cell All aspects of cell All aspects of cell All aspects of cell
division model are division are division are All aspects of cell divsion are
completed with no completed with 1 completed with 2-3 division are completed with
mistakes. Structure mistake in mistakes in completed with 4-5 more than 5
and chromosome Structure and Structure and mistakes in mistakes in
pairing, etc. are chromosome chromosome Structure and Structure and
accurate.  pairing, etc.  pairing, etc.  chromosome chromosome
pairing, etc.  pairing, etc. 

Presentation  Outstanding Very Effective Effective Marginally Ineffective

Effective
Able to completely Explains cell Explains cell Unable to
explain the steps of division and division and Explains cell accuratley explain
cell division and compares mitosis compares mitosis division and cell division and
compare mitosis and meiosis with 1- and meiosis with 3- compares mitosis mitosis and
and meiosis with 2 mistakes.  4 mistakes.  and meiosis with 5- meiosis. 
no mistakes.  6 mistakes. 

Rubric for Oral Report

Attribute 1 - Not Acceptable
Effective use of Visual Aids (VA)  
Clarity and readability of overheads not clear or unreadable
Use of space on VA VA unreadable because too
crowded
Lettering readable font unreadable
Color, over- or under-use (if used) colors too hard to distinguish,
colors do not project well
Wording concise slides full of text
Appropriate amount of information per VA so much or so little information
per VA to make VA useless
Effective use of Software to prepare visual aids sloppy, format for graphs not
followed
Presentation organization  
Logical order of topics totally disjointed, no
organization
Appropriate use of time: Not too long /short far too long or far too short
Complete "story" told story missing, no story told
Introduction and overview: Problem stated problem not stated,
Constraints and assumptions explained missing constraints or
assumptions
Methodology or approach: coverage appropriate (if applicable) methodology not explained
Problem solution problem not solved or solution
not explained
Conclusions/Recommendations: Significance explained inadequate conclusions or
recommendations, or
conclusion and
recommendations not based
on facts presented
Group Presentation (if applicable)  
Even division of effort one person clearly dominates
or did not contribute
Interaction between team members it is clear that solution did not
result from good team
interaction
All members of group understand solution clearly at least one member
unaware of solution/strategy
Presentation Mechanics  
Voice volume, enunciation, speed unintelligible or had to
Hesitations, other voice habits presentation full of hesitations, some hesitations, ums, ahs,
ums, ahs, etc.
Distracting mannerisms presentation full of distracting some distracting mannerisms no distracting mannerisms
mannerisms such as giggling
Maintaining eye contact no eye contact at all
Poise clearly unsure, nervous,
confused
Body language immobile, hands in pockets, or didn't always indicate how
blocked screen
Response to Questions  
Direct / evasive non-responsive
Complete nonexistent
Appropriate participation (for groups/if applicable) clearly at least one member
unable to respond
2 - Below Expectations 3 - Meets Expectations 4 - Exceeds Expectations Score
       
difficult to read clear and readable superior clarity and readability
too little or too much appropriate amount of VAs very well designed  
information of VA information on VA
font too small font readable    
poor choice and use of colors primary/easily distinguishable use of color enhances clarity of  
colors presentation
slides too wordy slides appropriate    
too much information per VA, appropriate level of information    
missing information such as per slide
labels on axis
poor, some format errors appropriate, all formats superior clarity, all formats
followed followed
       
some items presented out of organization as per guidelines superior organization  
order enhances communication
somewhat too long or too short appropriate length    
story incomplete complete story told    
problem poorly stated problem clearly stated problem clearly stated, good  
perspective on problem shown
some constants or constraints and assumptions constraints and assumptions  
assumptions not stated stated clearly stated and explained
methodology unclear methodology clear theoretical development  
methodology so clear as not to
require questioning
problem solution fuzzy most of problem solution problem solution superior or  
explained beyond expectations
present, but not logical, present, logical, significance present, logical, superior  
significance not explained clearly explained explanations of significance
and relevance
       
apparent uneven distribution of even division of effort each member made a  
effort significant contribution
poor interaction between team good teamwork clearly team functioned well,  
members apparent product clearly exceeds sum of
parts
unclear that all members all members understand all members understand  
understand solution and complete solution and solution, what they did, and
methodology methodology what team members did
       
voice hard to hear, words voice clearly heard, words voice projected very well, clear  
slurred or voice trails off, clearly enunciated, did not enunciation, did not speak too
spoke too slow or too fast, speak too slowly or too rapidly slowly or rapidly
monotone with little emphasis
clear, continuous presentation, superior presentation, free of  
etc. perhaps a few ums, ahs, etc. ums, ahs, etc.
superior presentation  
poor eye contact &endash; maintained eye contact other maintained eye contact with all  
looking down or at screen than quick glances at screen segments of the audience
significant portion of time
at times appears unsure, composed at all times exudes/convey confidence  
nervous, confused
consistently used gestures to excellent use gestures to
material on VA was related to coordinate oral and visual provide emphasis
presentation presentation
       
evasive or inaccurate clear and direct very clear and complete  
incomplete complete complete and enhancing result  
and communication
not all members participate all members participate all members can answer  
appropriately appropriately questions on all aspects of
presentation