How to Make a Rubric for Essay Writing

By Shelley Gray, eHow Contributor

A rubric is a tool used for assessment of learning. It consists of specific criteria, divided into levels and shows detailed expectations of each. A rubric serves primarily as a guide for teachers when assessing student work; however, it is especially effective when created along with students, as it then serves as a student guide when completing the assignment. When creating a rubric to be used for assessing an essay, there are some general guidelines that should be followed.

Instructions

1. Instructions

   • 1
     Decide on specific criteria that you would like your students to exhibit in the essay. Examples are: use of language and voice, conventions, bibliography or knowledge and understanding of concept. Allowing your students to be involved in this process will often result in a higher standard of essay writing.
     
   • 2
     Create a table that is five-columns wide. The amount of rows will depend on the number of criteria that you have. This should generally be between four and eight
     
   • 3
     Label the table. The headings for the columns will be: "Criteria," "Level 1," "Level 2," "Level 3" and "Level 4." The headings of the rows should be written in the "Criteria" column and will differ depending on the criteria that you have chosen.
     
   • 4
     Think about what a perfect essay would consist of. Fill this information in under the "Level 4" column header. Examples of words that should be used are: "thorough," "high," "highly" or "all". For example, a Level 4 entry for a bibliography could be, "All sources are listed and written with a high degree of accuracy."
     
   • 5
     Think about what an essay that is far below your expectations would consist of. Fill this information in under the "Level 1" column header. Examples of words that should be used are: "limited," "minimal," "sometimes" or "few." For example, a Level 1 entry for a bibliography could be, "Few sources are listed and written with a minimal level of accuracy."
     
   • 6
     Looking at the Level 1 and Level 4 expectations, fill in Level 2 and Level 3. For Level 2, you should use words such as: "some," "moderate" or "generally." For Level 3, consider using words like "considerable" and "most."
     
   • 7
     Review the rubric and ensure that the descriptions of criteria flow smoothly from Level 1 to Level 4.
      How to Make a Rubric for Essay Writing | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7197602_make-rubric-essay-writing.html#ixzz22IXuPIZL