Using Rubrics to Grading Interactive Notebooks

Rubrics are essential tools for grading interactive notebooks at any grade level. Depending on the grade level, it is important you have a guideline about what you want to grade on.

Grading interactive notebooks can be simple or complex. But without a rubric to help you gauge how well students are doing in class, it can be difficult to develop lesson plans or activities.

In this way, you can check how helpful it is for students to keep up with interactive notebooks in class. When grading interactive notebooks with rubrics, it is necessary to have a system in place for all students to know.

Rubric Samples

Here, I show you three simple examples of rubrics when grading interactive notebooks.

Rubric Sample #1: Language Class

You can make rubrics as long or as short as you’d like. However, it is best to keep the rubric scoring between 5-10 points.

When grading language interactive notebooks, it is usually best to keep the scoring at 10 points. You can decide the best scale for your class.

For instance, if you have an inclusion classroom with many diverse learners, then you might have to adjust the scoring to meet accommodations.

This sample rubric consists of 5 factors necessary to keep up to date with an interactive notebook: organization, vocabulary, activities, language development, and writing.

One of the best aspect of a language rubric is that you can explain in detail what you’re grading. For instance, you want to keep the scoring the same throughout the rubric if it benefits the majority of the class.

On the other hand, if you feel the class is an advanced or honors class, you can change the rubric. In this way, you make sure students are challenged enough to learn.

More importantly, the descriptions in rubrics have positive remarks more than negative ones. You want to encourage students to prove mastery. The use of interactive notebooks is a learning process not a definite fail or pass process.

The hamburger method is another easy to use rubric. In this fun rubric, you can apply it to writing samples in their notebooks or paragraphs.

Rubric Sample #2: Science Class

Science rubrics, depending on grade level, need more details. When grading interactive notebooks in science class, you want to look for specific standards.

For example, lab activities and experiments are important parts of science class. This is where students apply their prior and new knowledge. When students’ notebooks don’t show mastery of science concepts, it is reflected in their writing and scientific communication.

One way to help students master science concepts is to allow them to explore in their notebooks. Since much of the activities is done in notebooks, rubrics for science are divided into 5 sections.

The 5 sections are organization, note-taking, lab and activities, and science communication. The scoring of the rubric is 5 or 10 points, depending on your grading scale.

Organization and note-taking are very important aspects in grading interactive notebooks in science. If you recall from the introduction of interactive notebooks, the right side of the notebook is the instruction section.

When students don’t have this section organized and with the correct notes, grades begin to suffer.

The lab and activities section is the most demanding section of the notebook. Therefore,  it is so important students realize the critical thinking and metacognition are executed as they are doing experiments.

Science can’t be an effective learning experience if we don’t know how to use proper terms. So, it is essential students learn how to use simple vocabulary terms or phrases as they learn new concepts.

Rubric Sample #3: Projects

Rubrics for projects are more elaborate. These guidelines need more detail and explanation. They also tend to be worth more points since students have to work on projects for a lengthy time.

If you use rubrics for projects, they tend to be more for upper level or honor classes. However, regular classes can also use this rubric, but I suggest to give students plenty of time to complete projects.

As a matter of fact, students prefer to work in partners or groups for projects. When you give them the option to work individually or in groups, students do better.

Many times, students raise their grades, study harder, and use time management skills more effectively.

Rubrics in grading interactive notebooks is not just another grading technique. Thus, it helps you in achieving the educational goals in certain topics otherwise difficult for students to learn.

Student engage and focus on what they are learning. Also, they take part more insightful answers and improve their thinking skills.