Assessing projects fairly: a rubric for science and model work

The problem with marking models

Teachers who have marked forty projects in an evening know the difficulty. The most polished model is not always the one the student understood best. An expensive kit, a helpful uncle or a parent who built it overnight can make a project look excellent. Meanwhile, a student who built a modest model alone, tested it three times and explained it well may be overlooked. A clear rubric helps you reward learning rather than spending.

What to assess

Decide first what the project is for, and tell students before they start. Most science projects can be judged on five things. Weights can be adjusted to your school's scheme, and exact marks should follow your board's guidance.

• Understanding of the science: can the student explain the idea and answer questions on it?
• Process: did the student plan, test, change and improve, and is there a record of it?
• Working and accuracy: does the model do what it is meant to, and is it safe?
• Recording and presentation: are observations clear, labelled and honest, with diagrams and tables?
• Own work and creativity: has the student made it themselves, with some original thought?

A four-level rubric

Use four levels for each criterion, with short descriptions so that all markers read them alike. Here is a sample for "understanding", which you can copy for the other criteria.

1. Level 4, secure: explains the idea in their own words, links it to daily life, answers follow-up questions and can say what would change if a variable changed.
2. Level 3, good: explains the main idea correctly with small gaps, and answers most questions with a little prompting.
3. Level 2, developing: repeats parts of the explanation from the guide, with limited understanding of why it works.
4. Level 1, beginning: cannot explain the idea, or the explanation does not match the model.

Assess the process, not only the product

Ask students to keep a project diary, with dated entries: what they planned, what they did, what went wrong and what they changed. Check it briefly each week. A diary with honest entries about failures is stronger evidence of learning than a perfect model. Photographs of the building stages also help show whose hands made it. In groups, ask each member to write a line on what they personally did, and give a mark for individual understanding at the viva, not just for the group model.

Use a short viva

A two-minute conversation with each student is the quickest way to see who understands. Ask open questions: what does your model show? what happens if you change this? why did you choose this material? what went wrong, and how did you fix it? where do we use this idea? Do not trick students; listen for understanding, not memorised phrases. The free guides on this site include sample viva questions that can be adapted.

Fairness across different homes

• Tell students and parents the criteria in advance, and that cost and decoration do not earn marks.
• Set a materials limit or encourage waste materials, so that everyone has equal chances.
• Do the building in school where possible, so that the work is seen and no one gets outside help.
• Give the same time and the same guide to every group.
• Watch for bias: neat handwriting, confident speakers and favourite students can sway marks. Cover names when marking written reports if you can.
• Allow students with special needs alternative ways of showing understanding, such as speaking rather than writing.

Give feedback that helps

Marks matter, but comments matter more. Write one thing done well and one thing to improve, in specific terms: "your table is clear and complete; next time repeat the test to check the result". Share the rubric with students after marking, so that they can see where they stood. Invite them to reflect on what they would do differently. This is how assessment becomes learning.

Keeping records

Keep a simple class sheet with columns for each criterion and a space for remarks. Photograph models, with permission, before they go home. Store the sheet safely, since a record of each student's growth over a year is very useful for parent meetings. If your school uses a grade scheme, convert levels to grades according to the school's policy, and keep your own notes on the process as evidence.