Biography Presentation Rubric—Middle School

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Theme

My biography has a theme that reflects what is unique, interesting, and important about the person I am writing about.

My biography attempts to have a theme but generally just has a topic.

My biography has a topic, rather than a theme.

My biography is about many different topics.

Elaboration

My biography includes a wide variety of relevant, concrete details.

My biography includes relevant, concrete details.

My biography includes some concrete details.

My biography includes very few concrete details.

Interpretation

I use my own experiences and knowledge to draw reasonable conclusions about the facts of the person’s life that relate to my biography’s theme.

I use my own experiences and knowledge to draw some conclusions about the facts of the person’s life.

I try to draw some conclusions about the person’s life, but I include mostly known facts and conclusions.

My biography includes only known facts.

Research Sources

I get information for my biography from a variety of credible primary and secondary sources.

I get information for my biography from at least three credible sources.

I get information for my biography from two or fewer sources, and some of my sources are not very credible.

I get information for my biography from just one source, or the sources I use are all of questionable credibility.

Source Citation

I cite all my sources correctly, including those that I paraphrase and quote directly.

I cite all my sources, including those that I paraphrase and quote directly. I may have some minor errors in citation form.

I cite most of my sources, but I do not cite those that I paraphrase. I have some errors in citation form.

I do not cite several of my sources, and I have many errors in citation form.

Writing: Organization

My biography has a title and introduction that presents the theme and makes the audience curious. It also has a conclusion that makes an important statement about the theme.

My biography has a title and introduction that introduces the theme. It also has a conclusion that emphasizes the theme.

My introduction and conclusion do not enhance the theme of my biography.

My biography is missing an introduction, a conclusion, or both.

Writing: Transitions

I use transitions effectively to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs.

I use transitions to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs.

I try to use transitions to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, but sometimes my writing is awkward and choppy.

I rarely use transitions to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, and my writing is often awkward and choppy.

Writing: Language

I use powerful, concrete language to communicate my biography’s theme.

I use concrete language to communicate my biography’s theme.

I sometimes use concrete language, but most of my biography is vague and general.

The language in my biography is vague and general.

Format

I used a variety of features of the media I chose for my biography to enhance and effectively support my biography’s theme.

I used features of the media I chose for my biography to effectively tell a story.

I used some features of the media I chose for my biography effectively.

I used very few features of the media I chose for my biography effectively.

Conventions

My biography has no errors in grammar or mechanics.

My biography has no errors in grammar or mechanics that detract from the theme.

My biography has some errors in grammar and mechanics that detract from the theme.

My biography has so many errors in grammar and mechanics that my audience has difficulty understanding it.