Mod 5 Discussion: Formal and Informal Assessments

Both years that I have taught 7th Grade Life Science so far, we have had a final project where students make a "biome-in-a-box" diorama for a chosen biome. This diorama was accompanied by an essay in the form of a letter reporting about an expedition to the biome back to me directly. When the students are officially assigned this project, they are given a printed rubric that was picked over by myself and the other 7th grade science teachers at my school. What I think really worked about this particular rubric is that there is clear, quantitative information that is communicated and used to score the assignment (must have X amount of plants, X amount of animals, and the food web of energy transfer must be present and explained). Does the biome have only two discernable plants? It didn't accomplish that portion. I am sure you can imagine the rest. 

What I would do to expand my formative assessments that I want to use going forward is providing more scaled rubrics. The above rubric was quantitative, sure, but it still serves solely as a hollistic rubric. It would be much more effective if there were scaled sections for each quality being evaluated. 5 plants and 4 animals were present and related through a foodweb? 5 of 5 for that section. 4 plants and 3 animals were present and related through a foodweb? 4 of 5. X amount of each present but not related through a foodweb? I could go on and on, but I think the point is clear that scaling is necessary to better communicate the exact parameters I am looking for.