th
Please save this rubric and return on AprillS (Wednesday).
NEWLY REVISED Science Fair Project Rubric
Any late projects will have 5 points taken off the final grade for each day it is late.
1 2 3
Part I: Scientific Method
Purpose Purpose is two of the Purpose is one of the Purpose is specific/clear, testable, and
following: not following: not specific/clear, stated as a one-sentence question.
specific/clear, testable, or testable, or stated as a one-
stated as a one-sentence sentence question.
question.
Background/Research Research is two of the Research is one of the Research is related to the project,
following: not related to the following: not related to the explains the scientific concept behind
topic, explains the scientific topic, explains the scientific the project, written in paragraph form,
concept behind the project, concept behind the project, and in student voice.
written in paragraph form, and written in paragraph form, and
in student voice. in student voice, or it is too
short.
Hypothesis Hypothesis does not answer Hypothesis answers the Hypothesis is clear, concise,
the purpose question. purpose question but is not measurable, and answers the purpose
clear, concise, or measurable. question.
Materials The materials for the project is Some, but not all materials All the materials used for the project
not listed or mostly used for the project are listed are listed.
incomplete
Proced u ref experi ment Procedure is described poorly Procedure is described in Procedure is described step-by-step
and unclear. paragraph form and is easily and is easily understood by the
understood by the audience or audience when presented.
written step-by-step but not
easily understood.
Data The data table/graph is not The data table/graph is not The data table/graphs are clearly ,,
,
labeled clearly and is missing a labeled clearly or missing a labeled and titled. The data provides
title. Data is not relevant to title. The data provides information that answers the purpose
the purpose question. information that answers the question. It is quantitative. Student
Performs only one trial. purpose question. It is performed multiple trials.
qualitative. Performs only one
trial.
Conclusion/Analysis Missing two of the following: Missing one of the following: Restates the purpose, hypothesis,
Restates the purpose, Restates the purpose, whether the hypothesis was correct or
hypothesis, whether the hypothesis, whether the not, and results are used to answer the
hypothesis was correct or not, hypothesis was correct or not, purpose question and explain why it
and results are used to answer and results are used to answer happened.
the purpose question and why the purpose question and why
it happened. it happened.
Bibliography No resources are in the correct Some sources are not written All resources are written in the correct
format and does not list all in the correct format and/or format and categorized in groups such
resources used. do not list the sources books, websites, and/or other media.
according to categories such as
books, websites, other media.
Part II: Appearance
Graphics/color Design does not grab your
. Missing one or two of the Overall.design catches your attention
attention (need to use more following: Display title and and draws you in. Display title and
color/graphics/borders). headings for the scientific headings for the scientific method are
Display title and headings are method are large enough to be large enough to be seen from a
not large enough to be seen seen from a distance. Pictures distance. Pictures represent the
from a distance. Pictures are represent the process of the process of the experiment and have
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not included or irrelevant to experiment and have captions. captions. Shows use of markers,
the experiment. Shows use of markers, stencils, stencils, punch out lettering, and lor
punch out lettering, and lor rulers. Careful attention to detail. No
rulers. Careful attention to large empty space.
detail. (No extra effort was put
in to make the display board
look appealing. Needs more
color/graphics.) Has empty
space on the board.
Organization/ Display is messy has crooked Display is neat, scientific Scientific method is placed in order,
mechanics letters, cross-outs, white-out. method steps are mostly in easy to follow, effort was taken to
No attention to detail. Many order and somewhat easy to make the lettering and pictures look
errors in grammar, spelling, or follow). Most parts of the straight and neat. Everything is clearly
punctuation. display are labeled. Several labeled. Grammar, spelling, and
minor errors in grammar, punctuation are used correctly.
spelling or punctuation.
Originality Project or approach is Project or approach is Project or approach is unique. Student
common or below/above common. Some effort is took a commonly used topic and
middle school grade level (too shown to make it original by changed it to make it different and
easy or too difficult for the changing a small part of it. interesting.
student)
Presentation Student mumbles or speaks Has some difficulty in Clearly describes the project in a step
very low. Has difficulty explaining the project in a by step easy to follow manner. Speaks
explaining the project and clear and easy to follow with knowledge and understanding of
answering the questions. manner. Has some difficulty the project in interesting and
Shows no interest in the answering questions about the enthusiastic way. Can easily answer
project. The actual project project. Giggles during the questions about the project.
does not work or function presentation.
properly.
Total points: Final grade:
36-35 100A+ Comments:
34-31 93 A
30-27 90 B+
26-23 85 B
22-19 80 C+
18-15 75 C
14 70 D
13-10 65 F
