Science Rubric Builder

Build a science rubric for lab reports, experimental design, CER writing, or scientific models, assessing science practices and content understanding alongside procedural accuracy.

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  • Structured PDF with guiding questions per section
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When to use this template

  • Assessing lab reports and experimental investigations
  • CER writing across all science topics and grade levels
  • Scientific model assessment (diagrams, simulations, physical models)
  • Experimental design tasks where students plan their own investigations
  • Any science assessment where you want to assess reasoning, not just procedure and data

Template sections

Identify the task type and the science practices central to this assessment.

Task type (lab report, CER writing, experimental design, scientific model, presentation):

Grade and NGSS performance expectations (or equivalent):

Primary science practices being assessed:

Content knowledge being assessed:

Select criteria appropriate for your task type.

For lab reports: hypothesis, procedure, data collection, analysis, conclusion

For CER: claim, evidence, reasoning

For experimental design: question, variables, procedure, data plan

For models: accuracy, representation, utility

Selected criteria:

Write descriptors that distinguish between strong and weak scientific reasoning at each level.

Criterion 1 (e.g., CER, Reasoning):

Level 4: [what strong reasoning looks like]

Level 3: [meets standard]

Level 2: [approaching]

Level 1: [beginning]

(repeat for each criterion)

Include criteria for safety practices and scientific conduct, where relevant.

Safety criteria (if applicable):

Scientific practice criteria (e.g., following procedures, documenting observations, peer collaboration):

Data recording accuracy:

Scientific communication (appropriate vocabulary, conventions):

Define the scoring structure and how it applies to this task.

Points per criterion:

Total score and grade conversion:

How to handle missing data due to lab accidents:

Self-assessment component:

Revision policy:

The Flip Perspective

Science rubrics work when they assess thinking and reasoning alongside procedure and data collection. A student who collects careful data and analyzes it poorly demonstrates less scientific understanding than one who makes a collection error but reasons soundly about what the data shows. This builder helps you design rubrics that capture the full picture of scientific thinking.

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Adapting this Template

For Science

Science Rubric pairs well with lab work: the structured phases keep inquiry focused while leaving room for student-driven investigation.

About the Science Rubric framework

Science assessment should reflect the three-dimensional nature of science learning: disciplinary core ideas (content), science and engineering practices (what scientists do), and crosscutting concepts (patterns of thinking that span disciplines). A science rubric that only assesses whether students followed lab procedures and recorded correct data misses most of what science learning actually involves.

Lab report rubrics: The most common science rubric type. Strong lab report rubrics assess: question or hypothesis quality (does it show scientific thinking?), investigation design (was the procedure appropriate and controlled?), data quality (was data collected accurately and systematically?), analysis (does the student reason from data, not just restate it?), and conclusion (does the CER argument use evidence appropriately?).

CER rubrics: Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) writing is central to science communication. A dedicated CER rubric should assess each component separately: the claim (does it directly answer the question?), the evidence (is it from the investigation, specific, and sufficient?), and the reasoning (does it explain the scientific principle that connects evidence to claim?).

Scientific modeling rubrics: Models (diagrams, simulations, physical models) are a core science practice. Rubrics for scientific models should assess: accuracy (does the model correctly represent the phenomenon?), representation (does it use appropriate conventions?), and utility (can someone else use it to predict or explain the phenomenon?).

Experimental design rubrics: For tasks where students design their own investigations, the rubric should assess: question quality, variable identification, controlled experiment design, data collection plan, and safety considerations.

Science practice integration: Whatever task you are assessing, consider including a criterion for one or two science practices that were central to the lesson: asking questions, developing and using models, analyzing data, constructing explanations, or arguing from evidence. This signals to students that doing science is valued, not just knowing science content.

Analytic Rubric

Build an analytic rubric that evaluates student work across multiple criteria with distinct performance levels, giving students specific, actionable feedback on exactly what they did well and what to improve.

Self-Assessment Rubric

Design rubrics students use to assess their own work and learning, building metacognitive skills, encouraging honest reflection, and creating a genuine feedback loop between student self-perception and teacher assessment.

Science Unit

Design a science unit anchored in phenomena and driving questions, where students use science practices to investigate, explain, and apply concepts instead of memorizing facts.

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Frequently asked questions

Assess each component separately. Claim: does it directly answer the scientific question? Evidence: is it specific, from the data, and sufficient to support the claim? Reasoning: does it explain the scientific principle connecting the evidence to the claim? Many students conflate evidence and reasoning, and a rubric that separates them teaches this distinction explicitly.
Safety behaviors are often better assessed as non-negotiable expectations (pass/fail) rather than as a graded criterion. A student should not receive partial credit for wearing partial eye protection. Safety requirements and rubric quality criteria serve different purposes.
When lab results are compromised by circumstances outside students' control, focus assessment on reasoning and process. A student who uses correct experimental design and reasons soundly from the data they collected (even if it is anomalous) should receive credit for scientific thinking, even if their results differ from expected values.
Weak reasoning is the most common issue. Students list evidence and claim it "proves" their claim without explaining the scientific mechanism connecting the two. A rubric that explicitly assesses reasoning (not just its presence, but its quality) helps students understand that "this shows..." needs a scientific explanation, not just an assertion.
Yes, with simplified criteria and documentation. Young scientists can be assessed on: making and recording observations (did they notice what happened?), asking questions (did they wonder why?), and communicating findings (could they tell someone else what they discovered?). The rubric vocabulary and scale should match the developmental level.
Active learning in science means students are designing investigations, collecting data, and arguing from evidence, not just reading about the scientific method. A science rubric for active learning should assess the quality of students' scientific reasoning and their ability to communicate findings to peers. When students work through a Flip mission built around a scientific question, they practice the same inquiry skills that scientists use. This rubric gives you the structure to evaluate those practices, and Flip missions give students the investigation context that makes scientific thinking observable.
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