Hot Topics

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Classroom Discussion Rubric

Name: ______________________________
Date: _______________
Class: ________________________________________

	Exemplary	Effective	Minimal	Unsatisfactory
SUBSTANTIVE
• States and identifies issues	Accurately states and identifies issues	Accurately states an issue	States a relevant factual, ethical, or definitional issue as a question	Does not state any issues
• Uses foundational knowledge	Accurately expresses relevant foundational knowledge pertaining to issues raised during the discussion	Accurately expresses relevant foundational knowledge pertaining to an issue raised during the discussion	Accurately expresses relevant foundational knowledge pertaining to an issue raised by someone else	Does not express any relevant foundational knowledge
• Stipulates claims or definitions	Pursues an issue with a stipulation	Does not stipulate a claim or definition	Does not stipulate a claim or definition	Does not stipulate a claim or definition
• Elaborates statements with explanations, reasons, or evidence	Pursues an issue with one or more elaborated statements	Pursues an issue with at least one elaborated statement	Elaborates a statement with an explanation, reasons, or evidence	Does not elaborate any issues
• Recognizes values or value conflict	Recognizes values or value conflict	Does not recognize value or value conflict	Does not recognize value or value conflict	Does not recognize value or value conflict
• Argues by analogy	Uses analogy to advance the discussion	Does not use analogy to advance the discussion	Does not use analogy to advance the discussion	Does not use analogy to advance the discussion
PROCEDURAL
• Invites contributions from others	Engages others in the discussion by inviting their comments	Invites comments from others	Does not invite comments from others	Does not invite comments from others
• Acknowledges the statements of others	Engages others in the discussion by acknowledging their contributions	Does not acknowledge the statements of others	Does not acknowledge the statements of others	Does not acknowledge the statements of others
• Challenges the accuracy, logic, relevance, or clarity of statements	Constructively challenges the accuracy, clarity, relevance, or logic of statements made	Responds in a civil manner to a statement made by someone else by challenging its accuracy, clarity, relevance, or logic	Does not challenge the accuracy, clarity, relevance, or logic of statements	Does not challenge the accuracy, clarity, relevance, or logic of statements
• Summarizes points of agreement and disagreement	Summarizes points of agreement and disagreement	Does not clearly summarize points of agreement	Does not summarize points of agreement or disagreement	Does not summarize points of agreement or disagreement

Adapted from Harris, David E. "Assessing Discussion of Public Issues: A Scoring Guide." In Handbook on Teaching Social Issues, edited by Ronald W. Evans and David Warren Saxe. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies (in press).

Links

Teachers can use the topics suggested in "Let's Talk—Classroom Discussion Topics" as a springboard for interesting classroom discussions.

These excellent discussion questions about character will engage students in any grade.

Classroom Discussion Evaluation Form

Name: ______________________________
Date: _______________
Class: ________________________________________

	Exemplary	Effective	Minimal	Unsatisfactory
SUBSTANTIVE
• States and identifies issues
• Uses foundational knowledge
• Stipulates claims or definitions
• Elaborates statements with explanations, reasons, or evidence
• Recognizes values or value conflict
• Argues by analogy
PROCEDURAL
• Invites contributions from others
• Acknowledges the statements of others
• Challenges the accuracy, logic, relevance, or clarity of statements
• Summarizes points of agreement and disagreement

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