Discussion Rubric

Because this is a team effort, there will be a team grade. The whole group will get the SAME
grade.
In order to earn an A, the group must hold a truly hard-working, analytical discussion in which:
1. Everyone has equally participated in a meaningful and substantive way.
[Community]

2. Participants listen carefully and respectfully to one another. Posture is alert with
eye-contact on the speaker. [Community]
3. There is a sense of balance and order. Comments are not lost, the loud or verbose do
not dominate, the shy or quiet are encouraged. Individuals monitor participation in order
to listen more than speak; focus is on one speaker at a time and one idea at a time. The
discussion is lively, and the pace is right (not hyper or boring). [Community]
4. The discussion builds. Participants restate and build on each others ideas, providing
reasons for (dis)agreeing with an idea, asking follow-up questions, & synthesizing
speakers comments. Big ideas and deep insights are not brushed over. [Community]
5. Literary features/writing style and class vocabulary are paid special attention
and mention. Academic language is used to clearly communicate ideas. There is at least
one literary feature AND one new vocab word used correctly in each discussion. [Knowledge]
6. Participants back up what they say with multiple pieces of evidence. Relevant
facts, written texts, or other information sources are explicitly referenced. Speakers orient
the listener to the location and context of specific textual excerpts or features, and wait for
listeners to find the location. [Argumentation & Knowledge]
7. Participants make relevant, logical connections between text under discussion and
multiple other knowledge sources (e.g. other texts, historical context, personal experience,
general knowledge, a previous class). [Knowledge]
8. Participants use higher order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) when
responding. Participants use warrants to explain clearly the connection between claims and
evidence. [Argumentation]
9. Participants take risks and dig for deep meaning, new insights.

[Community,

Argumentation, Knowledge]

The group will earn an A by doing all of this at an impressively high level. (Rare and difficult!) The
group will earn a B by doing most things on this list (a pretty good discussion). The group will
earn a C for doing half or slightly more than half of whats on this list. The group earns a D by
doing less than half of whats on the list. The group earns an F if the discussion is a real mess or
a complete dud and virtually nothing on this list is accomplished or genuinely attempted.

Adapted from Alexis Wiggins, Education Development Center, Inc., & Lisa M. Barkers Under Discussion: Teaching Speaking and
Listening.