| DISTINGUISGED
Score of 3 | PROFICIENT
Score of 2 | BASIC
Score of 1 |
Research Question
Development of question research strives to answer | The research question is open-ended (allows for more than one solution) and requires students to research, analyze, evaluate and synthesize information to formulate a reasonable, complex solution | The research question is open- ended (allows for more than one solution) and requires students to research, analyze and evaluate information to formulate a reasonable, solution | The research question has a single or simple solution |
Inquiry
Process of posing questions, gathering and interpreting data, evaluating data, identifying solutions and evaluating solutions | Inquiry is sustained and academically rigorous: students pose questions, gather and interpret data, ask further questions, and develop and evaluate solutions or build evidence for answers | Inquiry is academically rigorous: students pose a few questions about the topic, gather and interpret data, and evaluate solutions | Inquiry is superficial with information-gathering being the main task. |
Creativity &
Innovation
Process of developing new and unique solutions | Project demonstrates new, unique and surprising ideas with specific evidence cited connected to research | Project demonstrates new ideas or improvements that attempt to step outside rules and conventions or find new uses for common ideas or materials | Project relies on existing models, ideas that are not new or unique and uses materials and ideas in typical ways |
Focus
The single controlling point made with an awareness of task about a specific topic | Sharp, distinct controlling point made about a single topic with evident awareness of task | Clear point made about a single topic with sufficient awareness of task | No apparent point but evidence of a specific topic |
Content
Ideas developed through facts, examples, anecdotes, details, opinions, statistics, reasons, and/or
explanations. | Substantial, specific, and/or illustrative content demonstrating strong development and sophisticated ideas | Sufficiently developed content with adequate elaboration or explanation | Limited content with inadequate elaboration or explanation |
Organization
Order of writing is developed and
sustained within and across paragraphs using transitional devices and including introduction and conclusion | Sophisticated arrangement of content with evident and/or subtle transitions | Functional arrangement of content that sustains a logical order with some evidence of transitions. | Confused or inconsistent arrangement of content with or without attempts at transition. |
Style
The choice, use and arrangement of words and sentence structures that creates tone and voice. | Precise, illustrative use of a variety of words and sentence structures to create consistent writer’s voice and tone appropriate to audience | Generic use of a variety of words and sentence structures that may or may not create writer’s voice and tone appropriate to audience | Limited/minimal variety of word choice and control of sentence structures that inhibit voice and tone |
Conventions
Grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence formation. | Evident control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence formation with no errors | Sufficient control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence formation with a few errors | Limited/minimal control of grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence formation with numerous errors |
Research
Identifying and citing sources of information | Research includes a variety of primary and secondary sources including print, digital, and interactive (i.e. adult expert, business organization, etc.) that promotes divergent and creative perspectives
Sources consistently and correctly cited according to MLA guidelines | Research includes a variety of sources including print and digital that promotes different perspectives
Sources frequently are included and meet MLA standards | Research is limited to a few print sources and conveys information without promoting different perspectives
Few, if any, citations included and minimal alignment to MLA standards |
Product
Final artifact(s) that documents the work of the project | Uses creative and well- produced print and digital aides (audio/visual or media) to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence | Uses well-produced print & digital aides ( audio/visual or media) to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence | Uses print format to share findings, reasoning, and evidence |
Presentation
Sharing of the project and products for an audience | Presents information, findings, arguments and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically so that audience can clearly follow the line of reasoning
Selects information, develops ideas and uses a style appropriate to the purpose, task, and audience
Clearly and completely addresses alternative and opposing perspectives | Presents information, findings, arguments and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically so that audience can clearly follow the line of reasoning
Selects information, develops ideas and uses a style appropriate to the purpose, task, and audience | Presents information and findings to the audience, lacks supporting evidence so the audience cannot follow the line of reasoning |
The National Institute of Dental Research states, “tooth decay remains the most chronic disease in both children and adults” There are a variety of technologies that prevent tooth decay, but they are either too expensive or people don’t use them correctly. Our teams Dental Plaque Prevention Strips will contain polyphenols embedded in thin filmstrips made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that will prevent plaque from forming. People will apply the thin filmstrips to their lower teeth and upper teeth, and the strips will dissolve slowly overnight. 
Over the years staph infections have been successfully treated with antibiotics, but over time the bacteria have become resistant to them. For 30 years MRSA (metchicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) was mainly found in hospitals and nursing homes, but then emerged throughout the community. Efforts to eliminate MRSA have been primarily focused on disinfecting the environment, but have been ineffective. Our team is proposing to kill MRSA at the infection site with a “High-Tech Wound Covering” 