The following 7 Anchor Papers represent a range of score points and are used in conjunction with the rubrics to assess student responses.

Score for Anchor Paper #1: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows only minimal knowledge. A relevant fragment is given (in the U.S. voters elect the President), but this idea is general and incomplete.

Score for Anchor Paper #2: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows only minimal knowledge. Although fragments of basic ideas are provided (it is a system of checks and balances; each branch…has equal power), the ideas are skeletal and incomplete.

Score for Anchor Paper #3: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of the United States' system of government. Basic ideas are supplied (voters elect representatives and the president; president appoints…with the approval of the Senate; system of checks and balances) with some support (so that no one can influence someone else by appointing them. Ex: 'Packing the Court').

Score for Anchor Paper #4: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of the United States' system of government. The student gives some basic ideas (directly vote the presidant; the presidant pike the Supreme Court judge then congres aprove it), and a key idea is then completed (US voters has more power…and it's more democratic).

Score for Anchor Paper #5: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of the differences between the Swedish and United States' systems of government. Accurate concepts are provided (U.S. has voters elect the executive leader; the U.S. has no monarch). Some evidence of higher order thinking skills is demonstrated through comparison/contrast of the efficiency in the lawmaking process (in Sweden…the party in power of legislature will appoint their own leader so more laws are passed; In the U.S., the president may not agree with majority of legislature so not much is passed; there is separation of powers making branches in the U.S. even; in Sweden the legislative branch holds power of the other two).

Score for Anchor Paper #6: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of the differences between the Swedish and United States' systems of government. The student gives accurate concepts (In the U.S., voters elect the legislature and president independenly; in the Swedish government, theres a monarch sitting off to the side). Some evidence of higher order thinking skills is demonstrated through comparison/contrast of the likelihood for disagreement over Supreme Court nominees (Sweden…the team will probably find it easier to agree; our system, the President and legislature are elected independently, which might mean they strike more discord when trying to reach an agreement on appointments).

Score for Anchor Paper #7: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response shows understanding of the differences between the Swedish and United States' systems of government. Accurate concepts are well supported (U.S. is a presidential democracy; voters also elect the president; Senate confirms the appointments; the president is both ceremonial leader of the country and the head of the government). Powerful evidence of higher order thinking skills is demonstrated through an extended analysis of the possible pitfalls throughout the U.S. system as compared to Sweden's (the President…has a very difficult job because he is both these leaders {ceremonial and government}; presidential campaigns are costly and time consuming; can also be controversial, such as in the 2000 election; John Roberts was appointed as Chief Justice… his confirmation hearings were long and inefficient).

Additional Scored Student Responses