Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response is irrelevant to the question.

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response is irrelevant to the question.

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. The student minimally explains how the reptiles and amphibians hibernate.

Instructional Annotation: (While the Annotation, Using the Rubric describes the scorer’s explanation for the rubric score, the Instructional Annotation describes how the response might be improved.)
The reader responds that an important idea in paragraph 6 is "about how reptiles and anphibians live during hibernations" and then provides an example of how these creatures live in ponds in "the mud where air is trapped." The response does show an interaction with the text and does state information directly related to an important idea in the text. To improve this response, the reader does need to mention the title and connect the ideas in paragraph 6 to the title. For example, being snug in the snow relates to being snug in the mud beneath a pond surface.

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. The student minimally explains how the title helps a reader understand an important idea, “animals hibernate in the winter... the animals are snug.”

Score for Sample Student Response #5: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a general understanding of the text. The student uses text-relevant information to explain how the title helps a reader understand the important idea of hibernation, “animals (some) go underground, to sleep... since there is snow in the winter.”

Score for Sample Student Response #6: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a general understanding of the text. The student uses text-relevant information to explain how the title helps by stating “animals...go in to hibornatoin and Snug in the snow... means confortable in the snow.”

Instructional Annotation: (While the Annotation, Using the Rubric describes the scorer’s explanation for the rubric score, the Instructional Annotation describes how the response might be improved.)
The student response does reference an important idea in the text: when weather is snowy, warm-blooded animals hibernate. Next, the reader addresses a word in the title "snug" and indicates that snug means comfortable. Finally the reader conjectures that animals are comfortable and, they "don't wake up." The reader does have a general understanding of the text but the understanding is incomplete and, thereby leads to a faulty conclusion. For example, not all animals hibernate in the same way, and those animals that sleep most deeply during hibernation are "true hibernators." To improve this response, the reader should point out the cause and effect relationship or make the connection between a hibernating animal being snug or comfortable in the snow because his body chemistry creates a feeling of warmth and protection, which allows him to sleep deeply.

Score for Sample Student Response #7: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text. The student effectively uses text-relevant information to clearly explain how the title helps the reader understand the important idea of hibernation, “they eat lots of food and build up fat... helps them stay warm and snug in the snow during winter.”

Instructional Annotation: (While the Annotation, Using the Rubric describes the scorer’s explanation for the rubric score, the Instructional Annotation describes how the response might be improved.)
The reader answers that the title shows an important idea in this passage by addressing hibernation, which occurs during the winter, and the preparation for hibernation, which cites text through excessive eating to create the special brown fat, and concludes by pointing out that brown fat keeps these animals "warm and snug in the snow during winter." This reader makes all the connections between hibernation, winter, brown fat, and the creation of warmth. To improve this very good response, the reader might clarify a meaning for the word "snug," which could only add power to this response.

Score for Sample Student Response #8: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text. The student effectively uses text-relevant information to explain how the title helps a reader understand an important idea of hibernation, “...the word snug has to [do] with resting... the word snow tells that its winter or late fall.”

Score 3

The response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text.

• Addresses the demands of the question
• Effectively uses text-relevant¹ information to clarify or extend understanding

Score 2

The response demonstrates a general understanding of the text.

• Partially addresses the demands of the question
• Uses text-relevant¹ information to show understanding

Score 1

The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text.

• Minimally addresses the demands of the question
• Uses minimal information to show some understanding of the text in relation to the question

Score 0

The response is completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or missing.²

Note 1:

Text-relevant: This information may or may not be an exact copy (quote) of the text but is clearly related to the text and often shows an analysis and/or interpretation of important ideas. Students may incorporate information to show connections to relevant prior experience as appropriate.

Note 2:

An exact copy (quote) or paraphrase of the question that provides no new relevant information will receive a score of "0".

Rubric Document Date: June 2003