iRubric: Balsa Tower Challenge - Self-Assessment rubric

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Balsa Tower Challenge - Self-Assessment

Students will design and build a tower from balsa sticks to support as much weight applied to it as possible for optimum efficiency (load to weight ratio).

Rubric Code: ZXC3324

By Snowberry

Ready to use

Public Rubric

Subject: Vocational

Type: Project

Grade Levels: 6-8

Tower Challenge
	Poor 7 pts	Fair 8 pts	Good 9 pts	Excellent 10 pts
Efficiency Efficiency= Weight held in grams) /Weight of the tower in grams	Poor 0-299 efficiency rating	Fair 300-899 efficiency rating	Good 900-1899	Excellent 1900-3500 efficiency rating
Construction Materials Balsa wood, glue, cutters, paper gussets used properly	Poor Materials were used inappropriately and not stored properly.	Fair Material usage was insufficient to create the intended design. Glue usage was excessive in several places.	Good All materials were used correctly. Glue use was excessive in several areas.	Excellent All materials were used correctly. Glue usage is reasonable.
Construction Carefully cut wood to fit joints, used appropriate truss design	Poor Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive product.	Fair Construction accurately followed the plans. but a few parts could have been refined for a more atttractive product.	Good Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive and sturdy product.	Excellent Great care taken in the construction process si that the structure is neat, attractive, and follows plans accurately.
Function Strength of tower when under stress.	Poor Fatal flaws in function with complete failure under typical stresses.	Fair Structure functions pretty well, but deteriorates under typical stresses.	Good Structure functions well, holding up under typical stresses.	Excellent Structure functions extraordinarily well, holding up under atypical stresses.
Reflection Written assessment and reflection of the activity	Poor Gave little to no thought and did not take reflection/assessment seriously.	Fair Gave some thought to the reflection/assessment of the experience.	Good Gave good thought to reflection and assessment of the experience	Excellent Wrote seriously and thoughtfully about the experience