Free Current Events Rubrics for Grades 6-12
These free current events rubrics assess the written response at the end of every Current Events Hub lesson, where students answer the lesson's focus question in a short argument. There is one rubric for each reading level, and each has two parts: a student self-assessment and a teacher assessment. They are free to download and use in any social studies or humanities class, with or without a membership.
Download the rubrics
Grades 6-8
Level 1
A five-point rubric for a short answer of about 4–6 sentences that gives a reason, uses a specific fact from the lesson and includes the concept word.
Grades 9-10
Level 2
A five-point rubric for a paragraph that takes a position, backs it with evidence from the reading and the activity, and connects it to the lesson concept.
Grades 11-12
Level 3
A five-point rubric for a developed argument that responds to other perspectives, considers implications, and applies the lesson concept.
Grades 11-12
Level 3 | 7-point scale
The Level 3 rubric on a scale from 1 to 7, for teachers who record grades on the range used in IB courses.
How the rubrics work
Each rubric scores the response as a whole. The teacher reads the response and circles the number whose description fits it best, and the response does not need to match every sentence in that description.
- 5Makes an especially insightful argument, usually by showing why the answer is stronger than another view
- 4Meets everything the prompt asks, with developed support
- 3Meets the prompt in a straightforward way
- 2Meets only part of the prompt
- 1Does not yet answer the question
- 0Not assessed: no real attempt, and no judgment of the quality of the work
When scoring, teachers consider how effectively the response answers the focus question, supports its answer with evidence from the reading and the lesson activity, uses the lesson concept, and is organised so a reader can follow it. At Level 3, they also consider how well it weighs other perspectives. These points are weighed together, so a response can still earn a 4 when one of them is weaker than the rest.
One focus question, three levels
Every Current Events Hub lesson asks the same focus question at three reading levels, and the rubrics follow the same pattern. The skills stay the same across the levels, but the expectations rise.
Level 1
Grades 6–8
Students give a clear answer with a reason and one specific fact.
Level 2
Grades 9–10
Students write a paragraph that takes a position and backs each reason with evidence.
Level 3
Grades 11–12
Students build an argument, respond to other perspectives, and weigh the implications of their argument.
Because the scale and the language stay consistent, a class working at different levels can be assessed on the same task.
Student self-assessment and teacher assessment
Page 1
Student self-assessment
As soon as students finish writing, they circle the number that best fits their response and explain their choice, so they compare their work with the description before it is marked.
Page 2
Teacher assessment
The teacher circles a number and writes one strength and one next step.
Scoring before reading the student's choice keeps the two judgments separate. A gap of two or more points between them is worth a short conversation, because it usually means the student has misread what the question asks for.
A 7-point scale to support IB teachers
The Level 3 rubric is also available on a 7-point scale. It is a Current Events Hub rubric that uses the same 1–7 range as IB grades, so teachers in IB schools can record focus question responses on the scale their students already know from Diploma Programme and Middle Years Programme courses. It is not an IB rubric. It is not built from IB assessment criteria or markbands, and the IB has not reviewed or endorsed it.
The 7-point version keeps the expectations of the 5-point Level 3 rubric and spreads them across more points at the top and bottom of the scale. A 7 describes an argument that evaluates other perspectives and shows nuance in its use of the concept, while a 2 describes a response whose argument is only implied. The skills it practises, such as building an argument, weighing perspectives and using evidence, are also developed in IB courses such as Global Politics, so the rubric works as regular practice alongside official IB assessment.
Use them with any curriculum
The descriptions are written in plain language, without codes or terms from any one framework. As a result, the rubrics sit alongside IB, AP, the C3 Framework, Canadian provincial curricula, GCSE, A Level, and the Australian and New Zealand curricula. Teachers can record the number as it is or convert it to their school's own scale. The lessons themselves name the courses they fit, which are listed on the Curriculum Connections page.
Built for every lesson
The rubrics were written by a practising teacher and IB Coordinator for the response task at the end of every lesson, so the same rubric can be used all year. Students learn what each number means once, and each new lesson becomes another chance to move up the scale. Try them with one of the free lessons below, each of which includes the full lesson, slides and handouts.
Free lessonUkraine Resists Russian Invasion
Mini-unit: Ukraine War · Lesson 3
Free lesson
Free lesson
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The full library of current events lessons for Grades 6-12 is available with a membership.
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