PNW Weekly Summary Rubric

Explanation
Rubric for weekly summaries
Checklist for weekly summaries

Explanation

In your weekly summary, you write down and review the main things that you learned during the week. In addition, you apply some of the words or ideas to some geological examples - either examples covered in the weekly assignments, or else geological places, things, or ideas that you have experienced or read about on your own.

By composing and sharing your ideas with others in the class, you will further refine your thinking and embed it more deeply into your memory. Because the course is cumulative, with each week's assignments requiring you to remember and apply the knowledge that you gained during previous weeks, the weekly summaries will aid you as the course unfolds, and help you take what you have learned with you after you have completed the course.

A successful weekly summary begins with a description of the highlights (the main themes for the week),followed by a brief essay about which of those highlights and associated geological information you found most interesting, and why. You are expected to use of some of the terms you learned, and to explain the concepts that those terms signify.

It helps make a stronger summary if you apply some of the geological knowledge to places you have visited and wondered about, or places you read about or saw pictures of. If you shared any of this week's lessons with other members of your family or discussed the concepts with other people, describing those interactions also makes a good addition to a weekly summary.

For example, perhaps in one of your weekly summaries you will say that now you know what a composite cone is. You follow that statement by defining what a composite cone is. To strengthen your summary, you point out how Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier are composite cones. If you have visited one of those composite cones, you might mention your experience there in explaining why you found what you learned about composite cones interesting. That is just an example of part of a strong weekly summary.

Each weekly summary is due at the end of the week, after you have finished working through all the other assignments and discussions for that week.

Rubric for Weekly Summaries
Exemplary	Adequate	Developing	Underdeveloped
Submitted on time. More than one paragraph in length. Names and defines several important geological terms you learned during the week. Explains the concepts behind the words. Uses geological terms in context (rather than just naming or defining them). Describes experiences you (and/or people you know) have had with real-world geology, relevant to the topics discussed this week. Compares something you learned to something you remember learning or hearing about elsewhere about that topic. Meets adequate or exemplary writing standards for the course. (However, references are not needed, unless you read and use information from third-party sources while you write your summary.)	Submitted on time. More than one paragraph in length, or else one long, well-composed paragraph. Names and defines some important geological terms you learned during the week. Explains the concepts behind the words. Uses geological terms in context (rather than just naming or defining them). Meets adequate writing standards for the course. (However, references are not needed, unless you read and use information from third-party sources while you write your summary.)	Submitted on time. Only one paragraph in length. Names and defines some important geological terms you learned during the week. Explains the concepts behind the words. Uses geological terms in context (rather than just naming or defining them). Meets developing writing standards for the course. (However, references are not needed, unless you read and use information from third-party sources while you write your summary.)	Submitted within two days of due date. Only one paragraph in length. Names and defines one or two important geological terms you learned during the week. Uses at least one geological term in context (rather than just naming or defining it). Meets developing or underdeveloped writing standards for the course. (However, references are not needed, unless you read and use information from third-party sources while you write your summary.)

Checklist for weekly summaries

A worthy weekly summary will:

Name and define some important geological terms you learned during the week.
Explain the concepts behind the words.
Use geological terms in context.
Describe experiences you (and/or people you know) have had with real-world geology, relevant to the topics discussed this week.
Compares something you learned to something you remember learning or hearing about elsewhere about that topic.
Meets adequate or exemplary writing standards for the course. (However, references are not needed, unless you read and use information from third-party sources while you write the summary.)

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Geology of the Pacific Northwest
Weekly Summary Rubric
updated: 6/19/13