ORAL HISTORY PROJECT RUBRICS
THE ART OF QUESTIONING | ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Category
4
Questioning, Knowledge
Questions demonstrated a strong
grasp of the essential question
and excellent technique in asking
questions to get at stories that
speak to the EQ.
Questions-Effectiveness
Questions were effective and
sufficiently open ended to draw
out the interviewee.
Logical & Orderly
Grammar & Spelling
The questions followed an
orderly progression and built
upon each other.
Writer makes 1-2 errors in
grammar or spelling. Questions
are typed.
3
Questioning demonstrated a fair
grasp of the essential questions
and appropriate technique in
asking questions to get at
stories that speak to the EQ.
Questions were somewhat
effective and sufficiently open
ended to draw out the
interviewee.
The questions followed a
somewhat orderly progression
and built upon each other.
Writer makes 3-4 errors in
grammar or spelling. Questions
are typed.
2
Questioning demonstrated some
grasp of the topic and weak
technique in asking questions to
get at the EQ.
The questions jumped around
and were not in orderly
progression.
Writer makes 5-6 errors in
grammar or spelling and/or
questions are not typed.
The questions followed no
orderly progression and were
unrelated to each other.
Writer makes more than 6 errors
in grammar or spelling and/or
questions are not typed.
3
The script is mostly correct.
Either the margin or punctuation
is incorrect.
The transcription was not word
for word, but includes many
important quotes from the
interview.
Student took detailed notes
during the interview, but
captured very little personality
and emotion of the interviewee.
2
The script is slightly correct.
Both the margins and the
punctuation is incorrect.
The transcription was not word
for word, but includes a few
important quotes from the
interview.
Student took very few notes of
the interview, and did not
capture the personality and
emotion of the interviewee.
1
The script is NOT written in script
format.
Writer makes 3-4 errors in
grammar or spelling. Questions
Transcript/notes are typed.
Writer makes 5-6 errors in
grammar or spelling and/or
transcripts/notes are not typed.
Writer makes more than 6 errors
in grammar or spelling and/or
transcripts/notes are not typed.
Questions were not effective and
failed to draw out the
interviewee.
1
Poor questioning due to poor
grasp of the essential question
and poor understanding of the
technique needed to get at the
EQ.
Questions were not effective.
Most were close ended.
TOTAL
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS | NOTES
Category
4
Written in Script Format
The script is written in the
correct format. All lines have the
correct margin and punctuation.
Accurate Transcription
The transcription was a word for
word account, as required.
Accurate Note Taking
Grammar & Spelling
TOTAL
Student took detailed notes
during the interview including
description that captured the
personality and emotion
displayed by the interviewee.
Writer makes 1-2 errors in
grammar or spelling.
Transcript/notes are typed.
The transcription was not word
for word.
The student did not take notes
during the interview.
THE ORAL HISTORY ESSAY
Category
Essential Question
4
The essay clearly and effectively
answers the essential question.
Background Knowledge
The essay includes relevant
background information that
fully develops the reader’s
understanding and context of
the interview and story.
Synthesis
The essay brings together
elements of the interviewee’s
background, information related
to stories told in the interview,
and other relevant details to
paint a well developed picture of
the interviewee’s life.
The essay contains many
creative details and/or
descriptions that that tell one
story as told by the interviewee.
The story is well-developed and
organized.
Student devotes a lot of time
and effort to the writing process
(prewriting, drafting, reviewing,
and editing).
Essay is easy for a reader to
understand and follow. It flows
and makes sense.
Creativity
Writing Process
Organization
Grammar & Spelling
TOTAL
Writer makes 1-2 errors in
grammar or spelling. Essay is
typed.
3
The essay does an average job of
answering the essential
question.
The essay includes some
relevant background knowledge
that helps to develop the
reader’s understanding of
context of the interview and
story.
The essay attempts to bring
together some elements of the
interviewee’s background to
describe the interviewee’s life.
2
The essay somewhat answers
the essential question.
1
The essay does not answer the
essential question.
The essay includes little relevant
background knowledge and does
not help the reader understand
the context of the interview and
story.
The essay does not provide any
background knowledge.
The essay does little to bring
together elements of the
interviewee’s background.
The essay does not offer any
information related to the
interviewee’s background.
The essay contains a few
creative details and/or
descriptions that tell one story as
told by the interviewee, is well
organized, but not fully
developed.
Student devotes sufficient time
and effort to the writing process
(prewriting, drafting, reviewing,
and editing).
The essay has parts that are
confusing, but the overall
intention is clear.
The essay contains a few
creative details and/or
descriptions, but they distract
from the story. The story is not
fully-developed or organized.
There is little evidence of
creativity and organization in the
essay.
Student devotes some time and
effort to the writing process, but
was not very thorough
Student devotes little time and
effort to the writing process.
Essay is difficult to read and
understand. It does not flow,
but an attempt has been made.
Writer makes 3-4 errors in
grammar or spelling. Essay is
typed.
Writer makes 5-6 errors in
grammar or spelling and/or
essay is not typed.
Essay does NOT make sense.
Reader can not follow or
understand the intention or
where the script is going.
Writer makes more than 6 errors
in grammar or spelling and/or
essay is not typed.