Resources · Mastery
Mastery rubrics.
One rubric per unit, plus the three demonstration rubrics. Every rubric uses the same three levels — Not yet, Approaching, Mastered — so the bar is identical for every student.
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How the rubrics work
The grading philosophy behind every rubric — decisions not points, a vocabulary published in advance, three tokens that absorb a bad day, and how unit mastery becomes a letter grade.
Unit rubrics
A mastery rubric for each of the eight units. Each one names exactly what a student must be able to do — not how many points they earned — to reach Mastered.
Unit 01
Characteristics & Needs of Living Things
What’s alive, what’s not, what was once alive; shared traits and basic needs; stimulus and response.
Unit 02
Cells & Their Structures
Cell theory, plant vs. animal cells, the main organelles, and using a microscope.
Unit 03
From Cells to Organisms
Cells to tissues to organs to systems, the human body systems, and how structure fits function.
Unit 04
Genetics & Heredity
Genes and DNA, inherited vs. learned traits, simple dominant/recessive, and variation.
Unit 05
Evolution & Adaptation
Adaptations, natural selection, fossils as evidence, and the branching tree of life.
Unit 06
Classification & the Kingdoms of Life
Sorting by shared traits, the kingdoms and domains, dichotomous keys, and scientific names.
Unit 07
Ecosystems & Interdependence
Producers, consumers, and decomposers; food chains and webs; energy flow; population change.
Unit 08
Human Impact on Living Systems
Pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and climate; conservation; weighing trade-offs with evidence.
Demonstration rubrics
The three live demonstrations a student defends in person. These are the AI-proof assessments — you can't paste your way through any of them.
Demonstration
Microscope cell defense
Finding, focusing, and identifying cells and their structures under the microscope — and explaining each part.
Demonstration
Timed classification challenge
Sorting and keying out organisms by observable traits, against the clock.
Demonstration
Lab-notebook defense
Standing behind your recorded methods, data, and reasoning out loud.