SOAPSTone Rubric Defined

The SOAPSTone rubric is to show how students grow over time. That is why theyre 5 steps instead
of 4. A total of 2 Exceeds For a student to reach a 5 they have to pull in outside knowledge to
understand the tone or attitude of the document. This is a very high level of thinking that we are
pushing our students towards. Skills need to be built to reach the highest level of the rubric. They
need to meet each of the earlier requirements to reach a 5 and exceed.

1 Inadequate (Novice)
Cities no specific
textual evidence to
support analysis of
primary and
secondary
sources.

Questions student answered was:

Observations: What are facts or objects in the source? What can be identified?
Student answer:
Student just lists items they see: men, bedding
Students attempt to understand the document but misinterpret the basic facts.
E.g. They may say that the photo is of an African-American family sleeping when
it is of workers living in crowded tenements.

2 Developing (Approaching Proficiency)

Cites very little
specific textual
evidence to
support analysis of
primary and
secondary
sources.

Questions student answered was:

Observations: What is it happening?
Student answer:
Student will identify was items are in the document and describe the basics of
what is happening at that time.
They are describing what they see without citing specific evidence directly from
the document source.
E.g. Multiple people lived in one room. Immigrants had no room for their personal
belongings. Men had to sleep together in one room. Immigrants lived in crowded
conditions.

3 Proficient
Cites specific
Questions student answered was:
textual evidence to Who is the Speaker? Who is expressing the content of the document? Why is it
support analysis of important that the audience know who the speaker is?
primary and
What is the Occasion? What is the time and place, or context, from which the source
secondary
originates?
sources, attending
to such features as Student answer:
Students will begin use the SOAPSTone process to cite specific textual evidence. They
the speaker, date
will need to do 2 things to receive a proficient score.
and origin of the
information
1) In their answer they will identify who created the source or who spoke.
(occasion),
2) They will also need to include the earlier information where they explain what is the
audience, and
document of and what is happening.
subject. (SO)
E.g. Well-known reformer Jacob Riiss (S) photographs of immigrant living conditions
during the late 19th century US industrial period (O) highlighted the overcrowding of
tenements. In the photo more the 4 immigrant men share one room.

4 Skilled (Exceeds)
Cites specific
textual evidence to
support analysis of
primary and
secondary
sources, attending
to such features as
the speaker, date
and origin of the
information
(occasion),
audience, and
subject. (AS)

Questions student answered was:

Who is the Audience? Who is the immediate intended audience? What are the
characteristics of this group? How are they related to the speaker? Why is the speaker
addressing them?
What is the Subject? Just a few words. What is the speaker talking about?
Student answer:
Students will not only cite their observations, the speaker, and the occasion, but also
identify the audience and subject.
This higher level of thinking requires a students answer to explain the point that is being
made by the document source.
E.g. Well-known reformer Jacob Riiss photographs of immigrant living conditions
during the late 19th century US industrial period highlighted the overcrowding of
tenements. In the photo more the 4 men share one room. The photographs were taken to
expose American citizens (A) the unequal social conditions (S).

5 Exceptional (Exceeds)
Cites specific
textual evidence to
support analysis of
primary and
secondary
sources, attending
to such features as
the speaker, date
and origin of the
information
(occasion),
audience and
purpose, and
subject and tone.
(PTone)

Questions student answered was:

What is the Purpose? What does the speaker hope to accomplish with this expression?
How does the speaker contribute to a larger conversation?
What is the Tone? What attitude[s] does the speaker convey? What emotions is he/she
trying to evoke in his/her audience? How [or to what extent] does the speakers tone
enhance the effectiveness of his/her piece? Choose a few words or phrases that will
reflect a particular attitude.
Student answer:
Using outside knowledge student will draw conclusions. Student answers explain the
purpose or what the influence or impact of the source in relation to the audience. Or what
change are they trying to influence.
The students answer will also explain the tone or attitude of the speakers message in
relation to what is happening at that time in history. Pro? Anti? Celebratory? Etc.
E.g. Well-known reformer Jacob Riiss photographs of immigrant living conditions
during the late 19th century US industrial period highlighted the overcrowding of
tenements. In the photo more the 4 men share one room. The photographs were taken to
expose American citizens the unequal social conditions. Riis wanted citizens to
sympathize (Tone) with immigrants and was encouraging them to take action (P) to end
the poor living conditions.