Create a rubric. Students are more focused and tend to thrive when they understand your expectations; as such, never assign a student project without providing your students with a specific, detailed rubric that clearly identifies how they will be graded. Free online tools can help you create rubrics that suit a variety of projects, including those related to speaking, math, multimedia, music, art and reading.
Assign the project and review the rubric with the class. As stated above, it is essential that students understand the project's objectives and how they are going to be graded before they begin to work. This also gives your students the opportunity to ask questions about the project's requirements.
Assess the project as a whole. Before you begin grading the project's individual components, give it a "once over" to evaluate its overall effectiveness. Consider the project's overall strengths and weaknesses, and whether it is eye-catching, neat and thorough.
Score the project according to the rubric. Identify each of your rubric's components and assign the student the appropriate point value for each component. Components can include anything from writing, spelling and conventions to design, organization and creativity. Be sure you can support your reasoning with quantifiable detail, should the grade come into question with a student or parent.