Rubric Development Using rGrade: 72-Hour Kit

I am in charge of an emergency preparedness program for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). We recently conducted a needs assessment to identify how prepared the members of the congregation are in various areas of preparedness. One of the results of the assessment showed that most did not have a 72-hour kit, which is one thing that is considered the absolute minimum that members should have to be prepared for an emergency.
Based on this information, I decided to create a rubric using rGrade that would both help members know what things they should include in a 72-hour kit, and help them assess how much they already have done and what they still need to do. It can also be used to help them build a 72-hour kit using the criteria included within the rubric. I have provided a URL with the rubric for more information on 72-hour kits. Members could also refer to other materials they might identify pertaining to 72-hour kits. The idea is that members should not go spend a lot of money on a professionally-prepared kit, but that they can create one from the materials they may already have at hand.
I used three threshold levels: Beginning, Developing, and Accomplished. These represent the way I believe members should perceive their preparation; that they can range from beginning to accomplished, or somewhere in-between. I created 10 rows based on elements that should be included and/or considered when building a 72-hour kit, each worth 10 percent. Quite often the areas of Food/Water, Bedding/Clothing, and Personal Supplies are the ones which have the most focus, and the other areas are neglected. We have a tendency to emphasize the physical support, and forget about the emotional needs that people have. Therefore, I made each category equal in weight to emphasize the idea that all of these elements are necessary to be fully prepared for an emergency.
This rubric will be used as members participate in a workshop to help them prepare 72-hour kits. Each individual who attends the workshop will be asked to complete the rubric (in paper form) at the beginning of the session. This will help each person determine what areas need work. Then upon completion of the workshop, all participants can take a copy of their rubric with them to continue working on their 72-hour kits.
I believe the rubric is a good method to use for assessment of this nature because it provides those who use it with insights about the nature of being prepared -- that it encompasses multiple aspects of their lives -- as well as the idea that it doesn't need to be hard. I used the specific threshold names to demonstrate that while everyone is not necessarily accomplished in emergency preparedness across the board, we all have some areas where we are doing well, and other areas we can work on. I attempted to build it to give those who complete it a sense of accomplishment, and ability to succeed rather than a sense of failure. Using it as both a beginning point, and an ending point enables those who use it to see progress.
After creating the rubric, I searched for standards that might be relevant to the idea of being prepared for an emergency, or the principles that might apply to the elements included in an emergency kit. I was pleasantly surprised to find standards that might relate to each area within the rubric. I concluded that the 72-hour kit lesson and rubric might be one that could be included as an object lesson for many lessons around the standards I included beyond the particular use I intend to make of it.
For instance, in a lesson addressing the Indiana High School Standards > GHW.9.1 on natural disasters and interventions/preparedness (see link for description), part of the unit might include having the students assess their family's preparation for a natural disaster, and prepare a 72 -hour kit for their family. The standards I have used in this rubric demonstrate that the idea of being prepared for an emergency, and knowing what should be included in a kit to help a person be prepared, can span multiple age groups, and could be adapted for any class, depending on the focus.
This approach relates to the ideas presented in the readings and video by Rick Stiggins on incorporating student input into the assessment process. He suggested that when students are involved from the beginning in assessment; knowing what they will be assessed upon, and working through the process as they learn, that they are better learners, and are more attuned to what they need to learn throughout the learning process. I think that as individuals use the rubric to identify how they can better prepare, they will have a better sense of what they need to do to be better prepared, and will understand the entire process more completely.
If the rubric were incorporated into lessons on nutrition, health, and safety, understanding what it takes to achieve sound nutrition, good health, and improved safety could give a foundation to what it takes to make sure those things happen in an emergency. Likewise, understanding and evaluating special needs, or transportation issues, are necessary to know how to take care of them in emergencies. This could give a broader introduction to the human experience, and a deeper understanding of why certain elements of that experience are important even in times without emergencies.
As I used the rubric to evaluate my own family's level of preparedness in this area, I felt it helped me identify areas of weakness that we need to work on, as well as areas of strength. I think using it as a beginning and progress assessment would be valuable for those interested in this subject.

Resource:
72-Hour Kit Rubric