Co-teaching a unit that pairs Catch-22 with the history of the Second World War can be a rewarding experience for students. They see how a novel and the historical record shed light on each other, and they practice thinking across disciplines. For teachers, the challenge is deciding how to grade the essays that come out of it.

English and history teachers often have different expectations. An English teacher may reward close reading and interpretation, while a history teacher may want precise dates, causes, and use of primary sources. Without coordination, a single essay can receive very different feedback from each side.

The solution is a shared rubric that names what each discipline contributes. Students should know that both kinds of thinking count and that each will be assessed. That clarity helps them write better and reduces disagreements between teachers.

The following ideas can help you build that rubric and manage the workload.

Build a Rubric With Two Lenses

Divide the rubric into literary and historical strands, with a third strand for the quality of the integration. The literary strand looks at interpretation of the text, the historical strand looks at accuracy and use of evidence, and the integration strand looks at how well the essay connects them. Weight the strands to match the goals of your unit.

• Literary interpretation supported by specific passages
• Historical accuracy and use of credible sources
• A clear connection between the novel and the historical context
• An argument that draws on both disciplines
• Organization and writing quality suitable for either class

Decide Who Grades What

There are a few models. Each teacher can grade their own strand of every essay, or each can grade half of the class on the full rubric, or they can grade together for a sample and then divide the rest. The choice depends on your schedule and how much you trust your calibration.

Whichever model you choose, run a short calibration session on a few essays before grading starts. It is easy for teachers from different disciplines to interpret the same rubric line differently. Ten minutes of comparison can prevent weeks of confusion.

Handle the Historical Claims Carefully

Students sometimes treat the novel as a historical document, but it is a satire and exaggerates deliberately. A strong essay recognizes that difference and uses the book to illustrate attitudes or experiences without treating every scene as fact. The history teacher can help verify claims about events, while the English teacher assesses how the essay handles the fiction.

This is a place where students often stumble, so it helps to address it directly in class. Ask them to explain how a scene relates to the historical record and where Heller departs from it. That question raises the level of thinking.

Sharing the Load

Interdisciplinary essays take more time to grade because you are evaluating multiple kinds of work at once. GraideMind can score against a shared two-lens rubric and draft comments for each strand, giving both teachers a common starting point to review. That keeps feedback consistent and lets each teacher focus on the areas of their expertise.

Afterward, compare notes on what the essays showed. You may find students are stronger in one discipline than the other, which can guide future planning. Co-teaching gives you a rare chance to see how students think across boundaries.