Historical Diaries and Letters Rubric—Elementary

Content

I include details that might have happened to the person I am writing as. I make inferences about people, places, and events during the time period.

I include some details that I imagine might have happened to the person I am writing as.

I try to include some details that I imagine might have happened to the person I am writing as, but some of my details are not very logical.

I do not imagine details that might have happened to the person I am writing as, or the details I imagine are not logical.

Research

I do research about the person and time period I am writing about. I accurately describe many people, places, and events in my diary or letter.

I do research about the person and time period I am writing about. I accurately describe some people, places, and events in my diary or letter.

I refer to some specific historical people, places, and events, but some of my facts are incorrect.

I do not refer to specific historical people, places, and events, or when I do, my facts are incorrect.

Writing

I use vivid, interesting words to create pictures in the audience’s minds. My writing sounds like the character I am pretending to be.

I use interesting language in my story. Most of the time, my writing sounds like the character I am pretending to be.

I try to use interesting language in my story. Some of my language is predictable. At times, my writing sounds like the character I am pretending to be.

The language in my story is ordinary and predictable. My writing does not sound like the character I am pretending to be.

Format

My writing correctly follows the format of a letter or diary.

My writing generally follows the format of a letter or diary.

My writing has some of the features of a letter or diary.

My writing does not follow the format of a letter or diary.

Creativity

I include unusual and surprising features that make my diary or letter more meaningful, realistic, or interesting.

I include some features that make my diary or letter more realistic or interesting.

I try to include some unusual features that make my diary or letter more realistic or interesting, but the features are sometimes distracting.

I do not include any features that make my diary or letter more realistic or interesting.

OR

The unusual features I include distract from the overall meaning of the writing.

Conventions

My letter or diary has no errors in mechanics or grammar, unless I use errors on purpose to portray the person I am writing as.

My letter or diary has no errors in mechanics or grammar that take away from the meaning.

My letter or diary has some errors in mechanics or grammar that take away from the meaning.

My letter or diary has so many errors in mechanics and grammar that my writing is difficult to understand.