Caesar’S English - Choice Board Rubric

Caesar’s English Choice Board Rubric Options

Word Wonders - Use all of the lesson’s words/stems in the left and right hand columns to create your architectural “Wonder of the Word”. Write and connect the words/stems to create your architectural outline. Draw blocks filled in with words for solid shapes and connect words to create the illusion of lines. Include details and repeat words/stems often.

Super Powers - Divide your page into quadrants. Choose 4 stems from the lesson and develop 4 different super heroes or super villains around each stem’s characteristic. Make sure that you write the stem and its meaning beside your superhero. Ideas to include are: special name, costume, transportation, power, personality. If you want your super hero or super villain to have a sidekick, choose a sidekick from the 4 stems that are left over.

Headlines - Write “headlines” for pretend breaking news stories. Use as many of the lesson’s words, modern vocabulary or synonyms as possible. Your headlines must make sense! They can be funny, sad, serious, etc. but they must be short phrases – no sentences. You may combine two or three words into one headline but it should still make sense.

Math Magician - First, write all of the lesson’s words/stems from the left and right columns into the margin of your journal page. Second, count the number of letters in each word/stem. Third, use the words/stems in equations, number sentences, fractions, time, geometry, measurement or Challenge 24 problems as if they were numbers. Fourth, write the number of letters represented above each word. Be creative with math! Illustrations - Illustrate the meaning of the lesson’s 8 stems/8 classic words by drawing original artwork or by gluing in appropriate images you find. Divide your page into 8 parts for 8 separate illustrations or create a collage, landscape, or scene including all 8. Frame it if you wish. Write each stem/classic word and its meaning by the appropriate illustrations.

ABC Rainbows - First, use a pencil to write all of the lesson’s words/stems from the left and right hand columns in alphabetical order. Second, use 4 different colored pencils to trace over the alphabetical list. Say the spellings to yourself as you write each word/stem. You may do a reverse ABC order if you wish.

Science Sleuths - Examine your 8 classic words/stems as carefully as if they were under a microscope. Write them on your page and add any information you can find about them: word origin (entomology), part of speech, number of vowels, consonants, and syllables, pronunciation, synonyms/antonyms, definitions, base/root word, alternate spellings, etc.

Synonyms/Antonyms - Divide you page into 8 sections and write one of your 8 classic words in each section. Use a thesaurus to find as many synonyms/antonyms for each classic word. Not every word will have an antonym.

Similes/Metaphors - Similes are comparisons which use LIKE/AS. Metaphors are comparisons which use IS. Create as many similes and metaphors with each of your 8 classic words as you can. If you want to do this activity with a stem lesson, choose 8 of the lesson’s modern vocabulary words instead. Please do not use stems with this activity.

Personification - Personification is giving human characteristics to something not human. Choice 1 - Divide you page into quadrants and write in 4 of the lesson’s stems. Imagine that each stem is a person whose entire life is dictated by his/her stem name. Describe and illustrate your stem person in detail. Examples are appearance, voice, movement/gestures, personality, attitude, likes/dislikes, housing, transportation, clothing style. Choice 2 - Follow all of the directions for Choice 1 but do not divide your page in to quadrants. Instead, write a short story about an adventure that your 4 stem people had together. Please do not include any dialogue.

Synthesis Story - Write a cohesive story, journal, diary entry or news article that includes as many of your classic words, modern vocabulary or synonyms as possible. Underline or circle each word used. You may use them more than once if needed and you may use them in different tenses. You may also include synonyms or words from previous lessons.

Classification - To classify means to sort, order or organize. Classify the lessons 8 words/stems and their synonyms/modern vocabulary words in any logical way that you choose. Fill your page with as many different classifications as possible. Ideas for classification are part of speech, number of syllables, positive/negative definitions, odd/even number of letters, familiar/unfamiliar, emotions/images, happy/sad words, etc.

Banana-Grams – Use all of your left-hand and right-hand column words/stems. Basically, use everything that you will be tested on for spelling! Connect all of them by finding one matching letter that two words share. Use as many words as you can. Fill up your page. You may use words/stems more than once but do not write them backwards.

Analogies – Use as many of the lesson’s left-hand and right-hand column words to create meaningful analogies. Use the correct analogy format of word:word :: word:word.

Cards – Divide your page into eights rectangles resembling playing cards. Write your 8 stems or 8 classic words in the middle of each “card”. Write the stem’s definition under it. In the middle of each card, draw a small picture or symbol to represent each stem or classic word. In the 4 corners of each “card”, write T, S, V, C. T = total letters, S = total syllables, V = total vowels, C = total consonants.

Poems – Use as many of your classic words or modern vocabulary in one long poem or in several short poems. Any form of poetry is acceptable. Circle or underline your words.

Geo Shapes – Use as many of your left hand and right hand column stems/words as possible to create geometric shapes. Stems/words may be repeated. Fill up your page. Comics – Create a comic panel or strip using as many of your stems, synonyms, classic words or modern vocabulary as you can. Cover your page and keep content appropriate.

Songs – Use as many of your classic words, synonyms or modern vocabulary to create the lyrics for one long song or several short songs. Circle or underline your words.

Possible Point Values for Completing Each Activity 0 - Incomplete, incorrect or no effort demonstrated 1 - Partially complete, partially correct or some effort demonstrated 2 - Complete, correct and good effort demonstrated 3 - Complete, correct and exceptional effort demonstrated