Evaluation Rubric for Creative Retellings of the Classroom Historical Events

Evaluation Rubric for Individual Declaration of Independence

Criteria Poor (0-1) Acceptable (2-3) Excellent (4) Score Intro. includes Intro has some evidence of No rationale, belief and/or Clearly stated rationale, rationale, belief rationale, belief and/or philosophy justifying the belief/s and/or philosophy and/or philosophy philosophy justifying the declaration justifying declaration justifying decl. declaration

Body is made up Body is made up of a Body has some wrongs of a list detailing Body has no list of wrongs comprehensive list of wrongs identified that support the wrongs or injuries supporting the declaration that clearly support the declaration done by entity declaration

Penultimate Some details (or unclear No mention of what has Clearly stated steps that paragraph details statement) of what has been been done to try to fix the have been followed to things done to done in an attempt to fix the situation attempt to right the situation rectify situation situation

Final paragraph is Weak or unclear declaration Clear, strong declaration in No declaration and/or no declaration and and/or weak or unclear final paragraph AND a clear mention of what this frees includes what this statements of what this statement of what this the author to do frees author to do allows the author to do means author can do now

The declaration is riddled A few errors are present The story is virtually error Language with errors that hinder which do not significantly free. Any language errors do mechanics understanding. hinder understanding. not obstruct communication. Text is easily readable, is Text follows some, or most, Modified Text follows none of the double spaced, has at least of the academic format academic format academic format guidelines. 1” margins and includes guidelines. header in upper-left corner.

Name:______Total Score: ______Personal Declaration of Independence

Assignment: Write your own declaration of independence using the structure of the American Declaration of Independence.

Writing prompt: (Journal Writing #8) From what would you like to be free? Independence from what would make your life better? From what do you wish to escape?

Think like a colonist: What is oppressing you? What is hurting you? What is hindering you from becoming all that you want to become? What part of life could you really do better without?

Structure: Your personal declaration of independence will be organized using the structural format of the real Declaration of Independence. Follow this structure:

I. Introduction (rationale, philosophy) II. Reasons that make independence necessary (how you have been wronged or hurt by this thing from which you wish to escape) III. What you have done to redress the problems in the "reasons" section IV. Conclusion (actual declaration of independence and what this allows you now to do)

Caution: Just as the colonies' Declaration of Independence focused on one idea--independence from Britain, so should yours focus on one main thing from which you would like to be free. Don't let your writing ramble into a list of several things from which you want to escape. You'll have quite a few REASONS why you should be free of this one item, but all of these reasons will be providing support for your independence from the one main idea.

Due: ______

Grading rubric (Word doc)