Choctaw Indian Culture Project: Descriptive Writing Composition

Driving Question: How do Choctaw Indians reveal their culture through their food, shelter, recreation, music, stories, traditions, and customs?

Prompt: Select one of the following topics related to the Choctaw Indians:  Choctaw Indian food  Traditional music  Traditional recreation  Customs  Shelters lived in long ago

Write a composition describing your selected topic. Use details that help your reader see, hear and feel the Choctaw culture.

Descriptive Writing Rubric - Grade 3

WORD CHOICE/GRAMMAR ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT SENTENCE STRUCTURE MECHANICS USAGE Exemplary Organization Exemplary Development Exemplary Sentence Structure Exemplary Word Exemplary Mechanics  Clear and logical  Strong use of examples,  Complete and correct Choice/Grammar Usage  May have minor errors progression of ideas evidence or supporting details  Strong evidence of sentence  Vivid, specific, precise  Punctuation  Strong beginning,  Clear focus maintained variety: (types/length)  Consistent grammar usage  Capitalization  Spelling 6 middle and end  Exemplary examples and  Declarative  Subject/verb agreement  Strong, well- sensory details  Interrogative  Singular/plural nouns  Needs little or no editing developed multiple  Exclamatory  Regular/irregular verbs paragraphs  Imperative  Strong use of transition Effective Organization Effective Development Effective Sentence Structure Effective Word Choice/Grammar Effective Mechanics  Logical progression of  Clear use of examples,  Complete and correct Usage  Few errors ideas evidence or supporting details  Clear evidence of sentence  Specific, precise  Punctuation  Clear beginning,  Clear focus variety: (types/length)  Mostly consistent grammar  Capitalization  Spelling 5 middle and end  Effective examples and  Declarative usage  Appropriate, effective sensory details  Interrogative  Subject/verb agreement  Needs some editing paragraphing  Exclamatory  Singular/plural nouns  Sufficient use of  Imperative  Regular/irregular verbs transition

Adequate Organization Adequate Development Adequate Sentence Structure Adequate Word Adequate Mechanics  Some evidence of a  Sufficient use of examples,  Minor errors in structure Choice/Grammar Usage  Some errors logical progression of evidence or supporting details  Some evidence of sentence  Appropriate, somewhat  Punctuation ideas  Some evidence of a continued Variety: (types/length) simplistic  Capitalization  Beginning, middle and focus  Declarative  Somewhat consistent  Spelling 4 end  Adequate examples and  Interrogative grammar usage  Needs editing but  Some evidence of sensory details  Exclamatory  Subject/verb agreement doesn’t impede appropriate  Imperative  Singular/plural nouns readability paragraphing  Regular/irregular verbs  Some use of transition

3 Limited Organization Limited Development Limited Sentence Structure Limited Word Choice/Grammar Limited Mechanics WORD CHOICE/GRAMMAR ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT SENTENCE STRUCTURE MECHANICS USAGE  Limited evidence of a  Some use of examples,  Some errors in sentence Usage  Frequent errors logical progression of evidence or supporting details structure  Inadequate, repetitive  Punctuation ideas  Some evidence of focus  Limited evidence of sentence  Several inconsistencies in  Capitalization  Beginning, middle  Limited examples and sensory variety: (types/length) grammar usage  Spelling and/or end details  Declarative  Subject/verb agreement  Begins to impede  Attempts at  Interrogative  Singular/plural nouns readability appropriate  Exclamatory  Regular/irregular verbs paragraphing  Imperative  Limited use of transition Minimal Minimal Development/Minimal Minimal Sentence Minimal Word Choice/Grammar Minimal Mechanics/Minimal Organization/Minimal Response Structure/Minimal Response Usage/Minimal Response Response Response  Lacks sufficient examples,  Contains some incomplete  Inadequate, incorrect  Consistent errors  Lacks evidence of a evidence or supporting details sentences and/or run-ons  Frequent inconsistencies in  Punctuation logical progression of  Unclear focus  Minimal evidence of sentence grammar usage  Capitalization ideas  Minimal examples and sensory variety: (types/length)  Subject/verb agreement  Spelling 2  Lacks a beginning, details  Declarative  Singular/plural nouns  Impedes readability middle and/or end  Interrogative  Regular/irregular verbs  Minimal evidence of  Exclamatory paragraphing  Imperative  Lacks clear transition

Inadequate Organization Inadequate Development Inadequate Sentence Structure Inadequate Word Inadequate Mechanics  Little or no  Lacks examples, evidence or  Contains numerous incomplete Choice/Grammar Usage  Serious and consistent progression of ideas; supporting details sentences and/or run-on  Rambling, inappropriate, errors difficult to follow  No focus  Lacks evidence of sentence incorrect  Punctuation  No evidence of  Inadequate examples and variety: (types/length)  Distracting inconsistencies in  Capitalization beginning, middle or sensory details  Declarative grammar usage  Spelling 1 end  Interrogative  Subject/verb agreement  Impedes  Lacks evidence of  Exclamatory  Singular/plural nouns understanding/communi paragraphing  Imperative  Regular/irregular verbs cation  No transition S

Rubric Reference: West Virginia Department of Education