Steamboat’s a Comin’

WritingAssignmentandRubric

StudentName

Directions:

Chooseoneofthe followingwritingprompts:

  • Imagineyou arelivinginMontgomery.Youare veryexcitedto see a steamboatcomingup theAlabamaRiver forthefirst time.Write ajournal entryofatleastthree paragraphsin whichyoudescribe seeingthe steamboatandthe workersunloadingits cargo.Describethe itemsbeingunloadedfor Montgomeryandloadedfor Mobile.Useinformationdiscussedin thePowerPointpresentationand in the readings.
  • Imagineyou areobservingthe loadingof cottonfrom a highbluff on theAlabamaRiveronto theMagnolia.Writeajournal entryofatleastthreeparagraphs in whichyoudescribe seeingthesteamboat andthe workers onthe bluff and on the steamboatloadingthe cotton.Useinformationdiscussed inthePowerPointpresentationandin the readings.

Rubric:

CATEGORY / 4 points / 3 points / 2 points / 1 point / Score
Focus onTopic / Thereis oneclear,well-focusedtopic.Mainidea standsoutandissupported bydetailedinformation. / Mainideaisclearbut the supportinginformationisgeneral. / Mainideaissomewhatclearbut there isaneedfor moresupportinginformation. / Themainideaisnot clear. There isaseeminglyrandom collectionof information.
AccuracyofFacts / Therearetwotothreeaccurate andsupportivefactsineachparagraph. / Therearetwotothreesupportivefactsineachparagraphbutnotallareaccurate. / Notallfactsareaccurate orsupportive. / Nofacts arereported ormostareinaccuratelyreported.
Sequencing / Detailsareplacedina logicalorderandholdtheattention of thereader. / Detailsareplacedina logicalorderbut arenotveryinteresting. / Somedetailsarenotina logicalorexpectedorderthusdistractingthereader. / Manydetailsarenotinalogicalorexpectedorder.
GrammarSpelling / Writermakes noerrorsin grammaror spelling. / Writermakes 1-2errorsin grammaror spelling. / Writermakes 3-4errorsin grammaror spelling. / Writermakesmorethan 4errorsingrammarorspelling.
Conclusion / The conclusion isstrongandleavesthereaderwithabetter understanding ofsteamboats inAlabama. / Thereis apredictableconclusion thatgivesthereadersomeunderstanding ofsteamboats inAlabama. / Thereis aconclusion, butitdoes notsummarize thecontent ofthewritingassignment. / Thereis noclearconclusion.

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