Post on 04-Jul-2020
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
1
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
GRADE: Sixth
TOPIC: Government
NAME OF ASSESSMENT: Fall Information Reading and Writing Performance Task
Michigan GLCEs Assessed:
6-C1.1.1 Analyze competing ideas about the purposes of governments should serve in a democracy
and in a dictatorship (e.g., protecting individual rights, promoting the common good, providing
economic security, molding the character of citizens, or promoting a particular religion).
6-C3.6.2 Compare and contrast a military dictatorship such as Cuba, a presidential system of
representative democracy such as the United States, and a parliamentary system of representative
democracy such as Canada.
CCSS Literacy Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and
secondary sources
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary
source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies
texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
2
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Depth of Knowledge Level of task: Levels 3
Duration of administration: 3-4 class periods
Materials needed:
Video-“Intro to Government”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bas3waFAiro
Text- “Democracy”
Multiple Texts
o “Communism”
o “Dictatorship”
o “Monarchy”
Student booklet for responses
Overview of Assessment-
Task 1: Students will view the video twice as introduction and complete the response sheet.
Task 2: Students will read about democracy independently and discuss with a partner using the
“Think-Pair-Share” strategy.
Task 3: Students will independently read three more informational pieces of text on the types of
government, completing a bubble map for each. The bubble map will include specific
characteristics on that government.
Task 4: Teacher will lead a short discussion using completed bubble maps. It is encouraged to
create an interactive “class” chart using characteristics from the readings for the students to use.
Task 5: Students will write an argumentative piece in which they will take a stance and choose a
government for their developing country.
**Note: please alter and make note of alterations based on your own conversational style and
the ways in which you’ve talked about reading and writing nonfiction in your own classroom.
The tasks below could be administered in many different ways (scaffolding and differentiating
as needed.)**
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
3
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
TEACHER SCRIPT:
Possible Introduction to Assessment:
Take a few minutes to introduce the whole of the assessment to the students. It might sound
something like:
“You’re going to have a chance to show off what you know about doing quick, on-the-run,
intensive research, and composing an argument writing piece. Over the next couple of periods,
you’ll encounter a few texts that present different positions, supporting reasons, and evidence about
various types of government.
For each text, you will gather information from the text, citing evidence to support the author’s
claim about that type of government.
Today is part one of this research project. You’ll have a chance to watch a video and read two texts,
and to respond to questions that prompt you to analyze the texts and cite the important text details.”
Task 1:
Video text: watching and listening to gather information for essay
“You’re about to watch a video titled “Into to Government.” As you watch, think about the
important ideas and information in the video. After the second viewing, fill in the outline in your
booklet, providing as many details as possible. I’m showing it twice so that you have a chance to
write down exact quotes the second time through. You may decide to use some of this evidence for
your own essay.
Task 2–Reading to gather information for essay
Text: “Democracy”
“Now you’ll have a chance to study an article about Democracy. After reading this, fill in the bubble
map in your booklet, and then share with your partner.”
Task 3–Reading to gather information for essay
Texts:
“Communism”
“Dictatorship”
“Monarchy”
“Now you’ll have a chance to read three additional articles on 3 other types of governments.
After each text, complete the bubble map that goes with it.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
4
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Task 4: Class Discussion
“It’s time to share.” Please conduct a class discussion and create a “master class chart” briefly
outlined the major elements of each type of government.
Task 5: Plan your argument writing piece
“Researchers, you’ve done some good research now by studying this information and the ideas of
these authors. Now you’ll want to take a position on what type of government you will use for your
developing country (either democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, or communism.)
You will want to include information from the articles and video to support your claim.”
You’ll want to take a few minutes to plan how your draft will go, and remember what you
know about writing convincing arguments, including...”
o Introduce the claim that clearly lays out your three key factors, and organize the reasons and
evidence clearly.
o Support claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic.
o Use words, phrases, and clauses to transition the reader from one reason to the next. For
example, “for instance,” “in addition,” “moreover,” etc.
o Maintain the formal style of an argument writing piece.
o Provide a concluding paragraph.
o Cite the texts you read and watched-quote accurately and refer correctly to the text where you
found the quote.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
5
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student Copy-Introduction-Task 1
Response to video “”Intro to Government”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bas3waFAiro
Government Details
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
6
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student Copy-Task 2-Article 1 adapted from…..
http://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/democracy.php
http://mocomi.com/types-of-government/
“Democracy”
Modern governments are complex and are shaped by historical and political events like wars and
colonialism. A democracy is governed of the people, by the people and for the people. Here citizens
of the country can run for public office. This means the boys in the street get to decide who is in
charge of what equipment is in the pile. Of course, each boy will nominate the person who best
represents his interests.
Democratic elections could be city-wide for municipal governance, state-wide for state governance
or nation-wide for central governance. When the population goes to vote, they vote for a candidate
in their area. When the candidate wins, the political party he belongs to also wins. The party with
maximum votes forms the government.
Representative government in the modern world is based not only on a constitution that provides for
it but on the actual rule of law - the assurance that parts of the constitution will be enforced. It
requires that citizens be free to organize competing political parties, engage in political campaigns,
and hold elections. Democratic governments vary in structure. Two common forms are the
parliamentary and the presidential. In the parliamentary form of government, as in Australia, Britain,
Canada, or India, all political power is concentrated in the parliament or legislature. The prime
minister or premier and the officers of the cabinet are members of the parliament. They continue in
office only as long as parliament supports - or has "confidence" in - their policies. In the presidential
form of government, as in France and the United States, the voters elect a powerful chief executive
who is independent (separate) of the legislature but whose actions are limited by the constitution.
Types of Democracy
There are two main types of democracies: direct and representative.
Direct - A direct democracy is one in which every citizen votes on all important decisions. One of
the first direct democracies was in Athens, Greece. All of the citizens would gather to vote in the
main square on major issues. A direct democracy becomes difficult when the population grows.
Imagine the 300 million people of the United States trying to get together in one place to decide an
issue. It would be impossible.
Representative - The other type of democracy is a representative democracy. This is where the
people elect representatives to run the government. Another name for this type of democracy is a
democratic republic. The United States is a representative democracy. The citizens elect
representatives such as the president, members of congress, and senators to run the government.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
7
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
What characteristics make up a democracy?
Most democratic governments today have certain characteristics in common. We list a few of the
major ones below:
Citizens rule - The power of the government must rest in the hands of the citizens either directly or
through elected representatives.
Free elections - Democracies conduct free and fair elections where all citizens are allowed to vote
how they want.
Majority rule with Individual rights - In a democracy, the majority of the people will rule, but the
rights of the individual are protected. While the majority may make the decisions, each individual
has certain rights such as free speech, freedom of religion, and protection under the law.
Limitations on Lawmakers - In a democracy there are limits placed on the elected officials such as
the president and the congress. They only have certain powers and also have term limits where they
are only in office for so long.
Citizen participation - The citizens of a democracy must participate for it to work. They must
understand the issues and vote. Also, in most democracies today, all citizens are allowed to vote.
There are no restrictions on race, gender, or wealth as there was in the past.
Democracies in Reality While democracy may sound like the perfect form of government, like all governments, it has its
issues in reality. Some criticisms of democracies include:
Only the very wealthy can afford to run for office, leaving the real power in the hands of the
rich.
Voters are often uninformed and don't understand what they are voting for.
Two party systems (like in the United States) give voters few choices on issues.
The large bureaucracy of democracies can be inefficient and decisions can take a long time.
Internal corruption can limit the fairness of elections and the power of the people.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
8
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Democracy
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
9
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student Copy-Task 3-Article 2 adapted from…..
http://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/communism.php
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/communism-computing-china/index.html
“Communism”
History and background
Communism was an economic and political philosophy founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
in the second half of the 19th century. Marx and Engels desired to end capitalism feeling that it was
the social class system that led to the exploitation of workers. The workers that were exploited
would develop class identity. Then there would be a process of class conflict that would be resolved
through revolutionary struggle. In this conflict, the proletariat will rise up against the bourgeoisie
and establish a communist society. Marx and Engels thought of the proletariat as the individuals
with labor power, and the bourgeoisie as those who own the means of production in a capitalist
society. The state would pass through a phase, often thought of as socialism, and then end in a pure
communist society, where all private ownership would be abolished, and the means of production
would belong to the entire community. In the communist movement, a popular slogan stated that
everyone gave according to their abilities and received according to their needs. Thus, the needs of a
society would be put above and beyond the specific needs of an individual.
Speech and Press Freedoms
Freedom of information, speech and the press is firmly rooted in the structures of modern western
democratic thought. With limited restrictions, every capitalist democracy has legal provisions
protecting these rights. Communism, as a primarily economic system, is much quieter on the issue
of individual human rights. Two conflicting positions on these freedoms arise with analysis of
communist theory. The first is an argument against individual freedoms. In a communist society,
the individual's best interests are indistinguishable from the society's best interest. The idea of an
individual freedom does not fit with a communist ideology. The only reason to hold individual
speech and information rights would be to better the society, a condition which would likely be met
only in certain instances rather than across time, making the default a lack of freedom.
On the other hand, the idea of perfect equality in communism argues for a right of expression and
press. Since each individual is equally important, each should have an equally valid point of
view. Indeed, Marx defended the right to a freedom of the press, arguing in 1842 that restrictions,
like censorship were instituted by the bourgeois elite. He claimed censorship is a tool of the
powerful to oppress the powerless.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
10
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Thus, on the balance, it seems communist theory is compatible with freedoms of speech,
information and protest, but it is far from a basic right such as it is under democracy and individual-
centered systems. Freedom of information should only be granted when communist society as a
whole is likely to benefit. In this light, it makes sense that communist leaders, while still a
persecuted opposition philosophy, would strongly support speech rights and later reject them when
communism becomes the ruling system. At that point, oppositional speech and information is no
longer beneficial to the communist state, and no longer needed in communist philosophy.
Public Goods and Property Rights
Views on public goods and property rights are a fundamental part of communist theory and
philosophy. Much of the core principles of modern communism stem from their ideas on public
property and the definition of ownership. Communist philosophy argues against private property
and supports collective ownership. The common view is that no person should own or control any
property, whether electronic, an idea (invention), or otherwise.
Communist philosophy centers on the control of the "means of production" in society. This means
of production is the physical and labor capital that is used to produce the different goods in
society. In strict communist theory the "means of production" is collectively owned by the people in
a community, to insure that all the people will get the products that they themselves desire. In this
way, communists argue that social classes will be eliminated, because everyone will retain control
over what society produces to satisfy their needs. They argue that when individuals own the means
of production as in capitalist society, the individuals will take advantage the workers and develop a
lower class. Because the people themselves get to decide what society produces, everything that is
produced by society is also owned by society. This potentially benefits everyone in the society as
Tao-Tai Hsia and Kathryn A. Haun state that communist theory says “the maximum welfare of the
individual lies in, and is inseparable from, the maximum welfare of the society." To this end
communism argues for the abolishment of all private property, and everything that is owned is
owned by all members of society.
This theory, that all property is owned collectively, means that everything a person creates and owns
is also shared with everyone else. The core principle behind the concept of public ownership is that
every person is a product of society. Because each human is a product of society, anything he or she
produces is also a product of society by translation. Therefore, anything that is produced should be
owned by the society itself because no one person has solely produced it. Communist theorist Mick
Brooks states, "Creation is seldom only the result of individual genius. We all incorporate the
advances of others as building blocks in our own thought without even considering it. That is how
humanity advances.” These ideas refer specifically to property laws and how making property
public will alter society in a positive way.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
11
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Communism
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
12
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student Copy-Task 3-Article 3 adapted from…..
http://www.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Dictatorship
http://mocomi.com/types-of-government/
“Dictatorship”
In contrast, a dictatorship where a single individual has gained power through force and everyone
has to follow his policies. He’s the big bully. The boys have little to no voice in such a system.
Oftentimes the advisors who control the equipment kit are his close friends. Examples of dictators
are Adolf Hitler in Germany and Fidel Castro of Cuba.
Sometimes you have what is known as a ‘benevolent (kind) dictatorship.’ This is when the dictator
maintains his position as the head of the country for the sake of the country instead of self-interest.
Most dictatorships like to portray themselves in the international community as benevolent (kind)
but it is not always so.
A dictatorship is a country where one person or political party has the power to do whatever they
want. The ruler is called a dictator. In a dictatorship, people usually do not have many rights or
much freedom.
Dictators come to power for a number of reasons or social problems such as massive unemployment,
inflation, and unrest among the population. Dictators are normally backed by powerful groups, such
as landowners, private company owners, bank owners and in some cases institutions like the Roman
Catholic Church to put in place law and order by force. This force is generally directed at the poorer
parts of society, such as unemployed workers, ethnic minorities, working class areas and shanty
towns. Examples of this are the dictatorships in Latin America.
Dictators normally need to do a number of things to put in place their dictatorships: they need to get
rid of their opponents (which may be political or religious) - some are imprisoned, exiled (sent
outside their country) or killed. Dictators will then need to prohibit (or not allow) political parties
that oppose their rule. They will confiscate the political parties' property or offices and such things.
Dictators may suppress or persecute/punish some religious groups or institutions. Dictators will also
need to undo or close down democratic institutions such as parliament and in some cases the
congress. Some social organizations, such as civil rights groups, human rights organizations, legal
aid centers, students' unions, teachers' federations, trade or workers unions are also undone and those
who persist with such activities may be killed. Dictators will normally rewrite an existing
constitution or put in place a completely new one. This makes their power constitutional (which then
cannot be disputed). Dictators then maintain their rule with state terrorism, which normally involves
a secret police, death squads, random or night curfew, arrest without trial and a network of torture
centers and concentration camps. Some dictatorships create a fictional (or non-existent) internal
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
13
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
(inside their country) enemy which they claim to be at war with to justify (give reason for) their use
of much military violence against a whole unarmed population.
A dictatorship that is ruled by soldiers is called a military dictatorship or junta. An absolute
monarchy (the system where there are Kings and Queens who have full power over their country)
can be considered to be a dictatorship, but are usually not called dictators. A dictatorship is usually
not liked by the people, because most don't like to be dictated around. Most dictators are selfish and
rule over the people just for power.
As a form of government, dictatorship is principally a 20th-century idea. The dictator, often a
military leader, concentrates political power in himself and his closest friends. There is no effective
rule of law, just what they have come up with. The main function of a dictatorship is to maintain
control of all government operations. There have been some cases - Indira Gandhi in India and
several military dictatorships in Latin America - in which strict rulers have relaxed their control and
have even allowed open elections.
Dictatorship seeks to control all aspects of life, including the beliefs and attitudes of its people. At
its most extreme, as during the leadership of Joseph Stalin in the USSR, the power of the dictator
may become more absolute or in control than in any of the earlier forms of government.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
14
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Dictatorship
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
15
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student Copy-Task 3-Article 4 adapted from…..
http://mocomi.com/types-of-government/
http://www.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Monarchy
“Monarchy”
A monarchy is another form of government where there is one head of state. In this system a king or
queen rules the country for as long as they are alive. The crown is inherited, usually by the first born
of the family.
In earlier days, monarchs used to have absolute powers and owned all the public land. Pharaohs for
example, claimed to be representatives of the Gods on earth. But nowadays, even democracies like
Great Britain, Sweden, and Spain have kings who are nominal heads of state. Still it is their
signature that turns a bill into a law.
In an absolute monarchy the monarch is the only source of all laws and the monarch can make any
law they want just by deciding it. Any other institution in the country cannot make laws that affect
the monarch, unless the monarch decides to allow it. Sometimes the monarch is also the head of the
state religion and makes religious laws also. All land and property in the country can be taken or
given away by the monarch at any time for any reason. The army and navy is under the personal
control of the monarch and can be used for any purpose at any time. The monarch can also pick who
gets to be the next monarch and can change the rules at any time. There is usually no elected
government or Parliament, and if there is one, it has no real power. This kind of government is very
rare today. The people do not have a lot of power in it. Countries that are examples of an absolute
monarchy are Vatican City, Brunei, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Swaziland.
The most common form of government from ancient times to the early part of the 20th century was
monarchy, or rule by a king or queen. Monarchy passed through three basic stages The first stage
was that of the absolute (total control) monarch. In the Christian part of the world during the Middle
Ages, a conflict developed between the pope and the kings. The pope wanted to expand the power of
the church but some kings said that God had given them the right to rule, so they were chosen to be
the monarch.
Limited monarchy was the second stage. Kings depended on the support of the most powerful
members of the nobility to retain their thrones. In England and some other Western European
countries, the nobility placed limits on the power of the ruler to govern. This was done in England,
for example, through the Magna Carta. Threatened with the loss of political and financial support,
even the strongest kings and emperors had to accept a system of laws that protected the rights and
privileges of powerful social and economic classes.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
16
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
The third stage in the evolution of monarchy was the constitutional monarchy. Present-day
monarchs are nearly all symbolic rather than actual rulers of their countries. (A few exceptions can
be found in Africa and Asia.) In such monarchies as Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and
Spain, governing power is now in the hands of the parliaments or body of government similar to
Congress that makes laws for a country.
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
17
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Monarchy
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
18
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Student copy-Task 5
Writing the Essay-Government
Your have been given the enormous task of running a developing country. What type of
government will “your” country have? Write an argument essay that illustrates and elaborates what
type of government this country will have, and why. Use everything your read, watched, or wrote as
evidence for your essay.
Quickly plan how you will organize your essay-use the graphic organizer below
Introduce the topic and clearly organize your information into paragraphs
Support the central idea with evidence from the text, citing examples
Maintain a formal style, use precise language related to the topic
Provide a concluding statement or section that supports the central idea of the piece
Reference the rubric-you will be scored on it
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
19
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Argument Writing Graphic Organizer-6th
Grade
Introduce your claim(s), hooking your reader and establishing a formal style.
Support your claim(s) with more than one reason, introducing them in a logical order. Then, give
more than one piece of evidence to support each reason. Remember, relevant, accurate data and
evidence should demonstrate an understanding of the topic and come from credible sources.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Name_________________________________
evidence
reasons
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
20
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
Name______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
21
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
22
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
23
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
24
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6th
grade Social Studies 1st Semester
Writing Performance Task
Teacher Instructions
25
Warren Consolidated Schools November 2015
SBAC 4 point Argument Writing Rubric Grades 6-12
Score
Statement of Purpose/Focus and organization Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence Conventions Statement of Purpose/ focus Organization Elaboration of Evidence Language and Vocabulary
4
The response is fully sustained and consistently and purposefully focused: -claim is clearly stated, focused and strongly maintained -alternate or opposing claims are clearly addressed* -claim is introduced and communicated clearly within the context
The response has a clear and effective organizational structure creating unity and completeness: -effective, consistent use of a variety of transitional strategies -logical progression of ideas from beginning to end -effective introduction and conclusion for audience and purpose -strong connections among ideas, with some syntactic variety
The response provides thorough and convincing support/evidence for the writer’s claim that includes the effective use of sources, facts, and details. The response achieves substantial depth that is specific and relevant: -use of evidence from source is smoothly integrated, comprehensive, relevant and concrete -effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques
The response clearly and effectively expresses ideas, using precise language: -use of academic and domain-specific vocabulary is clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose
The response demonstrates a strong command of conventions: -few, if any, errors are present in usage and sentence formation -effective and consistent use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
3
The response is adequately sustained and generally focused: -claim is clear and for the most part maintained, though some loosely related material may be present -context provided for the claim is adequate
The response has an evident organizational structure and a sense of completeness, though there may be minor flaws and some ideas may be loosely connected: -adequate use of transitional strategies with some variety -adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end -adequate introduction and conclusion -adequate, if slightly inconsistent, connection among ideas
The response provides adequate support/evidence for writer’s claim that includes the use of sources, facts, and details. The response achieves some depth and specificity but is predominately general: -some evidence from sources is integrated, though citations may be general or imprecise -adequate use of some elaborative techniques
The response adequately expresses ideas employing a mix of precise with more general language: -use of domain-specific vocabulary is generally appropriate for the audience and purpose
The response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions: -some errors in usage and sentence formation may be present, but no systematic pattern of errors is displayed -adequate use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
2
The response is somewhat sustained and may have a minor drift in focus: -may be clearly focused on the claim but is insufficiently sustained -claim on the issue may be somewhat unclear and unfocused
The response has an inconsistent organizational structure, and flaws are evident: -inconsistent use of basic transitional strategies with little variety -uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end -introduction and conclusion, if present, are weak -weak connection among ides
The response provides uneven, cursory support/ evidence for the writer’s claim that includes partial or uneven use of sources, facts, and details, and achieves little depth: -evidence from sources is weakly integrated, and citations, if present, are uneven -weak or uneven use of
elaborative techniques
The response expresses ideas unevenly, using simplistic language: -use of domain-specific vocabulary may at times be inappropriate for the audience and purpose
The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions: -frequent errors in usage may obscure meaning -inconsistent use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
1
The response may be related to the purpose but may offer little relevant detail: -may be very brief -may have a major drift -claim may be confusing or ambiguous
The response has little or no discernible organizational structure: -few or no transitional strategies are evident -frequent extraneous ideas may intrude
The response provides minimal support/evidence for writer’s claim that includes little or no use of sources, facts, and details: -use of evidence from sources is minimal, absent, in error, or irrelevant
The response expression of ideas is vague, lacks clarity, or is confusing: -uses limited language or domain-specific vocabulary -may have little sense of audience and purpose
The response demonstrates a lack of command of conventions: -errors are frequent and severe and meaning is often obscure
0 A response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to(fill in with key language from the intended target).