First Person
Narrative
Rubric
Category
Overall
Lead
Transitions
Endings
Organization
Elaboration
Name
Title
2.5
Period
3
Score
3.5
4
I wrote a first person narrative.
I wrote a story about a significant
moment in my life.
I wrote a story of an important
moment. It was a true account and
conveyed an idea, message, or
realization.
I wrote a beginning to my story.
I wrote an interesting lead
capturing my readers’ attention.
I wrote an interesting lead
capturing my readers’ attention
and setting the plot in motion.
I have some very basic
transitions or none at all.
I used transitions to show passage
of time. (next, then, after)
I wrote an ending that
concluded my story.
I wrote an interesting ending to
my story.
I used transitional phrases to show
passages of time in complicated
ways, perhaps showing things
happening at the same time
(meanwhile, at the same time) or
flashback and flash forward (early
that morning, three hours later).
I wrote an ending that gave
readers a sense of closure and
connected to what my story was
really about.
I wrote a story that had
tension, suspense, realism,
and resolution and conveyed
an idea, message, or
realization.
I wrote an interesting lead
that captures my readers’
attention, sets the plot in
motion, and also hints at the
larger meaning the story
conveys.
I used transitional phrases to
connect what happened to
why it happened (If I
hadn’t…, I might not have…,
because of…, although…, and
little did I know that…).
My story has a beginning,
middle, and end.
I used paragraphs to separate
different parts of my story.
I used paragraphs purposefully,
perhaps to show time or setting
changes. Some parts of the story
were longer and more developed
than others.
I used some detail and
elaboration in my story.
I used a blend of description,
action, dialogue, and thinking to
develop the main part of my story.
I used a blend of description,
action, dialogue, and thinking to
develop the characters, setting and
plot throughout my story.
I wrote a powerful ending
that gave readers a sense of
closure by showing a new
realization, insight, or change
in a character or myself the
narrator.
I used paragraphs
purposefully, perhaps to
show time or setting
changes, new parts of the
story, or to create suspense
for the readers. I created a
sequence of events that was
clear.
I wove together a blend of
description, action, dialogue,
and thinking to develop
characters, setting, and plot
as well as a deeper meaning
or message throughout my
story.
Craft
I explained what characters did
in the story. Most of my story is
summary.
I showed what characters did in
the story. I have some storytelling
and some summary.
I showed why characters did what
they did by including their thinking
and their responses to what
happened. I use the storytelling
technique throughout the story.
Spelling
I mostly used knowledge about
word patterns to spell correctly.
Resources like dictionaries and
word walls could have been
utilized more. There are a
multitude of errors.
Many of my sentences are
incomplete and do not follow
the rules of grammar and
punctuation. I have run-ons and
fragments.
I mostly used knowledge about
word patterns to spell correctly.
Resources like dictionaries and
word walls could have been
utilized more. There are many
errors.
Most of my sentences are
complete and follow the rules of
grammar and punctuation.
However, I had some run-ons and
fragments. Some of my sentences
are choppy and difficult to read.
I used resources like dictionaries
and word walls to be sure words in
my writing are spelled correctly.
There are one or two minor errors.
I may have not capitalized words
at the beginning of sentences and
for all proper nouns. I may have
had difficulty capitalizing my title
and heading correctly. I have many
mistakes.
Mostly, I capitalized words at the
beginning of sentences and for all
proper nouns. I also capitalized my
title and heading correctly. I have
one or two mistakes.
Grammar
and
Punctuation
Capitalization I did not capitalized words at
the beginning of sentences and
for all proper nouns. I had
difficulty capitalizing my title
and heading correctly. I have a
multitude of mistakes.
My sentences are complete and
follow the rules of grammar and
punctuation. I attempted to vary
my sentence structure.
Editing
I could spend more time and
effort on editing and
proofreading. There are
numerous errors and mistakes.
I proofread and edit. I utilize
editing and proofreading
resources to enhance my writing.
However, there are many errors
and mistakes.
I proofread and edit. I utilize
editing and proofreading resources
to enhance my writing. There are
one or two errors or mistakes.
Publishing
The presentation of writing has
major issues. There are
problems with size and choice
of font. The paragraphs are not
indented. There are numerous
formatting issues. The heading
has major formatting issues.
The presentation of writing may
have some issues. There may be
paragraph format problems or
other obvious formatting issues.
The heading is included but may
also have some formatting issues.
Writing is neat and presentable.
Paragraphs are indented, but there
are some minor formatting issues.
The heading is included but may
also have some minor formatting
issues.
I developed character traits
and emotions through what
characters said and did. I told
the internal as well as the
external story. I use the
storytelling technique
throughout the story.
I used resources like
dictionaries and word walls
to be sure words in my
writing are spelled correctly.
There are no errors.
My sentences are complete
and follow the rules of
grammar and punctuation.
My sentences are fluent and
are well-structured. I used a
variety of sentence
structures and types.
I capitalized words at the
beginning of sentences and
for all proper nouns. I also
capitalized my title and
heading correctly. I have no
capitalization mistakes.
I proofread and edit
thoroughly. I consistently
utilize editing and
proofreading resources to
enhance and perfect my
writing. My final product is of
exceptional quality.
Writing is neat and
presentable. Paragraphs are
indented. The heading has
the necessary requirements.