November portfolio piece
Create a story of a perfect Thanksgiving meal from the
beginning of the day until the last dish is washed.
Answer the following questions in your essay:
 Why is Thanksgiving important to you?
 Who is there? You can invite ANYONE, living or dead.
Why would you pick them?
 What food is available? Describe the food using the five
senses – sight, smell, taste, touch and sound
 What activities do you all participate in to make the
holiday the most memorable in existence?
This story should be 2 pages long and must contain a title.
You can make it as realistic or creative as you like, but be
sure to stick to the rubric (on reverse side) in order to get
the best grade possible!
For this paper, you will be learning the art of proper
paragraph writing, and this will be part of how your grade
is tallied.
Rough draft due date: _______________________________
Use the space below to begin brainstorming.
THANKSGIVING ESSAY
Name: _____________________________________________
Topic
Paragraph
structure
Run-ons and
Fragments
Vocabulary
Timeliness
Materials
3
2
1
0
Author
Author
Author does not
Topic
clearly and
answers all
answer all parts
development
fully
parts of the
of the assigned
is confusing
addresses
assigned
topic.
and very
all parts of topic, although
unclear.
the assigned
parts are
topic.
unclear/underdeveloped.
Each
Topic
There is no topic
Paragraphs
paragraph
sentence is
sentence, but
mostly jump
contain a
present, but
paragraph
around from
clear topic
supporting
contains details
one detail to
sentence
details do not
that are all
another with
with
match up to
associated.
very little, if
supporting
the topic
any,
details.
sentence.
connection..
Essay
Essay contains
Essay contains
Essay contains
contains no
fragments or several fragments
many
run-ons or
run-ons but
or run-ons which
fragments or
fragments
they do not
distract somewhat run-ons which
that distract
distract from
from
prevent
from
understand\
understanding.
understandunderstandi-ng.
ing of paper
ding.
Essay
Essay contains Essay contains 1 Essay contains
contains 3
2 vocabulary
vocabulary word no vocabulary
vocabulary word correctly
correctly used.
words
words,
used.
correctly used
correctly
used.
Essay is
Essay is
Essay is passed in
Essay is
passed in on
passed in 1
2 days late
passed in 3 or
time
day late
more days late
Rough draft
and peer
One
Only smooth
editing is
component is
draft is turned
included
missing
in.
with smooth
Total: ___________/21