Becoming a World Power
Writing Prompt
Choose one of the three prompts below, which are also printed on their respective page # in your
textbook:
p. 299 # 8
Persuasive Writing. Imagine that you are living in the United States in the 1890’s. Write a
letter to the President persuading him to support or oppose an imperialist policy. Be sure to use
standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
or
p. 307 # 8
Descriptive Writing. Imagine that you are a Filipino living during the time of the U.S.
annexation of the Philippine Islands. Write a journal entry in which you describe your feelings
about U.S. control of the islands.
or
p. 315 # 7
Persuasive Writing. Imagine you are Theodore Roosevelt, and write a speech justifying the
actions that led to the building of the Panama Canal. Be specific in your reasons.
Format
Equivalent to 1-2 typed pages, double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins
(remember to adjust from Bill Gates’ 1.25 inch margins on MS Word ;)
Writing Prompt Rubric
1=Weak
2=Moderately Weak
3=Average
4=Moderately Strong
5=Strong
1. Each paragraph in the assignment starts with a topic sentence
2. The organization of the writing assignment is clear and easy to follow
3. The assignment is concise and well written
4. The assignment employs the appropriate information or facts
5. The content demonstrates an understanding of the topic and related concepts
6. The assignment is neatly typed or handwritten
7. The spelling, punctuation & grammar on the writing assignment are accurate
8. the assignment appears to have been well researched (okay if it’s all from text)
9. The content fulfills all the requirements of the assignment
10. Overall, the work represents the writer’s full potential
5 points each statement = 50 points
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