Intensive (Controlled) Writing

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Content Area: Social Studies: Geography
SOL Standard: 3.4b
The student will develop map skills by describing the physical and human characteristics
of Greece, Rome, and West Africa.
WIDA Standard: 5: The Language of Social Studies
WIDA Proficiency Level: 3 (Developing)
Purpose: The purpose of this assessment is to assess students knowledge of the physical and
human characteristics of the three major Ancient empires by writing short answers to questions
about these empires.
Objectives:
Content: SWBAT describe the physical and human characteristics of Greece, Rome, and
West Africa in writing.
Language: SWBAT use past tense to write about the physical and human characteristics
of Greece, Rome, and West Africa.
Directions: You will answer each question in one complete sentence using the past tense. Make
sure your sentences are complete with proper punctuation and capitalization. (4 points each)
Example:
1. What did you eat for lunch yesterday?
Yesterday, I ate a sandwich for lunch.
Assessment:
1. What was a physical characteristic of Greece? Write at least 1 example.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What was a physical characteristic of Rome? Write at least 1 example.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. What was a physical characteristic of Mali? Write at least 1 example.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Compare Greece and Romes human characteristics. What is one human characteristic
they shared? Write at least 1 example.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. How were Malis human characteristics different than Greece and Rome? Write at least 1
example.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Rubric:
Each response will be scored on a scale of 0-2 points based on the content. Responses will be
scored on the students writing mechanics and tense usage through a checklist.
Scoring Scale
2 points- Demonstrates high levels of content competence by correctly identifying the regions
physical characteristics
1 points- Demonstrates some content competence by identifying some knowledge about the
regions physical characteristics
0 points- No response/incomprehensible response
Checklist
Demonstrates correct use of tenses (1 point)
Demonstrates use of correct mechanics (ie. complete sentences, correct punctuation,
correct capitalization, etc.) (1 point)
Answer Key:
These are example answers. Student answers may differ but the content should be present.
1. A physical characteristic of Greece was that they were located among mountains and
hills. Other answers students can write is that Greece was located in Europe on a
peninsula and was surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea or that it had limited rich soil.
2. A physical characteristic of Rome was that they were build on the Tiber River among
mountains and hills. Other acceptable answers include that Rome was located in Europe,
Asia, and Africa and surrounded the Mediterranean Sea or that it had limited rich soil.
3. A physical characteristic of Mali was that it contained gold mines. Other physical
characteristics include: grasslands, rivers, not surrounded by a body of water, near the
Sahara Desert.
4. One human characteristic that Greece and Rome shared was that there were farmers in
both civilizations. Students can also write that there were traders in both regions.
5. Malis human characteristics were different from Greece and Rome because there were
gold miners in Mali. (All regions had farmers and traders, so that is not a difference)

References
Ancient Mali study guide (PDF document). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/10076/Ancient
%20Mali%20Study%20Guide%202014.pdf.
Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices (1st ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Study guide Greece and Rome (Google Document). (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kKcYcO-Sp2IG27ryD3N1-HBslSwM4D7cr8cTymDJdg/edit
The Geography of Ancient Civilizations. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/geography.html
VDOE. (2010). Standards of learning documents for history and social science. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socialscience/index.shtml
WIDA. (2012). English language development (ELD) standards. Retrieved from
https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx#2012
WIDA. (2014). Can do descriptors. Retrieved from http://www.wida.us/standards/CAN_DOs/