My World

Authentic Task Writing a Postcard

Alexandra Huss

Goal: Your task is to write a postcard to a friend or family member.

Role: You are an explorer who has just completed an expedition around the world.

Audience: Your audience is a friend or family member.

Situation: You have just completed an expedition around the world! You have visited all 7
continents and seen so many amazing things! Everyone at home is so eager to hear about what
you have experienced, so you decide to send them a postcard showing and telling them about
your favorite continent that you visited.

Product, Performance, and Purpose: You need to write a postcard to a friend or family member
telling them about one of the continents that you visited. In this postcard, you must include the
name of the continent, information about its physical characteristics, and one place that you
visited or one activity you did. You must also be sure to include all five parts of a friendly letter
(date, greeting, body, closing, signature) in your postcard. Additionally, you should draw a
picture on the front of your postcard showing your friend or family member what the continent
looked like or what you saw when you were there.

Standards and Criteria for Success: Your postcard must meet the following standards
Geography
Standard 7.1.2.B: Describe regions in geographic reference using physical features.
Standard 7.2.2.A: Identify the physical characteristics of places.
English Language Arts
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated
event or short sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.B: Use commas in greetings and closings of letters



My World
Authentic Task Rubric


Target Acceptable Unacceptable
Continent Postcard included the Postcard did not
name of the include the name of
continent the continent
Physical Postcard mentioned Postcard mentioned Postcard did not
Characteristic two or more physical one physical mention any physical
characteristics of the characteristic of the characteristics of the
continent continent continent OR
mentioned incorrect
physical
characteristics
Place/Activity Postcard mentioned Postcard mentioned Postcard did not
two or more places one place that was mention one place
that were visited or visited or one activity that was visited or
activities that were that was done one activity that was
done done
Parts of a Letter Postcard includes all Postcard is missing Postcard is missing
5 parts of a letter one of the 5 parts of two or more of the 5
(date, heading, body, a letter parts of a letter
closing, signature)