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)