First Quarter: Social Studies (Click here to see the rubric for this essay.)
Topic: Días de los muertos and Halloween

Click here for a copy of the parent letter that goes home each year.

Click here for an outline form we use in class to take notes.

Directions: You will write a compare and contrast essay noting the differences and similarities between the Mexican holiday of the días de los muertos and the European and American holiday of Halloween.

An effective writer may consider the following points:
- Have an introductory paragraph.
- Describe fully the días de los muertos holiday
- Describe fully how Halloween came to be the way it is now.
- Describe how días de los muertos and Halloween are different.
- Describe what días de los muertos and Halloween have in common.
- Have a conclusion paragraph.

For your writing task, you will have the opportunity to follow all of the steps of the writing process: prewriting, writing a first draft, revising and editing your first draft, and writing a final draft.

Click here for websites about los días de los muertos and Halloween!

My writing will be most effective if Ihave a good design.
In other words, I

used interesting, thoughtful, and essential information to communicate ideas about my topic.
used specific details
organized writing with a beginning, middle, and end.
used paragraphs
used transitions to connect ideas

have an interesting style

used words that helps the reader understands my ideas

follow conventions in writing. In other words, I

used complete sentences
used capitalizations and punctuations correctly
have subject/verb agreement
spelled correctly