Nombre: _____________________________________________________________ Hora: 1a/2a/3a

Haba una vez

Introduccin: Youre about to become a childrens book author! For this project you will be writing and
illustrating a book for children. You will read your story to your classmates in class on Wednesday, April 22 and
after I grade your books we will donate them to a local elementary school for the children to enjoy and learn
some Spanish from.
Read the instructions and rubric carefully:
-

This assignment is a project grade. Put effort into your project, use your class time and peer editing time
wisely, maintain academic integrity while completing it, and submit your book on time and this can be a
good grade for you!
You must include a cover page with the title of your book and your name
Your book must be at least 10 pages long (not including cover page).
There must be a total of 15 sentences in the past tense (using both the preterit and imperfect tenses).
The cover page and each page must be illustrated with pictures or drawings in color.
You may look up individual words in the dictionary but if I see evidence of using a translator or evidence
of plagiarism, your book will be returned with a grade of 0. You are capable of doing this assignment on
your own. Use the textbook, your notes, and your own cabeza!
The due date is Wednesday, April 22. Ten points will be deducted per day late.
We will read our stories in small groups in class on the due date. Since were having story time, you may
bring a blanket, pillow, and/or bring a teddy bear or childhood item with you to class on that day

You will begin your story with Habia una vez (Once upon a time there was) In your story you should
have a variety of sentences in the preterit and imperfect. You should include the uses of the imperfect that we
discussed in class:
You should use the imperfect in the following situations:
1. Habitual Actions- What the character used to do or did regularly on a continuous basis.
2. Incomplete actions- What the character was doing (-ing continuous action). Usually, this will be
interrupted by another action in the preterit.
3. Description of people, things, background info, setting the scene. (Therefore, your story should
begin with the use of this tense.)
4. Emotions and Feelings- most of the time unless you are indicating a change of state/being.
*Remember the preterit is used to discuss completed actions/ events with a clear beginning and ending!
You need to keep your story simple and at a level that is comprehensible and understandable to both yourself
and your classmates. If you dont know what your own sentence says, that is a problem!! See the sample story
in English below.
Once upon a time there was a bear. His name was Fuzzy.
Fuzzy was very sad because he did not have any friends.
The other bears were mean to him because he was orange.
Fuzzy played alone every day.
One day, Fuzzy was walking in the woods when he saw another bear.
He asked the other bear to play with him.
The other bear said, No, you are orange. Fuzzy was very sad.
Fuzzy was leaving when he heard the other bear scream.
Fuzzy stopped.
Oh no! The other bear was drowning.
Fuzzy jumped into the water. He swam to the other bear.
He saved the bear! Yay!
The other bear thanked Fuzzy and he apologized.
He asked Fuzzy, Do you want to be my friend?
Fuzzy answered yes.
Fuzzy and the other bear became friends.

Moral: Dont judge a person by what they look like.

I do NOT suggest that you write your story in English first. You need to write your story directly in Spanish. I just
wrote it in English so you could see what I was expecting.
How will you be graded??
The Story Itself
Your use of the preterit and imperfect throughout the story.
The different uses of the imperfect are included in your story.
Grammar- are your verbs conjugated correctly, do you have subjects/verbs?
Spelling- do you include accent marks and use the dictionary to spell words correctly?
Content- do your sentences make sense, did you keep it simple enough for us to understand what you were
writing about in your story?
Did you include three questions to ask your classmates about your story at the end?
Did you include 15 sentences?
Presentation and Visual Appeal
Is your storybook neatly assembled and attractive?
Do you have a title and cover page?
Do you have 10 pages of illustrations?
Does it look like your illustrations are creative and took time?
Do you read your story in class in small groups?
Can we understand you when you are speaking? (Do you speak loudly and clearly?)
Do you ask three follow-up questions about your story?
Do you quietly listen to your classmates while they are reading their stories?

10-9

8-7

6-5

4-1

Content

Your book included more

than 15 sentences and at
least 3 follow-up
questions. You included
various uses of the preterit
and imperfect

Your book included at

least 10-15 sentences and
some follow up questions.
You included both the
preterit and imperfect.

Your book included at

least 8-10 sentences. You
included both the preterit
and imperfect.

Your book had seven sentences or

less and might also be lacking in
use of either the preterit or
imperfect.

Grammar

The book had no or only a

couple of minor errors in
the conjugation and use of
the preterit and imperfect.
There are minimal errors
in spelling.

The book has some errors

in the conjugation and use
of the preterit and
imperfect. There are
occasional errors in
spelling.

The book had several

errors in the conjugation
and use of the preterit and
imperfect. There are
occasional spelling errors.

The book had very few or no

correct uses and/or conjugations of
the preterit and imperfect.
Spelling might also be very poor.

The book is very creative

and includes 10 pages of
illustrations. It is neatly
bound or uses an
appropriate application.
Time was clearly spent
putting it together.
Student read the story in
his/her small group and
could be understand by the
teacher and all of the
classmates.
Student completes
reflection and gives
constructive feedback to
his/her peers. Student
participates in several
classmates readings by
responding to questions.
Student is attentive during
all of the presentations.

The book is neat and has

ten pages of
illustrations. It may or
may not be creative but
time was spent putting it
together.

The book has less than ten

pages of illustrations but it
is still neat.

The book is not neat and appears to

be thrown together. The book has
less than 10 pages.

Student read the story to

the class but had a couple
of errors that impeded
communication with the
audience.
Student completes both
the reflection and gives
constructive feedback to
his/her peers. Student
participates in some of
his/her classmates
readings. Student is
attentive during the
majority of the
presentations.

Student read the story to

the class and made several
errors that impeded
communication with the
audience.
Student completes either
the reflection piece or the
constructive feedback.
Student participates
minimally in the
classmates readings.
Student is attentive
during the majority of the
presentations.

Student was very difficult to

understand. Comprehension was
very limited.

Use of
preterit and
imperfect
Visual
Appeal

Presentation

Reflection
and
Feedback

*Parts of this project are adapted from Barbie Browns Storybook Project for French 2.

Student completes either the

reflection or the constructive
feedback. Student fails to
participate in the classmates
readings. Student fails to be
attentive during the majority of
presentations.