About writing a scary story
Use the following rubric to help you self-critique your tale. Please note that a long composition with several errors will not be penalized more heavily than a perfect composition with only 2 sentences. At the bottom of this page is a list of 40 spooky vocabulary words to inspire you as you start writing!
| Criterion | Points earned | Points available | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Grammar and Spelling: # of words minus # of grammar or spelling errors, e.g. 100 words - 10 errors = 90% x 20 | 18 | 20 |
| 2. | Use of complex grammatical forms:
Minimum of one example for each form below. Minus two points per omitted form, e.g. 2 omissions = -2 pts.
|
8 | 10 |
| 3. | Keep It Simple! Is story clear to reader? Total # of sentences minus # unclear sentences, e.g. 10 sent. - 2 unclear sent. = 80% x 70 | 56 | 70 |
| 4. | Submit Rubric to KET | No Points | No Points |
| sanguis, sanguinis (m.) | blood | bacchor, bacchari, bacchatus sum | rave like a Bacchant, revel |
| ululo (1) | to howl | scelestus, -a, -um | evil, wicked |
| lupus, -i (m.) | wolf | bicodula lacerta, -ae (f.) | two-tailed lizard |
| luna, -ae, (f.) | moon | cornix, cornicis (f.) | crow (noun) |
| sudor, -oris (m.) | sweat | prodigium (nt.) or omen, ominis (n.) | prophecy, sign, omen |
| verispellis, -is (m.) | shape-shifter (Latin term for werewolf) | vespertilio, -onis (m.) | bat |
| gallicinium, -i (nt.) | cock-crow | cruentus, -a, -um sanguis, sanguinis |
bloody |
| musica titubantium | rock n' roll (music of those shaking about) | cucurbita, -ae (f.) or pepo, peponis (m.) | pumpkin, gourd |
| stela, -ae (f.) | tombstone | turpis, turpe | foul, repulsive, ugly |
| cadaver, cadaveris (n.) | corpse | aranea, -ae (f.) araneum, -i (n.) |
spider spider web |
| lanius, -i (m.) | butcher | mortuus, -a, -um | dead |
| fur, furis (m.) | thief | grammatica (f.) linguae Latinae | grammar of the Latin language |
| ferox cuniculus (m.) | ferocious rabbit | effundo, effundere, effundi, effusus | pour out, spill out |
| ingens mus (m./f.) | giant mouse | nox, noctis (f.) | night (for 'at night' just put nox in the ablative) |
| genius, -i (m.) | spirit, genie, angel | philtrum, -i or potio, potionis (f.) | potion, especially love potion |
| anthropophagus, -i (m.) | cannibal | striga, -ae | witch, vampiress |
| mucosus draco, -onis (m.) | slimy dragon (serpent) | funus, funeris (nt.) | funeral, funeral procession |
| larva, -ae (f.) or umbra, -ae (f.) or manes, manium, (m. only plural) | ghost | phreneticus pantomimus | crazy pantomime |
| belua, -ae (f.) or bestia, -ae (f.) | beast, monster, animal | loca remota (nt. pl.) | backwoods |
| monstrum, -i (nt.) | monster, monstrosity | gladius, -i (m.) or ferrum, -i (n.) or ensis, ensis, (m.) | sword |
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