Appendix D: Evaluation Example

Sample 2: English 11

Topic: Novels and Film - Independent Reading and Viewing

Comprehend and Respond (Comprehension)

It is expected that students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of the main ideas, events, or themes of a variety of increasingly complex novels, dramas, stories, poetry, other print material, and electronic media
• organize details and information that they have read, heard, or viewed using a variety of written or graphic forms
• develop coherent and plausible interpretations of abstract, complex, or specialized material
• interpret details and subtleties to clarify gaps or ambiguities in written, oral, or visual works

It is expected that students will:

• make connections between the ideas and information presented in literary and mass media works and their own experiences
• support their opinions or respond to questions and tasks about the works they have read or viewed

It is expected that students will:

• compare and analyse different presentations of the same ideas and issues

It is expected that students will:

• synthesize information and ideas that are appropriate to their purpose, media, and audiences

It is expected that students will:

• use appropriate criteria to critique and appraise their own and others' ideas, use of language, and presentation forms, taking into consideration the purposes of the communications

It is expected that students will:

• create a variety of communications using different tones and voices to evoke emotions, influence, persuade, and entertain
• create a variety of academic, technical, and personal communications, including multi-genre presentations, articles, formal reports, advertising and persuasive materials, résumés, and research papers

The unit involved students in a series of activities related to reading novels and viewing films. Evaluation was based on:

• a movie review
• a book jacket design
• comprehension and response in a small-group discussion
• a verbal/visual essay

• The unit began with the class discussing why people read books and watch movies, and the characteristics of good book readers and good film viewers. Students previewed and talked about a selection of novels. They previewed the novels by looking at covers and publication information, and by reading the first few pages and other randomly chosen pages. Following the preview and discussion, students formed small groups and selected novels to read. Each novel was assigned to at least three or four group members to facilitate discussion.
• Before students began reading their novels, the teacher presented a brief lesson on reading comprehension and response. In pairs, students looked at the descriptions of a confident and interpretive reader in the reference set Evaluating Reading Across Curriculum. Each pair explained, in their own words, their interpretation of the descriptions and asked at least one question about each description. They also compared the descriptions in the reference set with their initial ideas about the characteristics of a good reader. Finally, they set a goal to improve their reading comprehension and response. The teacher explained that when they discussed their novels, the focus would be on what the discussion revealed about the student's comprehension and response.
• After students had read the first 5 - 10 pages of their novels, the teacher outlined the two projects to be completed for the novel: a book jacket design and a verbal/visual essay.
• To determine what goes into constructing a book jacket, the class looked at and analysed various jacket designs. Then students generated a list of requirements for a book jacket, which they later refined into evaluation criteria.
• Students then reviewed the requirements for a verbal/visual essay. Each essay would display 5 - 10 visual images representing the essence of the novel; each visual image would include five significant quotes from the text. On the back of the visual images, an essay section would provide an alternative title for the novel. The title would reflect the student's understanding of the story and explain how the visual images worked together to illustrate the novel's theme. From this information, the class generated criteria for an effective verbal/visual essay.
• While they read the novels, students made notes in their response journals. These notes were used for the small-group discussions, book jacket designs, and verbal/visual essays.
• When they were halfway through the novels, students re-formed in their groups and presented to the class interpretations of some of the novels' themes. The class then brainstormed titles of films that dealt with similar themes. To facilitate the brainstorm ideas, the teacher provided a list of movie titles and plots. Each group selected one movie to watch and review.
• Before viewing the films, the teacher conducted mini lessons on what reviewers look for when watching a film. The class also read movie reviews and analysed them for writing style, format, and contents. Students used this information to generate criteria for a good movie review. After watching the films, students wrote in their response journals. Students then reformed in groups and discussed what they saw.
• At the end of the unit, students presented their verbal/visual essays to the rest of the class and displayed their book jacket designs around the room. They also read their movie reviews aloud to students in their groups and discussed similarities and differences in their analyses and evaluated each other's reviews.

The teacher reviewed with students the learning outcomes for these activities and explained the requirements of each task. The teacher and students decided that the following key criteria should be demonstrated in the assigned tasks.

Movie Review

• engaging introduction that captures essence of viewer's response to film
• pertinent details about film's director and cast
• concise and intriguing summary of plot that does not reveal too much
• insightful investigation and evaluation of film's purpose and actors' performances
• thoughtful analysis of lighting, cinematography, editing, and music
• specific details and examples are included to support evaluation and analyses
• makes thoughtful connections between film and others of a similar genre

• cover: images are clear, striking, and enticing and convey theme, tone, and focus of novel; graphic design is striking
• front inside flyleaf plot summary: concise, easy to follow, and doesn't reveal too much
• back inside flyleaf author profile: concise, easy to read, and includes appropriate information (highlights of author's life, career, writing)
• back cover: comments or mini reviews are appealing; unambiguously positive
• all material is written in plain language (clear, concise, easy to follow) and standard English (no errors in usage, spelling)

• provides specific details to support ideas or elaborate on others' ideas
• interprets explicit and implicit meaning of selection
• explains relationships among ideas, events, and characters
• makes connections to personal experience, knowledge, and other selections
• provides criteria for judgments and expresses unique ideas

• five quotes that are significant and displayed within appropriate visual images
• 5-10 visual images that represent essence and theme of novel
• alternative title reflects understanding of novel
• essay explains how images work together to illustrate novel's theme

Movie Review

The teacher scored the movie reviews using a rating scale.

Book Jacket Design

For the book jacket design, the teacher rated each element on a scale from 0­3 and included brief comments. Each student was also assigned to rate three book jackets. The teacher considered these ratings in arriving at a final grade.

Evaluating Comprehension and Response in a Small-Group Discussion

Each group member used a scale for self-assessment and to assess others in the group. The teacher observed a different group each day and also assigned a rating. After considering all of the available information, the teacher assigned a consensus rating as a final grade; students had opportunities to challenge this rating.

Rating	Criteria
Strong	introduction engaging and captures essence of reviewer's response to film concise, intriguing summary of plot that does not reveal too much insightful investigation and evaluation of film's purpose and actors' performances thoughtful analysis of lighting, cinematography, editing, and music makes thoughtful and varied connections between this film and others of a similar genre provides pertinent details about film's director and cast
Good	introduction captures essence of viewer's response to film concise, thorough summary of plot that does not reveal too much careful investigation and evaluation of film's purpose and actors' performances analyses lighting, cinematography, editing, and music makes thoughtful connections between this film and other similar films provides details about film's director and cast
Satisfactory	introduction generally captures essence of viewer's response to film summarizes plot carefully attempts to investigate and evaluate film's purpose and actors' performances some analysis of lighting, cinematography, editing, and music connects this film with other similar films provides some details about film's director and cast
Minimally Acceptable	introduction states obvious details about film (e.g., title and some information about director and crew) summarizes plot unevenly - not always distinguishing between main events and details little or no attempt to comment on film's purpose and actors' performances usually does not make connections between this film and other similar films
In Progress	little or no attempt to satisfy criteria

Criteria	Rating
cover: images are clear, striking, and enticing and convey theme, tone, and focus of novel; graphic design is striking	3    2    1    0
front inside flyleaf plot summary: concise, easy to follow, and doesn't reveal too much	3    2    1    0
back inside flyleaf author profile: concise, easy to read, and includes appropriate information (highlights of author's life, career, writing)	3    2    1    0
back cover: catchy comments or mini reviews are appealing to audience; unambiguously positive	3    2    1    0
all material is written in plain language (clear, concise, easy to follow) and standard English (no errors in usage, spelling)	3    2    1    0
overall appeal	3    2    1    0
Key: 3­strong 2­competent 1­developing 0­unsatisfactory

Criteria	Rating	Comments
five significant quotes displayed within visual images	4     3     2     1
5-10 visual images that represent essence and theme of novel	4     3     2     1
alternative title reflects understanding of novel	4     3     2     1
essay explains how images work together to illustrate novel's theme	4     3     2     1
Key: 3­strong 2­good 1­satisfactory 0­minimally acceptable

Rating	Criteria
Strong	provides specific details to support ideas or elaborate on other's ideas analyses construction, style, and purpose able to offer alternative interpretations and synthesizes information and ideas from a variety of sources makes connections to personal experience, knowledge, and other selections thoughts and feelings may help others to develop understanding, insights, and interpretations critiques quality of selection
Very Good	interprets explicit and implicit meaning of selection explains relationships among ideas, events, and characters offers generalizations about information, characters, or themes makes connections to personal experience and knowledge provides criteria for judgments and expresses unique ideas
Good	offers analysis of segments or the whole selection interprets explicit and implicit meaning of selection paraphrases/summarizes whole or parts of the selection provides details and reasons to support inferences and interpretations makes connections to personal experience and knowledge able to agree or disagree with author's views
Satisfactory	shows clear understanding by referring to explicit ideas and details may make relatively simple inferences refers to details when recalling or retelling may offer a summary of a selection without distinguishing between key concepts and supporting details makes connections to personal experience and knowledge expresses likes and dislikes, and explains why
Minimally Acceptable	gives gist of selection can retell most of the main ideas and events may notice and use details, most often with prompting from other students makes some connections to personal experience and knowledge may express likes, dislikes, and confusion own predictions and personal response may overtake details of the selection
In Progress	incomplete evidence of criteria or criteria not evident

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