Sample 6: Grade 12

Topic: Studying a Short Story

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

Communicating

It is expected that students will:

give reasons and information to support points of view
interact in situations drawn from real life

Acquiring Information

It is expected that students will:

convey acquired information in oral, visual, and written forms

Experiencing Creative Works

It is expected that students will:

view, listen to, and read creative works, and respond to them in various ways

Overview

This unit focussed on a locally approved short detective story, Die Anhalterin, by Herbert Reinecker. (Another similar short story could be selected.) Evaluation was based on:

chapter assignments and character charts
posters
written summaries

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

The teacher distributed the novel Die Anhalterin and asked students to preview it in order to make predictions (in German) about the genre, the characters, the setting, some of the events, and the ending. The teacher recorded the predictions on a chart.
Students read the story independently, one chapter at a time. After each chapter, they discussed the events, and then reread the chapter orally as a class or in small groups. The teacher provided discussion questions, participated in the oral readings (to provide modelling), and explained vocabulary or syntax as needed. Students then worked in pairs to record and demonstrate their knowledge of key events in a variety of ways (e.g., composed and responded to comprehension questions, created storyboards or cartoons, wrote reviews or personal responses). They kept their assignments in separate sections of their notebooks or their journals.
As they read, students also developed tables to help them keep track of the characters. Table headings included:
- Character's Name
- Physical Appearance
- Character Traits
- Job or Profession
- Connection to the Murdered Heroine
After completing the story, students were asked to create posters of their favourite characters. Each poster included a visual representation of the character's physical appearance, three symbols that reflected the character's role and actions in the story, and a list or other summary that identified three key character traits (with at least one piece of evidence to support each trait).
Students then retold the story, in two or three written pages, from the point of view of the characters they had chosen.

Defining the Criteria

As students worked on their assignments, the teacher outlined the requirements and discussed the following criteria.

Chapter Assignments and Character Chart

complete: includes key events, characters, and setting
accurate: consistent with story details
includes some detail or elaboration
clearly organized
chart of characters is complete and accurate; includes relevant details and examples

Poster

accurately depicts key physical qualities of the character
symbols are logically related to relationships and events in the story
character traits are consistent with story details
includes clear, logical, and relevant support for identified traits
material is relevant and appropriate and focusses on the chosen character (no extraneous or inaccurate detail)

Written Summary

projects into the character to offer a personal viewpoint or response to the events that is consistent with the character's role and relationships
complete: includes main events and resolution
accurate: consistent with story details
includes relevant details and reasons to support the interpretation presented
clearly and logically organized
uses verb tenses and adverbs accurately to reflect passage of time and order of events
uses a wide range of appropriate vocabulary and idioms, including new vocabulary from the story, to support and enrich the message
uses a variety of appropriate patterns with correct word order and declension forms

Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

The teacher used performance rating scales to evaluate students' work on this unit. Students were given copies of the rating scales, and discussed them in English before they began working on their assignments.

Chapter Assignments and Character Chart
Criteria	Rating
Chapter Assignments complete: include key events, characters, and setting information is accurate: consistent with story details include detail or elaboration clearly organized Character Chart complete with accurate information includes relevant details and examples; may show some insight

Key:
4--Strong
3--Satisfactory
2--Partial
1--Very Limited

Poster
Criteria	Rating
accurately depicts key physical qualities of the character symbols are logically related to relationships and events in the story character traits are consistent with story details includes clear, logical, and relevant support for identified traits material is relevant and appropriate; focusses on the chosen character (no extraneous or inaccurate detail)

Key:
4--Strong
3--Satisfactory
2--Partial
1--Very Limited

Written Summary
Rating	Criteria
Strong	A clear and detailed piece of writing that shows understanding of the story. Conveys the key events accurately from the perspective of the chosen character. May consider an unusual interpretation or focus on some of the more subtle or abstract features. Logically organized. May take risks with language and thus sometimes make errors when attempting to express complexities or subtleties. Wide range of vocabulary and idiom supports message and enriches expression. Errors (if any) in language use do not detract from meaning.
Satisfactory	A clear and complete piece of writing that shows detailed literal understanding of the story. Conveys the main events accurately and tries to reflect the perspective of the chosen character (may be inconsistent). Logically organized. Uses a range of vocabulary and idiom, but may be somewhat repetitive. May include some structural and tense errors, but these do not obscure the meaning.
Partial	An understandable account of most of the key events. May not reflect the perspective of the chosen character in a convincing way. Writing is comprehensible but may be unclear in places, often because of problems with organization. Links between ideas may be weak or confusing. Vocabulary and idiom tend to be basic and concrete. May include errors in word choice, structures, or surface features, but these do not seriously obscure meaning.
Limited	An understandable account that includes some events. Others may be omitted or inaccurate. May not reflect perspective of chosen character in a logical way. Vocabulary and patterns tend to be basic and repetitive. Writing may be incomprehensible in places because of errors in word choice, word order, tenses, or declension. May be very brief.
I/F	Information is unclear, incomplete, or inappropriate. May be very short. A large number of errors may make it impossible for the reader to understand the writer's views.

Revised: January 26, 1999

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