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English DepartmentInternal Assessment Resource

English Level TwoAchievement Standard 91106 version 2

Form developed personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence

‘highly recommended!’4credits

Checkpoints: Your teacher will provide you with dates when you will be required to bring in your text and draft each response in class. Write these below. Track your progress using the table at the end of this booklet.

Response Due date Specific period drafted in class

1 Term one

2

3 Term two

4

5 Term three

6

This assessment contributes to the reading requirements for university entrance literacy.

Student InstructionsThis assessment activity requires you to develop a portfolio of personal responses to at least six independently read texts, sharing and developing what you felt or thought about them and providing evidence to support your responses.

Your responses can be presented in written and/or oral forms.

You must include at least four written texts, two of which must be extended or long texts (such as novels or biographies).

The other two texts can be visual, oral, or written.

All written texts must be selected and read by you.

You may respond to a visual text viewed in class, but only if you have not studied it prior to writing on it.

No written texts selected by the teacher and read as a class can be used.

So that we can be assured you are producing work that is your own, you will be given dates when you will need to come to class prepared to draft a response. Your teacher will set these dates at the beginning of each term. If you need more time, you can complete the draft at home. Your teacher will need a copy of the draft to ensure no major changes are made.As this assessment is marked holistically, you will not receive a specific grade for any of your responses. This means that your teacher will look at your work across the six responses and make a judgement about them based on the quality of your discussion about what, how and why you have responded the way you did.You will receive detailed feedback and ideas about the next steps as you hand in your work and have the opportunity to resubmit once only. Use the feedback and the exemplars that follow to guide you in writing subsequent responses.

Your teacher will keep your completed responses in their own assessment folder.You will be assessed on:

Your ability to develop a personal response to at least six independently read texts

Your ability to select appropriate evidence for all your responses. As part of your support-ing evidence, each response should include specific supporting evidence in the form of quotations or details from the text.

Task One: Choosing your texts

Your teacher may make some suggestions of texts to read, but it is your responsibility to independently select and read each of the six texts. You should consider a range of text

Possible texts might include…novels graphic novels biographies

autobiographies films dramas blogs

short stories poetry short films song lyrics

podcasts feature magazine articles newspaper columns

forms, genres, and perspectives and balance your selection of texts in terms of gender and country of origin.

Of the six texts you select, at least four must be written texts, two of which must be extended texts. The remaining two texts can be visual, oral, or written.

You cannot respond to any texts studied in class but your teacher may provide you with some suggestions linked to a studied text.

You need to follow the guidance of your teacher or the librarian when selecting texts, as all texts must be suitable for Level Two NCEA students [level 7 of the New Zealand Curriculum]. This includes adult popular fiction/non-fiction, for example:

.

To help you select texts, there is a list on the library’s intranet site:http://intranet.stac.school.nz/library/default.aspx

The English Department’s Moodle site has a number of links to interesting texts, including podcasts and oral presentations.

Task Two: Developing and presenting personal responsesRead your texts closely and make detailed notes, as you read them, about their strengths and/or weaknesses. You may want to use Post-It notes to record places where you find a specific aspect interesting. Be sure to include specific evidence to support your notes in the form of quotes or examples from the texts.

Questions to ask when considering a text: What does the text deal with? (ideas, themes, storyline, content) as above Whom does the text feature? (key characters/people, their situations and ages) How is the text written? (vocabulary, language, syntax, style, narrative perspectives) For whom is the text intended? (readership age, interest)

Analyse each text in terms of how the reader has engaged you as a Year 12 student and why you think Year 12 students should read it.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Desert Flower by Waris Dirie

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Worth Dying For by Lee Child Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Complex fantasy / sci fi, such as Anne Rice’s novels

Texts not suitable for Level Two NCEA students: Young adult fiction for example: Twilight series texts, Tomorrow, when the War Began by John Marsden, Harry Potter, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Thunder Road by Ted Dawe, Smashed by Mandy Hager, Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Holes, news articles from the daily newspaper, Andy McNab’s young readers’ series, Chris Ryan’s young adult novels.

Because it is possible to gain an ‘Achievement’, ‘Achievement with Merit’ or an ‘Achievement with Excellence’ grade for this assessment, be sure to present your six personal responses and recommendations in a form that provides the opportunity for you to achieve the standard at every level.

Check the exemplars on the following pages to help you understand the different levels.

Some tips: As you are reading or viewing a text, make notes of what your responses to it are

and why you have responded the way you do.

Explain how the creator of that text has made you as a reader or viewer respond the way you have. What aspects helped you respond? These could include settings, characters, events, language, structure, narrative point[s] of view.

Explain why Year 12 students would find your recommended texts interesting to read. You might discuss the why the content is appropriate or not or what themes are developed in the text.

Make connections between the texts and yourself, your society and the wider world in order to offer perceptive personal responses.

You should be ready to discuss your reading with other students and your teacher.

Support your responses and recommendations with evidence, such as specific examples from the texts, quotations, and other relevant details.

You may present your book club recommendations and personal responses in a written or oral format or a combination of both. Your teacher will guide you with this.

Some points to consider with NCEA assessment:

Some points to consider about this assessment:

You are encouraged to show some insight or originality in thought or reflection by:

demonstrating significant personal understandings of and engagement with the texts

making connections between texts making links between the texts and yourself – making clear connections between the text and your personal

experiences and prior understandings about the topic the texts deal with or the world that is reflected in the text

making links between the texts and the world – making clear connections with the social, cultural, literary, political, or historical contexts presented in the texts.

Helpful starters [choose one or two for each response]I think the title means….. because….

I liked this text because it made me think about...I didn’t like this text because it made me think

about…..I would/wouldn’t recommend this text because…..This text related to my family and I because it reminded me of……I connected with this text because…….

I think the main idea in this text was…… because….

Authenticity: We are required to have procedures in place to ensure that we know that you completed your assessed work on your own. This means that any internal assessment task will be carried out under teacher supervision. There will be checkpoints for writing your responses for this standard and your work will be drafted in class.Cheating: Memorising written work that you have had help with, then writing it out in an assessment and claiming it as your own is a form of cheating. If it is suspected that this has taken place, you may be required to undertake a reassessment of the standard in order to prove you are capable of achieving the standard without outside help. All the work you submit for assessment must be your own work and demonstrate you are capable of achieving to that standard on your own.Plagiarism: This is using or copying other people’s work. This can be from another student or text, including a website or secondary text. It is treated very seriously and any suspected plagiarism will be referred to the Head of Department or to the Head of Teaching and Learning. If you are found to have plagiarized or copied other people’s work or sections of other people’s work and handed it in as your own, the outcome will be a Not Achieved for that assessment, along with other disciplinary action.Resubmissions: You will be given one opportunity to resubmit on each response after you have received feedback from your teacher.Using feedback to improve your work: You will receive feedback and next steps on each of your responses before you write the next one. Use this to help you make improvements for the next response. Record this feedback on the front page of this hand out.

Student exemplarsUse the NZQA exemplars that follow to help you understand the level required to succeed in this standard. Whilst the style of response varies from what you are required to do, note the ways in which the students respond personally to what they read and support this with evidence. Whilst some appear short, these are complete exemplars from students and at the national standard. Note that students would need to demonstrate this standard across the assessment to receive that overall grade.

Exemplar One: Solo by Vicki McAuley

‘Achievement with Excellence’ [low]

Helpful starters [choose one or two for each response]I think the title means….. because….

I liked this text because it made me think about...I didn’t like this text because it made me think

about…..I would/wouldn’t recommend this text because…..This text related to my family and I because it reminded me of……I connected with this text because…….

I think the main idea in this text was…… because….

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Excellence: Form developed, perceptive personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

This response expresses a reasoned and clear viewpoint about a person's behaviour which is supported by evidence:

The book’s never-ending descriptions of ‘brave’, ‘fearless’, ‘amazing’ Andrew irritated me. What sort of father puts his ambitions before his parental duties? It also saddened me that someone with every reason to be content should have to strive for such external shows of success in order to feel happy. Why isn’t being a good husband and father enough? Why doesn’t society applaud such simple but good achievements?

There is an insightful understanding and expression of viewpoint about the author's purpose, supported with evidence:

Never before have I disagreed so strongly with an author's portrayal of a person… I disagreed strongly with Vicki McAuley’s depiction of her husband as a faultless man I had trouble figuring out how much was Andrew's own thoughts and what was his wife's interpretation … Andrew thinks, "Oh God. Moments pass, but not the tears, nor the agony on leaving his wife and child….” We've only got her word for it that this is what he was thinking.

There is a clear and relevant link between the viewpoints about Andrew's behaviour and the author's purpose, supported by evidence:

… the author criticizes Justin Jones and James Castrission’s joint effort to cross the Tasman in a kayak of their own. Whereas Andrew’s plans to do so were deemed ‘valiant’, the men’s competitive spirit is blamed by the author for contributing to Andrew’s ‘bad moods’ leading up to his attempted crossing. If Andrew was such a wonderful and pioneering man, why couldn't he cope with this?

To meet Excellence more securely, the student could develop the understanding about the tensions between individual fulfillment and social responsibility.

Exemplar Two: The Princess Industrial Complex by Jane Clifton

‘Achievement with Merit [high]

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Merit: Form developed, convincing personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

The response expresses clear and relevant viewpoints about research on the influence of targeted marketing. These viewpoints are supported by integrated evidence:

Orenstein seemed to me to be over the top in her claim that parents and children had no power against the huge industry…

I think that her claim that Disney deliberately exploit this age because it is 'the precise moment that girls need to prove they are girls' and so present them with really 'exaggerated images… to shore up their femininity' is over the top. I like how Clifton balances Orenstein's quite extreme view of the total influence of these toys with some research from our own country.

Significant understandings that begin to show insight are demonstrated:

I'm surprised that Orenstein seemed so hung up about the fights she had with her own daughter about what she calls 'girlie-whirly toys'. Surely a parent who knows so much about this would have some influence or even give her some non-girlie toys and experiences to make up for it?

The response to the link between text and self is clear and relevant to the viewpoints expressed:

Yes, pink was my favourite colour when I was little, but I don't think that I was confused or brainwashed. She found that in NZ girls had more involvement with family, toy animals and lots of pet cats. Sounds like me!

To meet Excellence, the student could further develop the viewpoint of the differences between the American and New Zealand contexts that are shown by the research.

Exemplar Three: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick

‘Achievement with Merit’ [low]

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Merit: Form developed, convincing personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

This response just sufficiently expresses a reasoned and clear viewpoint about the dangers of technology. It is supported by integrated evidence:

I felt very uneasy and discomforted when HAL, the artificial intelligence that runs most of the operations on the Discovery space ship, turned against its own crew. This shows that humans are at a point where they have seemingly lost control of their own creations … The master of Earth is like a baby in space. So when HAL turned on the humans, it made me realise how truly vulnerable we are because of this dependence on machines and technology to do things for us.

What discomforted me even more was the fact that when HAL betrayed the crew, he seemed more human than any of the other characters in the film. …For example, when Dr. Floyd video-calls his daughter for her birthday, their conversation seems

almost apathetic. The way that HAL is shown to be more human than the crew worries me because it makes me believe that if our love of technological advancement causes us to rely too much on our own tools, our own creations could essentially replace us.

The response to the link between the text and the world supports the viewpoint about the dangers of technology:

… we are a very fast-growing civilization … But the film also showed me that, like all great things, we will eventually end. It made me question how long we have until we reach that point, and whether it is our own doing that will cause our end.

To meet Merit more securely the student could develop the expression of the viewpoint that HAL’s human-like behaviour is heavily contrasted with the other human characters.

Exemplar Four: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

‘Achievement with Merit’ [low]

Marker’s comment:This response just sufficiently expresses a reasoned and clear viewpoint about Milo's behaviour. It is supported by integrated supporting evidence:

I felt very upset after Milo… breaks his allegiance to his own country by trading and working with the German forces. His ambitious nature often causes him into making irrational and ill-thought-out calls. On one occasion, he trades all of the men’s parachutes for low-grade cotton, risking the safety of all the bombardiers. Milo seems to have no allegiance with any country or person unless he generates profit from it.

The response to the link between the text and the world demonstrates a significant understanding: In my opinion, he is essentially the living representation of capitalism. Milo can be compared to modern America’s behaviour as the country sells its own military equipment and vehicles to other countries for profit. Though these weapons are used to protect a country, they have been used to attack and invade other less-equipped nations. To meet Merit more securely the student could further develop a reasoned viewpoint by commenting on the consequences of Milo's actions.

Exemplar Five: The Duchess by Sual Dibb

‘Achievement’ [high]

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Achievement: Form developed personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence. This response demonstrates engagement through the expression of a sympathetic viewpoint towards the character’s marital and social situation. This is supported by relevant evidence: G's mother she tells him that the women in their family are all good breeders… It seemed so hypocritical – how could a mother do this to her child? I felt so sorry for G because she isn't even treated as well as the Duke's dogs and the whole of society supports this treatment of women as just property. I thought that her mother would at least be sympathetic but she too blames her: Georgiana, what have you permitted to happen? You must return and do your duty.' I felt so sorry for the Duchess as the people who should be supporting her, the other women such as her mother and her friend, are instead part of her problem.

The response to the link between the Duchess's situation and the historical context of the position of women in society begins to demonstrate significant understandings: …marriage in these times was viewed as a business arrangement by the rich where a woman was guaranteed to be looked after in exchange for siring a son. Women were viewed as chattels …

To meet Merit the student could: • Link the understanding that women were viewed as chattels to the response to Georgiana's mother's behaviour • Comment on the link between wealth, power and oppression shown by Georgiana's situation.

Exemplar Six: The Pursuit of Happiness by Garbiele Muccino

‘Achievement’ [high]

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Achievement: Form developed, personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

This response demonstrates engagement through the expression of a sympathetic viewpoint towards the character’s situation and attitude. This is supported by relevant evidence:

I felt a strong sense of admiration for Gardner. I felt this because even through all his struggles, he always tried his hardest, not just for himself but for his son. This certainty and belief in himself that Gardner shows makes me admire him. He truly believes that nothing is impossible, and he proves this not just by solving a Rubik’s cube, but by going from bankruptcy to wealth and happiness… Jay was trying to solve a Rubik’s cube when he said “This is impossible.” Gardner replies “Nothing’s impossible. I can do it.”

I also felt sorry for Gardner because of the weight that he carried on his shoulders. This weight was his son… Christopher thinks that his life is alright while Gardner knows that their life at the moment is very below average.

The response to the link between text and self begin to demonstrate significant understandings:

This film made me think that happiness is something that you pursue. You work hard and try to gain it. It is not something that is rewarded through luck or bias. I learnt that if someone really loves someone, then they will do anything to let them have a happy life. He does everything he can for his son, and for these reasons I admire him, and feel sorry for him for what he goes through.

To meet Merit the student could develop significant understandings of how Gardner's concern for his son's well-being links to his desire to succeed.

Exemplar Seven: The Duchess by Sual Dibb

‘Achievement’ [low]

Marker’s comment:The response just sufficiently demonstrates and develops engagement through the expression of a sympathetic viewpoint towards the Duchess's marital situation. This is supported by relevant evidence: The duchess’s story makes me feel disgusted and indignation for her as she is treated as little better than property … When he is negotiating the marriage with G's mother she tells him that the women in their family are all good breeders. This horrified me as the old Duke is marrying someone just so he can get a son… The Duke shuts down her objections by saying that he's met his part of the marriage obligation but she hasn't. I was horrified that he expects his wife to live together with his lover… She shouts at him, 'Of all the women in England you had to throw yourself on her?'

The response to the link between the Duchess's situation and the historical context of rights for women demonstrates understanding:

This unjust treatment of her by the duke was caused by the fact that women were often considered as the lesser sex… women were viewed as chattels to be used as wished and undeserving of rights.

To meet Achievement more securely, the student could:

Develop the idea that people who should be supporting her are instead part of her problem by commenting on the behaviour of her mother and Lady Elizabeth.

Exemplar Eight: Dreaming by Scribe

‘Not Achieved’ [just]

Marker’s comment:The response provides evidence and begins to demonstrate engagement with the text by listing some reasons for admiring Scribe. It also makes the link between text and himself: I admire the willpower and determination Scribe enforces when aiming to achieve his goals. He also had to make tough decisions and make many sacrifices to get where he is now like giving up time with his friends and going out at night and working 9 til 5. I can relate to this as currently I am playing for 3 football teams which require my full commitment. 6 days a week… To meet Achievement the personal response needs to be developed in terms of the student's ideas about willpower, determination, sacrifice, etc.

Exemplar Nine: The Beginner’s Guide to Living

‘Not Achieved’ [just]

Marker’s comment:The standard requires the following to meet Achievement: Form developed, personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence. The response begins to demonstrate engagement with the text by expressing sympathy and understanding of Will's situation: I sympathised with Will. He was lost and confused and wanted to find the answers, no matter what it took in order for him to find them. I learnt from this text that events can change someone. For Will, it was the death of his mother that made him become focussed on finding these answers that he desperately needed to know. There is insufficient clarity in the explanation of this viewpoint and supporting evidence from the text is not provided: While some of the time, sympathising with Will was the last thing a reader wanted to do, his character was portrayed in such a way that you wanted him to find the answers, no matter what it took.

I realised that while some of the things he did and turned to while trying to find meaning in his life were negative, for himself, the results he ended up with were positive. To meet Achievement the personal response needs to be developed in terms of the student's ideas about coping with grief and searching for meaning. This needs to be supported by evidence from the novel.

Assessment Schedule: English 91106 version 2

Form developed personal response to independently read texts, supports by evidence

Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence

Form developed personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

Form developed, convincing personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

Form developed, perceptive personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence.

This means that the student: Selects and reads at least six texts themselves Includes at least four written texts, at least two

of which are extended, e.g. novels, biographies Includes no more than two visual or oral texts Demonstrates personal understandings of,

engagement with, and/or viewpoints on the texts

May respond to links between the texts and themselves, such as personal contexts and prior knowledge

May respond to links between the texts and the world, such as connections with knowledge, experience, ideas, and imagination from social, cultural, literary, political, or historical contexts

Presents personal responses in a written or oral format or a combination of both.

This means that the student: Selects and reads at least six texts themselves Includes at least four written texts, at least two

of which are extended, e.g. novels, biographies Includes no more than two visual or oral texts Demonstrates significant personal

understandings of, engagement with, and/or viewpoints on the texts

Presents understandings/viewpoints that are reasoned, clear and relevant

May respond to links between the texts and themselves, such as personal contexts and prior knowledge

May respond to links between the texts and the world, such as connections with knowledge, experience, ideas, and imagination from social, cultural, literary, political, or historical contexts

Presents personal responses in a written or oral format or a combination of both.

This means that the student: Selects and reads at least six texts themselves Includes at least four written texts, at least two

of which are extended, e.g. novels, biographies Includes no more than two visual or oral texts Demonstrates significant personal

understandings of, engagement with, and/or viewpoints on the texts

Presents understandings/viewpoints that are, insightful and/or original

May respond to links between the texts and themselves, such as personal contexts and prior knowledge

May respond to links between the texts and the world, such as connections with knowledge, experience, ideas, and imagination from social, cultural, literary, political, or historical contexts

Presents personal responses in a written or oral format or a combination of both.

Not AchievedFinal grades will be decided using professional judgement based on a holistic examination of the evidence provided against the criteria in the Achievement Standard.

Authenticity Statement: I have not copied information from another source without acknowledging it in my assessment. I have not had any help from another student or an adult in completing this assessment and then presented it as my own work. Student signature: __________________________

I agree that the grade awarded above is correct. Student signature: _______________________________ Date: ______________