Educator and Tagging Information

Learning Area:
Languages
Resource Name:
English First Additional Language
Assessment Exemplar Number:
EFAL8.35
Item/s:
1
Phase:
Senior Phase
Grade:
8
Tags:
Writing skills, news report, Summative Assessment
Assessment Type:
Summative
Assessment Form/s:
News report
Copyright for included material:
N/A
Duration:
1 hour
Learning Outcome(s) and Assessment Standard(s):
Learning Outcome 4: Writing
The learner will be able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of
purposes.
Assessment Standards
We know this when the learner:
4.5 Designs media texts:
• writes a simple news report.
4.6 Treats writing as a process:
• drafts, reads and discusses own writing critically;
• uses feedback to revise, edit and rewrite;
• uses knowledge of grammar, spelling, etc., to edit;
• pays some attention to design and layout.
Learning Outcome 5: Thinking and Reasoning
The learner will be able to use language to think and reason, as well as to access, process and
use information for learning.
Assessment Standards
We know this when the learner:
5.2 Uses language for thinking.
Learning Space:
Assessment
Hyperlinks:
To be completed later.
Rating:
Number of questions for exemplar:
1
Easy questions:

Medium questions:
Question 1
Difficult questions:
 Assessment Task

Write a news report of approximately 250 words on ONE of the following topics:

1. An event of interest at our school.

2. The sports tour that happened recently.

You will follow this process in your writing lessons:

 plan your report carefully

 write the first draft
 read over your draft and make any improvements
 ask a peer to read your report and discuss it
 use what your peer has said to revise, edit and rewrite your report
 pay attention to grammar, spelling, etc., to edit your report
 pay careful attention to paragraphing

You will be assessed against the following rubric:

Rubric for assessing longer transactional texts: First Additional Language (30 marks)

Code 7: Code 6: Code 5: Code 4: Code 3: Code 2: Code 1:

Outstanding Meritorious Substantial Adequate Moderate Elementary Not achieved
80-100% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% 30-39% 0-29%
Content, 16-20 14-15½ 12-13½ 10-11½ 8-9½ 6-7½ 0-5½
planning & -Specialised -Good -Fair -Adequate -Moderate -Elementary -No
format knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of
20 marks requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements
of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text.
-Disciplined -Disciplined -Writing – -Writing – Response to Response to -Writing –
writing – writing – learner learner writing task writing task learner
maintains learner maintains digresses reveals a reveals a digresses,
thorough maintains focus, with from topic but narrow focus. limited focus. meaning is
focus, no focus, hardly minor does not -Writing – -Writing – obscure in
digressions. any digressions. impede learner learner places.
-Text fully digressions. -Text is overall digresses, digresses, -Text not
coherent in -Text is coherent in meaning. meaning is meaning is coherent in
content & coherent in content & -Text vague in obscure in content &
ideas & all content & ideas, and adequately places. places. ideas, too few
detail support ideas, with all details coherent in -Text -Text not details to
the topic. details support the content & moderately always support topic.
-Evidence of supporting the topic. ideas & some coherent in coherent in -Planning/
planning &/or topic. -Evidence of details content & content & drafting non-
drafting has -Evidence of planning &/or support the ideas and has ideas, and existent.
produced a planning &/or drafting has topic. basic details has few Poorly
virtually drafting has produced a -Evidence of which support details which presented
flawlessly produced a presentable & planning &/or the topic. support the text.
presentable well crafted, good text. drafting has -Evidence of topic. -Has not
text. presentable -Has applied produced a planning &/or -Inadequate applied the
-Has applied text. most of the satisfactorily drafting has planning &/or necessary
all the -Has applied necessary presented produced a drafting. Text rules of
necessary the necessary rules of text. moderately not well format.
rules of rules of format/substa -Has applied presentable & presented,
format/outstan format/meritor ntial. an adequate coherent text. -Has vaguely
ding. ious. idea of the -Has a applied the
requirements moderate idea necessary
of format. of rules of
requirements format.
of format –
some critical
oversights.
Language, 8-10 7-7½ 6-6½ 5-5½ 4-4½ 3-3½ 0-2½
style & -Text is -Text is well -Text is well -Text is -Text is -Text is poorly -Text is poorly
editing grammatically constructed & constructed & adequately basically constructed constructed
10 marks accurate & accurate. easy to read. constructed. constructed. & difficult to and muddled.
well -Vocabulary is -Vocabulary is Errors do not Several follow. -Vocabulary
constructed. mostly appropriate to impede flow. errors. -Vocabulary requires
-Vocabulary is appropriate to purpose, -Vocabulary is -Vocabulary is requires serious
very purpose, audience & adequate for limited & not remediation & remediation &
appropriate to audience & context. the purpose, very suitable not suitable not suitable
purpose, context. -Style, tone, audience & for the for purpose, for purpose.
audience & -Style, tone register context. purpose, audience & -Style, tone &
context. and register generally -Style, tone, audience & context. register do not
-Style, tone, mostly appropriate. register context. -Style, tone & correspond
register very appropriate -Text mostly adequately -Lapses in register with topic
appropriate. -Text largely error-free appropriate. style, inappropriate. -Text error-
-Text virtually error-free following -Text still -Text contains -Text error- ridden and
error-free following proof-reading, contains a few several errors ridden despite confused
following proof-reading, editing. errors following proof-reading, following
proof-reading, editing. -Length following proof-reading, editing. proof-reading,
editing. -Length correct. proof-reading, editing. -Length – too editing.
-Length correct. editing. -Length – too long/short. -Length – far
correct. -Length long/short. too long/short.
almost
correct.

[30]
Suggested Solutions

Learners must write a news report essay, with the correct format, grammar and structure and style.

Use the rubric in the Appendix of Assessment Tools to assess the writing.
 Appendix of Assessment Tools

Rubric for assessing longer transactional texts: First Additional Language (30 marks)

Code 7: Code 6: Code 5: Code 4: Code 3: Code 2: Code 1:

Outstanding Meritorious Substantial Adequate Moderate Elementary Not achieved
80-100% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% 30-39% 0-29%
Content, 16-20 14-15½ 12-13½ 10-11½ 8-9½ 6-7½ 0-5½
planning & -Specialised -Good -Fair -Adequate -Moderate -Elementary -No
format knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of
20 marks requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements requirements
of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text. of the text.
-Disciplined -Disciplined -Writing – -Writing – Response to Response to -Writing –
writing – writing – learner learner writing task writing task learner
maintains learner maintains digresses reveals a reveals a digresses,
thorough maintains focus, with from topic but narrow focus. limited focus. meaning is
focus, no focus, hardly minor does not -Writing – -Writing – obscure in
digressions. any digressions. impede learner learner places.
-Text fully digressions. -Text is overall digresses, digresses, -Text not
coherent in -Text is coherent in meaning. meaning is meaning is coherent in
content & coherent in content & -Text vague in obscure in content &
ideas & all content & ideas, and adequately places. places. ideas, too few
detail support ideas, with all details coherent in -Text -Text not details to
the topic. details support the content & moderately always support topic.
-Evidence of supporting the topic. ideas & some coherent in coherent in -Planning/
planning &/or topic. -Evidence of details content & content & drafting non-
drafting has -Evidence of planning &/or support the ideas and has ideas, and existent.
produced a planning &/or drafting has topic. basic details has few Poorly
virtually drafting has produced a -Evidence of which support details which presented
flawlessly produced a presentable & planning &/or the topic. support the text.
presentable well crafted, good text. drafting has -Evidence of topic. -Has not
text. presentable -Has applied produced a planning &/or -Inadequate applied the
-Has applied text. most of the satisfactorily drafting has planning &/or necessary
all the -Has applied necessary presented produced a drafting. Text rules of
necessary the necessary rules of text. moderately not well format.
rules of rules of format/substa -Has applied presentable & presented,
format/outstan format/meritor ntial. an adequate coherent text. -Has vaguely
ding. ious. idea of the -Has a applied the
requirements moderate idea necessary
of format. of rules of
requirements format.
of format –
some critical
oversights.
Language, 8-10 7-7½ 6-6½ 5-5½ 4-4½ 3-3½ 0-2½
style & -Text is -Text is well -Text is well -Text is -Text is -Text is poorly -Text is poorly
editing grammatically constructed & constructed & adequately basically constructed constructed
10 marks accurate & accurate. easy to read. constructed. constructed. & difficult to and muddled.
well -Vocabulary is -Vocabulary is Errors do not Several follow. -Vocabulary
constructed. mostly appropriate to impede flow. errors. -Vocabulary requires
-Vocabulary is appropriate to purpose, -Vocabulary is -Vocabulary is requires serious
very purpose, audience & adequate for limited & not remediation & remediation &
appropriate to audience & context. the purpose, very suitable not suitable not suitable
purpose, context. -Style, tone, audience & for the for purpose, for purpose.
audience & -Style, tone register context. purpose, audience & -Style, tone &
context. and register generally -Style, tone, audience & context. register do not
-Style, tone, mostly appropriate. register context. -Style, tone & correspond
register very appropriate -Text mostly adequately -Lapses in register with topic
appropriate. -Text largely error-free appropriate. style, inappropriate. -Text error-
-Text virtually error-free following -Text still -Text contains -Text error- ridden and
error-free following proof-reading, contains a few several errors ridden despite confused
following proof-reading, editing. errors following proof-reading, following
proof-reading, editing. -Length following proof-reading, editing. proof-reading,
editing. -Length correct. proof-reading, editing. -Length – too editing.
-Length correct. editing. -Length – too long/short. -Length – far
correct. -Length long/short. too long/short.
almost
correct.
[30]