Apply: 9 th – 12 th Grade Sample Task and Student Work Sample
Marking Period 1 Final Assessment: Persuasive Writing Project
On Task II of the NYS ELA Regents exam, your task is to persuade your audience with an organized
argument so as to convince a skeptic. Your goal as a persuasive writer is to convince your reader with a
logical, well organized essay that clearly argues your point to a specific audience. Please be sure to use all
of your pre-writing/ planning activities like ARGUMENT TREES, IDEA WEBS & OUTLINES,
Extended Anticipatory Guides & Chart Analyses.
Your Task:
Write a five (5) paragraph persuasive letter (business format) to you Congressman Jose E. Serrano
(District 16 Representative) urging him to support or vote against legislation proposed by the Bush
Administration. Cite evidence from your texts and charts to support your argument.
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Project Requirements:
All assignments must be submitted on time for full credit!
Participation in Writer’s Workshops are not only essential to improve your
understanding of the writing tasks and English mechanics, it is also mandatory!
Submit ALL prewriting materials and drafts with your final draft.
Your final draft must be typed in 12 point TIMES NEW ROMAN font. Double
Spaced!
Personal Reflection:
Ø Write a 1 page reflection (mandatory) in which you discuss the process you
underwent to complete your writing task. What did you learn from this experience?
What parts did you like/dislike? How will this experience serve you on the Regents
exam?
Project Due Dates:
Ø Draft 1
o Due Monday, November
5th
Ø Draft 2
o Due Wednesday,
November 7th
Ø Final Draft
o Due Friday, November 9th
Ø Reflection
o Due with Final Draft
J. G.
J. G.
J. G.
D.G.
Task Analysis Tool Step 1: Examine and Identify Appropriate Instructional Task Understanding Language Initiative, Stanford University Name of Task: Persuasive Writing Task: “A Long Way Gone” Grade Level: 11th-­‐12th Subject: ELA/Social Studies Task Analysis Guiding Questions and Resources Analysis Step Guiding Questions: Is this an appropriate task for analysis? Why? Is/does this task: o Clear in its expectations? Yes. The expectations are clear; the cognitive and content demands of this task o Grade-­‐level appropriate? are on grade level. It is aligned to standards. It requires students use language o Aligned to the standards? and analytical skills, and the task is appropriately complex. o Require students to use language and analytical skills to demonstrate their content knowledge? Step 2: Identify Task Demands Guiding Questions: What do students need to do and know in terms of…? • Write down everything that students need to demonstrate, know, or do in Content Knowledge Analytical Skills Language order to successfully complete this Anchor Standard 1: • Analyze and • Analyze and task. Write arguments to interpret graphical interpret: “This • To do this, read (or watch) the task support claims in an information demonstrates_______
instructions. analysis of substantive __”, “The source • Cause and effect topics or texts, using tells us ________ • Construct an Resources: valid reasoning and • Construct an argument • For Content Knowledge: Common relevant and sufficient argument: “It is • Critique the Core State Standards, Next evidence important _______ arguments of Generation Science Standards, or because ______” others other relevant standards (e.g., 11-­‐12.WHST.1 Write •
Critique an • Cite evidence district, state, etc.) arguments focused on argument: “This • Reflect on a process • For Analytical Skills: Depth of discipline-­‐specific argument is Knowledge (DOK) Levels (Find in content. valid/invalid Resources) because _________” • For Language: Language Functions Anchor Standard 9: • Cite evidence: and Forms PDF (Find in Resources) Draw evidence from “According to ____” , literary or “This demonstrates informational texts to _____”, “______ proves support analysis, that ______”, “The reflection, source tells us and research. __________” 11-­‐12.WHST.9 Draw Standards-­‐related task evidence from vocabulary: Argument, informational texts to proves, justifies, support analysis, demonstrates, reflection, and research. persuade, perspective, point of view, convince, valid/invalid Step 3: Identify Disciplinary Practice(s) Guiding Question: What disciplinary practice(s) are most relevant to this task? Resources: • Core Disciplinary Practices PDF (Find in Resources) • Interactive Correspondence between Practices, Tasks, and Functions PDF (Find in Resources) What are the relevant disciplinary analytical practices for this task: EP1. Support analyses of a range of grade-­‐level complex texts with evidence. EP3. Construct valid arguments from evidence and critique the reasoning of others. EP4. Build and present knowledge from research by integrating, comparing, and synthesizing ideas from texts. EP5. Build upon the ideas of others and articulate his or her own ideas when working collaboratively. EP6. Use English structures to communicate context-­‐specific messages. Step 4: Identify ELP Standard(s) Guiding Questions: What English Language Proficiency Standards are reflected in this task? Which of these ELP standards do you feel comfortable measuring or intend to assess? Resources: • The ELP Standards • Alternative Organization of Standards • The K-­‐12 Practices Matrix (Find in Resources) What are the relevant ELP standards for this task? Please include your reasoning behind selecting these standards. ELP Standard Your Reasoning ELP 1 Students must be able to construct meaning from several grade appropriate informational texts in order to provide reasons and cite specific textual evidence that supports their reasons for their persuasive letter to a senator. ELP 4 Students must make and support claims about ending U.S. weapon supply to countries that recruit child soldiers via a clear and coherent letter to a senator. ELP 5 Students must conduct research on the issue of child soldiers and synthesize evidence from various types of texts to communicate why the U.S. should stop providing weapons to certain countries that recruit child soldiers. ELP 7 Students must create a letter to a U.S. senator with a specific persuasive purpose and include a formal writing structure. ELP 8 Students must be able to comprehend the vocabulary related to the issue of child soldiers to develop understanding of the content. ELP 9 Students must be able to produce a letter to the editor around this issue that is clear and coherent. ELP 10 Students should be able to write a letter to the editor using accurate standard English. We would address and measure the following standards: ELP 4 – Construct grade-­‐appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence: The students have been working on persuasive language through various activities (e.g. propaganda posters), which have prepared them to make claims in their summative unit assessment. In order to effectively complete the unit assessment students must be able to effectively make claims about why the U.S. should stop providing weapons to certain countries, and support them with reasoning and evidence from the various texts they’ve seen. ELP 5 – Conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems: In order to effectively understand the issue and provide a solution, students have to conduct research on child soldiers and synthesize those findings to provide a solution in the letter. ELP 7 – Adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing: Students must understand task, genre and purpose in order to make choices about language that will be effective in writing to a politician. Using ELP Standards Level Descriptors (PLDs)
to Interpret Student Work
Understanding Language/SCALE, Stanford University
October 2016
Task: Persuasive Letter to Congressman
Grade Level: 9-12
Step 1
Examine the Identified ELP Standard(s) and Corresponding Level
Descriptors
Consulting ELP
Standards and
Level Descriptors
 Examine the identified ELP Standard(s) and corresponding level descriptors for the
task
 If there are many applicable standards, choose one or two that relate to your
students’ areas of growth.
Notes:
ELP Standards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10 were identified. Standards 4, 5, & 7 were deemed
most relevant to the student’s writing.
Standard 4 - Students must make and support claims about immigration legislation in a
clear and coherent letter to a congressman.
Standard 5 - Students must synthesize evidence from in-class readings to use in
communicating their position on the legislation.
Standard 7 - Students must write to a U.S. Congressman with a specific persuasive
purpose using the formal writing structure of a business letter.
Step 2
Interpret Student Work Using the Standards Level Descriptors
Using ELP
Standards Level
Descriptors as
rubrics to
interpret student
work
 Do the same standards apply when you examine your students’ output?
 What level(s) most accurately describe your students’ work?
 Remember that the interpretation only tells you the level of this specific piece of
student work; your students’ levels might shift based on different tasks or learning
objectives.
 Identify patterns (similarities or differences) in your students’ work if you are
interpreting multiple pieces.
Notes:
Although some “research” is cited, it seems the focus of the teacher’s feedback is
primarily on the persuasion and reasons behind the claim which is Standard 4.
JG introduces the claim and provides logically ordered reasons and a conclusion, so
the performance level is at least a 4. I don’t feel his writing is a 5, though, because he
doesn’t address and refute a counter-claim.
DG’s draft introduces the topic with (too much) information from the article rather
than making a claim and supporting it. Finally, he states an opinion in the final
Understanding Language/SCALE, Stanford University
paragraph. Based on the information he has given previously, the opinion is somewhat
surprising. While you could make a case for scoring this draft as a 2, I would give it a 1
primarily due to the lack of a clear claim, supporting reasons, and a conclusion.
Step 3
Identify strategies to support student needs
Identifying
instructional
supports to
improve student
learning
 Use the identified level (and perhaps the next level) to provide student with
formative feedback.
 Use the identified patterns in student work to plan for instructional adjustments.
 Consult relevant state/district resources for suggested strategies.
Notes:
JG is ready to work on counter-claims. Zwiers’ Pro-Con Improv or Argument & Evidence
Scale might help him consider the counter-claim and how to address it. DG needs more
support around the structure of a written argument including the introduction, clear
statement of the claim, and then supporting reasons and a conclusion. An expanded
outline (along the lines of the feedback provided by the teacher but with the help of
some sentence frames) might be a good next step.
Understanding Language/SCALE, Stanford University