Assessment Ideas

Using the Assessment Ideas

Assessment ideas are provided for each thematic unit and are intended to complement the teacher’s on-going assessment collection strategies such as formal testing, checklists, anecdotal records and student sample analysis implemented throughout the school year. The ideas presented are guidelines for teachers to utilise should a relevant thematic based activity be required specifically for assessment purposes throughout the duration of the unit. Activities may be modified to cater for different age levels and learning abilities.
The assessment ideas are presented in the following four strands:

Conventions:

• Offers ideas for generating a thematic spelling list
• Provides a specific spelling or grammar focussed activity related to the theme
• Suggests an area of punctuation to be assessed through the use of a dictation activity using text from one of the online stories

Reading:

• Reinforces the use of the online comprehension activities offered at the end of each genre story in the Junior Readers, Reading Library and Advanced Library (i.e. Fill the Gaps and Multiple Choice)
• Offers ideas for assessment of ‘reading for meaning’ through the use of various activities related to the online stories
• Allows students to demonstrate their understandings of plot development, character analysis and story elements

Writing:

• Suggests writing focus genres to be studied throughout the unit
• Offers ideas for story starters for students to develop using the planning, composing, editing and publishing process
• Allows for students to apply and develop research skills whilst completing thematic related writing pieces e.g. information reports

Speaking and Listening:

• Provides opportunity for students to work collaboratively with others whilst completing activities related to the theme
• Encourages students to develop public speaking skills through the provision of relevant activities

Related Ziptales Activities:
The Assessment Ideas planner also provides teachers with suggested activities from the other Ziptales website components. This not only allows teachers to take full advantage of the varied array of activities offered by Ziptales but also provides ideas to cater for other aspects of the curriculum e.g. Humanities and Social Sciences.

Sample Assessment Task Planner

Theme:	The Ocean	Duration of Unit:	9 Weeks
Year:	3	Term:	2

Week	Assessment Tasks	Reading Comprehension Assessment
1	Spelling: Allocate a thematic related spelling list to learn and conduct a formal spelling test each week using the words. Brainstorm words that use the base word ‘sea’ (e.g. seaweed). Put words into alphabetical order and define each.	Groups 1 & 2
2	Reading: Choose one of the online stories and write a detailed blurb that gives a short synopsis of the events in the story.	Groups 3 & 4
3	Writing: Write a narrative using the following story starter: You are lying on the beach, minding your own business, when all of a sudden...	Groups 5
4	Speaking and Listening: Locate a poem about the ocean. Recite the poem to the class using voice intonation and projection.	Groups 1 & 2
5	Grammar: Dictation: The Luckiest Catch (Page 1) - assessing knowledge of contractions.	Groups 3 & 4
6	Reading: Design a crossword using information from one of the online stories.	Groups 5
7	Writing: Write an explanation text about how a tsunami forms.	Groups 1 & 2
8	Speaking and Listening: In reading groups, role play one of the online stories to the class.	Groups 3 & 4
9	Related Ziptales Activity: Read or view the Choose Your Own Adventure story Pirate Island. Design a data grid about the differences between ‘freshwater’ and ‘saltwater’ crocodiles.	Groups 5
A blank Assessment Task Planner is available in .pdf and .doc.

Notes on Sample Assessment Task Planner

WEEK 1: Spelling Assessment Tasks – A thematic-related spelling list has been generated with formal testing for students to be conducted each week. Students will also be assessed on their efficiency in the use of a dictionary and their knowledge of placing words in alphabetical order when the first three letters of each word remain the same.

WEEK 2: Reading Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their knowledge of the plot development, actions of the characters and story outcome through the task of writing a blurb for a chosen online story.

WEEK 3: Writing Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their ability to plan, compose, edit and publish a narrative text using a given topic related to the theme.

WEEK 4: Speaking and Listening Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their voice intonation and projection, articulation and clarity whilst reciting their chosen poem.

WEEK 5: Grammar Assessment Task – Students will be given a dictation passage from one of the online stories and their knowledge of the use of apostrophes for contractions will be assessed.

WEEK 6: Reading Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their knowledge of the characters and events from one of the online stories through the construction of a crossword.

WEEK 7: Writing Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their research skills in locating information about how a tsunami forms and their ability to plan, compose, edit and publish an explanation text.

WEEK 8: Speaking and Listening Assessment Task - Students will be assessed on their ability to interact with other members of their allocated reading group and their oral reading and voice projection skills whilst role-playing an online story.

WEEK 9: Related Ziptales Activity – Students will be assessed on their research skills, the visual presentation of the data grid and the quality of the information collated and presented.

READING COMPREHENSION ASSESSMENT:

Provision has been made for selected reading groups to be monitored each week whilst completing the Fill the Gaps and Multiple Choice comprehension activities. Scores may be recorded and evaluated over a period of time to inform the teacher of how successfully each student comprehends text (see Comprehension Results Record Sheet for more information).