24. An explanation of the life cycle of a butterfly
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Task Details
Task Details
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| Name of Writing Assessment Task |
Explaining the Life Cycle of a Butterfly |
| EAL Student Stage Range |
B2, B3, S2, S3, S4 |
| Text Orientation |
Informative |
| Task Type |
Cued response |
Task Specification
Task Specification
|
| Purpose |
To assess students’ ability to explain a process: The life cycle of a butterfly |
| Description |
Students are given a diagram of the water cycle. Learners use the diagram to explain the process in writing. |
| Assumed Knowledge and Description |
- Content knowledge: Understanding of the life cycle of a butterfly and how to interpret cycle diagrams
- Text type, genre: Information report: an explanation of the life cycle of a butterfly
- Linguistic structures and features:
- present tense to explain a process
- active voice
- time sequencers: then, next, after…
- Vocabulary: Key vocabulary in the life cycle of a butterfly: Butterfly, eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis
|
Learning/Teaching Context
Learning/Teaching Context
|
| Language Centre/Mainstream Class |
ESL Support |
| Subject/key syllabus objectives, outcomes |
Science |
| Topic/Teaching Unit |
The life cycle of a butterfly |
| Assessment Conditions |
- Individual activity
- Formal/informal: Formal
- Time limit: One lesson period
- Teacher intervention: Limited to response to student request for clarification and encouragement
- Access to resources: A diagram of the life cycle of the butterfly. Students may use their own personal dictionaries, classroom dictionaries
- Scaffolding (modelled/guided/independent support): Guided
- Accommodations:
|
| Notes |
- The assessment is done on students' first draft
- Pre-assessment activities can be extended as appropriate for students
- The diagram of the life cycle of the butterfly is an example only
- The diagram can be made simpler or more difficult according to the needs of the students. There are a selection of diagrams on the web to choose from.
|
Task Implementation
Task Implementation
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| STAGE |
ACTION STEPS |
| Pre-assessment activity |
- Teachers and students revise the life cycle of the butterfly and the vocabulary needed at each stage based on learning gained in lessons prior to the assessment
- Teacher distributes a diagram of the life cycle of the butterfly
- Using the diagram, students verbally explain the life cycle to each other
|
| Assessment activity |
|
| Post-assessment activity |
- In pairs of small groups students show each other their explanation of the life cycle of a butterfly and do self and peer feedback
- Give students time to improve and write a second draft
- Students colour in the diagram or illustrate their explanation
- Once the students' work has been read, provide individual and whole class feedback on strengths and individual and global improvement steps
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Assessment Criteria
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Samples of Student Work
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Annotations and Commentary
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