Wednesday, May 31st

There are a whole bunch of forms coming home for Grad and Health. Please read over and have them back ASAP. Decoration making will begin at lunch tomorrow in room 15!

Grad / Health forms 
-Pizza preference form for June 8th evening - Please sign and return ASAP
-Grad attendance form - Please sign and return ASAP
-There will unfortunately be a refund to all of those that paid for the yearbook. There were not enough photos submitted. =( Please remind your child to ask their teacher for the money.
-Sexual Health permission forms to be signed for Friday if you would like your child to participate due June 2nd.

Blogger Update
-if you are no longer receiving emails just re-type it in the email bar on the side and the email notifications should start happening again; sorry for any inconveniences. 

Today started off with a cultural wheel interpretive dance .  The  students had a blast learning the moves and dancing with the grade 3s. 

In science students continued their investigation unit by working on a fun project!   In social we continued to learn more about the Iroquois confederacy by exploring the text book!

In the afternoon we had library and dear time, gym which was kickball, and finally returned to social before an entire school assembly to celebrate the dance learned. 

We hope everyone has a welcoming Wednesday. 

Tuesday, May 30th

Today was another fruitful day!

There are a whole bunch of forms coming home for Grad and Health. Please read over and have them back ASAP. Decoration making will begin at lunch tomorrow in room 15!

Grad / Health forms
-Pizza preference form for June 8th evening - Please sign and return
-Grad attendance form - Please sign and return
-There will unfortunately be a refund to all of those that paid for the yearbook. There were not enough photos submitted. =( Please remind your child to ask their teacher for the money.
-Sexual Health permission forms to be signed for Friday if you would like your child to participate


Math was busy with plotting and manipulating shapes on the Cartesian grid. Flips, translations, rotations.....you name it!

Social - Room 14 Iroquois questions due Thursday, Room 15 quesions due Friday!

As well, Math Part A Calculations quiz on Thursday.

Ask room 15 about the CRAZY CHROMATOGRAPHY today!

If you like, add in another email address to be notified by blog updates. Try your old email address as well. I put in my same one as last time and now I am getting notifications again.
Have a great evening,
Mrs. Harris

Email issues...

Hi all,

Apparently there are issues getting email notifications on the blog updates.

I believe it is a blogger issue at this time. We will try to remain positive in the event that we can fix it if it is on our end. However, please continue to read our postings through the school website in the agenda section.

Also, here is the direct link if you want to "favorite" it or bookmark it.

http://grade6bhs.blogspot.ca

Apologies.
Mrs. Harris and Mr. Shackelton

Monday, May 29th

Hi all!

Hope you enjoyed Sports Day, the special lunch and our tribute assembly to Ms. Hayes!

Math
Today we continued our work with the Cartesian grid and focused on quadrant 1. This is the area in which all of the numbers (integers on the x-axis and y-axis) are positive. Using a variety of transformations such as reflections, translations and rotations, students began to see how the coordinates change on a shape in thos area when it moves around in different ways.

Social
There was continued work on the Iroquois Confederacy with textbooks.

Reminders
1. Final book order of the year due June 9th
2. Spelling Bee June 9th

Hope to see you all tomorrow for another great day of weather and learning!

Friday, May 26th

Reminders
1. Final book order of the year due June 9th
2. Spelling Bee June 9th
3. Fun Lunch May 29th
4. Our sports day this year is on Monday May 29th from 12:30-2:30. We will have regular classes leading up to lunch.

Our theme this year is Beach Party! I have chosen activities that fit with the PE curriculum but follow a beach party theme. There will be a few stations that involve water with the intention of a little water fun but not to soak any of the students. All stations are completely voluntary and if you wish your child not to participate in the water activities please let them know to avoid these stations. All stations are run by a teacher with other teachers and EA's floating throughout the stations to provide assistance. We ask that if you wish to dress to the beach theme that you stick with the school dress code as outlined in the Beddington Heights school handbook found on the school homepage.

Hats, sunglasses and water are highly encouraged. Sunscreen is also recommended but must be administered by the student themselves or by a parent before hand. 

We will finish our sports day with the traditional races followed by freezies provided by our parent council before dismissal. 

We do have an alternate date of June 2nd should the weather not cooperate. 

Please direct any questions or concerns to Mr. Sadowsky.

Thank you and we look forward to a great day!

Today in class we finally had a normal day!  We covered the Cartesian plane and graphing in math which was new and exciting for the class.

In social we continued to learn about the Iroquois Confederacy by reading through the textbook and thinking through some problems individually.  

During science we continued our Investigation unit; the students are really loving all the new things they are learning. 

Finally, in LA we learned about more about the mysterious society in The Giver and are approaching the famous Ceremony of 12.  

We hope everyone has a fabulous Friday!

Thursday, May 26th

Good evening, apologies for the late blog today flew by!

In LA we continued our adventure reading The Giver.

During science we continued our Investigation unit by learning about finger prints and examining our own.

In social studies we had a work period to complete the Ancient Athens brochures that are due tomorrow! We also continued this when we returned from the field trip to SJAM.

The trip to SJAM was outstanding! A big thank you to our volunteers that made the trip happen.  The students were split into groups and were given a tour of the school, a preview of option courses (forms to be handed out tomorrow), and shown a taste of what middle school has in store for them. The tour was so much fun it made me want to attend!

Tomorrow we are back to normal for a change, as it has been quite the week.  Don't forget the Athens brochure is due Friday, and we hope everyone has a GO SENS GO Thursday.

Wednesday, May 25th

SJAM!
Field trip Thursday - Leaving at noon! - GET THOSE FORMS IN!
Money and green form handed in for Yearbook
May 26th - Ancient Athens brochure due
May 29th - Sports Day

Phys Ed.

Our sports day this year is on Monday May 29th from 12:30-2:30. We will have regular classes leading up to lunch.

Our theme this year is Beach Party! I have chosen activities that fit with the pe curriculum but follow a beach party theme. There will be a few stations that involve water with the intention of a little water fun but not to soak any of the students. All stations are completely voluntary and if you wish your child not to participate in the water activities please let them know to avoid these stations. All stations are run by a teacher with other teachers and EA's floating throughout the stations to provide assistance. We ask that if you wish to dress to the beach theme that you stick with the school dress code as outlined in the Beddington Heights school handbook found on the school homepage.

Hats, sunglasses and water are highly encouraged. Sunscreen is also reccomended but must be administered by the student themselves or by a parent before hand. 

We will finish our sports day with the traditional races followed by freezies provided by our parent council before dismissal. 

We do have an alternate date of June 2nd should the weather not cooperate. 

Please direct any questions or concerns to Mr. Sadowsky.

Thank you and we look forward to a great day!

Tuesday, May 24th

Hope you all had a great long weekend everyone!

Permission forms for SJAM DUE ASAP as well as yearbook forms and $10.

Math
Today we finished up creating polygon pictures and calculating all of the interior angles.
We will now look forward to transformations (rotations, translations and reflections).

Science
Students practiced their "observations" skills and drew conclusions on what happened in pictures based on the evidence collected from the observations. We talked about that fact that we couldn't just "jump to conclusions" and make accurate inferences without having correct observations.
On Thursday we will look into fingerprints and analyzing our own.

Social
Today the sudents were intorduced to the Iroquis Confederacy. The videos and this work will continue for the next few weeks.
-Ancient Athens brochure due Friday May 26th!

Language Arts
We finally began reading "The Giver"!

Music
Concert tomorrw!
Doors open 6pm. Come to the classroom
Wear white shirts and black bottoms!
If you do not have this....please wear white tops and black bottoms.
Bring your instruments from home.

***Lunch
Outdoor tomorrow! Dress for the weather with sunscreen and hats!

SJAM!
Field trip Thursday - Leaving at noon! - GET THOSE FORMS IN!

May 23rd - Popcorn Mavericks permission form due to Mr. S
May 24th - Div 2 Concert 6 - 8 pm
May 24th - Money and green form handed in for Yearbook
May 25th - Field trip to SJAM NEED YOUR FORMS
May 26th - Ancient Athens brochure due

If you did not finish your anthology which was assigned over a month ago, prepare to spend your recesses finishing it. Report cards are just around the corner.

Happy long weekend to you all!

Thursday, May 18th

Today the students had Mrs. Mesheau in class all morning while us two teacher marked the writing PAT that everyone did pretty darn good on!

The morning entailed:

-Mathletics
-Perspective Art
-Coding

Ask your kids about all of this!

There is NO school tomorrow or MONDAY! SO we will see you all Tuesday!

Lots of dates to remember for next week:

May 23rd - Citizenship Thank you letter due to Mrs. Hayes
May 23rd - Popcorn Mavericks permission form due t Mr. S
May 24th - Div 2 Concert 6 - 8 pm
May 24th - Money and green form handed in for Yearbook
May 25th - Field trip to SJAM NEED YOUR FORMS
May 26th - Ancient Athens brochure due

If you did not finish your anthology which was assigned over a month ago, prepare to spend your recesses finishing it. Report cards are just around the corner.

Happy long weekend to you all!

Wednesday, May 17th

Hello all!

We talked a lot about the grade 6 celebration and how to contribute to this as a group. Please ask your child about this!

The night time celebration is JUNE 8th and the daytime assembly is JUNE 27. Please stay tuned for more info.

Math

We continued working with interior angles including reflex angles. This will continue tomorrow.

Science

Room 14 "investigated" all of the important vocabulary needed in our science learning about "evidence and investigation".

Social

Students in room 15 researched all about Ancient Athens and gathered appropriate information for their brochures.

LA

Students are in the process of completing their poetry anthologies which are due tomorrow!!

Reminders

May 18 - Fun lunch money due, lunch May 29th

May 18** - Poetry Anthology

May 18 - Book orders due

May 19/22 - NO SCHOOL

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert 6pm-8pm – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 12:30 pm - 2:15 pm.

May 26 - Ancient Athens brochure due

Please dress for the weather in the event that Phys. Ed. will be outside.

Tuesday, May 16th

Greetings!

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR MATERIALS FOR ANTHOLOGIES TOMORROW!

Math
Today we focussed on the sum of the interior angles of triangles and quadrilaterals. Interestingly enough, it is 180 degrees and 360 degrees respectively....Always!

Science
Room 15 "investigated" all of the important vocabulary needed in our science learning about "evidence and investigation".

Social
Students in room 14 researched all about Ancient Athens and gathered appropriate information for their brochures.

LA
Today we looked at a variety of political ideologies such as socialism, communism, anarchy and liberalism. This is an important backdrop to The Giver, which is the upcoming novel study.

Reminders

Science sheets sent home with test marks - sign and return ASAP

May 18 - Fun lunch money due, lunch May 29th

May 18** - Poetry Anthology

May 18 - Book orders due

May 19/22 - NO SCHOOL

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert 6pm-8pm – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 12:30 pm - 2:15 pm.

May 26 - Ancient Athens brochure due

Please dress for the weather in the event that Phys. Ed. will be outside.

Monday, May 15th

Reminders

Science sheets sent home with test marks - sign and return ASAP

May 16 - Pillars of Care Assembly 1pm

May 18 - Fun lunch money due, lunch May 29th

May 18** - Poetry Anthology

May 18 - Book orders due

May 19/22 - NO SCHOOL

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert 6pm-8pm – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

May 26 - Ancient Athens brochure due

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!


Today in math class we covered angles, protractor review to get ready for polygons tomorrow.

In science we started our investigation unit, the students seem really keen to dive into it.  The day was broken up from a wonderful SJAM band experience; the kids loved it.

In social both classes were explained the final ancient Athens assessment, the travel brochure.  They will be working on it all week! 

In LA we started The Giver novel study.  We are learning about utopian societies and about how-to-run-society-philosophies like socialism, capitalism, communism, and anarchy. 

We hope everyone has a magical Monday.

Friday, May 12th

Thanks to all who came to the carnival to support the grade sixes!

Great job doing your Mathletics assignments today!

Those LA Poetry Anthologies are coming right along and looking great. They are due Thursday.

Things to look forward to next week!
1. Math - Polygons, coordinates on grids, transformations
2. Science - Evidence and Investigation Unit
3. L.A. - Novel Study - THE GIVER
4. Social Studies - Finishing Athens Democracy then starting Iroquois Confederacy

Reminders

Science sheets sent home with test marks - sign and return ASAP

May 18 - Fun lunch money due, lunch May 29th

May 18** - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!


Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 11th

Reminders

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

Science sheets sent home with test marks - sign and return ASAP

May 18 - Fun lunch money due, lunch May 29th

May 18** - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandals! Bring running shoes. =)

Great work on the PATs everyone!  This was our first one, five to go! :)

Today we did PAT prep and the test itself until lunch.  After lunch we took a break with DEAR time, gym outside, had reading buddies, then music.

We hope everyone has a thrifty Thursday!

Wednesday, May 10th

PLEASE STUDY FOR PATs!  A lot of the mock exam results were concerning for us!  You will all pass 

Today we did matheltics, science test take up and green sheet with planning for next steps, poetry anthology and practicing creating literary devices, reading, gym, music, and a final exam chat!

See everyone tomorrow in the gym for a snack provided by the school at 7:50am!

Eat dinner and breakfast and get plenty of rest tonight team! Don't forget to read our tips, your notes, feedback, and the blog! 

Message from PE

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandals! Bring running shoes. =)

Reminders

May 11 - Writing P.A.T.

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

Science sheets sent home with test marks - sign and return ASAP

May 16 - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

We hope everyone has a wishful Wednesday! 

Tuesday, May 9th

PLEASE STUDY FOR PATs!  A lot of the mock exam results were concerning for us.  You will have all your marks back tomorrow to see where you need to improve on.

Today we did integer corrections, PAT reminders,  a mock exam, gym, music, and worked on our poetry anthology. 

Message from PE

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandals! Bring running shoes. =)

Reminders

May 11 - Writing P.A.T.

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

May 16 - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

We hope everyone has a timeless Tuesday! 

Monday, May 8th

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Tomorrow! May 9 - MOCK WRITING EXAM

Math Integers Problems sheet due tomorrow!

If anyone would like the narrative or news report PATs please email me at mashackelton@cbe.ab.ca and I will email you the notes we've covered this week.

Message from PE

Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandals! Bring running shoes. =)

Reminders

May 11 - Writing P.A.T.

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

May 16 - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

Have a great week!

Friday, Revenge of the 5th, May

If anyone would like the narrative or news report PATs please email me at mashackelton@cbe.ab.ca and I will email you the notes we've covered this week.

The Sky Science Unit test will be on Monday! Study those notes that we reviewed together in class.

PLEASE STUDY FOR L.A. PAT Part A nightly!  Use the folder we created as a class everyday, and information off the blog!

Reminders

May 8 - Science test
May 9 - MOCK EXAM

May 11 - Writing P.A.T.

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

May 16 - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

Message from PE
Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandals! Bring running shoes. =)

Today we started learning more about integers in math.  This is a new an exciting unit math before we begin our transformation unit.

For the next 3hrs until and after gym we focussed on news reports.  We reviewed creative headlines, the format, and how to analyze a picture for functional writing. Monday we are doing a mock one that Mrs. Harris and I will mark and provide feedback for students to study.  We are going to have the mock narratives marked and returned by Monday.

In the afternoon we provided verbal and written feedback on their news reports, worked on matheltics, and had music.

We hope everyone has a functional writing Friday! 

Thursday, May the 4th be with you

All students participated in their first mock narrative writing exam. They had the chance to discuss the picture prompt as well as generate story ideas together. Remember, 

          -keep conflicts and problems SIMPLE
-Answer the five W’s in your planning

-Start your story with the scene in the picture (setting)

Tomorrow, all grade 6s will be looking at news articles and reviewing their components.

The Sky Science Unit test will be on Monday! Study those notes that we reviewed together in class.

PLEASE STUDY FOR L.A. PAT Part A nightly!  Use the folder we created as a class everyday, and information off the blog!

Reminders

May 5 - Social textbook questions

May 5 - Day in the Life of the Boule

May 8 - Science test

May 11 - Writing P.A.T.

May 11 - Annual Carnival Thursday May 11th 6-8pm

May 16 - Poetry Anthology

May 20 - Book orders due

May 24 - Div. 2 Concert – Bring instruments everyday to practice

May 25 - SJAM visit 1-2:30pm

Message from PE
Gym may be outside so please dress for the weather!
 This includes wearing appropriate shoes for running, a hat and water if you wish to stay hydrated. Please do not wear sandles! Bring running shoes. =)

Read! PAT LA Part A NEWS REPORTS - exemplars and why!

There was issues with copying the student exemplars, I had to screenshot them and they're all inserted at the bottom of this handout with their proper mark rubric :)  YOU CAN CLICK THE IMAGE AND ZOOM IN ON IT!


Examples of the Standards for Students’ Writing 2008

English Language Arts Grade 6

• Functional Writing

Contacts
Learner Assessment Achievement Testing Unit

Phone
OR toll-free FAX
E-mail Addresses
Achievement Testing Unit Director
Grade 6 Humanities Examination Manager
Grade 6 Humanities Examiner

780-427-0010
310-0000, then dial or ask for 780-427-0010 780-422-3206

Jo-Anne Hug Robyn Pederson Sandy Myshak

Jo-Anne.Hug@gov.ab.ca Robyn.Pederson@gov.ab.ca Sandy.Myshak@gov.ab.ca

Other Information
Do you need information on the Achievement Testing Program? Follow these steps for easy access to the Alberta Education website:
Step 1: Type http://www.education.alberta.ca
Step 2: Click on Provincial Testing (under For Administrators) Step 3: Click on Achievement Tests
On the “Achievement Tests” web page, there is a specific link to Subject Bulletins. These bulletins provide students and teachers with information about the achievement tests scheduled for the current school year. Please share the contents of the Grade 6 English Language Arts Subject Bulletin—particularly the sample questions, writing assignments, and scoring criteria— with your students.
There is also a specific link on this web page to writing samples that are designed to be used by teachers and students: the Examples of the Standards for Students’ Writing. These samples are intended to be used to enhance student writing and to assist teachers in assessing student writing relative to the standards embedded in the scoring criteria in the scoring guides.
Copyright 2008, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Alberta Education, Learner Assessment, 44 Capital Boulevard, 10044 108 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5E6, and its licensors. All rights reserved.
Special permission is granted to Alberta educators only to reproduce, for educational purposes and on a non-profit basis, parts of this document that do not contain excerpted material.
Excerpted material in this document shall not be reproduced without the written permission of the original publisher (see credits, where applicable).

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 MaintainingConsistentStandards................................................................................................ 2 Local Marking ............................................................................................................................... 3 Scoring Guide: Functional Writing.............................................................................................. 4 Section II: Functional Writing – Situation and Assignment ........................................................ 6 NewsArticleNotes....................................................................................................................... 7 Student Exemplar 3A.................................................................................................................... 8 Rationale for Student Exemplar 3A .............................................................................................. 10 Student Exemplar 3B .................................................................................................................... 11 Rationale for Student Exemplar 3B .............................................................................................. 14 Student Exemplar 4 ....................................................................................................................... 15 Rationale for Student Exemplar 4 ................................................................................................. 18 Student Exemplar 5 ....................................................................................................................... 19 Rationale for Student Exemplar 5 ................................................................................................. 23

Introduction
To provide each paper with the most accurate and impartial judgment that you can, use only the scoring criteria and the standards set by the Exemplars and Rationales. Each student is a person trying to do his or her very best: he or she is completely reliant on your careful, professional consideration of each piece of work.
Markers are responsible for

• reviewing and internalizing the scoring criteria and their application to students’ writing
  
• applying the scoring criteria impartially, independently, and consistently to all papers
  
• refraining from marking a response if personal biases such as the student’s handwriting, development of topic, idiosyncrasies of voice, and/or political or religious preferences interfere with an impartial judgment of student work
  
• ensuring that every paper is scored – fairly
  – according to the scoring criteria
  – in accordance with the standards reflected in the Exemplars and Rationales
  The scores awarded to students’ papers must be based solely on the scoring criteria and reference to the Exemplars and Rationales. Fairness to all students is the most important requirement of the marking process.
  Please feel free to contact one of the Learner Assessment staff members to discuss any questions or concerns.
  

1

Maintaining Consistent Standards
For all achievement test scoring sessions, teacher working groups for Exemplar Selection, Exemplar Validation, and Standards Confirmation are used both to establish expectations for student work in relation to the scoring criteria and to ensure scoring consistency within and between marking sessions. These working groups are crucial to ensuring that marks are valid, reliable, and fair measures of student achievement.

Exemplar Selection Working Group
Exemplars are selections of student work, taken from field tests, that best illustrate the scoring criteria. The Exemplar Selection Working Group is composed of experienced teachers representing various regions of the province who read a large sample of students’ written responses. Working group members select responses that best match the established standards in the Exemplars and Rationales from the previous marking session. The working group then writes Rationales that explain the relationship between each Exemplar and the scoring criteria in each scoring category. The same process also occurs at this time in the selection of Training Papers. These papers are selected to illustrate characteristics of student work that might not be covered in the Exemplars and that might lead to inconsistent judgments or marking difficulties. While Exemplars usually receive consistent scores across all categories, Training Papers may not. This is due to the reality that students rarely perform with equal ability in every scoring category, as well as to the necessity of evaluating each scoring category as a distinct skill area.

Exemplar Validation Working Group
The Exemplar Validation Working Group, another group of experienced teachers from various provincial regions, reviews and approves the Exemplars, Training Papers, and Rationales that have been prepared for markers. The working group ensures that the Rationales accurately reflect the standards embedded in the descriptors in the Scoring Guide while verifying that appropriate and accurate references have been made to student work. Working group members also strive to ensure that there is clarity within the Rationales.

Standards Confirmation Working Group
Teachers from throughout the province who serve on the Standards Confirmation Working Group read a large sample of student responses to Part A: Writing to confirm the appropriateness of the standards set by the test when compared with actual student work on the Achievement Test. The working group ensures that the Exemplars, Training Papers, and Rationales are appropriate for central marking. Working group members also select student responses that are to be used for daily Reliability Reviews. Once a day, all markers score a copy of the same student paper for inter-rater reliability. Reliability Reviews confirm that all markers are consistently awarding scores that accurately reflect the standards embedded in the scoring criteria.
Working groups for Exemplar Selection, Exemplar Validation, and Standards Confirmation are part of a complex set of processes that have evolved over the years of Achievement Test administration. These teacher working groups are crucial to ensuring that standards are consistently and fairly applied to student work.

2

Local Marking
Classroom teachers can mark student writing, using the Scoring Guides, Exemplars, and Rationales in this document that are sent to the schools along with the Part A: Writing tests, before returning the tests to Alberta Education. All papers are marked centrally in Edmonton in July.
The Exemplars of student writing and the corresponding Rationales in this document exemplify the standards inherent in the scoring criteria. These Exemplars are not to be shared with students and must be returned to Alberta Education with the tests.

Scores awarded locally can be submitted to Alberta Education, where they will be used as the first reading of a student’s response. Local markers are to use the For Teacher Use Only section on the back of the Part A: Writing test booklet to record their scores by filling in the appropriate circles. The School Code and Accommodations Used sections should also be completed. If a teacher wants to know how locally awarded scores compare with the scores the tests receive when marked centrally, he or she must also fill in the ID No. section. No two teachers from the same school should use the same ID number. No other marks are to be made on the test booklet by the teacher.
Tests are to be returned to Alberta Education according to the scheduling information in the online General Information Bulletin. The tests will then be marked centrally by Alberta Education as the second reading. Both sets of scores are used when calculating each student’s final mark. In the case of a discrepancy between these two sets of scores, papers will be adjudicated by a third reading, which will determine the final scores that a paper is awarded. In this way, valid and reliable individual and group results can be reported. Papers that are not marked locally by teachers will be marked centrally only once.

After central marking has been completed and school reports have been sent to the schools, teachers who submitted their scores with an ID number will receive a confidential report on their marking. This report is called the Local Marker Report and includes the locally awarded scores, central marking scores, third-read scores if applicable, and the final scores assigned.
Teachers may make photocopies of student writing from only the English Language Arts Part A: Writing tests for inclusion in portfolios of the year’s work. Copies can be made for parents who request them.

A total score for a student’s written response may be calculated by a teacher using the following procedure. For the Narrative / Essay Writing Assignment, assign a score of 1 to 5 for each of content, organization, sentence structure, vocabulary, and conventions. Then, multiply the scores for content and organization by 2 as these categories are worth twice as much as the other categories. The maximum score possible for Narrative / Essay Writing is 35. For the Functional Writing Assignment, assign a score of 1 to 5 for each of content and content management. Then, multiply these scores by 2. The maximum score possible for Functional Writing is 20. To calculate the Total Part A: Writing Score, add the Narrative / Essay Writing and Functional Writing scores as follows: Narrative / Essay Writing /35 (63.6%) + Functional Writing /20 (36.4%) = Total Score /55 (100%). The mark for Part A: Writing is worth 50% of the total mark for the Grade 9 English Language Arts Achievement Test.

3

Scoring Guide—Functional Writing Content

Focus
When marking Content appropriate for Grade 6 functional writing, the marker should consider
• effectiveness of development and organization of the news article
• whether the purpose of the assignment is fulfilled with complete and appropriate
information
• appropriateness of tone for the assignment and awareness of audience is evident

Meets the Standard of Excellence 5	Theideasarewelldeveloped,andorganizationofthenewsarticleisclearand effective. Completeinformationispresented,andthisinformationisenhancedbyprecise and appropriate details that effectively fulfill the purpose of the assignment. Atoneappropriatefortheassignmentisclearlyandeffectivelymaintained.
Approaches the Standard of Excellence 4	Theideasaregenerallywelldeveloped,andorganizationofthenewsarticleis generally effective. Completeinformationispresented,andthisinformationissubstantiatedby appropriate details that fulfill the purpose of the assignment. Atoneappropriatefortheassignmentisclearlymaintained.
Clearly Meets the Acceptable Standard 3	Theideasareadequatelydeveloped,andorganizationofthenewsarticleis adequate. Someinformationisgiven,andthisinformationissupportedbyenoughdetails to fulfill the purpose of the assignment. Atoneappropriatefortheassignmentisgenerallymaintained.
Does Not Clearly Meet the Acceptable Standard 2	Theideasarepoorlydeveloped,andorganizationofthenewsarticleis ineffective. Essential information may be missing. Supporting details are scant, insignificant, and/or irrelevant. The purpose of the assignment is only partially fulfilled. Atoneappropriatefortheassignmentisevidentbutnotmaintained.
Clearly Below the Acceptable Standard 1	• Theideasarenotdeveloped,andorganizationofthenewsarticleisinadequate. • Essential information and supporting details are inappropriate or lacking. The purpose of the assignment is not fulfilled. • Littleawarenessoftoneappropriatefortheassignmentisevident.
Insufficient INS	• Themarkercandiscernnoevidenceofanattempttofulfilltheassignment,or the student has written so little that it is not possible to assess Content.

Note: Content and Content Management are equally weighted.

Please advise students that their work must relate to the assignment. Those assignments that are completely off topic will be awarded a mark of Insufficient.

4

Content Management

Focus
When marking Content Management appropriate for Grade 6 functional writing, the marker should consider
• accuracy and effectiveness of words and expressions
• control of sentence structures, usage, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, etc.) • clarity and flow of the communication
Proportion of error to length and complexity of response must be considered.

Meets the Standard of Excellence 5	Words and expressions used are consistently accurate and effective. The writing demonstrates confident and consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors, if present, do not reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication.
Approaches the Standard of Excellence 4	Words and expressions used are usually accurate and effective. The writing demonstrates competent and generally consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors that are present rarely reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication.
Clearly Meets the Acceptable Standard 3	Words and expressions used are generally accurate and occasionally effective. The writing demonstrates basic control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors that are present occasionally reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication.
Does Not Clearly Meet the Acceptable Standard 2	• Words and expressions used are frequently vague and/or imprecise. • The writing demonstrates faltering control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. • Errors reduce the clarity and interrupt the flow of the communication.
Clearly Below the Acceptable Standard 1	Words and expressions used are inaccurate and/or misused. The writing demonstrates lack of control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics. Errors severely reduce the clarity and interrupt the flow of the communication.
Insufficient INS	• The writing has been awarded an INS for Content.

5

Section II: Functional Writing (Suggested time—40 minutes) Read the situation below and complete the assignment that follows.
The Situation
Your name is Kelly Brown. You are a writer for your school’s newspaper. Recently, a group of Grade 6 students from your school gave a presentation on National Forest Week to their peers. You interviewed the students, who told you about the purpose of their presentation and some of the interesting information they presented. You are now ready to write your news article.
Assignment
When writing your news article, be sure to
• provide readers with information that will support the purpose of the news article • use a style of writing appropriate for a news article
• use a style of writing appropriate for the audience
Use the information provided on page 7 to assist you as you write your news article.

Write a news article that will inform the readers about the purpose
of the presentation and talk about some of the interesting information that the students learned about National Forest Week.

6

News Article Notes

What happened? —Grade 6 students gave a presentation on National Forest Week When? —last week Where? —at the school Who was involved? —Grade 6 students Purpose of the presentation —to learn more about Alberta’s forests —to increase awareness of the importance of forests —to encourage a greater understanding of our environment

Interesting Facts —National Forest Week started in 1926 —there are more than 5 000 products made from trees —forests provide people with recreational areas —originally called Forest Fire Prevention Week —forests help to provide clean water and air —usually first week in May —forestry is Alberta’s third-largest industry —forests cover about 60 percent of the province —forests provide habitat for wildlife —forests provide food and products for human use —a variety of special events are planned in many communities to celebrate National Forest Week

You do not have to use all of the information provided on this page. You may include additional appropriate information in your news article.

Functional 3A
Headline: National Forest Week

GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RATIONALE FOR STUDENT EXEMPLAR 3A

Score		Reporting Category
3	3 3 3	Content • The ideas are adequately developed, and organization of the news article is adequate (“On Friday May. 5 the Grade six students gave a speech on National Forest Week,” “The reason the students of grade six are giving this speech,” and “After the speech”). • Some information is given, and this information is supported by enough details to fulfill the purpose of the assignment (“teach people about Alberta’s forest” and “better understanding of the enviorment”). • A tone appropriate for the assignment is generally maintained (“On Friday May. 5” and “Alberta's forest is so important”).
3	3 3 3	Content Management • Words and expressions used are generally accurate and occasionally effective (“people will be more aware on how important the forest is” and “drimatic change”). The writing demonstrates basic control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics (“After the speech there was a drimatic change like not as much garbage on the ground and more people recycle there paper”). Errors that are present occasionally reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication (“the forest food water and clean air”). Proportion of error to length and complexity of response has been considered.

Functional 3B

GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RATIONALE FOR STUDENT EXEMPLAR 3B

Headline: Grade Six Students Give Presentation On National Forest Week

Score		Reporting Category
3	3 3 3	Content • The ideas are adequately developed and organization is adequate (students give a presentation and the article talks about the facts: “Last week” and “Some interesting facts”). • Some information is given, and this information is supported by enough details to fulfill the purpose of the assignment (“program started in 1926,” “forestry is the third-largest industry,” and “Forests also provide a habitat for wildlife”). • A tone appropriate for the assignment is generally maintained (“Grade six students are a succes!” and “ ‘the best that it could be.’ explains one of the grade six students”).
3	3 3 3	Content Management • Words and expressions used are generally accurate and occasionally effective (“forests cover 60% of the province” and “I thought their presentation was breath taking”). The writing demonstrates basic control of sentence structure, usage (“gold metal” and “states the school librarian”), and mechanics (“Some interesting facts about national forest week are:” and “exclaimes”). Errors that are present occasionally reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication (“& got & gold metal” and “exclaimes Mrs. Robinson, a formal teacher at the school”). Proportion of error to length and complexity of response has been considered.

Functional 4

GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RATIONALE FOR STUDENT EXEMPLAR 4

Headline: A School For National Forest Week

Score		Reporting Category
4	4 4 4	Content • The ideas are generally well developed, and organization of the news article is generally effective (“Last week, ... the grade 6 students gave a large presentation on National Forest week,” “National forest week, origanally called forest fire Preventation week,” and “Keep this world as the beautiful place it is!”). Complete information is presented, and this information is substantiated by appropriate details that fulfill the purpose of the assignment (“If we don’t take care of our forests how is it suposed to take care of us”). A tone appropriate for the assignment is clearly maintained (“Brooklyn, a student from ... elementry” and “So please give respect to our forests”).
4	4 4 5	Content Management Words and expressions used are usually accurate and effective (“First of all,” “and last but not leastt,” and “With no trees the world would be such a dirty, ugly place”). The writing demonstrates competent and generally consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics (“They did this to encourage a greater understanding of the importance of Alberta’s forest enviroment”). Errors that are present do not reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication (“there are a variety of events planned in many comunities to celebrate National forest week”). Proportion of error to length and complexity of response has been considered.

Functional 5

Headline: National Forest Week Uproar!

GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RATIONALE FOR STUDENT EXEMPLAR 5

Score		Reporting Category
5	5 5 5	Content • The ideas are well developed, and organization of the news article is clear and effective. • Complete information is presented (“Our forests cover 60% of Alberta, and forestry is the third largest industry in Alberta”) and is enhanced by precise and appropriate details that effectively fulfill the purpose of the assignment (“Just think of it all as equivalent exchange ... if we do good for our forests, they’ll do good for us”). • A tone appropriate for the assignment is clearly and effectively maintained (“Students of ... do their part for enviroment,” “Celebrations have been held all across the city,” and “People may also like to know”).
5	5 5 5	Content Management Words and expressions used are consistently accurate and effective (“house many wild creatures,” “In honor of our forests,” “people from all over celebrating what Alberta has to offer,” “remarked,” “People may also like to know,” and “exclaimed Michelle”). The writing demonstrates confident and consistent control of sentence structure, usage, and mechanics (“ ‘Save our forests!’ exclaimed Michelle, when she finished her presentation, ‘It’s important!’ ”). Errors, if present, do not reduce the clarity or interrupt the flow of the communication (“enviroment” and “I think it’s excellent the we have forests!”). Proportion of error to length and complexity of response has been considered.

LEVEL 3 EXEMPLAR



 LEVEL 4 EXEMPLAR


LEVEL 5 EXEMPLAR