Overview

In this performance assessment, students will interact with a variety of narrative text focused around a central theme. Students will be asked to determine the theme of each text and use details from the text that provide evidence to support how each character exhibited traits that relate to the central theme of the text. 

Specifically, students will first be asked to work in small groups to brainstorm possible themes in narrative text, possibly relating the conversation to literature that they have studied prior to this performance assessment. After the small group discussion, students will listen to 2 narrative texts that share a related central theme. Students will take notes on both texts to gather evidence as to how the character(s) in each text demonstrated the character trait. This evidence will be used by the student to determine the central theme of both texts. Students will then write a brief essay outlining the central theme of both texts, providing evidence as to how the character(s) helped determine the theme of the texts. 

Next, students will create a “Friend-Wanted Poster” based on a character from one of the texts. Students will create a poster from the point of view of that character and what traits the character is looking for in a friend.

This assessment would be best suited for spring after students have completed the narrative text unit in grade 4 or 5. Students should have had ample prior instruction in determining the theme of a narrative text as well as exposure to multiple different possible themes. Students should have instruction in creating short essays that state the central theme with supporting evidence from text.

Students can create the final presentation in any appropriate way, including, but not limited to, PowerPoint or Google Slides (or another slideshow tool), Microsoft Word or Google Docs, paper and colored pens/pencils/ markers. Final student work should be saved as an Acrobat PDF for uploading to the virtual scoring software. 

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Details

Big Ideas & Competencies

Big Ideas Competencies

A. Reading Literature

Students can read with purpose, understand and analyze evidence in literature to construct meaning in increasingly complex texts.

A1

Students can quote accurately from text to support answers and when drawing inferences from texts (stories, dramas, and poetry) independently and proficiently.

A2

Students can determine the theme of a text and summarize the text, including how the choices of characters demonstrate the theme.

NOTE ABOUT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Below are analytic teacher rubrics. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

Teacher Rubric

Dimensions Not Yet Meeting Expectations Meeting Expectations Exceeding Expectations

Presentation
  • Presents information without a plan.
  • Uses visuals inappropriately or does not include their use.
  • Looks away from the audience when presenting.
  • Speech is incoherent or inaudible.
  • Answers audience questions with inaccurate or inappropriate information or does not answer questions. 
  • Plans a presentation.
  • Uses pictures, drawings, or props appropriately.
  • Makes some eye contact with the audience.
  • Speaks with appropriate volume and pronunciation.
  • Answers audience questions with information from the presentation.
  • Plans a beginning and end of a presentation.
  • Uses pictures, drawings, or props to enhance the information.
  • Consistently makes eye contact with the audience.
  • Speaks with appropriate volume, pacing, and pronunciation.
  • Appropriately answers audience questions providing additional information. 

Focus/Organization
  • Provides an unclear introduction of the topic or no introduction is included.
  • Uses an unclear or ineffective body structure to organize the details about the writing.
  • Abruptly ends the writing without a sense of closure. 
  • Introduces the topic.
  • Organizes the writing by grouping information together.
  • Provides a concluding statement or section. 
  • Clearly introduces a topic.
  • Uses a coherent body structure to organize and group related information.
  • Provides a concluding statement or section that clearly relates to the topic and important points. 

Development/Comprehension 
  • Provides an unclear introduction of the topic or no introduction is included.
  • Uses an unclear body structure to organize the details about the topic.
  • Abruptly ends the writing without a sense of closure.  
  • Introduces the topic.
  • Organizes the writing by grouping information together.
  • Provides a concluding statement or section. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • Clearly introduces a topic.
  • Uses a coherent body structure to organize and group related information.
  • Provides a concluding statement or section that clearly relates to the topic and important points. 
No exemplars at this time.

Style/Conventions
  • Uses basic temporal words or no linking words to connect the topic and facts.
  • Uses inconsistent capitalization and/or spelling patterns.
  • Uses ineffective sentence structures and errors may interfere with meaning and/or readability. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • Uses linking words to connect ideas within categories of information.
  • Uses grade appropriate conventions; errors are minor and do not interfere with meaning and readability.
  • Use correct and varied sentence structure. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • Uses linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.
  • Uses advanced conventions to enhance meaning and readability.
  • Uses advanced and varied sentence structures. 
No exemplars at this time.

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