Overview

In this performance assessment, students will write a short narrative demonstrating understanding of key narrative skills. Specifically, students will be asked to write a children’s bedtime story demonstrating understanding of narrative literary devices such as logical flow, clear themes, and interesting/engaging characters; while attempting to use choices they have noticed mentor authors have used in both style and structure. 

Students can create their narrative in any appropriate way, including, but not limited to, a traditional short story, a comic/graphic narrative, a short film, a children’s story book, or a recorded oral storytelling.

This assessment will be best used after students have had instruction through a writing workshop classroom experience, where students make multiple, increasingly complex attempts at the creative narrative skills (literary devices, plot structure, themes) based around mentor texts that demonstrate the key unit standards, and students engage in reading independently selected novels and books that also serve as creative narrative mentors. It is also recommended that students have read mentor texts that model bedtime story conventions.

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Details

Big Ideas & Competencies

Big Ideas Competencies

C. Writing

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

C4

Students can develop organized narrative writing to convey real or imagined experiences or events.

F. Style and Language

Students can build vocabulary knowledge and apply conventions of grammar and usage specific to the context.

F2

Students can use varied sentence structure and word choice to convey style and tone that are appropriate to the task and audience.

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

Focus/Organization
  • Creates a situation or sequence of events that lack a clear story focus or has a shifting story focus.  
  • Includes a series of disconnected or loosely linked events that do not clearly flow together. and/or it is unclear who is telling the story or which characters are involved in the situation.  
  • Uses limited or basic techniques(s) to sequence events and/or to connect experiences and events, creating an unclear or choppy story line.  
  • Provides a conclusion that partially or does not follow from the situation or sequence of events or does not provide a discernible conclusion.
No exemplars at this time.
  • Insert text Establishes a real or imagined situation and sequence of events creating story focus.  
  • Establishes a progression of clearly linked events that unfold naturally and introduces the viewpoints of characters and/or narrator.  
  • Uses a variety of techniques to sequence events and to connect experiences and events, creating a unified whole with a plausible outcome.  
  • Provides a conclusion that follows from the narrated experience, observation, or events. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • Establishes a vivid, real or imagined situation and sequence of events, creating a distinctive story focus.  
  • Establishing a smooth progression of events that unfold naturally and introduces the viewpoints of dynamic character(s) and/or believable narrator.  
  • Uses a variety of sophisticated techniques to sequence events, signal shifts in time and place, and to connect experiences and events, creating a unified whole with a clear and purposeful outcome.  
  • Provides a meaningful and satisfying conclusion that clearly follows from the narrated experience, observation, or events.
No exemplars at this time.

Style and Conventions
  • Uses inconsistent grammar and conventions which detract from the quality of the narrative.  
  • Uses ineffective sentence structures creating a strained or inappropriate style and tone, which may interfere with meaning and readability.  
No exemplars at this time.
  • Demonstrates grade-level appropriate conventions; errors are minor and do not interfere with meaning and readability.  
  • Uses correct and varied sentence structures. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • Demonstrates creativity and flexibility when using conventions (i.e., grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling) to enhance meaning and readability.  
  • Uses sophisticated and varied sentence structures. 
No exemplars at this time.

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