Testing Constraints

1) Students will have 50 minutes to complete all five components of the Creative Writing assessment.
2) Students will complete the assessment without the use of notes or the textbook.

3) Students will know and understand the rubric grading for this assessment.

Assessment Context

A. Comma Questions

Read the following sentences. If the sentence is not correct, select the right comma usage. If the sentence is written correctly write a D in the blank next to the sentence.

_____1. For the Thanksgiving reunion, relatives were sitting in the dining room, on the porch, and in the carport.
A. Thanksgiving, reunion
B. were, sitting
C. porch and
D. No error
_____ 2. Lydia seems to be a kind, considerate girl.
A. seems, to
B. considerate, girl
C. kind considerate
D. No error
_____ 3. This fishing pole Nathan, has seen better days.
A. pole, Nathan,
B. has, seen
C. Nathan,
D. No error
_____ 4. The badger, a shy animal sometimes makes friends with a
coyote.
A. sometimes, makes
B. friends, with
C. a shy animal,
D. No error
_____ 5. After the death of Blackbeard, the famous pirate, piracy disappeared from the coast of the American colonies.
A. the famous pirate
B. After the death,
C. coast, of
D. No error
_____ 6. “Silent Night” was written by two men from the village of Oberndorf Austria.
A. men, from
B. Silent Night,
C. Oberndorf, Austria
D. No error
_____ 7. Oh I forgot to bring the cookies.
A. Oh,
B. forget, to
C. the, cookies
D. No error

B. Creative Writing

The following short story is written in simple sentences. Imagine yourself at the beach. What sounds do you hear? What sights do you see? What smells accost you? What activities would you engage in? Pre-plan your short story by creating a graphic organizer on a separate sheet of paper. Answer the five questions. Once your graphic organizer is completed, copy the short story underneath the organizer. By using your answers in the graphic organizer, change the simple
sentences into compound and complex sentences. Next, insert commas where they are needed. Finally, write your revised short story under the corrections.

The Beach House
I love my grandparent’s beach house. I love the waves. I love the sand in between your toes. We pick up rocks. We watch the sand crabs scurry away. We dig for clams. I’m not the only one to
share these pleasures. My family shares them too. We play all kinds of sports. On 4th of July we go out on the boat. We snuggle up in our blankets. We toast marshmallows in the campfire. We watch the fireworks. We have fishing contests to see who can catch the most. We throw them back. They disappear in the water. We go to a sand bar. We collect sea shells and sand dollars. We fly over the bar. We gather shells and dollars. We put them back. None of us want to leave. We say goodbye. We had fun. We will have fun next time we come.

Holistic Rubric
This holistic rubric is designed to evaluate and grade the Creative Writing assessment.

Graphic Organizer
0- No graphic organizer
1- Graphic organizer with 1-2 questions answered
2- Graphic organizer with 3 questions answered
3- Graphic organizer with all questions answered

Copy Short Story
0- No copied short story
1- Short Story copied with few mistakes

2- Short Story copied with no mistakes

Compound & Complex Sentences
0- All Simple Sentences
1- 1-5 Compound and/or Complex Sentences
2- 6-10 Compound and/ or Complex Sentences

3- 11-15 Compound and/or Complex Sentences

4- 16-20 Compound and/or Complex Sentences
5- 21 or more Compound and/ or Complex Sentences

Insert Commas
0- No Commas inserted
1- 25% of corrected Commas
2- 50% of corrected Commas
3- 75% of corrected Commas
4- 100% of corrected Commas

Rewrite Revised Short Story
0- Failed to rewrite the revised short story
1- Revised story copied with few mistakes
2- Revised story copied with no mistakes

Learning Outcome

After a discussion on the 10 comma rules, the learning outcome will be two-fold. First, the student will be able to recite all 10 comma rules for memory. Second, the student will be able to rewrite simple sentences into compound and complex sentences.

Purpose of the Assessment Plan

The purpose of this assessment plan is to get the students to recognize and learn the ten different rules of commas. By understanding their usage, the students are able to change simple sentences that are often times the norm with Middle School writing into compound and complex sentences.The result will be a richer and more reflective writing.

Rationale Behind my Test Items

I believe students learn more effectively by engaging in an assignment rather than just listening
to a lecture. It is a scientific fact that students learn at different types of learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The kinesthetic learner allows the student to learn certain concepts while implementing the skills themselves. Activities are hands-on; manipulative that allows the student to master the skills on his own. The teacher serves only as a guide and is there if the
student has any questions.

The Writing Process is the type of subject that works well with the kinesthetic learner as well as other students. The majority of the activities are hands-on. The process requires the student to know each step and how they inner-connect with each other. Once he understands the five steps, the student can work independently, implementing them into his own writings, and then he can assist his fellow-students in editing and proofreading their work. Once the teacher thinks the student has mastered the five steps, she can have him write a five paragraph essay that can be published on the classroom website. By having the student compose an essay, it allows the
teacher to understand if the understands the steps completely.

Instructional Objectives

Unit Introduction:

This unit is for a 6th grade Language Arts classroom. During this unit the students will be introduced to each of the five steps of the Writing Process- prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. After a brief discussion, the students will be able to identify each step and understand how they are the building blocks in effective writing. Students will learn how implement each step while creating a polished paper.


Instructional Objectives:

By the end of this unit:

· The students will identify and define the five steps in the Writing Process.
· The students will brainstorm five characteristics of their favorite hobby in a graphic organizer.
· The students will write a one page paper about their favorite hobby.
· The students will extensively revise their own writing and two other classmates.
· The students will publish their story on the classroom’s website.


Unit Conclusion:

The assessment of this unit:

The students can match the five steps with their definitions with 80% accuracy.
The students can create and complete a hobby graphic organizer with at least five characteristics.
The students can pass a proofreading quiz with 80% accuracy.
The students can successfully write a five paragraph essay on their favorite hobby, complete with an introduction, five characteristics and a conclusion.