Grades 7–9 Level 3 Writing Assessment Exemplar

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Do you think it is important for people to continue to travel into space? Why or why not? You may want to think about issues, such as

  • costs
  • dangers
  • rewards
Student Example

Student writing assessment exemplar:

Yes, there are reasons people travel into space. Space
travel helps us make new scientific discoveries. When
we travel into space, we can learn how to build a city on
the moon. The moon has no air and it has no people. We
would need to create air to live there. Space travel is
about finding new things. We can gain knowledge and
we may learn new facts. But there are dangers in
traveling into space and it is takes billions of dollars.
What if the fuel runs out on the rocket ship and no one
can help the astronauts. And astronauts need special
clothes because of hot and cold temperatures. We get to
learn from space, but we also need to know more about
Earth. People Scientists who travel into space make
important discoveries. But is it necessary to send a
person into space? In conclusion I think we need to learn
more about keeping the earth healthy though before we
need to do space travel.

 

Level 3: Uses some low-frequency subject-specific words (moon, fuel, rocket, astronauts, Earth, scientists), descriptive words (new, billions, special, important, necessary), instructional words (learn, build, create), and words with multiple meanings (space, runs)

Level 3: Uses a variety of simple (We would need to create air to live there.) and familiar compound sentence types (We get to learn from space, but we also need to know more about Earth.) Attempts complex sentences (When we travel into space, we can learn how to build a city on the moon.)

Level 3: Uses some low-frequency connector and transition words and phrases (because, in conclusion) to compare (and) and contrast (but)

Use the checkboxes below to display the corresponding Benchmarks 2.0 indicators.

 
 3
 
 3
 
 3
Writing Benchmark Level
3

Next Steps

After determining English proficiency levels, teachers can refer to the Supporting Competency Indicators found in Benchmarks 2.0 for strategies to inform programming and instruction of EAL learners in all subjects. Once a student demonstrates Level 3 indicators, the teacher refers to Level 4 for planning instruction.

Example: Supporting the student to complete graphic organizers and paragraph frames (General Supporting Competency: Instructional Strategies and Learning Supports).


How to Use This Writing Assessment Exemplar

This collection of writing assessment exemplars provides teachers of English as an additional language (EAL) learners with examples of student writing at each English proficiency level and grade range.

Teachers can use these interactive exemplars to build their understanding of Benchmarks 2.0 competencies (vocabulary, sentence structure, and connections and transitions) and proficiency levels in writing.

  1. Click on “View full size” to see the original student writing.
  2. Select the competency you wish to view. Boxes in the corresponding colour will highlight the text in the exemplar and display an explanation of the competency below.
  3. Click on one or more competencies to view at a time.
  4. Review “Next Steps” for examples of how to use the Benchmarks 2.0 writing assessment to inform programming and instruction in all subject areas.

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