Clarification details
Updated December 2019. The section on evidence requirements and text types has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
Evidence requirements
A minimum of two pieces of written text is required for this standard, 450 words is the suggested guideline across the written evidence. The two pieces are not assessed separately, but rather as one whole body of work. When making the final judgement, the student’s best two pieces of evidence contribute towards the holistic grade.
Selected evidence needs to show a different text type (e.g. review, point of view, creative narrative etc.) and context.
Authentic writing
The standard requires students to independently draft, re-work and produce the final ‘edited’ texts. The use of templates that over-scaffold the sequence of ideas may not allow students to produce authentic writing. This includes a series of questions or sentence starters that direct student responses.
Text types
Students need to be able to plan and structure writing appropriate to the text type. For example, in a formal essay, an introduction informs the reader of the purpose of the writing, ideas are developed in paragraphs and a conclusion links back to the introductory statements. This format creates a cohesive structure.
An interview or conversation is not an appropriate text type as they are primarily aimed at listeners, not readers of written text. A conversation provides limited opportunity for students to show crafted writing skills. Text types such as an essay or pakiwaitara provide opportunity for students to develop ideas which link throughout the writing to form a coherent whole.
Developing ideas
At this level, students are required to express and develop ideas. Ideas may include facts, opinions, information or arguments. Development includes building on ideas by adding comments, explanation, details or examples appropriate to the selected text type.
When expressing an opinion, there needs to be evidence and/or examples that support the student’s point of view. For example, a persuasive essay will have an introduction that clearly states the writer’s position or opinion, a structured argument and a conclusion that links back to the introductory statements.
Creative tasks should have a clear purpose with an intended audience in mind. Examples of creative writing include humorous stories, stories with a message, or historical or mythical stories told from a different perspective. In a pakiwaitara, this includes a setting, character/s, plot, and resolution or main point of the story.