Work sample portfolio summary

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

WORK SAMPLE PORTFOLIO

Annotated work sample portfolios are provided to support implementation of the Foundation − Year 10 Australian
Curriculum.

Each portfolio is an example of evidence of student learning in relation to the achievement standard. Three portfolios
are available for each achievement standard, illustrating satisfactory, above satisfactory and below satisfactory
student achievement. The set of portfolios assists teachers to make on-balance judgements about the quality of their
students’ achievement.

Each portfolio comprises a collection of students’ work drawn from a range of assessment tasks. There is no pre-
determined number of student work samples in a portfolio, nor are they sequenced in any particular order. Each work
sample in the portfolio may vary in terms of how much student time was involved in undertaking the task or the degree of
support provided by the teacher. The portfolios comprise authentic samples of student work and may contain errors such
as spelling mistakes and other inaccuracies. Opinions expressed in student work are those of the student.

The portfolios have been selected, annotated and reviewed by classroom teachers and other curriculum experts. The
portfolios will be reviewed over time.

ACARA acknowledges the contribution of Australian teachers in the development of these work sample portfolios.

THIS PORTFOLIO: YEAR 7 ENGLISH

This portfolio provides the following student work samples:

Sample 1 Reflective speech: An inspirational person

Sample 2 Poem: Things I Know
Sample 3 Film review: Bad Times at Big School
Sample 4 Persuasive letter in response to literature
Sample 5 Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story
Sample 6 Oral presentation: Improving the environment
Sample 7 Persuasive text: Football in schools
Sample 8 Poetry analysis: My Country
Sample 9 Discussion: The Highwayman
Sample 10 Discussion: The Hobbit

This portfolio of student work includes a range of different types of texts that are structured and coherent addressing a
range of purposes, audiences and contexts. The student presents coherent and well-structured, persuasive texts linked
to personal knowledge, and demonstrates analysis and a strong personal voice (WS3, WS4, WS7, WS8). In creative
writing, including a reflective speech and poetry, the student conveys personal sentiments in concise, simple yet
powerful ways (WS1, WS2, WS5) and demonstrates detailed argument, clarity and control of language in a formal, oral
presentation (WS6). Students develop their ideas about how language works through group discussions (WS9, WS10).
COPYRIGHT
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, you may view, download, display, print,
reproduce (such as by making photocopies) and distribute these materials in unaltered form only for your personal, non-commercial educational purposes or for the non-commercial educational
purposes of your organisation, provided that you retain this copyright notice. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that you cannot edit, modify or adapt any of these materials and you cannot
sub-license any of these materials to others. Apart from any uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), and those explicitly granted above, all other rights are reserved by ACARA. For
further information, refer to (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 1 of 31

 Work sample 1

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Reflective speech: An inspirational person

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students were asked to choose a person who has inspired them and write a reflective speech for a youth forum of
11–13 year olds.

The teacher provided feedback on the original draft and students had full access to computers throughout the
drafting and publishing process.

Students worked on the task over two lessons and completed the task at home.

2014 Edition Page 2 of 31

 Work sample 1

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Reflective speech: An inspirational person

Annotations

Engages the audience through the use

of appropriate language combined with a
strong personal connection to the topic.

Varies sentence structure and

punctuation to develop an effective
conversational tone that engages and
influences the audience.

Varies structure of the speech for effect.

Uses quotation marks effectively.

Highlights terms designed to influence the

listener, for example, ‘not easy’, ‘all’.

Uses specialised language, for example,

‘Quarantine Officer’.

Uses complex sentences and embedded

clauses accurately to add information, for
example, ‘and now he knows’.

Provides a conclusion that restates the

introduction and provides coherence.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 3 of 31

 Work sample 2

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poem: Things I Know

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students from different countries, backgrounds, lifestyles and cultures were invited to share what they know about
their lives. The students joined a collaborative project that utilised an online learning circle. This learning circle used
social networking tools to manage collaborative work across a number of school sites.

The students were asked to respond to the poem Things I Know by Joyce Sutphen and write a poem in a similar style.

The students were provided with the following prompts:

• We are all different. We have varied experiences as we live our lives in drastically different parts of the world. We
can learn a great deal about each other and the world if we share our experiences together in poetic form.
• What do you know?
• What experiences have you had that are so different from mine?

2014 Edition Page 4 of 31

 Work sample 2

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poem: Things I Know

Annotations

Plans ideas.

Writes using the style and structure

of the stimulus poem to describe own
experiences.

Develops a sense of anticipation by not

stating exactly the focus of the poem.

Chooses words precisely and uses

alliteration to create vivid description, for
example, ‘the sun shines’, ‘as a rippling
reflection’.

Uses repetition to establish rhythm, for

example, ‘I know the way the sun shines’,
‘I know how the waves roll’.

Uses specialised vocabulary to create

an authentic voice, for example, ‘coach’,
‘club members’, ‘chlorine’, ‘blocks’.

Appeals to the audience’s sense of taste,

for example, ‘the tang of chlorine as it
wafts up your nose’.

Selects descriptive words carefully

to convey the decisive and effortless
movements of an accomplished swimmer,
for example, ‘you speed down the lane’,
‘drops of water flying at your side’.

Creates effective and original

comparisons, for example, ‘the way your
fingers wrinkle as though the touch of the
water has aged them’.

Maintains use of the present tense

throughout, adding a sense of familiarity,
continuity and timelessness, as if the
experiences are repeated often.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 5 of 31

 Work sample 2

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poem: Things I Know

Annotations
Edits title to soften the language and
creates anticipation by adding ellipsis.

Edits text for accuracy and to develop

a clearer poetic structure to support the
rhythm and meaning.

Edits punctuation to support rhythm.

Incorporates edits made in draft text into

published text.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 6 of 31

 Work sample 3

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Film review: Bad Times at Big School

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
After reading the first six chapters of the novel Sally’s Story by Sally Morgan, students were asked to rewrite an
incident from the perspective of a different character. A selected text was then rewritten as a play script by a group of
students.

While students viewed and listened to the other groups perform their plays, they selected one of the performances
and used a scaffold to write a review of this performance. The students created their reviews in a number of different
ways – handwritten, posted onto EDMODO (an online collaboration site) or a radio broadcast.

2014 Edition Page 7 of 31

 Work sample 3

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Film review: Bad Times at Big School

Annotations

Provides evidence of editing for accuracy.

Gives an effective plot summary of the

film that provides insight into the setting
and characters.

Demonstrates awareness of different

perspectives that can be drawn from the
text.

Uses some effective noun groups in order

to create a sophisticated style of writing,
for example, ‘Indigenous heritage’,
‘stereotypical suburban school’.

Uses specialised vocabulary associated

with the world of film, for example, 'box
office', 'auditions', 'camera work'.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 8 of 31

 Work sample 3

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Film review: Bad Times at Big School

Annotations
Replicates the style of a film review by
discussing the casting, acting and camera
work.

Explains the social and cultural theme

of the film and makes comparisons of
educational teaching methods over time.

Experiments with figurative language.

Takes a specific instance from the film

and makes generalisations that refer to
young adolescents as a group.

Makes a recommendation that

encourages the audience to empathise
with the main character.

Provides detail in support of explanations.

Concludes with a rhetorical question to

persuade the reader.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 9 of 31

 Work sample 3

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Film review: Bad Times at Big School

Annotations
Uses alliteration to create an arresting
title that encourages readers to engage
with the article.

Provides evidence of editing for accuracy

and appropriateness.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 10 of 31

 Work sample 4

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Persuasive letter in response to literature

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students were asked to write a letter to a poetry website, persuading them to list a poem in the top ten Australian
poetry list. The task was completed in class time. Students were reminded to include the following aspects:

• meaning, mood, poetic techniques and literary devices

• letter-writing conventions
• techniques of persuasion.

2014 Edition Page 11 of 31

 Work sample 4

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Persuasive letter in response to literature

Annotations

Demonstrates understanding of audience

Student’s name
and purpose.
removed
Addresses the audience directly.

Selects language features to engage the

audience, for example, the use of the
question.

Establishes a conversational tone as the

strength of the poem is discussed.

Uses language to influence opinions, for

example, ‘real Australian touch’.

Establishes a clear structure for the

discussion, for example, through the use
of connectives to link each paragraph.

Uses evidence from the text to support a

point of view.

Uses specialised language and integrates

discussion of the poetic techniques used
in the poem.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 12 of 31

 Work sample 4

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Persuasive letter in response to literature

Annotations

Describes a personal response to the

Student’s name
poem.
removed
Uses a variety of simple, compound and
complex sentences for effect.

Concludes the argument, repeating the

main contention to achieve coherence.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 13 of 31

 Work sample 5

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story

Year 7 English achievement standard
The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They understand
how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge a point of view. They
create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
The students were asked to write about an experience that occurred at school. Students were provided with the
following prompts as suggestions:

Describing the incident:

• Who was involved?
• How would you describe the people?
• Describe how the surroundings appeared to you at the time.
• What exactly happened? Why was it memorable?

Describing how you felt:

• How did you feel at the time?
• How do you feel about it now?
• Remember, a personal incident is not just a story about something that happened. It is a reflection on how a past
incident played a specific role in shaping who a person has become.

Students were given two 50-minute sessions to plan and draft their piece. They conferenced their draft with their
teacher but completed the published copy at home. They had one week to complete the task.

2014 Edition Page 14 of 31

 Work sample 5

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story

Annotations
Begins with a paragraph that describes
the conflicting emotions felt by the
narrator using metaphors and similes, for
example, ‘memories seem to crowd like a
storm ...’, ‘Feelings warmer than the sun’s
rays wreath around me ...’.

Uses alliteration to engage the reader,

for example, ‘a continuous world full of
friends, foes and future ...’.

Provides evidence of editing for effect.

Creates a tense atmosphere by

describing the setting, for example, ‘the
school gates ... were tall and menacing...
full of unknown secrets and tales’.

Uses figurative language to create

images that demonstrate the young
child’s apprehension and fears of her
fellow student, for example, ‘the faces
of random children flitting back and forth
like butterflies’, ‘... a more fearful vision
of many unfamiliar faces’, ‘... the loud
cackling of many students’.

Chooses descriptive words effectively

to convey a character’s feelings, for
example, ‘... one girl, huddled in a corner
and looking around with lonely blue eyes
... as if she were a black dot on a white
background’.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 15 of 31

 Work sample 5

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story

Annotations

Adds immediacy and effectively changes

the tone with carefully chosen and sparse
use of direct speech, for example, ‘I - I’m
Chelsea’.

Selects verbs carefully to convey feelings,

for example, 'I stammered quietly', 'she
responded and seemed to relax a little'.

Constructs a variety of simple, compound

and complex sentences that demonstrate
control over a range of different
structures, for example, ‘What had
seemed ominous’.

Crafts writing carefully using

specific language choices, including
personification, in order to reveal the
narrator’s change of feelings as the day
progresses, for example, ‘Optimism flew
to every corner of the classroom’.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 16 of 31

 Work sample 5

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story

Annotations

Provides evidence of editing for effect.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 17 of 31

 Work sample 5

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Creative writing: Childhood’s continuous story

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 18 of 31

 Work sample 6

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Oral presentation: Improving the environment

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students had discussed as a class a range of activities their school could undertake that would contribute to
improving the environment. A number of suggestions were put forward including picking up litter in the local
community and turning off heaters in winter. Students were asked to make a presentation putting their views forward
as to whether the school should adopt one of these initiatives. Students had viewed a range of speeches and
had discussed the attributes of a strong presentation. The presentation was to be between two to three minutes
on the topic of what contribution their school could make to improve the environment. After the initial discussion,
students worked on the task at home and made their presentation to the class. They had two weeks to complete the
assignment.

2014 Edition Page 19 of 31

 Work sample 6

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Oral presentation: Improving the environment

Annotations

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian
Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more information, please see the first page of this
set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.
edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 20 of 31

 Work sample 7

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Persuasive text: Football in schools

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students were given time in class to discuss the following topic: Is football too dangerous to be played in schools?
They had one 40-minute session to discuss the issue in class. Points were noted on the board. They then wrote their
response to the topic in class. They had 30 minutes to complete the task under supervision.

2014 Edition Page 21 of 31

 Work sample 7

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Persuasive text: Football in schools

Annotations

Provides a clear response to the topic.

Provides a clear structure for the essay

using connectives to link ideas, for
example, ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’.

Uses accurate punctuation and selects

vocabulary with precision.

Employs repetition for emphasis.

Uses an anecdote that establishes the

credentials of the author to speak on this
subject.

Provides a conclusion that summarises

the main contention and invites the
audience’s agreement.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 22 of 31

 Work sample 8

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poetry analysis: My Country

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
This task was part of a unit on poetry that was conducted over one term. In this unit, students were given the
opportunity to engage with a variety of poems for enjoyment. They listened to, performed and composed a range of
spoken, written and multimodal poems. Students explored a range of structural forms and language techniques to
understand how poets use these devices to create meaning. They were exposed to poems which reflected different
historical and cultural viewpoints. Students worked independently and in groups to create and perform a variety of
poems for particular audiences and purposes, reflecting their understanding of the skills and knowledge taught in this
unit. By the end of the unit, students were given the opportunity to consider the relevance of poetry to contemporary
Australian society.

2014 Edition Page 23 of 31

 Work sample 8

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poetry analysis: My Country

Annotations

Shows evidence of planning.

Establishes a clear thesis that compares

and contrasts the two poems being
discussed.

Understands the use of irony.

Edits draft to improve the structure of the

opening paragraph.

Restates clearly the preferred poem and

infers a general theme.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 24 of 31

 Work sample 8

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poetry analysis: My Country

Annotations

Edits draft to improve the structure of the

opening paragraph.

Uses comparative quotations to show

differences.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 25 of 31

 Work sample 8

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Poetry analysis: My Country

Annotations

Reaffirms thesis.

Recognises the use of poetic techniques.

Uses specific examples.

Reaffirms original thesis.

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more
information, please see the first page of this set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 26 of 31

 Work sample 9

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Discussion: The Highwayman

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
Students listened to a reading of the ballad The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes whilst viewing images from the book
projected onto a screen.

• To contextualise the poem’s title character, students were asked if they knew what a ‘highwayman’ was and
during which time period they were most common.
• General first impressions were garnered from students as a whole class and any questions were clarified (such
as, “What is an ostler?” and “Were the ‘red troops’ the police?”).
• Students were then given their own hardcopy of the complete poem to read for themselves and to highlight their
favourite line/phrase, annotating it with the reason behind their choice.

2014 Edition Page 27 of 31

 Work sample 9

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Discussion: The Highwayman

The following questions were posed:

1. From which perspective is this poem told – first-person, second-person or third-person perspective?
• How do you know?
• Do you think this is the most effective perspective for this poem? Why do you think this?
• What would change if the perspective was different?
2. With which character(s) do you think the poet wants us to sympathise?
• How can you tell? (Refer to specific examples from the poem.)
3. What do you think of Tim the ostler? Why do you think he acted as he did?

Students then moved into small groups to share and discuss their responses, ensuring each person in the group
contributed at least once.

2014 Edition Page 28 of 31

 Work sample 9

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Discussion: The Highwayman

Annotations

Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian
Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more information, please see the first page of this
set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.
edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 29 of 31

 Work sample 10

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Discussion: The Hobbit

Year 7 English achievement standard

The parts of the achievement standard targeted in the assessment task are highlighted.

Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)

By the end of Year 7, students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and
are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of
language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning.

Students explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied
meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect
different viewpoints. They listen for and explain different perspectives in texts.

Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They
understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge
a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be
combined for effect.

Students create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make
presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language features to engage the
audience. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more
specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation.

Summary of task
This activity was part of a unit of work on The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien. In this lesson, students had an opportunity to
explore thematic ideas from the book.

In preparation, students were asked to research a real-world example of a group of people who are similar to a group
in The Hobbit, for example, refugees/displaced people, original inhabitants in countries that have been colonised.
Working in groups, they conducted a carousel task where they explained their example to others. In their group, the
students asked questions to assess the relevance of the chosen example and its relationship with the character from
the text and their experiences. This activity took place within a double lesson (80 minutes).

2014 Edition Page 30 of 31

 Work sample 10

English Year 7
Above satisfactory

Discussion: The Hobbit

Annotations

Audio
Copyright
Student work samples are not licensed under the creative commons license used for other material on the Australian
Curriculum website. Instead, a more restrictive licence applies. For more information, please see the first page of this
set of work samples and the copyright notice on the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.
edu.au/Home/copyright).

2014 Edition Page 31 of 31