Transcript Slide 1

Thomas A. Stewart
Literacy Test
(OSSLT)
Prep Guide
2013
Long Writing:
News Report
To help you navigate
the guide, the TAS
Logo is a link to the
Table of Contents
This guide is intended to be a resource for students,
teachers and parents.
Introduction
It has several sections covering what to expect, how these
questions are marked, examples of good and bad answers
with explanations for why.
Throughout the guide there are suggestions, tips and hints.
You can jump from section to section or go through the
guide in order.
We recommend visiting this guide more than once.
Table of Contents
Overview
Sample Question
The 5 W’s
How to Write a News Report
Format
RISC IT
How it’s Marked
Topic Development
Writing Conventions
Sample Answers
Topic Dev. 10-60
Writing Con. 10 - 40
OSSLT -speak
Other Guides
OSSLT-speak
Decoding the OSSLT:
The OSSLT has its own special terminology. It’s important to know what their terms
mean.
A “selection” is the thing they have you read…it might be part of a book,
a story from a magazine, something from a website, but basically it’s the
thing you need to base your answers on.
Prompt:
The “prompt” is basically the question. For a Series of Paragraphs
Expressing an Opinion the “prompt” will be the topic they want you to
write about.
Response: Your “response” is your answer; what you write about the “selection” in
answer to the “prompt.”
Scoring:
“Scoring” is the word they use for marking or grading. Your score on
each question is called a Code. So if you get 30 they call it a Code 30.
Conventions: Spelling, grammar, sentence structure and punctuation.
Selection:
Writing: News Report
Overview
A News Report is one of the two major (Long) writing tasks you
will see on the OSSLT.
It is marked out of 100; 60 for “Topic Development” and 40 for
“Writing Conventions.”
This makes it one of the two most important questions in the
OSSLT.
Do well on the Long writing tasks; this and the “Series of
Paragraphs,” and you’re well on your way to passing the test.
Bomb them, or worse, blow them off and your chances of passing
aren’t good.
An example of a News Report question and what good and bad
answers look like follows. There are a couple of basic things to
keep in mind: 1: Follow the proper format.
2: Don’t leave space blank.
Task:
Write a news report on the next page based on the headline and picture below.
• You will have to make up the facts and information to answer some or all of the
following questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
• You must relate your newspaper report to both the headline
and theputs
picture.
The Photo
the story
Purpose and Audience:
in context. It gives you
to report on an event for the readers of a newspaper
about Who
the of the
Length:
The lined space provided for your written work indicatesclues
the approximate
length
Newspaperwriting
Reports
are
expected.
story should be about
always based on
answering the
Questions: Who, What,
Where, When, Why and
How?
The
Thisquestion
is whatwill
a News
always
the samewill
as
Reportbequestion
what
here,
lookyou
like.read
They
give
but
youthea photo
photoand
and a
headline
will change.
headline.
and perhaps Why and
How.
Car wash a success
TheHeadline
Headline
and
the
The
tells
you
Photo
are equally
what
the story
should be
about. important.
In this case the answer
has to be a story about a
Car wash which is a
success.
Task:
Write a news report on the next page based on the headline and picture below.
• You will have to make up the facts and information to answer some or all of the
following questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
• You must relate your newspaper report to
both
theisheadline
the picture.
The
key
to find and
(create)
a logical
Purpose and Audience:
between the headline and the
to report on an event for the readers of alink
newspaper
photograph
that
could
be used
as of the
Length: • The
lined space
for your what
writteneveryone
work indicates
the
approximate
length
A news
story provided
has to contain
calls
the
“5 W’s”…which
writing
an event for a report that would
really expected.
means:
Elements of a News Report
appear in a newspaper. You get one
The trick is to follow the format
(1) lined page (about 25 lines) for
– Who is the story about?
Car
wash
a success
common to a real news report.
write
your answer.
Use the “5w’s.
– What happened?
– Where did it happen?
– Why did it happen and/or Why does it matter?
– When did it happen?
– And How did it happen?
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
This is an example of
a good News Report
Answer:
You can see
Who,What, When,
Where, Why and
How all right at the
beginning of the
report.
How to Write a News Report
A news report must be written in the Third Person.
That means you can’t use “I, me, mine our, we etc” in it.
It’s not “My school won a computing contest last week”
It has to be “A Grade 11 class at Thomas A Stewart Secondary School won
the Greater Kawartha Pine Ridge Binary Star Data Classic contest last
week.”
If you want to include an opinion, you have to quote someone in the story.
So, it’s not: We were really proud because we put a lot of work into it.
It’s: Students in the class were “very proud” said student Nichea Vass.
“We put a lot if work into this, so we’re really glad we won,” Vass
said.
RISC IT
– the more you do, the more the reward.
R elate your story to the picture and the headline.
I indent paragraphs (lots of them).
S pelling and grammar – matter. Check them.
C ontains 2 quotations (at least) to support the story.
I
T
nteresting - it won’t be if you’re not trying to make it so.
ell nothing but the facts, leave out your opinion.
Writing a News Report
A news report must also be written in the past tense.
This gets a little tricky because the Headline will always be in the present
tense. IE: School Wins Contest.
You still have to write the story in the past tense…about how the school
WON the contest.
Remember you always have to write about something that has already
happened, not something that is going to happen.
Here’s a tip
News Report questions are often “school” related.
If the headline refers to a school event, trip, contest or issue save yourself
time and energy by using TAS as the school. Use your friends’ names and
teachers you know to be in the story and quote them to provide detail and
“colour” in the report. Quote “Mrs. Annie Johnston” as the principal.
Writing: News Report:
Scoring:
The News Report is “scored” – marked out of 100.
60 for Topic Development
Topic Development is basically what you write. Is it a proper News
Report? Does it relate clearly to the headline and the photograph? Did
you put enough specific detail in? Did you quote people to provide
support?
40 for Writing Conventions
Writing conventions are basically how you write. Spelling, sentence
structure, punctuation and grammar.
Topic
Development
Writing
Conventions
Writing: News Report:
Scoring: Topic Development
There are three (3) ways to get a zero (0)
Blank
The page is blank with nothing written or drawn in the space provided.
(If you don’t write anything there’s nothing to mark.)
Writing: News Report:
Scoring
There are three (3) ways to get a zero (0)
Blank
The page is blank with nothing written or drawn in the space provided.
(If you don’t write anything there’s nothing to mark.)
Illegible
The response is illegible or irrelevant to the prompt.
(Your answer is too hard to follow or isn’t a News Report)
Writing: News Report:
Scoring
There are three (3) ways to get a zero (0)
Blank
The page is blank with nothing written or drawn in the space provided.
(If you don’t write anything there’s nothing to mark.)
Illegible
The response is illegible or irrelevant to the prompt.
(Your answer is too hard to follow or isn’t a News Report)
Off topic
The response is off topic.
(Whatever you wrote didn’t relate to the headline or the picture)
Here are some examples of News Report
answers.
We’ll start with the ones that weren’t so
good.
The response
is
story is about
related
to the
a car wash
- or
headline
andgot
one car that
photo
but- but
is not
washed
it’sa
news
report. It is
not a News
a
narrative.
Report.
It’s just a
story.
So it’s a Code 10,
a Fail.
10
40
20
50
30
60
Basically what they’ve done is throw
Who, What, Where, Why, When and
How down like a shopping list without
trying to really make sense of them.
10
40
20
50
30
60
They got the first part: The response is a
news report related to the headline and
photo, but the focus is unclear. There aren’t
enough supporting details and there’s very
little organization..
Here’s a Code 20, which
is also a fail
But there aren’t enough supporting details and the few they have are kind of
Here’s a (enough
sketchy.
Code 30,money,
which going
is getting
to almost
closerevery
to what
neighbourhood,
we want.
successful car
The report
wash
foundraiser).
has a clear focus on an event (car wash foundraiser).
What’s good is there is some evidence of organization: the two main ideas–
enough money and 1.5 million dollar – are linked.
10
40
20
50
30
60
This is a Code 40 which is
definitely a pass.
This is the minimum you should be
shooting for.
What’s good is: There’s a clear
10connection
40
to the headline and photo
with a50clear and consistent focus on an
20
event (carwash).
30
60
There’s enough supporting detail.
Some of it is specific (St. John’s
elementary school, June 29th 2009,
2000$, 45 kids), which is good.
Some is a little vague (local charity,
What local charity?)
News reports
Notice
they
use supposed
are
paragraphs
to
have lots to
organize
of
small
their ideas
paragraphs
10
40
20
50
30
60
The quotation here is
good. It would be
perfect if they game
the Principal a name.
This
a Code 50
Evenisbetter:
A
veryare
solid
job
there
Quotations
with
fromonly
two adifferent
couple
people oftothings
support
missing.
the story. The
organization is
logical with lots of
paragraphs. The
final paragraph
mentions the
school’s trip to
Ottawa again and
provides a neat
conclusion.
This news report is clearly related to the headline and photo
with a clear and consistent focus on an event (carwash WHAT
…trip to Ottawa WHY). There are enough specific supporting
details (Saturday, May 5 WHEN, Highview Public1School
WHO, Ottawa, 8 am to 4 pm, student name).
2
10
40
20
50
30
60
This is a Code 60
It’s the best score
you can get.
This report is clearly related to the headline and photo with a
clear and consistent focus on an event.
It’s got WHO, WHAT , WHERE, WHY and WHEN right
Extra! Extra!
up front. Then lots of detail on HOW backed up with
They threw in a sub-head
Real Newspaper stories usually quotations from different people involved.
(a second smaller headline
have both of these elements.
that gives more detail)
It’s never a bad idea to include
and a cutline
them.
(a caption that explains what’s
40
in10the photo).
20
50
30
60
1
This is good for a lot of reasons.
It has lots of specific details (e.g., names of the
city, students, a parent; Haiti, Canadian Red
Cross, drivers couldn’t resist a good car cleaning,
not only helped people in their community, but
people hundreds of kilometres away). AND
Quotations from two perspectives. The
Organization easy to follow. The opening lead
10
40effectively to the closing sentence.
connects
20
50
30
60
2
This is the second way
Scoring Guide for
answers are marked
(scored)
Long Writing Conventions
Writing Conventions
Code
Code 10
10
30
20
40
Descriptor
There is insufficient evidence to assess the use of conventions.
OR
Errors in conventions interfere with communication.
OR
You
Writing Conventions? OMG,
Youget
getaaCode
Code10
10––aaFail
Fail––if:
if:
Chill.
Basically
they’re
“There
evidence
towith
assess
WT…H are “Writing Conventions”?
“Errorsisininsufficient
conventions
interfere
talking
about spelling,
the
use of conventions.”
communication.”
grammar, sentence
structure and things like
Which
Whichmeans:
means:
that.
You
leftare
it blank
(didn’t
answer
thecan’t
There
so many
mistakes
they
question)
you you’re
didn’t write
figure outorwhat
tryingenough.
to say.
lack of punctuation at the end of
Errors
in conventions
interfere
with
sentences,
incorrect use
of capital
communication
letters
The children(e.g.,
Theyspelling:
washing;
vearis,
braek,
lik, there,
besid,
omitted
words:
To be cleen,
cleen and
grach, saide,success).
movie’s, dird, smils,
mitearials, vires;
Here’s an
It’s not just a fail,
It’s a failexample
because of a
it’s an epic
fail!10
Code
there are just
too
many mistakes
10
30
20
40
Scoring Guide for Long Writing Conventions
Section IV News Report Question 1
Code
Descriptor
Code 10
There is insufficient evidence to assess the use of conventions.
OR
Errors in conventions interfere with communication.
Code 20
Errors in conventions distract from communication.
“Errors in conventions distract from
Basically,
making
A Code 20 isn’t a pass
either,you’re
although
it’s them
communication.” means:
hard
to tryintothe
better than a 10 as work
everytoo
mark
counts
understand your News Story.
You’ve made so many mistakes end.
10
20
(spelling, grammar) that it’s hard to
30
follow what you’re trying to say.
40
It’s a Code 20 because there
are so many mistakes you
have toThis
work
is too
a Code
hard20
to stay
with the story.
?
The hits just keep on
The
first problem is a
coming:
lack
punctuation
Thereofare
words at
the
end ofallsentences
missing:
you guys
and
no you
capital
letters.
helped
guys;
this
That
makes
it
read
for a good cause;
like
big sentence,
A lotone
of spelling
which
is really
mistakes:
coffe,hard
ther,to
follow).
lookin, wher, fun
raiser;
And missing capitals:
metro, april).
?
?
?
V
?
?
10
30
20
40
Scoring Guide for Long Writing Conventions
Section IV News Report Question 1
Code
10
30
20
40
Descriptor
Code 10
There is insufficient evidence to assess the use of conventions.
OR
Errors in conventions interfere with communication.
Code 20
Errors in conventions distract from communication.
Code 30
Errors in conventions do not distract from communication.
Code
is the minimum
you want
to get.
It’sstill
a pass.
You’re30allowed
to make some
mistakes
and
pass as
long as those mistakes
mistaks don’t
don’tget
getininthe
theway
wayofoffollowing
following
your story.
So, there are a few
spelling mistakes :
reasearch, planing
Some capitals missing:
road, local, rexdale;
There are some
punctuation mistakes:
missing commas in the
date and the quotations.
10
30
20
40
A Code 30 is different from
This is a Code 30
a Code 20 in that while there
are mistakes, they don’t get
This is the minimum level
in the way of understanding
you want.
the story
Scoring Guide for Long Writing Conventions
You get a Code 40 when
Section
IV News Report Question 1
your story follows the News
Report format without any
Codesignificant mistakes and
Descriptor
shows you understand the
Codeformat.
10
There is insufficient evidence to assess the use of conventions.
Basically thatOR
You own it.
Errors in conventions interfere with communication.
Code 20
Errors in conventions distract from communication.
Code 30
Errors in conventions do not distract from communication.
Words. I am your Master.
Code 40
10
30
20
40
Control of conventions is evident in written work.
What makes this
a Code 40 is the
obvious control
the writer has
over spelling,
grammar and
punctuation
So the fact they
spelled comittee,
and it’s wrong and
didn’t put the
periods or commas
inside the
quotations marks
doesn’t cost them
any marks.
10
30
20
40
This is a Code 40
This is the best score you can get.
Thomas A Stewart
OSSLT Guide
TAS OSSLT Guides:
How the test is marked and why this matters
Reading Questions: Open Response
Reading Questions: Multiple Choice
Writing Questions: Series of Paragraphs
Writing Questions: Open Response Short Writing
Writing Questions: News Report
How to prepare for the OSSLT
Overview of the OSSLT