qcs writing task boot camp - english teacher...

Writing Task Boot Camp

Sample pages from Workouts 1 and 2

© L & E Williams Holdings Pty Ltd, 2012

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QCS Writing Task Boot Camp Sample Materials

Workout 1: Getting to Know the Writing Task Paper

Workout 2: Generating Ideas for Writing

By Lindsay Williams, Wordsmart Consulting




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How to use these booklets The booklets are part of the QCS Writing Task Boot Camp and is just two of ten which take students through an intensive exploration (“Workout”) of important topics associated with the Writing Task:

• Workout 1: Getting to Know the Paper • Workout 2: Generating Ideas for Writing • Workout 3: The Seven Secrets Part 1 • Workout 4: The Seven Secrets Part 2 • Workout 5: Genres Part 1 (Compressed Narrative) • Workout 6: Genres Part 2 (Essays) • Workout 7: Planning a Response • Workout 8: Improving Drafts (Editing) • Workout 9: Improving Drafts (Proofreading) • Workout 10: Self-‐Evaluation and Goal Setting.

While it is recommended that students begin with Workout 1, they can largely choose your own path through these workouts, picking and choosing the most relevant. The workouts consist of a detailed booklet and associated blackline masters. Each workout follows a similar pattern:

• An outline of learning intentions (objectives) and the criteria for successful completion

• Information and activities • Extension activities • Self evaluation checklist • Resources • Answers (where appropriate).

If the booklets are being used in digital format, the blackline masters are easily accessible via hyperlink. (Just ensure that all material for the workout is together in one folder.) The design of these workouts is aimed at encouraging students to take responsibility for their Writing Task preparation, to engage actively with the information available, and to think critically and strategically about all aspects of the Writing Task. At a basic level (and without undertaking the extension activities), each workout can be completed in around 60-‐70 minutes. This makes it ideal for lessons in school time, as part of standalone QCS preparation lessons or integrated into the mainstream curriculum as relevant. Alternatively, the workouts have been designed so that students can complete them (largely) independently, although access to some resources may require the assistance of a teacher or teacher-‐librarian. As such, the workouts (in whole or in part) would be ideal for homework (as reinforcement and consolidation) or for independent/group study sessions. Staff and students are strongly advised to read the copyright notice at the end of this booklet for further advice on what is allowed and disallowed when this booklet and associated blackline masters have been purchased by a school.




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Table of Contents: Workout 1 How to use this booklet Learning intentions Success criteria You will require Information and activities What do you know about the Writing Task? Activity 1.1: Tapping into Prior Knowledge (KWL) Activity 1.2: Sharing Responses

What is the context of the Writing Task? Activity 1.3: Context

What basic information do I need to know about the Writing Task? Activity 1.4: Active Reading of the Writing Task Directions Activity 1.5: Sharing Responses Activity 1.6: Quiz Activity 1.7: Correction of Answers and Reflection

What are the Retrospectives and why are they useful? So, what is the Retrospective and why should you care about it? How do you obtain a copy of the Retrospective and what does it cost? Activity 1.8: Getting Acquainted with the Retrospectives

Conclusion Activity 1.9: Returning to the KWL Activity 1.10: Implications of Your Learning

Extension activities (EA) Extension Activity 1.1 (EA1.1) Extension Activity 1.2 (EA1.2)

Self-evaluation checklist Resources Publishing details Copyright notice Credits

Note: The booklet for Workout 1 is eleven pages in total.




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Learning intentions At the end of this workout, you will:

• know some key facts about the QCS Writing Task. • understand the purpose of the Writing Task and how that will affect how

you approach the task. • be able to start thinking critically about the Writing Task and related

material.

Success criteria You will know you are successful in this workout when you can:

• recall basic facts about the Writing Task. • begin to discuss implications of the Writing Task for your own

preparations in the lead up to test day. • challenge what you think you know about the writing task and correct

misconceptions.

You will require

• Blue or black pen • Highlighter • BLM1.1: KWL Chart • BLM1.2: Reading Actively • BLM1.3: Quiz on the Writing Task • BLM1.4: Answers to Quiz • A hard copy of the Writing Task “Directions” from the front cover of the

Writing Task testpaper. This will be used for annotating. Your teacher may be able to provide you with a copy. Alternatively, a facsimile of the cover appears in the QSA’s booklet, Student Information Bulletin: All you need to know about the Queensland Core Skills Test. This is distributed free to students each year. An electronic copy is also available on the internet – just google it.

• Electronic copies of the QSA Retrospectives. More information about how to obtain these this will be provided during the workout.




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Information and activities

What do you know about the Writing Task? In this section, you are going to think about what you already know (or, at least, think you know) about the Writing Task.

Activity 1.1: Tapping into Prior Knowledge (KWL) Before we go any further, think about what you already know about the Writing Task and what you still want to know. Do this by completing the first two columns of BLM1.1: KWL Chart. Important: Leave Column 3 blank for now; you’ll complete that towards the end of this workout.

Activity 1.2: Sharing Responses Share your responses with others in your class. Discuss:

• How do the answers compare? • What are the main things people know already? • Are any of things you know contradicted by what someone else has

written down? Who is right and wrong? How will you find out? • What do other people want to know about the Writing Task?

Collate a list of class questions and tick them off as they are answered.

What is the context of the Writing Task? Over the past few years, thousands of Year 12s have been asked the following question, but very few are able to answer it correctly.

Activity 1.3: Context Think carefully about the question below.

What is the purpose of the Writing Task? Here are some common answers:

• “It tests our ability to write.” • “It tests how literate we are.” • “The QSA wants to test our creativity.” • “It’s about how well we respond to stimulus.” • “It shows how good our spelling and grammar are.”

Do you agree with any of these? Or do you think there is a different purpose? Do not read the following page until you have attempted the question in Activity 1.3 above.




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In fact, the Writing Task is one of four components in the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test:

• Component 1: Writing Task (WT) • Component 2: Multiple Choice Questions Paper 1 (MCQ) • Component 3: Short Response Items (SRI) • Component 4: Multiple Choice Questions Paper 2 (MCQ).

Using complex mathematical processes, your results on the QCS Test, along with your achievement in your academic subjects, are used to determine your Overall Position (OP) score. That score, of course, is used to determine who gets into what courses at what universities. If you want to know more, see Extension Activity 1.1 (EA1.1). So, what is the purpose of the Writing Task? [Material has been omitted from this section of the sample workout.] Further implications of this context will be explored in future workouts.

What basic information do I need to know about the Writing Task? Now that you have some understanding of the context of the Writing Task, let us turn to some more specific information.

Activity 1.4: Active Reading of the Writing Task Directions Grab your copy of a Writing Task testpaper cover. Remember, you need a copy that you can write on. You are now going to read the “Directions” actively. This means that as you read, you will think about and annotate the “Directions” with the symbols in BLM1.2: Reading Actively.

Activity 1.5: Sharing Responses Working in small groups (3-‐4), share:

• One important point that you identified in the “Directions” • One piece of information that is new • One puzzling point or questions you have – and see if others in the group

can solve your puzzle or answer your question. [Material has been omitted from the next section of the sample workout]

Extension activities (EA) Here are a couple of extra activities that you can undertake to deepen your understanding.

[Extension activity 1.1 has been omitted from the sample of Workout 1.]




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Extension Activity 1.2 For the QCS test as well as your general academic achievement, it is quite useful to know the origin (etymology) of words. This knowledge can help you understand the meaning of new and/or complex words (especially in the sciences). So, check out the Online Etymology Dictionary. Bookmark it and refer to it regularly. Locate other useful etymology sites, including those which provide explanations of Greek and Latin roots.

Self-‐evaluation checklist Use the checklist below to measure how successfully you’ve completed this workout. Now that you have finished this workout, can you:

Yes No Comments and suggestions for improvement

recall basic facts about the Writing Task?

discuss implications of the Writing Task for your own preparations in the lead up to test day?

more effectively challenge what you think you know about the Writing Task and correct misconceptions?

Resources Follow these links to locate the Blackline Masters (BLMs) required for this workout:

• BLM1.1: KWL Chart • BLM1.2: Reading Actively • BLM1.3: Quiz on the Writing Task • BLM1.4: Answers to Quiz.




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Table of Contents: Workout 2 Learning intentions Success criteria You will require Information and activities Anticipatory set Activity 2.1: Analysing Responsiveness

How are you expected to respond to the Writing Task concept and stimulus? Activity 2.2: The Concept Activity 2.3: Applications of the Concept Three Key Messages

What are the key principles to remember when generating ideas? Background Activity 2.4: Mistakes to Avoid

How do you generate ideas for the Writing Task and overcome writer’s block? Importance of Relaxation Techniques Locating and Thinking About Connotations of the Concept Activity 2.5: Brainstorming Connotations of the Concept T-‐chart Activity 2.6: Practising the use of T-‐charts Asking “What if?” This question can also serve well in brainstorming ideas for the Writing Task. Concept and year Stimulus item Possible What if? questions Activity 2.8: Practising the use of “What if?” Questions Making Connections + WH Questions Activity 2.9: Practising the use of Random Input+WH Questions

Important: Brainstorming Versus Planning Reading the Retrospectives Activity 2.8: Evaluating Responsiveness

Conclusion Activity 2.9: Top Tips on Responsiveness and Generating Ideas Activity 2.10: Questions

Extension activities Extension Activity 2.1: Further Exploration of Responsiveness Extension Activity 2.2: Practice in Generating Writing Ideas Extension Activity 2.3: Exploring Relaxation Techniques Extension Activity 2.4: More Strategies for Generating Writing Ideas

Self-evaluation checklist Resources Answers to questions Publishing details

Note: The booklet for Workout 2 is nineteen pages in total.




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Learning intentions At the end of this workout, you will:

• know how to respond effectively to the Writing Task concept and stimulus.

• understand key principles for developing ideas for writing. • be able to use a number of practical thinking strategies in order generate

writing ideas that respond to particular concepts and stimuli.

Success criteria You will know you are successful in this workout when you can:

• recall key principles for developing writing ideas. • use a number of different strategies to generate essay and story ideas

from past QCS Writing Task papers . • evaluate how effectively an idea responds to both a concept and stimulus.

You will require

• Blue or black pen • Highlighter • BLM2.1: Brainstorming Strategies • BLM2.2: No Service • BLM2.3: My Questions about the Writing Task • A hard copy of at least two Writing Task papers, especially from 2008

(Circle) and 2010 (Flight). Most schools retain multiple copies of past papers, so ask your teachers (or teacher-‐librarian) about accessing these. Alternatively, a facsimile stimulus sheet appears in the QSA’s booklet, Student Information Bulletin: All you need to know about the Queensland Core Skills Test. This is distributed free to students each year. An electronic copy of this booklet is also available on the internet – just Google it.

• A copy of Response 1: The Kite from the 2010 Retrospective • Electronic copies of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Retrospectives; google

QSA+Retrospective. These contain reports on the Writing Task and are published by the QSA. You may also wish to download further Retrospectives, especially more recent ones from 2011 and 2012. More information about these reports can be found in Workout 1: Getting to Know the Writing Task Paper.




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[Introductory material has been omitted from the sample.]

Anticipatory set

Activity 2.1: Analysing Responsiveness Read Response 1: The Kite from the 2010 Retrospective. When you have finished, answer the following questions.

(a) The concept in 2010 was Flight. How does the student ensure her piece responds to the concept?

(b) Refer to the 2010 Writing Task paper or pages 70-‐72 in the 2010 Retrospective. Identify to which stimulus pieces from this student responded. To how many pieces did she respond?

Discuss your answers with your teacher and other students. In the next section, we will explore this concept of responsiveness in more detail.

How are you expected to respond to the Writing Task concept and stimulus? “What on earth was the QSA thinking?” This may very well be the response of some students when they peruse the Writing Task stimulus – but hopefully not. There are no evil people sitting in a dark room in QSA headquarters, laughing maniacally and dreaming up new ways of tricking Year 12s. On the evidence available, the QSA goes out of their way to ensure that just about anyone has a good chance of generating an idea based on the concept and stimulus. Take, for example, the 2008 Writing Task which was based on the concept of Circle. In the Retrospective for that year, the QSA states that the concept was chosen because circles permeate many aspects of everyday life and are used in various ways in many subject areas. Now, we will explore the Writing Task concept in some more detail.

Activity 2.2: The Concept Here are the concepts used in the Writing Task since 1989. Read through them and try to work out what they have in common. [Table of topics has been omitted from the sample.]

Activity 2.3: Applications of the Concept Obtain a copy of the 2008 Retrospective and read pages 66-‐67, especially the section labelled ‘Overall Concept: Circle’. In the space provided below, make a list of the applications of circle in everyday life and in academic subjects. Can you think of any others?




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Three Key Messages The three key messages in these activities are: [Key messages have been omitted from the sample.]

What are the key principles to remember when generating ideas?

Background It is essential to approach the Writing Task with an open mind, not to have a pre-‐prepared topic about which you will write. This is because responsiveness to concept to stimulus is the most heavily weighted criteria for marking. Nevertheless, a perusal of commentary in the Retrospectives over the past few years will demonstrate that this is the weakest criteria for many students – and, yet, it should be a giveaway. In generating an idea for your writing, the QSA recommends a two step process: [Further material from this section has been omitted in this sample.]

How do you generate ideas for the Writing Task and overcome writer’s block? By now, you should understand the nature of the concept and stimulus and the importance of being responsive to both in the writing you produce. Let us turn our attention, then, to generating ideas from the testpaper.

Importance of Relaxation Techniques Just a remember that a high degree of stress and anxiety can cause writer’s block. Some information about relaxation techniques can be found in Extension Activity 2.3: Exploring Relaxation Techniques. It is highly recommended that before test day all students find a couple of techniques that they can use if the need arises.

Locating and Thinking About Connotations of the Concept When you open the testpaper during the ten minute perusal time, your very first job should be to find the “About your task…” box. This does not always have an actual box around it, nor is it always box-‐shaped, but this section always appears on the Writing Task stimulus sheet, usually in the top left hand corner or smack-‐bang in the middle of the paper. [Remainder of material in this section has been omitted in the sample.] With these ideas in your head, you can now read the stimulus pieces and consider how they might provide a starting point for exploring one or more of these connotations and associations. However, what if no ideas come to you? What if you draw a complete blank? If this occurs, it is worthwhile having a




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repertoire of strategies you can use to generate ideas from the concept and stimulus. In this workout, we will experiment with just three brainstorming techniques that you can try. These are summarised in the table below. Strategies for generating writing ideas

Especially useful for…

T-‐chart essays and other factual or persuasive genres Asking “What if?” questions speculative writing in a range of genres Making Connections+WH questions

generating story ideas

For further ideas, see Extension Activity 2.4: More Strategies for Generating Writing Ideas.

T-‐chart Every year, the stimulus contains one or more arguable propositions, i.e. statements or questions with which you might agree or disagree, e.g.

• “recycling waste resources” (see 2008 paper) • [Second example omitted from sample].

These statements and questions are likely to lead to writing an exposition (more commonly called an essay). Although essay writing will be explored in detail in Workout 6: Genres Part 2 (Essays), it should be noted that in tests such as the Writing Task, it is best to take a strong positive or negative stance, i.e. yes or no; agree or disagree. As such, the use of a T-‐chart can be useful if brainstorming ideas for an essay. So called because they take the form of the letter T, their use encourages consideration of two sides of an issue or question. Here’s an example:

Would it be a good idea to live for 300 years?

Reasons FOR Reasons AGAINST Time to make great art, discoveries Lots of people would waste time Time to make mistakes and then fix them

‘Evil idiots’ have lots more time to make others miserable

Time to try out different lives Our bodies might weaken before our minds

[Further material in this section has been omitted from the sample.] Using different column headings, T-‐charts can also be used to explore binaries such as CAUSE/EFFECT and BEFORE/AFTER: [Further material in this section has been omitted from the sample.]




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Activity 2.6: Practising the use of T-‐charts Obtain a past copy of a Writing Task testpaper. After identifying the concept, locate one or two arguable propositions (i.e. statements or questions that you could debate). Then, using BLM2.1: Brainstorming Strategies, practise using the T-‐chart to brainstorm reasons for and against a proposition. Then, have a go at finding stimulus pieces that might lend themselves to alternative uses of the T-‐chart. [Further material on using What if questions and Making Connections+WH questions has been omitted from this sample.]

Reading the Retrospectives Sit quietly and read one of the exemplary pieces of student writing from a Retrospective of your choice. Ensure you also read the brief commentary that precedes the selected student responses.

Activity 2.8: Evaluating Responsiveness Using a stimulus sheet from the appropriate year, identify which stimulus that student responded to. Take note of the following:

• To which stimulus items did the student respond? What specific evidence is there in the writing? Has the student been subtle or fairly obvious?

• To what aspects of the concept has the student responded? What specific evidence is there in the writing? Has the student been subtle or fairly obvious?

Discuss your observations with fellow students and your teacher.

Conclusion In this section, we will bring everything together and think about the implications of what you have learnt in this workout. [Activity 2.9 has been omitted from the sample.]

Activity 2.10: Questions Do you have any further questions after completing this workshop? If you do, write them down, work out how you are going to find answers and then seek out answers. BLM2.3: My Questions about the Writing Task can be used for this and other workouts in the Boot Camp. [Extension activities, self-evaluation checklist and resource list have been omitted from this sample.]




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Publishing details Published by Wordsmart Consulting The trading name for L & E Williams Holdings Pty Ltd ABN 46 120 587 528 35 Elysium Road Rochedale South QLD Australia 4123 Telephone: 3841 2812 Email: [email protected] Web: www.englishteacherguru.com First published in 2012

Copyright notice and Credits Copyright © 2012 L & E Williams Holdings Pty Ltd What the purchasing school IS permitted to do

1. Upload this document and accompanying Blackline Masters to the intranet of the school which purchased this Boot Camp Workout.

2. Allow the booklet and Blackline Masters to be accessed by students and teachers whilst they are employed at or attending the school.

3. Modify materials ON THE CONDITION that appropriate credit is clearly indicated on the modified materials.

4. To authorised staff and students (see point 2 above), disseminate the booklet and accompanying Blackline Masters (or extracts) in hard copy form as required.

What the purchasing school is NOT permitted to do

1. Remove any copyright notices or Wordsmart Consulting branding from the documents.

2. Modify any booklets or Blackline Masters without appropriate and clear acknowledgement of the original source and Wordsmart Consulting.

3. Allow any of the material (or part thereof) to be copied for or by staff and students not employed at or attending the purchasing school. This includes all forms of transmission, including but not limited to hard copies, USB, CD, email attachments.

4. Allow any staff leaving the school to retain digital copies of any of the materials. As a small business, we ask you to respect our intellectual property and remember that illegal use of this material is unfair to those of us trying to make an honest living and feed a family. Cover photo credit: shot by the author, Lindsay Williams, at Girraween National Park, Queensland

qcs writing task boot camp - english teacher...

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