Ac English Yr7
Ac English Yr7
Ac English Yr7
150903
Amendments notice: March 2015
Accessing current QCAA resources
Resources referred to in this document may have been updated or replaced.
Please always check the QCAA website for the most current resources to support the
implementation of the Australian Curriculum: English: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/13655.html.
Summary of amendments, March 2015
• Section 2.2.1 Year 7 standards elaborations
Table 4: The Year 7 standards elaborations removed; replaced with link to updated
standards elaborations on the QCAA website; subsequent tables renumbered.
• Appendix 1: English standards elaborations terms table removed.
Updated term definitions are available as part of the standards elaborations web
documents.
• Table of contents updated.
ii
Contents
Amendments notice: March 2015 ........................................................................................... ii
1. Overview ................................................................................. 1
1.1 Rationale ............................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Aims .................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 English in Queensland K–12 ................................................................................ 2
2. Curriculum .............................................................................. 4
2.1 Australian Curriculum content .............................................................................. 4
2.1.1 Australian Curriculum: English Year 7 content descriptions ............................. 5
2.1.2 General capabilities ...........................................................................................9
2.1.3 Cross-curriculum priorities ..............................................................................15
2.2 Achievement standards ..................................................................................... 16
2.2.1 Year 7 standard elaborations ..........................................................................17
2.3 Planning in the English learning area ................................................................. 18
2.3.1 Time allocation ................................................................................................18
2.3.2 Principles for effective planning ......................................................................18
2.3.3 Elements of effective planning for alignment ..................................................19
2.3.4 Identifying curriculum ......................................................................................20
2.3.5 Developing assessment ..................................................................................20
2.3.6 Sequencing teaching and learning ..................................................................21
2.3.7 Educational equity ...........................................................................................27
3. Assessment .......................................................................... 28
3.1 Standards-based assessment............................................................................ 28
3.2 School-based assessment ................................................................................. 28
3.3 Developing an assessment program .................................................................. 29
3.4 Year 7 English assessment folio ........................................................................ 30
3.4.1 Assessment techniques, formats and categories ...........................................31
3.4.2 Assessment conditions....................................................................................32
3.4.3 Developing assessments ................................................................................34
3.5 Making judgments.............................................................................................. 36
3.6 Using feedback .................................................................................................. 37
4. Reporting .............................................................................. 38
4.1 Reporting standards .......................................................................................... 38
4.2 Making an on-balance judgment on a folio ......................................................... 40
4.2.1 Making an on-balance judgment for mid-year reporting ................................. 41
4.2.2 Applying the Australian Curriculum achievement standards .......................... 42
4.3 Moderation......................................................................................................... 43
Appendix 1: Glossary .................................................................................... 44
Appendix 2: Principles of assessment ......................................................... 45
1. Overview
Year 7 English: Australian Curriculum in Queensland provides an overview of the
Australian Curriculum learning area within the context of a Kindergarten to Year 12
approach. It supports teachers’ capacity by providing clarity about the focus of teaching and
learning and the development of assessment to determine the quality of student learning. It
maintains flexibility for schools to design curriculum that suits their specific contexts and
scope for school authorities and school priorities to inform practice.
Requirements are taken directly from the Advice, guidelines and resources are based on
Australian Curriculum: English (v4.1) developed the Australian Curriculum Year level descriptions
by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and and organisation sections. They have been
Reporting Authority (ACARA). developed by the Queensland Studies Authority
(QSA) to assist teachers in their planning and
This material is presented in blue text. assessment and include links to
Links to Australian Curriculum support materials Queensland-developed supporting resources,
are also provided where appropriate. exemplars and templates.
1.1 Rationale
The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It
helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is
through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate
with and build relationships with others and with the world around them. The study of
English helps young people develop the knowledge and skills needed for education,
training and the workplace. It helps them become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active
members of society. In this light it is clear that the Australian Curriculum: English plays an
important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will
take responsibility for Australia’s future.
Although Australia is a linguistically and culturally diverse country, participation in many
aspects of Australian life depends on effective communication in Standard Australian
English. In addition, proficiency in English is invaluable globally. The Australian Curriculum:
English contributes both to nation-building and to internationalisation.
The Australian Curriculum: English also helps students to engage imaginatively and
critically with literature to expand the scope of their experience. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples have contributed to Australian society and to its contemporary literature
and its literary heritage through their distinctive ways of representing and communicating
knowledge, traditions and experience. The Australian Curriculum: English values, respects
and explores this contribution. It also emphasises Australia’s links to Asia.
* Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs 2008, Melbourne Declaration
on Educational Goals for Young Australians, viewed October 2012,
<www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_
Australians.pdf>.
Content descriptions:
Disciplinary learning
(section 2.1.1)
The Australian Curriculum: English content
descriptions describe the knowledge,
understanding and skills that teachers are
expected to teach and students are expected to
learn.
The content in English is organised as:
• strands: Language, Literature and Literacy
focus on developing students’ knowledge,
understanding and skills in the language
modes of listening, reading, viewing,
speaking/signing, writing and creating.
• sub-strands: a sequence of development
for knowledge, understanding and skills
within the strand.
Content elaborations illustrate and exemplify
content. These elaborations are not a
requirement for the teaching of the Australian
Curriculum.
Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands.
Integration is supported by the clear relationships across the sub-strands.
(See section 2.3 Planning in the English learning area)
Content elaborations
Content elaborations illustrate and exemplify content and assist teachers in developing a
common understanding of the content descriptions. The elaborations are not a requirement
for the teaching of the Australian Curriculum. They are not individualised teaching points
intended to be taught to all students.
†
Codes included with the Australian Curriculum content descriptions relate to hyperlinks into the Australian
Curriculum website <www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10>. Each unique identifier
provides the user with the content description, content elaboration, and links to general capabilities, cross-
curriculum priorities and modes.
The organising elements for Literacy are described in the following way:
See also:
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Literacy/Introduction/Introduction
P–10 Literacy Indicators
The QSA P–10 Literacy Indicators are aligned to the Australian Curriculum (v4.1) and
informed by data from Queensland performance on national assessment. The Indicators
are organised as Year level descriptions and provide specific detail to support planning for,
and monitoring of, students’ literacy knowledge, understanding and skills across the
learning areas. For further information, see: www.qsa.qld.edu.au/17929.html.
Numeracy Students become numerate as Students use numeracy skills when interpreting, analysing and ACARA Numeracy
they develop the knowledge and creating texts involving quantitative and spatial information such capability continua
skills to use mathematics as percentages and statistics, numbers, measurements and www.australiancurriculum.
confidently across all learning directions. When responding to or creating texts that present edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
areas at school and in their lives issues or arguments based on data, students identify, analyse s/Numeracy/Introduction/I
more broadly. Numeracy and synthesise numerical information using that understanding ntroduction
involves students in recognising to discuss the credibility of sources. QSA Numeracy Indicators
and understanding the role of Visual texts may present a range of numeracy demands. www.qsa.qld.edu.au/1792
mathematics in the world and 9.html
Interpreting and creating graphic organisers requires students to
having the dispositions and examine relationships between various components of a
capacities to use mathematical situation and to sort information into categories including
knowledge and skills characteristics that can be measured or counted. Understanding
purposefully. the mathematical ideas behind visual organisers such as Venn
diagrams or flowcharts helps students to use them more
effectively.
ICT capability Students develop ICT capability ICT capability is an important component of the English ACARA ICT capability
as they learn to use ICT curriculum. Students use ICT when they interpret and create continua
effectively and appropriately to print, visual and multimodal texts. They use communication www.australiancurriculum.
access, create and technologies when they conduct research online, and edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
communicate information and collaborate and communicate with others electronically. In s/Information-and-
ideas, solve problems and work particular, they employ ICT to access, analyse, modify and Communication-
collaboratively in all learning create multimodal texts, including through digital publishing. Technology-
areas at school, and in their capability/Introduction/Intr
As students interpret and create digital texts, they develop their oduction
lives beyond school. ICT capability in ICT including word processing, navigating and
capability involves students in following research trails and selecting and evaluating information
learning to make the most of the found online.
technologies available to them,
adapting to new ways of doing
things as technologies evolve
and limiting the risks to
themselves and others in a
digital environment.
Critical and Students develop capability in Critical and creative thinking are essential to developing ACARA Critical and
creative thinking critical and creative thinking as understanding in English. Students employ critical and creative creative thinking capability
they learn to generate and thinking through discussions, the close analysis of texts and continua
evaluate knowledge, clarify through the creation of their own written, visual and multimodal www.australiancurriculum.
concepts and ideas, seek texts that require logic, imagination and innovation. Students use edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
possibilities, consider creative thinking when they imagine possibilities, plan, explore s/Critical-and-creative-
alternatives and solve problems. and create ideas and texts. thinking/Introduction/Intro
Critical and creative thinking are duction
Through listening to, reading, viewing, creating and presenting
integral to activities that require texts and interacting with others, students develop their ability to
students to think broadly and see existing situations in new ways, and explore the creative
deeply using skills, behaviours possibilities of the English language. In discussion students
and dispositions such as develop critical thinking as they state and justify a point of view
reason, logic, resourcefulness, and respond to the views of others. Through reading, viewing
imagination and innovation in all and listening students critically analyse the opinions, points of
learning areas at school and in view and unstated assumptions embedded in texts.
their lives beyond school.
Personal and social Students develop personal and There are many opportunities for students to develop personal ACARA Personal and
capability social capability as they learn to and social capability in English. Language is central to personal social capability continua
understand themselves and and social identity. Using English to develop communication www.australiancurriculum.
others, and manage their skills and self-expression assists students’ personal and social edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
relationships, lives, work and development as they become effective communicators able to s/Personal-and-social-
learning more effectively. The articulate their own opinions and beliefs and to interact and capability/Introduction/Intr
personal and social capability collaborate with others. oduction
involves students in a range of The study of English as a system helps students to understand
practices including recognising how language functions as a key component of social
and regulating emotions, interactions across all social situations. Through close reading
developing empathy for and and discussion of texts students experience and evaluate a
understanding of others, range of personal and social behaviours and perspectives and
establishing positive develop connections and empathy with characters in different
relationships, making social contexts.
responsible decisions, working
effectively in teams and
handling challenging situations
constructively.
Ethical Students develop the capability Students develop ethical understanding as they study the issues ACARA Ethical
understanding to behave ethically as they and dilemmas present in a range of texts and explore how understanding capability
identify and investigate the ethical principles affect the behaviour and judgment of continua
nature of ethical concepts, characters and those involved in issues and events. Students www.australiancurriculum.
values, character traits and apply the skills of reasoning, empathy and imagination, consider edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
principles, and understand how and make judgments about actions and motives, and speculate s/Ethical-
reasoning can assist ethical on how life experiences affect and influence people’s decision understanding/Introductio
judgment. Ethical understanding making and whether various positions held are reasonable. n/Introduction
involves students in building a The study of English helps students to understand how
strong personal and socially language can be used to influence judgments about behaviour,
oriented ethical outlook that speculate about consequences and influence opinions and that
helps them to manage context, language can carry embedded negative and positive
conflict and uncertainty, and to connotations that can be used in ways that help or hurt others.
develop an awareness of the
influence that their values and
behaviour have on others.
Intercultural Students develop intercultural Students develop intercultural understanding through the study ACARA Intercultural
understanding understanding as they learn to of the English language and the ways it has been influenced by understanding capability
value their own cultures, different cultural groups, languages, speakers and writers. In continua
languages and beliefs, and interpreting and analysing authors’ ideas and positions in a www.australiancurriculum.
those of others. They come to range of texts in English and in translation to English, they learn edu.au/GeneralCapabilitie
understand how personal, group to question stated and unstated cultural beliefs and s/Intercultural-
and national identities are assumptions, and issues of intercultural meaning. understanding/Introductio
shaped, and the variable and n/Introduction
Students use Intercultural understanding to comprehend and
changing nature of culture. The create a range of texts, that present diverse cultural
capability involves students in perspectives and to empathise with a variety of people and
learning about and engaging characters in various cultural settings.
with diverse cultures in ways
that recognise commonalities
and differences, create
connections with others and
cultivate mutual respect.
The English curriculum provides The English curriculum enables The English curriculum develops
opportunities for strengthening and students to explore and students’ skills to investigate,
deepening students’ knowledge, appreciate the diverse range of analyse and communicate ideas
understanding and appreciation of traditional and contemporary and information, and to
the first peoples of the land and texts from and about the peoples advocate, generate and
their contributions to Australian and countries of Asia, including evaluate actions. They
society and cultures by including texts written by Australians of interrogate a range of texts to
relevant aspects of Aboriginal and Asian heritage. It enables shape their decision making and
Torres Strait Islander languages, students to understand how create texts that inform and
literatures and literacies to: Australian culture and the English persuade others. These skills
• enhance understanding of language have been influenced can be demonstrated through
English literacy through by the many Asian languages developing and sharing
knowing there are many used in Australian homes, knowledge about social,
languages and dialects spoken classrooms and communities. economic and ecological
in Australia including Aboriginal systems and world views that
In English, students draw on
English and Yumplatok (Torres promote social justice and
knowledge of the Asia region,
Strait Islander Creole) and that
including literature, to influence sustainable futures.
these languages may have
different writing systems and and enhance their own creative
oral traditions pursuits. They develop
• develop an awareness and communication skills that reflect
appreciation of, and respect for cultural awareness and
the literature of Aboriginal and intercultural understanding.
Torres Strait Islander Peoples
including storytelling traditions
(oral narrative) as well as
contemporary literature
• develop respectful critical
understandings of the social,
historical and cultural contexts
associated with different uses
of language and textual
features.
For further information and For further information and For further information and
resources to support planning to resources to support planning to resources to support planning
include the cross-curriculum include the cross-curriculum to include the cross-curriculum
priority Aboriginal and Torres priority Asia and Australia’s priority Sustainability, see:
Strait Islander histories and engagement with Asia, see: www.australiancurriculum.edu.
cultures, see: www.asiaeducation.edu.au/aust_ au/CrossCurriculumPriorities
www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/a curr_strategy_landing_page.html
ust_curric/ac_ccp_atsi_cultures_e
nglish.pdf
Figure 4: The five elements for effective curriculum and assessment planning
Develop
assessment
(section 3)
Assessment is an
integral part of teaching
and learning. The
assessment provides the
evidence of student
learning on which
judgments can be made
Make judgments against the achievement
(sections 2.2, 3.5 and standard.
4.2)
Judgment about evidence of
student learning is made
against the Australian
Curriculum content and
achievement standard. The
standard elaborations assist Sequence teaching and learning
teachers in making judgments (section 2.3.6)
A to E and in identifying the The selection and sequence of learning experiences
task-specific standards. and teaching strategies support student learning of
the curriculum content and work towards providing
evidence of achievement through assessment.
An example of an assessment program for Year 7 English is in the Year 7 exemplar year
plan: www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/ac_english_yr7_plan.doc.
The Year 7 standard elaborations (section 2.2.1) identify the valued features in the content
descriptions and the achievement standard for Australian Curriculum: English. Teachers
can use the standard elaborations to ensure their assessment program includes
opportunities for students to demonstrate their achievement in all aspects of the curriculum
content and achievement standard for the full A to E range by the end of the year.
See standard elaborations: www.qsa.qld.edu.au/yr7-english-curriculum.html.
Purpose
This technique is used to assess This technique is used to assess This technique is used to
students’ abilities to create texts students’ abilities to create texts assess students’ abilities to
that use language in aesthetic and that: create texts that:
engaging ways to: • describe objects, events or • argue and persuade
• convey meaning processes in an objective • appeal to an audience
• address significant issues manner • convince an audience to
• heighten audience • inform, instruct, explain, accept particular points of
engagement and impact. analyse or evaluate view.
• present or convey an
argument.
Format
Categories
Texts (imaginative, informative, persuasive) can be written, spoken/signed or multimodal (integrate visual,
print and/or audio features).
Suggested lengths:
• written responses 100–400 words*
• spoken/signed or multimodal responses
3–4 minutes*
*The length of student responses should be considered in the context of the assessment.
Longer responses do not necessarily provide better quality evidence of achievement.
Face validity • Identify the specific content descriptions and aspects of the
The extent to which an achievement standard being assessed to determine what is
assessment appears to being assessed.
assess (on face value) • Consider whether student responses to the assessment will
what it intends to provide evidence of learning for the intended curriculum.
assess.
Language and layout • Identify specific terms students are required to know and
The extent to which the consider whether students are likely to understand the terms
assessment clearly or not.
communicates to • Check the level of language required to interpret the
students what is assessment and consider how well students will be able to
needed for producing understand what the assessment requires them to do.
their best performance. • Consider the clarity of the instructions, cues, format,
diagrams, illustrations and graphics and how well they assist
students to understand what they are required to do.
A B C D E
The key purpose of reporting student achievement and progress is to improve student
learning. The following principles underpin reporting school-based, standards-based
assessment:
• Alignment of teaching, learning, assessment and reporting: what is taught (curriculum)
must inform how it is taught (pedagogy), how students are assessed (assessment) and
how the learning is reported. (See section 2)
• A collection of evidence or folio of student work: summative judgments for reporting
purposes are based on a planned and targeted selection of evidence of student learning
collected over the reporting period. (See section 3)
• On-balance judgments: professional decisions made by teachers about the overall
quality of a student’s work in a range of assessments that best matches the valued
features of a learning area described in the achievement standards at the time of
reporting.
Term Description
Curriculum The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young people
should be taught through the specification of curriculum
content and achievement standards.
Curriculum content has three components: disciplinary
learning, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities.
Literary texts Literary texts include contemporary and traditional texts that
are seen as having personal, social, cultural and aesthetic
value and potential for enriching students’ scope of
experience. Literary texts use language in aesthetic,
imaginative and engaging ways to entertain, to move, to
reflect and to express, create, explore and challenge identity.
These texts include narrative and non-narrative forms
Assessment
Term Description