Year 5 illustrations
School Journal, Part 3 Number 3, 2007. Noun frequency level: 10–12
The students in a year 5–6 class are engaged in a social sciences inquiry to discover how human actions have had a positive or negative impact on the environment. They are investigating the reasons and values that led to these actions and building on the key competencies of managing self and participating and contributing.
Plastic Fantastic? explores the impact of plastic bags on the environment and describes some actions that various countries have taken to reduce the use of plastic bags and therefore of the non-renewable resources used to manufacture them. The information is logically organised, and the text is supported by photos, a stylised map, and easily identifiable information boxes that help the reader to identify some actions they can take to reduce the use of plastic bags.
The teacher chose Plastic Fantastic? because it is a persuasive text organised under headings, with a variety of text forms. It includes a range of features, such as descriptive and explanatory language, factual information, persuasive language, and headings that help to focus the ideas and information provided. The questions in the first paragraph support the reader to engage with thinking about what influences people to use plastic bags.
The following example illustrates aspects of the task and text and demonstrates how a student engages with both task and text to meet the reading demands of the curriculum. A number of such examples would be used to inform the overall teacher judgment for this student.
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