Writing meaningful text: text features resources

Students design an advertisement to sell a bike.

Students use the ideas from a brainstorm to write six sentences about caring for pets.

Students first do the science activity Throwing balloons 3 or Throwing balloons 4 where they predict, observe, and explain what will happen when a balloon containing another balloon filled with water is thrown. Then the students do this resource's writing task where they describe the balloon and what happens when it is thrown, and explain why they think it moved the way it did. Six annotated exemplars of student scripts (writing) are included under the "Working with Students" tab.

This task assesses the initial understanding needed to punctuate direct speech, by asking students to re-write words in speech bubbles as direct speech and insert the necessary punctuation.

This focus of this resource is punctuating direct speech. Students drag speech marks into place to show where direct speech begins and ends. The resource ends with a collaborative writing activity. Students work with a partner to create and punctuate a conversation based on the characters in a photograph.

This focus of this resource is punctuating direct speech. Students drag speech marks, commas, and full stops into place to show where direct speech begins and ends. The resource ends with a collaborative writing activity. Students work with a partner to create and punctuate a conversation based on the characters in a photograph.

This task assesses students' ability to provide examples of different parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) in the context of writing two four-word alliteration poems.

An example of a personal letter provides the context, with questions about letter formats and abbreviations being the assessment focus.

Students complete sentences by adding a given noun or pronoun and using an apostrophe as required.

Students identify phrases within sentences which provide additional information, and enclose these phrases using commas.

This task assesses the understanding needed to punctuate direct speech by asking students to re-write words in speech bubbles as direct speech.

This task assesses students' understanding of the conventions surrounding the use of apostrophes to indicate ownership. Students are required to read a short story and insert apostrophes in the places they are needed.

Students write a set of instructions after reading a poem about cooking. Students self-assess their writing before conferencing with the teacher to set their next learning steps.

A letter without capitals is the context of this punctuation assessment. Students insert capitals for a number of different purposes.

Students identify and describe a local place they like to visit within a written report.

Students are asked to read a short story and to insert the commas and speech marks required to indicate the direct speech in the story.

Students read a story about rabbits and mark where the paragraph breaks should occur. The assessment focus is on organisation.

The assessment focus is punctuation with students inserting commas and speech marks into text.

Students read a short narrative recount and indicate each place in which a paragraph break is needed.

This task assesses students' understanding of the use of capital letters in titles, by asking them to read six book titles and put capital letters in the places they are needed.

Students read an essay on school uniforms then mark where the paragraph breaks should occur. The assessment focus is on organisation.

Students add commas to enclose words or phrases within sentences to show where extra information has been added.

Students research and take notes in preparation for writing a biography of a famous New Zealander. Supports for this process and formative assessment points are given.

Students identify and insert the missing capital letters for proper nouns in a letter.

The main focus of this task is punctuation. Students will read Janine's email to her new pen pal and insert eight question marks in the correct places.