Writing a recount - Learning intention guide

How to use this resource
This resource is designed so teachers can select the writing criteria they want to use for the focus of the assessment.
After selecting the criteria, and whether to have a teacher's or a student's guide, single click the button to construct an assessment guide appropriate to the needs of the individual students, the groups, or the class.
 
Information for teachers
  • This assessment guide could be used with teacher-developed assessment resources
  • This assessment guide could be used for either self- or peer-assessment  purposes, or a combination of both.
  • The guide from which the teacher selects the writing criteria to be assessed, has more examples than the student's one. The fuller one is for teachers to use as a model to scaffold students' learning. The whole guide could be enlarged as a chart for sharing, and/or for working up other examples in other contexts.
  • The student's guide only has examples for each language feature.
  • Students should be familiar with how to self- and/or peer-assess before using this guide, and with the features of a recount.
  • Ideally, the assessment would be followed-up with a teacher conference.
  • The 'next time' section of the assessment guide is for students to set their next goals. This section could be glued into the student's work book as a record.
  • When explaining to students how to complete the assessment task, teachers could include the following points:   
  1. Use the assessment guide to help you plan and write your recount.
  2. Write your recount.
  3. When you have finished use the guide to assess and reflect on your writing.

Please select the criteria to match your students' learning needs.

 

Learning intention guide – Writing a recount (WL3706)
The title tells the reader the topic of the recount,

e.g.,  Room 5's Trip to Te Papa

The first paragraph sets the scene for the reader. There are usually details about who, what, where, when, why, and/or how something happened,

e.g.,  On Monday 4 February we spent the day at Te Papa in Wellington. We learnt about Samoan arts as part of our study of Pasifika cultures.

Each new event has a new paragraph,

e.g.,  We were met by Sione when we arrived at Te Papa.

Each event has details to support it,

e.g.,  He was our guide, so he took us up to the Pasifika Exhibition.

The events are in order as they happened.
Different sentence beginnings and lengths have been used to make the recount more interesting,

e.g., "Swish!" went the doors of the bus. Gears screeched! The bus lurched forward and we were off to Te Papa.

The recount has a conclusion.
The conclusion wraps up the topic,

e.g.,  By the end of the day, we were all tired, but we had enjoyed our visit to Te Papa. We had learnt many things about Samoan art.

The conclusion has a personal comment,

e.g., I had learnt so much, but I was so tired I fell asleep on the bus trip back to school. It had been a long day!

A variety of words to do with time are used,

e.g., at first, as soon as, before, early on Saturday morning.

The recount is written in the past tense,

e.g.,  We climbed back onto the bus.

Details are added, like humour and people speaking, to add interest,

e.g.,  There was so much noise on the bus because everyone was so excited about the trip. "Let's sing a song," called out our teachers. That made it even noisier, but at least all the noise was in tune.

A variety of interesting words are used,

e.g., 'explored', not 'looked'.

The way it is written makes me feel I am really there, experiencing it with the writer.

  

Teacher                       Student

             

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