Text-Based Writing Prompts: Administration and Scoring Guidelines

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1 Text-Based Writing Prompts: Administration and Scoring Guidelines Teacher Directions: Students will read a stimulus about a single topic. A stimulus consists of several texts written on a single topic. The stimulus may include informational or literary fiction or nonfiction texts and can cover a wide array of topics. After reading the stimulus, the students will respond to a writing prompt in which they will provide information on a topic, develop a narrative, or take a stance to support an opinion or argument. Students will be required to synthesize information from the text sets and must cite specific evidence from the texts to support their ideas. Students informative/explanatory responses should demonstrate a developed and supported controlling idea. Students opinion/argumentative responses should support an opinion/argument using ideas presented in the stimulus. Students will have 120 minutes to read the passages, and plan, write, revise and edit their essay. Students should read the prompt first. They should be encouraged to highlight, underline, and take notes to support the planning process. Scoring: The attached text-based rubric should be used to score student responses. While the total possible points on the rubric is ten, it is recommended that three individual scores be given one score for each of the three domains on the rubric. This will allow the teacher to determine specific areas of need within individual student responses, thus allowing for differentiation in the writing instruction that follows these formative writing tasks. The three domains are: Purpose, Focus, Organization (PFO), Evidence and Elaboration (EE), and Conventions of Standard English (CSE). Teachers should score holistically within each domain PFO (4-points), EE (4-points), and CSE (2-points). Each level of scoring within a domain is based on the overarching statement for the score found in the rubric. For example, on the grades 6-11 rubric for argumentation, the overarching statement for a score of 4 in the Purpose, Focus, Organization domain is, The response is fully sustained and consistently focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has a clear and effective organizational structure creating coherence and completeness. The bulleted points that follow the statement must be considered as factors in the scoring, but should not be utilized as a checklist. Most, but not all, of the bulleted points will be evident in the student writing for a score at a specific level. Teachers should keep in mind that a score of 3 on the rubric for a domain signals student proficiency in the addressed writing standard with a score of 4 representing mastery. In the CSE domain, a score of two represents student proficiency in the standard.

2 Eighth Grade: Argumentative Prompt (March) Write an argumentative essay explaining whether or not video games are harmful for adolescents. Support your claim using evidence from the texts. Manage your time carefully so that you can: Read the passages Plan your essay Write your essay Revise and edit your essay Your written response should be in the form of a multi-paragraph essay. Remember to spend time reading, planning, writing, revising and editing.

3 Gaming makes kids physically fit? New research says yes. Maybe. By Chicago Tribune, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 929 Noah Bakshis, 15, plays a computer video game titled "Dust: An Elysian Tail" at his home in Plainfield, Illinois. Photo: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS CHICAGO Imagine a hardcore video game fanatic, and you probably wouldn't picture Roman Rivera. He grew up captivated by games from Pokemon to Call of Duty, and evaded his mom s screen-time limits by secretly playing his Game Boy after bedtime. Now that he s 21, he spends up to four hours a day battling enemies in the virtual arena of Dota 2. Yet he was an honor student and a member of the debate team at Downers Grove North High School outside of Chicago, and today he is studying economics at the University of Chicago. These accomplishments did not come in spite of gaming, but because of it, Rivera said. Gaming Is Here To Stay Rivera said that video games have broadened his interests and improved his mental agility. Without a doubt they have benefited me.

4 Rivera may be right. A new wave of research has found surprising advantages in an activity that many dismiss as a waste of time, if not an outright menace. Social scientists have recently linked gaming with enhanced mental skills, moral decision-making and even physical fitness. We re working really hard on understanding what aspects of gaming could be leveraged for the betterment of society, said Daphne Bavelier. She is a neuroscientist who researches video games at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and the University of Rochester in New York. Everyone understands it s here to stay. It s not going to disappear. You could try to ban it, but it seems to have really interesting positive effects. Researchers have done thousands of studies on gaming since the 1980s, often with clearly negative results. Some associated video games with an increased risk of epileptic seizures, while others warned that gaming could cause dangerously elevated heart rates. Many studies also linked violent games to aggression and anti-social behavior. New Study, New Results When a new generation of scientists more familiar with a technology comes along, different results often appear in studies, said Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University in Florida. "And that s what is happening with gaming." Ferguson has consistently found that violent video games do not contribute to aggression in kids. One recent project actually concluded that some children who play violent games are less likely than others to be bullies. He speculates that kids use video games to relieve strong emotions. Because they are busy playing video games, "they don t have time to bully other kids, he said. Another take on video game violence came from University of Buffalo communications professor Matthew Grizzard. He found that those who played the bad guy role in shooter games often felt guilty. "Games can be this really important tool for teaching people what the right decisions might be," he said. "Maybe one way to do that is showing what the consequences of wrong decisions would be.

5 No Time For Snacks Gaming has long been blamed in the growing epidemic of obesity, but professor Chennan Liu's research suggests it might have gotten a bad rap. She found that those who play video games for an average of three to six hours a day were healthier than those who played less. Gaming might burn more calories than just watching TV or it may be that kids holding a controller are not as likely to pick up a snack or a soda. That theory made sense to Dan Wojtowicz, 18, a student at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois. He spends up to seven hours a day on StarCraft II, League of Legends and other games. When I go on long gaming streaks, many times I don t feel the need to eat as much, even though it takes a lot of my energy, he said. I can go without eating for three to four hours. Surgeon In Training? The most intriguing studies might be coming from neuroscientists, who are learning how gaming affects the brain. Simone Kuhn, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, has found that the brain's prefrontal cortex, which is linked to a person's personality and decision-making, actually grows thicker and gray matter expands in people who play games. These changes could improve memory and navigational ability. Bavelier has found that first-person shooters one of the most hated categories of video games can help improve vision and attention span. Bavelier noted that young gamers who become surgeons perform faster and make fewer errors than more experienced surgeons. Of Course There Are Doubters Not everyone is sold on the idea that gaming is good for you. Joseph Bisoglio, who has studied the subject at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, said that studies generally do not compare gaming with other activities that exercise the brain. Learning a new language or a musical instrument may have a better effect on the brain than gaming, he said. Doug Bakshis doubted the value of video games when his son Noah began to play Minecraft and other games for hours at a time. But then Noah, who has Asperger s syndrome, a disability that affects social skills, started becoming more open to the world.

6 Noah, now 15, said gaming has expanded his interests. He is studying archery and Japanese culture after encountering them in video games. His attention, focus and coordination have also improved, he said, as has his self-awareness. (Games) helped me discover what my inner ethics are, what choices I would make in particular situations, he said. What I ve found is I generally try to resolve things peacefully. "You can grow emotional attachment to the characters, and that s not a bad thing," he said.

7 August 19, 2005 Review of Research Shows That Playing Violent Video Games Can Heighten Aggression Boys play games longer and may be more vulnerable to increases in aggressive behavior Read the journal article WASHINGTON Violent video games can increase aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, both in the short- and long-term, according to an empirical review of the last 20 years of research. These findings are presented at the 113th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C. According to researchers Jessica Nicoll, BA, and Kevin M. Kieffer, PhD, of Saint Leo University, youth who played violent video games for a short time experienced an increase in aggressive behavior following the video game. One study showed participants who played a violent game for less than 10 minutes rate themselves with aggressive traits and aggressive actions shortly after playing. In another study of over 600 8th and 9th graders, the children who spent more time playing violent video games were rated by their teachers as more hostile than other children in the study. The children who played more violent video games had more arguments with authority figures and were more likely to be involved in physical altercations with other students. They also performed more poorly on academic tasks. Furthermore, violent video game players "tend to imitate the moves that they just 'acted out' in the game they played," said Dr. Kieffer. For example, children who played violent karate games duplicated this type of behavior while playing with friends. These findings demonstrate the possible dangers associated with playing this type of video game over and over again. The authors also found that boys tend to play video games for longer periods of time than girls. Boys may play more of these types of video games, said Kieffer, because women are portrayed in subordinate roles and the girls may find less incentive to play. But those girls who did play violent video games, according to the review, were more likely to prefer playing with an aggressive toy and were more aggressive when playing. Finally, children and adolescents who are attracted to the violent content in the games are likely to be more vulnerable to the effects of that exposure, according to the review. Both Nicoll and Kieffer say that the recent changes that put age limits and rating systems on games make it more difficult for young children to purchase and play these video games. But, say the psychologists, "future research needs to explore why many children and adolescents prefer to play a violent video game rather than play outside, and why certain personalities are drawn to these types of games." Presentation: "Violence in Video Games: A Review of the Empirical Research," Jessica Nicoll, BA, and Kevin M. Kieffer, PhD, Saint Leo University; Session 2185, 1:00-1:50 PM, Friday, August 19, Washington Convention Center, Level 2, Halls D & E [N-7].

8 Did You Know? 1. Sales of video games have more than quadrupled from , while the arrest rate for juvenile murders fell 71.9% and the arrest rate for all juvenile violent crimes declined 49.3% in this same period. 2. The 2008 study Grand Theft Childhood reported that 60% of middle school boys that played at least one Mature-rated game hit or beat up someone, compared to 39% of boys that did not play Mature-rated games. 3. California passed a law in 2005 that would have required violent video games to include an "18" label and criminalized the sale of these games to minors. On June 27, 2011, the US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Brown vs. Entertainment Merchants Association that the law violated free speech rights. [22] 4. Following the controversy involving hidden sexually explicit content in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, then- Senator of New York Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 to criminalize selling "Mature" or "Adults Only" rated video games to minors, arguing that video games were a "silent epidemic of desensitization." The Family Entertainment Protection Act was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and expired at the end of the 109th Congress without becoming law. 5. In 2008, million video games were sold in the US, totaling $11.7 billion in revenue. Six of the top ten best-selling video games included violence, with four of the games carrying a "Mature" rating recommended for persons aged 17 and older.

9 FINAL English Language Arts Text-based Writing Rubrics Grades 6 11: Argumentation UPDATED OCTOBER 2014

10 FINAL ELA Text-based Writing Rubrics, Grades 6 11: Argumentation Florida Standards Assessments Score Purpose, Focus, and Organization (4-point Rubric) 4 The response is fully sustained and consistently focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has a clear claim and effective organizational structure creating coherence and completeness. The response includes most of the following: Strongly maintained claim with little or no loosely related material Clearly addressed alternate or opposing claims* Skillful use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas Logical progression of ideas from beginning to end with a satisfying introduction and conclusion Appropriate style and tone established and maintained 3 The response is adequately sustained and generally focused within the purpose, audience, and task; and it has a clear claim and evident organizational structure with a sense of completeness. The response includes most of the following: Maintained claim, though some loosely related material may be present Alternate or opposing claims included but may not be completely addressed* Adequate use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between and among ideas Adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end with a sufficient introduction and conclusion Appropriate style and tone established Grades 6 11 Argumentation Text-based Writing Rubric (Score points within each domain include most of the characteristics below.) Evidence and Elaboration (4-point Rubric) The response provides thorough, convincing, and credible support, citing evidence for the writer s claim that includes the effective use of sources, facts, and details. The response includes most of the following: Smoothly integrated, thorough, and relevant evidence, including precise references to sources Effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques to support the claim, demonstrating an understanding of the topic and text Clear and effective expression of ideas, using precise language Academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose Varied sentence structure, demonstrating language facility The response provides adequate support, citing evidence for the writer s claim that includes the use of sources, facts, and details. The response includes most of the following: Generally integrated and relevant evidence from sources, though references may be general or imprecise Adequate use of some elaborative techniques Adequate expression of ideas, employing a mix of precise and general language Domain-specific vocabulary generally appropriate for the audience and purpose Some variation in sentence structure Conventions of Standard English (2-point Rubric begins at score point 2) Continued on the following page 1 UPDATED OCTOBER 2014

11 FINAL ELA Text-based Writing Rubrics, Grades 6 11: Argumentation Florida Standards Assessments Score Purpose, Focus, and Organization (4-point Rubric) Evidence and Elaboration (4-point Rubric) Conventions of Standard English (2-point Rubric) 2 The response is somewhat sustained within the purpose, audience, and task but may include loosely related or extraneous material; and it may have a claim with an inconsistent organizational structure. The response may include the following: Focused claim but insufficiently sustained or unclear Insufficiently addressed alternate or opposing claims* Inconsistent use of transitional strategies with little variety Uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end with an inadequate introduction or conclusion 1 The response is related to the topic but may demonstrate little or no awareness of the purpose, audience, and task; and it may have no discernible claim and little or no discernible organizational structure. The response may include the following: Absent, confusing, or ambiguous claim Missing alternate or opposing claims* Few or no transitional strategies Frequent extraneous ideas that impede understanding Too brief to demonstrate knowledge of focus or organization The response provides uneven, cursory support/evidence for the writer s claim that includes partial use of sources, facts, and details. The response may include the following: Weakly integrated evidence from sources; erratic or irrelevant references or citations Repetitive or ineffective use of elaborative techniques Imprecise or simplistic expression of ideas Some use of inappropriate domain-specific vocabulary Most sentences limited to simple constructions The response provides minimal support/evidence for the writer s claim, including little if any use of sources, facts, and details. The response may include the following: Minimal, absent, erroneous, or irrelevant evidence or citations from the source material Expression of ideas that is vague, unclear, or confusing Limited and often inappropriate language or domain-specific vocabulary Sentences limited to simple constructions The response demonstrates an adequate command of basic conventions. The response may include the following: Some minor errors in usage but no patterns of errors Adequate use of punctuation, capitalization, sentence formation, and spelling The response demonstrates a partial command of basic conventions. The response may include the following: Various errors in usage Inconsistent use of correct punctuation, capitalization, sentence formation, and spelling 0 The response demonstrates a lack of command of conventions, with frequent and severe errors often obscuring meaning. *Not applicable at grade 6 2 UPDATED OCTOBER 2014