Educator and Tagging Information

Educator and Tagging Information Learning Area: English Home Language Resource Name: Poetry Assessment Exemplar Number: EHL7.4 Item/s: 1 Phase: Senior Phase Grade: 7 Tags: Poetry, eagle, Alfred Tennyson, figurative language, questions, answers, Formative Assessment Assessment Type: Formative Assessment Form/s: Worksheet Copyright for included material: N/A Duration: 30 minutes Learning Outcome(s) and Assessment Standard(s): Learning Outcome 3: Reading and Viewing The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts. Assessment Standards We know this when the learner: 3.4 Shows understanding of information texts: • Identifies main ideas and explains how details support the main idea. • Identifies and discusses techniques used to create particular effects in selected visual, written and multimedia texts such as: o Simple literary devices and use of language (e.g. word play, register). 3.8 Responds critically to texts: o Identifies ways in which the writer shapes the reading of the text by careful choice of words. Learning Space: Language Hyperlinks: To be completed later. Number of questions for exemplar: 9 Rating: Easy questions: None Medium questions: Questions 1, 2, 5, 6 Difficult questions: Questions 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 Assessment Task Carefully read through the poem “The Eagle” by Alfred Tennyson. Look up the meaning of any unknown words before you begin. Write down the dictionary definition of the word/s you have looked up above the word in the poem. Close your eyes and imagine the landscape and the action this poem describes before answering the questions. The Eagle by Alfred Tennyson Line 1 He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ringed with the azure world he stands. Line 4 The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls, He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls. Questions 1. Briefly describe what this poem is about. Pay particular attention to the action in the poem. [3] 2. Name and explain the effect of the sound device used in line 1. [3] 3. Explain the effectiveness of the adjectives describing the following nouns: a) lands b) sea [2] 4. Suggest a reason for the poet’s choice of the colour ‘azure’ in line 3. [2] 5. Identify the figure of speech used in the last line and explain the effect it creates. [2] 6. Describe the setting of this poem. [2] 7. This short poem is extremely powerful. How has the poet created such a vivid description using so few words? [3] 8. Contrast (compare) line 3 with line 6. [2] 9. What is unusual about the verb used in the last line? What does the thunderbolt image suggest? [1] [20 marks] With a partner, assess yourselves using the checklist below. Have you answered “Yes” to the following? 1. Answers are punctuated. 2. Quotation marks are used when quoting. 3. Writing is neat and legible. 4. The meanings of unknown words have been looked up and written down. Yes Suggested Solutions Question Possible Solution number marks 1. 3 An eagle has fallen from up high above. He either swooped down or has met his death. The thunderbolt image suggests the former. 2. 3 The alliteration is effective, as one can almost hear the scratching sound of the eagle’s talons clasping onto the crag. The ‘c’ sound is harsh and strong, just as an eagle is a bird of prey, suggesting that he is feared by many creatures. 3. 2 Lonely lands – an eagle is a solitary bird of prey. The sea is wrinkled when perceived from the viewpoint of the eagle – the waves create this effect. 4. 2 ‘Azure’ describes the deep blue of the sky reflecting the sea below as perceived from the viewpoint of the eagle. 5. 2 Simile. It compares the swift movement of the eagle to that of a thunderbolt. It creates an impression of speed and power. 6. 2 The setting is high up above, on a crag, possibly near a mountain summit. 7. 3 The action depicted is dramatic – the eagle could have died or swooped down for prey. The opening lines describing the setting create a peaceful environment. The second stanza is action-packed. 8. 2 These lines are contrasted – the moods they create are different. Line 3 creates the impression of tranquillity and harmony. Line 6 is fast-moving and has sinister connotations. 9. 1 One would not expect an eagle to ‘fall’. They are able to fly well. The thunderbolt image suggests swooping on his prey. [20 marks] Appendix of Assessment Tools Refer to Prometheus to have an extended discussion on this poem. Checklist for educator: comprehension questions (Deduct ½ mark [for relevant answer] if the answer is “No”.) Check the following: 1. There is relevant punctuation on all answers. (Full stops, capitals, apostrophe, etc.) 2. Quotation marks are used when quoting. 3. The writing is neat and legible. 4. Dictionary work has taken place – words have definitions written down. Yes No