CANADIAN POETRY AND CREATING A NATIONAL IDENTTIY (MOVING FORWARD:

ESTABLISHING AND REALIZING): ASSESSMENT PIECE

Canadian Poetry and Creating a National Identity (Moving Forward: Establishing and
Realizing): Assessment Piece

Marguerite Ferguson
11163161
ECUR 325
Dr. Jay Wilson
February 6, 2018

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 CANADIAN POETRY AND CREATING A NATIONAL IDENTTIY (MOVING FORWARD:
ESTABLISHING AND REALIZING): ASSESSMENT PIECE

This unit allows English Language Arts 20 students to examine and analyze Canadian
poetry by a variety of culturally diverse authors from Canada in order to explore different
representations of Canadian identity and varying contexts that influence one’s perspective and
attitude towards Canadian identity. The students will be expected to create an interview
presentation that will be presented in front of the class by the end of the unit in order to
demonstrate their understanding towards Canadian identity and the factors that influence one’s
assumptions and opinions regarding Canadian identity. Students will be able to demonstrate their
understanding by exploring and experimenting with the different viewpoints towards Canadian
identity established by the poem’s speaker or the poet itself in the poems read throughout the
unit.

The interview or role-play presentation connects to outcome CC 20.2 because students

will be given the opportunity to create a visual or multimedia presentation using dramatization or
role-play, including a presentation of an interview of a literary character from a First Nations,
Métis, Saskatchewan, Canadian, or international text. This unit looks at Canadian poetry from a
variety of culturally diverse poets from Canada. Therefore, the students will be given different
perspectives to choose from and explore. The unit also analyzes poems from Indigenous poets,
so students will also be given the choice to create a presentation from the viewpoint of an
Indigenous poet, which provides students with the opportunity to explore FNIM material and
perspectives while still achieving outcome CC 20.2. The interview or role-play presentation also
connects to outcome CC 20.3 since the students will be expected to answer challenging questions
appropriately and respectfully in a formal situation. The formal situation, of course, being the
interview. Students will integrate smooth transitions, support their judgements with evidence,
and apply language cues and conventions into their presentations, which are all indicators of
outcome CC 20.3. Lastly, the end of unit presentation perfectly aligns with outcome CC 20.1.
The presentation asks students to create a spoken representation of a poem’s speaker or poet’s
attitude or idea towards Canadian identity. The presentation criteria asks students to present a
clear thesis or message; convincing details to support thesis or message; a style, voice, and
volume that is audience and purpose appropriate; a logical sequence that provides unity and
coherence; and a valid and justifiable conclusion. The presentation criteria was created keeping
an indicator for outcome CC 20.1 in mind.

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The interview with a poet or a specific poem’s speaker will be the end of the unit project
for students to demonstrate their understanding of Canadian identity through another person’s
viewpoint while also examining the cultural and linguistic backgrounds, societal influences, and
experiences that influence one’s attitudes and perspective towards Canadian identity. This will
be an assessment of learning since the presentation would act as evidence for me to assess
student learning and achievement against the unit’s outcomes and standards. Students will not
only receive the rubric at the beginning of the unit, but students will also be given the self-
assessment checklist as well. This way the students will be familiar with the rubric and what is
expected from them by the time they have to present their interview to the class. Providing the
rubric and the self-assessment checklist at the beginning of the unit also provides enough time
for students to generate any questions they may have about the presentation or the rubric that
they can ask me in order to receive clarification about what is expected. Students can also ask me
for help in any categories of the rubric that they find themselves struggling with, such as creating
a strong and clear thesis to properly applying smooth transitions to create a fluid presentation.

The rubric provided to the students is not only for the teacher’s purpose to assess the
students’ learning. Instead, the rubric will be used for peer-assessment as well. The students will
be given three different class days to present their presentation in front of a small group of peers.
Each student will use the rubric to assess the presentation of their peer. This type of assessment
will be assessment for learning since the rubric I have created will be used by the students to
assess their peers in order to help their peers understand what they did well and what they could
improve on before the final presentation date. Allowing students to assess their peers also
provides further opportunity for students to become more familiar with the rubric since they will
be using the rubric themselves to determine if their peers have fully met the criteria of the rubric
or not. Students should fully understand the rubric without any lingering questions, issues, or
concerns while also recognizing what is expected from them by the end of this process.

The self-assessment checklist acts as an assessment as learning. Here, the students will be
their own assessors. The students will monitor their own learning by assessing their presentations
prior to their presentation date at the end of the unit. This self-assessment checklist is not to be
done only once before the presentation date, but rather filled out multiple times throughout the
unit in order to assure the students are constantly learning and improving their presentation

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throughout the unit. Students will be expected to complete the self-assessment checklist prior to
the peer-assessment of their presentations, which will happen on three different occasions. This
process will help students determine what they are doing well

Students will not be given feedback only at the end of their final presentation. Instead, I
will check in with the students during class time in order to assure that each student is set up for
success prior to their final presentation date. I will happily provide feedback on their ideas,
interview questions, examples, conventions, and whatever else they may want feedback on
throughout the unit. There will also be a halfway checkpoint for students to meet with me in their
interview group (2 students) in order to discuss their final presentation. This halfway checkpoint
will allow students to discuss their presentation and questions they may have. This will also give
me the opportunity to provide students will helpful feedback while also assessing what the
students understand and how I can make changes to my rubric to make it more clear in the
future. The meetings I have with each interview group will also allow me to determine if the
students are meeting or are not meeting the rubric’s criteria. This will provide the perfect
opportunity for me to discuss differentiation or adaptations with students who seem to struggle
with certain aspects of the presentation.

The students will be provided with multiple opportunities to practice and improve on
their literacy skills. First, students will be able to read and analyze different poems throughout
the unit. There will also be times in the unit where the students will listen to CD recordings of a
poet reading out a poem. Listening to the audio versions of poems can help students recognize
the tone of the poem, which can ultimately help the students determine their style and tone of
voice in their interview presentation. Students will further their listening skills when they have to
peer-assess one another’s presentations. Students will be expected to listen and view their peers’
presentation in order to appropriately assess and provide feedback to their peers. Students will
also practice their writing in their script writing that they will provide me during the halfway
checkpoint meeting. Students will also be able to practice their representing skills by creating a
presentation that they will have to present in front of the class. Lastly, students will also be
practicing their public speaking skills. Students will practice their speaking skills and have the
ability to improve on them after each practice round of presenting in front of their peers during
the peer-assessment process.

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 CANADIAN POETRY AND CREATING A NATIONAL IDENTTIY (MOVING FORWARD:
ESTABLISHING AND REALIZING): ASSESSMENT PIECE

There will be a few differentiation and adaptation choices for students who may struggle
with particular aspects of the presentation. Students will be able to create a video of their
presentation that they can play in front of the class if students have anxiety over public speaking.
Using technology to create and edit a video can also allow students to explore a more
technological side of their presentation, which can also challenge students. I would also offer this
choice for students who are gifted. I would also allow students to present their presentation in
front of me outside of class time if they do not feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.

I would give the choice for students to create a written script of an interview for students
with speech disorders that would enable them from successfully completing an oral presentation.
This way the student can still demonstrate what they understand in a manner that will help them
experience success. Each differentiation and adaption made to this presentation is created so that
each student who shows struggles in varying aspects of the project can experience success
similar to the other students in the class.

I am prepared to work with each EAL student and guide them throughout the unit and
project in order to provide extra clarification. The students will be encouraged to present their
presentation in English; however, this is a presentation that celebrates the diversity and multi-
culturalism of Canada. Therefore, I would allow EAL students to present their interview in
another language, but I would ask them to provide a written script of their interview in English
for their peers and myself to follow along during their presentation.

The students’ presentations will be evaluated based on the rubric given out at the
beginning of the unit. There are four levels of achievement. Each student will receive a mark
from 1-4 on each section of the rubric depending on their ability to demonstrate what was
expected from each part. Altogether, the presentation is out of 40 marks but the final project
itself is only worth 30% of their final grade for the unit. However, students will be given the
opportunity to present a second time if students fail to demonstrate adequate learning. This
allows students to polish and improve their presentation by using the feedback and the mark I
provided them after their first presentation. Hopefully, students will not only be able to present
an improved presentation, but will also be able to attain a mark that demonstrates adequate
learning. I will have to meet with the student individually to discuss their mark and to provide

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further assistance for the future if the student fails to demonstrate adequate learning after the
second opportunity to present.

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 CANADIAN POETRY AND CREATING A NATIONAL IDENTTIY (MOVING FORWARD:
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Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________

Lights, Camera, Action: Interviewing a Poet or a Poem’s Speaker (30%)

Assignment
As part of our Canadian poetry unit, students will get into groups of two and select one poet or a poem’s
speaker from one of the poems we have read in this unit to interview. One student will be the interviewer
and the other student will be the interviewee. Since we can’t actually speak directly to your chosen poet
or poem’s speaker, you will be required to draw on the poetic devices of your chosen poem in order to
generate appropriate interview questions and responses. You may also want to conduct some research
about your chosen poet in order to further your understanding towards their views and attitudes towards
Canadian identity.
Be creative and take some risks! This is a fun project that allows you to explore a different perspective
towards Canadian identity while also challenging your personal views of Canadian identity.

The Plan
1.) After picking a poet or a poem’s speaker to interview, draft your interview. Your interview must
include the following:
a. At least 7-8 interview questions.
b. 5-7 minute presentation.
c. Visual and auditory aspects (images, graphs, statistics, music, sound effects).
d. A clear thesis.
e. Evidence to support your thesis (example: evidence from the poem).
f. Valid and justifiable conclusion.
2.) Practice your interview presentation.
3.) Self-assess your presentation before peer-assessment (there will be three rounds of peer-
assessment).
4.) Halfway checkpoint meeting with me!
a. Ask me questions!
b. Feedback will be provided!
c. Show me what you have!
5.) Self-assess your presentation before final presentation date.
6.) Presentation date!
**Note**: You will be able to change, improve, and polish your presentation multiple times before your
final presentation date.

Roles:
Interviewer: Your role is to gather important and unique information through engaging questions. You
will explore multiple aspects of the person you are interviewing in order to inform and engage the
audience.
Interviewee: Your role is to stay in character and bring the character to life in the presentation. You will
be expected to respond to challenging questions appropriately and respectfully using the viewpoint of the
character you are representing.

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Interview Rubric
4 – Fully 3 – Fully 2 – Mostly 1 – Not yet
meeting meeting grade meeting grade meeting grade
expectations level level level
with enriched expectations expectations expectations
understanding (FM) (MM) (NY)
(EU)
Language choice Tactful You have a Your interview Your interview
You are having
and conventions wording well-developed reflects careful reflects mostly
troubles with
grasp of the art and tactful careful and careful and
of tactful wording. You tactful tactful
wording. You balance being wording. Youwording. You
remain “in character” show some did not remain
respectful when and speaking “in character”
troubles being
responding to respectfully. “in character”
and did not
challenging and speakingspeak
questions. respectfully.
respectfully to
challenging
questions.
Smooth Your interview Your interview There was an Little to no
transitions flows eloquently flows attempt for flow was
from one part to smoothly from smooth created in your
the next. You one part to the movement interview.
have used next. You have from one part There was no
engaging used to the next in use of
transitions. appropriate your interview. transitions.
transitions. You use
limited
transitions.
Ability to You remain in You are able to You are in and You are having
stay in character and stay in out of troubles
character bring your character and character remaining in
character to life bring your throughout character
throughout your character to your interview. throughout
whole interview. life. You show You show your interview.
You have a clear a good ability some troubles You show little
ability to get to answer answering understanding
“into the head” questions from questions from about your
of your another another chosen
character viewpoint. viewpoint. character in
regardless of the order to
questions asked. answer
You engage in questions from
complex another
thinking from viewpoint.

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another
viewpoint.
Apply and You utilize the You can apply You apply You have
adapt principles of and adapt the some troubles
principles of composition to principles of principles of applying
composition great advantage composition. composition in principles of
in order to Images, order to composition to
advance and graphs, develop your your interview.
develop your statistics, message and There are no
message. The music, and supporting images,
integration of sound effects details. There graphs,
graphs, are presented are some statistics,
statistics, in a way that images, music, or
images, music, emphasize and graphs, sound effects
and sound develop your statistics, present in your
effects are message. music, and presentation.
polished and sound effects
thought- present to
provoking. enhance your
presentation.
Message/Meaning Central, Your message is You Your message You struggle
strong thesis clearly on one independently is mostly clear to present a
topic with a and clearly and on topic. clear thesis
thesis message represent a that is strong
that resonates central, and and central.
with the strong thesis.
audience and
aligns clearly
with the
purpose.
Logical You support You support You use some There are
points and your message your message logical details minimal or no
examples to with numerous with logical to support your use of logical
support logical and details (visual, message. You details to
message, insightful details written, include some support your
provide that serve to auditory) to examples from message. You
unity, expand and achieve unity, the poems read do not include
coherence, develop the coherence, and in class in any examples
and thesis in appropriate order to from the
emphasis interesting ways. emphasis. You support your poems we have
You show integrate message. read in class to
strong unity and multiple help support
coherence and examples from your message.
through- the poems we
provoking have read in
emphasis. You class in order

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include to support your

numerous message
examples from further.
the poems read
in class in order
support your
message further.
Style, The style, The style, You create a You struggle
volume, and volume, and volume, and presentation to use proper
voice are voice of your voice of your with a style style, volume,
appropriate presentation presentation and voice that and voice that
to audience resonate with suit your somewhat suits suits your
and purpose your intended intended your intended intended
audience and audience and audience and audience and
purpose. You purpose. You purpose. You purpose. Your
speak with speak with speak too style, voice,
appropriate volume but softly or loudly and volume
volume and have limited to convey your failed to
inflection in inflection in message convey your
order to convey order to fully sufficiently or message
your message convey your effectively. effectively and
effectively and message sufficiently.
sufficiently. effectively.
Organization Logical Your interview Your interview You introduce Your interview
sequence is introduced in introduces your interview does not
a manner that your message in a manner follow a
immediately in a logical that mostly logical
captivates and sequence. The informs and sequence,
hooks the sequence often engages the making it
audience. The engages and audience and difficult for the
sequence informs the your sequence audience to
consistently audience. is mostly follow your
engages and logical. presentation.
informs.
Valid and Your conclusion Your Your You have
justifiable clearly and conclusion conclusion difficultly
conclusion sufficiently ties wraps up your mostly wraps bringing
the parts of your ideas in a up your ideas closure to your
presentation logical and in a logical and ideas in a
together and convincing convincing logical and
strengths your way. way, but convincing
message. leaves manner or
unanswered there was no
questions for conclusion
the audience. present at the

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end of your
presentation.

Feedback:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Self-assessment checklist prior to presentation

Criteria Specifics Self

Assessment Codes: Identify which areas of

E – Exceeds the your presentation you
expectation are meeting and other
M – met the expectation areas that need
DN – did not meet the improvement using the
expectation assessment codes before
I – some improvement your final presentation
needed date.
Language choice and Tactful wording Demonstrates a well-
conventions developed grasp of the
art of tactful wording.
Smooth transitions Your presentation
flows fluently from
one part to the next.
You have used
engaging transitions.
Ability to stay in Can you remain in
character character and bring
your character to life
in your presentation?
Do you have a clear
ability to get “into the
head” of your
character and answer
challenging questions

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ESTABLISHING AND REALIZING): ASSESSMENT PIECE

from another
viewpoint?
Apply and adapt You use the principles
principles of of composition in
composition order to advance and
develop your message.
You use polished and
thought-provoking
graphs, statistics,
images, music, and
sound effects.
Message/Meaning Central, strong Your message is clear
thesis and only on one topic.
Your thesis message
aligns clearly with the
purpose.
Logical points and Your message is
examples to supported with
support message, numerous logical and
provide unity, insightful details that
coherence, and serve to expand and
emphasis develop the thesis in
an interesting way.
There are multiple
examples from the
poems read in class to
further support your
message.
Style, volume, and The style, volume, and
voice are voice of your
appropriate to presentation are able
audience and to resonate with your
purpose intended audience and
purpose. Do you speak
with appropriate
volume and inflection
in order to convey
your message
effectively and
sufficiently?
Organization Logical sequence The introduction of
your presentation is
immediately
captivating. The
sequence of your
presentation is logical

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CANADIAN POETRY AND CREATING A NATIONAL IDENTTIY (MOVING FORWARD:
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and consistently
engages and informs
the audience.
Valid and Your conclusion
justifiable clearly and sufficiently
conclusion ties the parts of your
presentation together
and strengths your
overall message.

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References

(n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from

https://curriculum.nesd.ca/Secondary/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=%2FSeco
ndary%2FEnglish Language Arts 20%2FCompose and
Create%2FRepresenting%2FStage 2-Assessments%2FRepresenting - Dramatization or
Role Play Rubric.docx&action=default

(n.d.). Retrieved February 05, 2018, from https://www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca/webapps/moe-

curriculum-BBLEARN/CurriculumHome?id=38

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