Term 1 (2021-2022)
Reading Journal
Level 8.1
Objectives
To assist teachers with development of an effective reading project.
To ensure that the project is aligned with National English Language Curriculum Framework (NELCF) outcomes.
To facilitate production of a complete record of work for school-based and Assessment Unit (AU) staff.
Teacher Responsibilities
Fully align projects with requirements put forth in the rubric.
Select and implement project elements to facilitate NELCF outcome achievement.
Ensure that projects are accessible, appropriate and manageable for students.
Store the project plan, the post-project review, completed projects and any other related documents.
NELCF Alignment
Level 8.1
Reading Outcomes
Writing Outcomes
Understanding Overall Meaning and Main Ideas
En.8.R.CS.1: Read and understand the overall meaning of simple, extended texts on concrete and some abstract topics.
En.8.R.CS.4: Read and identify the main points of extended texts on concrete and some abstract topics.
En.8.W.WP.1: Write extended texts on familiar and unfamiliar concrete topics.
En.8.W.WP.2: Paraphrase and synthesise information from a variety of sources.
En.8.W.WS.1: Maintain a degree of control of simple and complex language structures in writing.
Locating and Identifying Information
En.8.R.CS.2: Read and identify specific information in simple, extended texts on familiar and some unfamiliar concrete topics.
En.8.R.CS.3: Read and understand details in extended texts on concrete and some abstract topics.
Making Connections and Understanding Relationships
En.8.R.CS.7: Make connections when reading extended texts on familiar and unfamiliar concrete topics.
Inferring Meaning
En.8.R.CS.5: Infer meaning when reading extended texts on familiar and some unfamiliar concrete topics.
En.8.R.CS.6: Identify mood and tone in extended texts on familiar and some unfamiliar concrete topics.
Metacognition
LL5.M.G.4: Determine the difficulty level of complex, extended tasks.
LL5.M.I.2: Evaluate how new information contributes to prior knowledge when completing complex, extended tasks.
Reading Journal Sample
Level 8.1
Student Name:
Class:
Date:
Title
The Beasts of Tarzan
Source
Adapted from The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Chapter 16 In the Darkness of the Night
Reading Goals
I can answer questions in my own words.
I can find evidence from the text to support my answers.
I can make connections between different parts of a text.
I can
Text
When Tarzan realized that he was being dragged through the muddied layers of the dense jungle, he did not give up all hope and resign himself to his fate. Instead, he filled his lungs with air before the huge crocodile dragged him beneath the surface of the dark bushy-layered floor and into the water. Then, with all his strength he fought desperately to get away from the jaws of this beast. Out of his natural habitat however, the ape-man was greatly disadvantaged, and his impressive muscles were no match for the reptile who pulled away at a greater speed than before.
Tarzan’s lungs were bursting for a breath of fresh air, and he knew that he could not survive much more of this suffering, he had to try something. Tarzan scanned hopelessly through the water for anything that might be able to help him. His hands picked up a sharp object, which he sank into the creature almost as soon as he picked it up. To his disappointment, his efforts only accelerated the speed at which the crocodile was swimming deeper into the green coloured lake. Just as he thought he could not survive any longer, he felt his body dragged to a muddy bed of land and his nostrils finally rose above the water’s surface. He could hear the branches of the jungle cracking beneath his body as he was dragged further into a dark cave.
For a moment Tarzan lay gasping for breath upon the slimy, evil-smelling bed to which the crocodile had dragged him to. Close at his side he could feel the cold, hard scales of the creature’s body, which was motionless and silent. For several minutes the two laid beside each other without a sound, and then with a sudden feeling of strength, Tarzan rose to his knees. To his amazement, he found that the beast was dead. The sharpened object had pierced a weak spot in this creature’s armour. Tarzan struggled around the smelly, muddied cave and he quickly understood that he was in the creature’s hidden nest far under the bank of the stream, and far away from his kingdom. He wished for the green ropes hanging off the trees from which he loved to swing, the dense jungle he called home, and the towering trees that are his and his ape friends’ playground. He had to find a way back quickly before other dangerous animals found him in this injured state.
Glossary
dense (adj)
thick and difficult to see through
resign himself (phrasal v)
to accept something that you do not like because you cannot change it easily
bursting (v)
to feel a strong desire to do something
sank (v)
to have moved or made something move to a lower position, usually used with water
muddy (adj)
covered by or containing a thick liquid mixture of soil and water
cracking (v)
to break something so a small line appears on its surface but does not separate
ropes (n)
very thick string made from twisted thread
state (n)
the condition that someone or something is in
Questions
Answer each question with at least one complete sentence.
Textual Evidence
Write down the words or sentences from the text that helped you answer each question.
Understanding Overall Meaning and Main Ideas
1
What message is being conveyed by the narrator of this text?
2
What does this passage tell us about the characteristics of the main character?
Identifying Specific Information and Inferencing
3
How does ‘accelerate,’ as it is used in paragraph 2, describe his struggle with the crocodile?
4
How did Tarzan manage to escape his captor?
Making Connections
5
Compare how Tarzan feels at the beginning of the passage to the end of the passage.
6
In what way do you relate to the main character or the crocodile?
Reflection
What strategies did you use to help you overcome any difficulties whilst reading the text?
Post-Project Review
Materials Collected
Have all student Reading Journals been collected and stored? YES ☐ NO ☐
Ensure that student booklets are correctly labelled and stored for review and audit purposes.
If the response “NO” has been selected, please provide an explanation:
Post-Project Feedback
Which forms of post-project feedback were provided to students?
☐ Informal verbal feedback from the teacher
☐ Formal verbal feedback provided to an individual student by the teacher
☐ Formal verbal feedback provided in a teacher-led small group
☐ Written feedback on writing structure
☐ Written feedback on accuracy of language
☐ Another form of feedback (please note):
Select all that apply.
Challenges
List cases of absenteeism and retain appropriate documentation.
List cases of plagiarism and retain appropriate documentation.
Other factors e.g. pacing issues, classroom management
Notes
Teacher ___________________ Signature ____________________ Date Completed ________
Term 1 Reading Journal Assessed Project Rubrics
Rubrics are skill-based, and, as such, can be used for Levels 7 to 9. The text included in the reading journal will be at the appropriate Level and texts will increase in complexity as the Levels progress.
AEP, General, Advanced & Elite Student-Friendly Rubric
Understanding Overall Meaning and Main Ideas
Identifying Specific Information and Inferencing
Making Connections
Metacognition
3
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
fully understand the overall meaning and / or the main ideas of the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
clearly identify the specific information and / or the description of something mentioned in the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
think about the information and make connections between information in the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
make detailed connections between the information in this text and information I already know.
I can write my answers in my own words using evidence from the text.
I can write answers that are clear and free from any lexical or grammatical errors.
2
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
understand the overall meaning and / or the main ideas of the text to some extent.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
identify some detailed information and / or descriptions of something mentioned in the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
think about the information in the text and provide some conclusions.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
think about the information in this text and information I already know.
I can write my answers in my own words using some relevant evidence from the text.
I can write answers that are mostly clear and free from any lexical or grammatical errors.
1
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
understand very little of the overall meaning and / or the main ideas of the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
understand very little of the meaning and/ or description of something mentioned in the text.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
understand very little of the information in the text and am unable to provide a suitable conclusion.
When responding to text-based questions:
I can:
understand very little about the information in this text and am unable to connect it to information I already know.
I can write answers in my own words that use little evidence from the text.
I can write answers that may be difficult to understand because of lexical or grammatical errors.
0
I did not complete my reading journal.
I used someone else’s work in my reading journal.
I did not communicate anything in my reading journal.
AEP, General, Advanced & Elite Marking Rubric
Understanding Overall Meaning and Main Ideas
Identifying Specific Information and Inferencing
Making Connections
Metacognition
3
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
a strong understanding of the text’s overall meaning
a strong understanding of the text’s main ideas
synthesise relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
a strong ability to identify specific information
a strong ability to infer meaning
synthesise relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate a strong ability to make connections.
synthesise relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate a strong ability to evaluate connections between textual information and prior knowledge.
synthesise relevant textual evidence.
Ideas are expressed clearly in the written response, using a range of appropriate vocabulary and language structures.
2
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
some understanding of the text’s overall meaning
some understanding of the text’s main ideas
are supported by some relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
some ability to identify specific information
some ability to infer meaning
are supported by some relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate some ability to make connections.
are supported by some relevant textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate some ability to make connections between textual information and prior knowledge.
are supported by some relevant textual evidence.
Ideas are expressed somewhat clearly in the written response, using some appropriate vocabulary and language structures.
1
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
little understanding of the text’s overall meaning
little understanding of the text’s main ideas
do not include sufficient textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate one or more of the following:
little or no ability to identify specific information
little or no ability to infer meaning
do not include sufficient textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate little to no ability to make connections.
do not include sufficient textual evidence.
Responses to text-based questions:
demonstrate little to no ability to make connections between textual information and prior knowledge.
do not include sufficient textual evidence.
Ideas in the written response may be difficult to understand. Little appropriate vocabulary and few appropriate language structures are used.
0
Reading journal is incomplete, there is evidence of academic dishonesty, or nothing of meaning is communicated.