Items (final activity)

Test

Name:_________________________

Group:_________________________

1. Using the images bellow, write a complete sentence with the activities that you can do and   the things you can’t do. Remember to use connectors.   

Score: 8 points

                                                             

                                                                 

Example: 

I can ride a bike, but I can’t cook.

1._________________________________              2._________________________________

3._________________________________              4._________________________________

2. Listen to the conversation and identify all the occupations and abilities, make a list in the space bellow. 

score: 12 points

Rose: Hi John, What are you doing? 

John: I’m drawing a picture for my art class. 

Rose: Oh! I didn’t know you could draw!  

John: Don’t even mention it! I’m terrible at it. That’s why i prefer to paint! 

Rose: I see.. But if you want to become an artist you need to lear how to draw too. 

John: I think i’m quitting my dream of becoming an artist, and I’ll become a lawyer instead. 

Rose: Oh, no!! Lawyers are boring! How about a musician? They are consider artists too!

John: But, I don’t know how to play an instrument and I’m a terrible singer. 

Rose: Well, maybe you should keep on drawing or you’ll end up being a carpenter! Remember, practice makes perfect! 

Abilities:                                                                   Occupations:

1. ____Draw_____________                            1. ______Artist___________
2. ______________________                           2. ______________________
3. ______________________                           3. ______________________
4. ______________________                           4. ______________________

3. Read the following text. Fill in the blank spaces with the words provided. 

Score: 14 points 

Apologize             Excuse                 Can                    Can’t                 

 Have to                        Don’t have to              Invite                                            

Dear Kevin, 

I am writing to ___________ because I __________ go to your party. My sister is having her big recital that day and I ______________ be there to support her. 

_______ I invite you and your wife to dinner to that special restaurant you love? 

Remember, you ______________ say yes, if you have things to do, is fine! We can catch up some other time. 

Please _____________ me with your wife for not attending your party. 

Yours truly, 

Melissa

4. Answer the questions using the information from the text. Please, use complete sentences.

Score: 4points

Example:

1. What kind of text is it?  It is an apology note. 
2. Is she Attending the party?________________________________
3. Why is she apologizing for?_______________________________
4. Where is she going?_____________________________________
5. Why does Melissa has to be at her sister’s recital? ____________
6. Is Kevin married?_______________________________________

Objectives and Analysis for Testing Purposes

This is a test designed to assess the student’s knowledge about the use of can/can’t, have to/don’t have to as well as recognize the difference of an invitation letter from an apology note. Also to evidence the student’s knowledge of different occupations and abilities. This test is provided with grammar, vocabulary, listening, writing and understanding items to cover different objectives for each skill. 

For writing, students will be provided with different pictures that show activities. They will have to identify which activities they can or can’t do and they will make complete sentences using the connector “but” to contrast the activities they can do with the ones they can’t do. For listening, students will listen to an audio and they will have to identify all the occupations and abilities in the conversation and then they will list them.

 Finally, for reading, students will be provided with a text, they will fill in the blanks with the words provided and based on the completed text they will answer some questions with complete sentences. To assess grammar, I will take into consideration if they answered with complete sentences, using correct grammar and vocabulary. For this, I have a rubric that I will use to check if student is achieving the goal for this unit. 

Test Specifications

Writing: 

Objective: To be able to identify activities and state what they can and can’t do. Writing complete sentences using the conector “but”. 

Format: Guided writing

Task: Identify activities and write complete sentences, using pictures.

Time: 10 minutes

Score: 8 points / 2 for each correct sentence

Listening: 

Objective: To be able to look for specific information from a conversation. 

Format: Conversation, Listing

Task: be able to recognize specific information and list those words.

Time: 15 minutes

score: 12 points / 1.5 for each correct answer

Reading/comprehension

Objective: To be able to complete a text with coherence filling the blanks and answering questions about the text. 

Format: Text completion, problem solving

Task: Complete a text with coherence and identify main topic to be able to answer some questions. 

Time: 15 minutes

Score: 

1st part: 14 points / 2 points for each correct answer

2nd part: 4 points / 1 point for each correct answer

Describing the Test Items

To test writing, I decided to use a series of pictures so the student can identify what he can or can’t do so he can write complete sentences remarking the differences. I decided to use pictures to make the activity easy for my students since they are beginners intermediate level. This item will be scored with a total of 8 points, there are 4 sentences and each sentence will score 2 points depending if they used correct grammar and vocabulary. 

To test listening, I decided to use a conversation so students can search and identify specific information, to be able to make a list of that information. Students will be looking for 4 abilities and 4 occupations. This activity will be scored with 12 points. Making it 1.5 points for each correct word they identified and listed correctly. If student only identified the word but listed it wrong they will only get 1 point. Also they will only get one point if they do not spell the word correctly, since I will be grading grammar as well. 

 To test Reading and understanding, I decided to use text completion, providing students with the words missing to make item easy for them to understand, because they will have to answer some questions based on the completed text. The item will be scored with 14 points the first part, 2 points for each word they used correctly. And the second part will be scored with 4 points, making it 1 point for each correct answer, this has to be complete answers, with correct use of grammar. 

Answer key and scoring

1. Answers may differ from student to student, but they have to use “but” to differentiate what they can to what they can’t do. 

I can run, but i can’t swim.

I can sing, but i can’t ski.

I can dance, but i can’t cook

2. Abilities:                                                                   Occupations:

1. Draw                                                                            1. Artist
2. paint                                                                             2.  Lawyer
3. Sing                                                                              3. Musician

4. Play and instrument                                                4. Carpenter

3. 

Dear Kevin, 

I am writing to apologize because I can’t go to your party. My sister is having her big recital that day and I have to be there to support her. 

Can I invite you and your wife to dinner to that special restaurant you love? 

Remember, you Don’t have to say yes, if you have things to do, is fine! We can catch up some other time. 

Please excuse me with your wife for not attending your party. 

Yours truly, 

Melissa

4

Example: What kind of text is it?  It is an apology note. 

1. Why is she apologizing for? She can’t go to the party.
2. Where is she going? She is going to her sister’s recital
3. Why does Melissa has to be at her sister’s recital? To support her sister
4. Is Kevin married? Yes, Kevin is married / Yes he is

Comments by moderator

When designing the test I had some trouble, because i wasn’t sure which format was the appropriate, specially because it was a beginner/intermediate level. I finally choose this items and I am happy with the results. I think they aren’t that hard but they still have some level of difficulty. I liked the fact that after this test students will be able to identify and ability from an occupation as well as be able to distinguish between an obligation from a capacity. 

Describing the process

In order for me to come up with this test, I had to try many items, from advanced to very simple ones. On the previous activity i got a little confused, and ended up using items that weren’t related to my main unit. But after analyzing the whole content and the different activities we have done in class and on the forums, i modified my items. 

After deciding which format I was going to use, everything went smoothly. Yes, I changed a little bit my original items while i was developing my test, but everything turned out to be for better results. On my previous test activity I realized that i struggle to write instructions, so i tried to keep simple instructions and I think I did good, not perfect, because I sill have a lot to improve, but I think this instructions are understandable. 

Making the scoring part was a bit difficult, because all of the activities are important, however, I gave more weight to those I thought were the difficult ones. I really enjoyed this project because it made me realize how important is to pay attention to every detail when making a test.