creative writing level 2 ncea

AS 91101B Annotated exemplars

Produce a selection of crafted and controlled writing (2.4b), download all exemplars.

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 268 KB]

TKI English assessment resources (external link)

Low Excellence

For Excellence, the student needs to create an effective, crafted and controlled selection of writing that commands attention.

This involves developing, sustaining and structuring ideas effectively and using appropriate language features to create meaning, effects and audience engagement.

This student has effectively developed, sustained and structured ideas in a eulogy for Thomas Bryant. The student does this by developing and sustaining a compelling pre and post war portrait through contrasting details about Thomas Bryant’s personality (2) (10), his changed relationships (4) (9), his changed appearance (7) and his changed pastimes (3) (8).

This student has commanded the reader’s attention about the impact of war by structuring ideas through a narrator who is delivering a eulogy before a congregation (1). Personal details are effectively integrated with more general details to show how war impacts on all families (5) (6) (12).

The student has used appropriate language features to command attention by engaging the audience through the use of a distinctive personal voice (2) (13) and deliberately selecting language to reflect different viewpoints (7) (14).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could provide further insight into the mind of the man who had ‘always believed in the equal, fair treatment of others…’ (5) and who was now ‘not the man that left this village 4 years ago’ (11).

In order to make the piece more persuasive, the student could further develop exactly what was the ‘impression in between the lines’ (6), and how he ‘no longer fitted into daily life’ (9).

For Merit, the student needs to create a crafted and controlled selection of writing that is convincing.

This involves developing, sustaining and structuring ideas convincingly and using appropriate language features to create meaning, effects and audience interest.

This student has convincingly developed, sustained and structured ideas through an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The student does this by modernising elements from the original story, e.g., the three prophecies (8) (10) (12) (14), so that it becomes a more relevant conflict between modern day motorbike gangs (2).

This student has structured the letter so that a sense of immediacy is created, with the opening and final words to Lady Macbeth in the present tense (1) (16). The chronological description of the conflict, with references and allusions to known characters and incidents (5) (11) (13) (15) helps to build and sustain the tension and suspense, up to the dramatic ‘P.S.’ at the end (17).

The student has used appropriate language features to create convincing effects, deliberately selecting vocabulary to create appropriate and effective imagery (4), a sense of place (2) and a sense of person through the use of appropriate asides (6) (16). Tension has been created through the use of balanced sentences (2) (3).

To reach Excellence, the student could further develop and sustain ideas about Mac’s conflicted state of mind to make the parallels more compelling. Some awkward sentences could be reworked to create a more commanding effect (7) (9) (11).

This student has convincingly developed, sustained and structured ideas about the fostering and adoption of children by same sex couples. The student does this by developing and sustaining a clear focus (2), and building to a reasoned and balanced conclusion (12). Relevant examples, statistics and research (3) (9) help to build on ideas.

This student has used appropriate language features to create convincing effects by deliberately selecting vocabulary to communicate the writer’s sense of conviction (2) (4) (10) (11). The use of language devices help to sustain the argument and maintain reader interest, such as rhetorical questions (6), emotive appeals (1), balanced arguments (7) and a balance of objective and subjective comments (5) (8).

For a more secure Merit, the student could further develop and sustain ideas about what makes good parents, and provide more evidence to support the New Zealand context (rather than using American data).

High Achieved

For Achieved, the student needs to create a crafted and controlled selection of writing that is appropriate to audience and purpose.

This involves developing, sustaining and structuring ideas and using appropriate language features to create meaning and effects.

This student has developed, and structured ideas about how the director establishes the ruthlessness of the Joker in the film The Dark Knight. The student has done this by building on the idea of the Joker’s ruthless nature, which allows him to exploit people (6) (7), his lack of loyalty (9), his lack of conscience (10) and connecting his actions to the dialogue (11). Relevant details about the mask help to sustain the idea (1) (2) (4).

This student has used language features appropriately and accurately to create effects. The student has done this by deliberately using repetition (9) (8) and crafting language features appropriately to create meaning and effects (12).

To reach Merit, the student could develop a broader view of ruthlessness by, for example, developing and sustaining  the idea of the similarity with terrorism (4) and by linking  the idea of the ‘green tinge’ ( 5) with that of ruthlessness. Some awkward passages (3) (5) could be reworked to create convincing effects.

Low Achieved

This student has just sufficiently developed, sustained and structured ideas in a profile about Eric Johnson. The student does this by developing and connecting ideas about how events in the man’s youth affected him as an adult (6) (9) (10), and by building on the ideas of the man as a soldier (4) (7) and as a family man (2) (3).

This student has used language features sufficiently appropriately and accurately to create effects. The student has done this by deliberately selecting some appropriate language features to reflect the nature of the man, such as ‘whispers’ (8) and ‘simply’ (11). There is some variation in syntax, such as balanced sentences (5), short and long sentences, and a mix of dialogue, description and exposition.

For a more secure Achieved, the student could re-work passages to improve syntax and tense use (1) (6). The student could also proof-read to correct minor errors.

High Not Achieved

For Achieved, the student needs to construct and deliver a crafted and controlled text that is appropriate to audience and purpose.

This student has begun to develop, sustain and structure ideas about the effect of institutionalism (1) on Brooks. The student does this by generally structuring the text so that each paragraph contains a new point and providing and sustaining some details about Brooks, and the fact that he is institutionalized (5) (6) (7).

This student has provided some evidence of language features used to create an effect. The student has done this by deliberately making some vocabulary choices to create meaning and effects (9), and generally using text conventions accurately so that the writing contains only minor errors.

To reach Achieved, the student could develop and sustain ideas by providing fuller explanations to connect the examples to the idea about the ‘effects that institutionalism can have on someone…’ (2) (3) (4) (8).

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NCEA Level 2 Creative Writing

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Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Mrs M. O'Carroll .

So, you think you can write? 

Great writers are great readers who explore the limits of language and the liminal space between imagination and reality. Immerse yourself in a world of literary exploration where you'll expand your repertoire, read new literature,  and experience new modes of working with language.

 Throughout this course, you'll embark on an exciting journey of self-discovery and artistic growth. As you craft a portfolio of work, we will encourage you to delve into different narrative modes and voices, pushing the boundaries of your creativity. With each style you explore, you'll uncover unique perspectives and unlock the full potential of your writing skills.

From the captivating realms of transformative writing and life writing to the exhilarating adventures of travel writing and profile writing, you'll learn to wield language with precision and finesse. Lose yourself in the magical realm of poetry and craft vivid imagery with words that stir emotions and paint vibrant landscapes that shimmer on the page. Then dig deep and discover the art of personal essays, creative non-fiction, and memoir as you share your own experiences and connect with readers on a profound level.

As your craft evolves, you’ll step into the world of autofiction and blend reality and fiction to create captivating narratives that blur the lines between truth and imagination and unleash your storytelling prowess with the short story genre, mastering the art of crafting concise and impactful tales that leave a lasting impression.

You'll develop a writing portfolio that showcases your newfound skills and versatility. Through thought-provoking exercises, personalised feedback, and dynamic discussions, you'll expand your horizons, read works by new authors, refine your craft, and find your unique voice as a writer.

Download Pathway

Career pathways, actor kaitapere, copywriter kaituhi pānui.

$47K-$60K per year

Archivist Kaitiaki Pūranga

Historian pouherenga kōrero o-mua.

$47K-$120K per year

Author Kaituhi Pukapuka

Print finisher kaiwhakatau tānga.

$50K-$65K per year

Journalist Kairīpoata Pepa

$47K-$85K per year

Communications Professional Ngaio Whakawhitiwhiti Kōrero

Interpreter kaiwhakawhiti reo ā-waha.

$35-$80 per hour

Technical Writer Kaitito Hangarau

$50K-$60K per year

Editor Ētita/Kaiwhakatika

Curator kaitiaki taonga.

$55K-$65K per year

Director (Film, Television, Radio or Stage) Kaitohu (Kiriata, Pouaka Whakaata, Irirangi, Whakaari rānei)

Radio presenter māngai reo irirangi.

$47K-$70K per year

Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Kaiako Reo Pākehā (ki te Hunga Kōrero Reo Kē)

$48K-$80K per year

Production Assistant (Film, Television, Radio or Stage) Kaiāwhina Whakarite (Kiriata, Pouaka Whakaata, Irirangi, Whakaari rānei)

Librarian kaitiaki pātaka pukapuka.

$50K-$75K per year

Translator Kaiwhakawhiti Reo ā-Tuhi

Secondary school teacher kaiako kura tuarua.

$47K-$77K per year

Television Presenter Kaipānui Pouaka Whakaata

Credit information.

You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.

Total Credits Available: 9 credits. Internally Assessed Credits: 9 credits.

Construction & Infrastructure

Study focused on the Construction and Infrastructure pathway could lead to the following types of roles.

Construction: Labouring, building, demolition, electrical, excavation, concreting, landscape architect, interior designer, carpentry, plastering, painting, decorating, joinery, flooring, scaffolding, roofing, tiling, glazing, glass processing, brick-laying, plumbing, gas fitting, drain laying, drafting plans, quantity surveying, engineering, installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, providing products or services to the industry.

Infrastructure: Laying pipes, laying drains, road building and repair, building dams, wharves, airport runways, building and maintaining telecommunication and electricity networks.

Manufacturing & Technology

Find out what type of work you could do, and what roles you could end up in if you took the Manufacturing and Technology pathway.

Manufacturing: Assembler, appliance servicing, butcher, baker, designer, electrician, electrotechnology, engineer, supporting the engineering industry, industrial measurement or control, fixing machines, fabrication, fitter, inventory, logistics, machine operator, making, erecting, and rigging steel, meat inspection, packing, processing, production planner, production manager, purchaser, quality control, shipping and receiving, testing, warehouse stock controller.

Technology: Biotechnologist, designer, food technologist, telecommunications technician, production technologist, medical technologist.

Primary Industries

What industries could I work in?

Growing and production: Agriculture, horticulture, forestry, seafood, seed industry. Processing: Meat, dairy, and food processing, solid wood processing, wood product manufacturing, pulp and paper, furniture making, seafood processing.

Primary industry servicing: Agent/advisory/consultancy, animal care, customer services, environmental services, equine (horses and racing) government, machinery and equipment, research and science, sports turf management, supply chain and export, veterinary services.

Services Industries

Courses that are aimed towards this Industry may lead to the follow types or careers:

Hospitality: Bartender, barista, chef, cook, housekeeper, kitchen hand, laundry, maintenance, hotel/motel manager, resort manager, receptionist, waiter/waitress, maître d’, event or conference manager.

Travel and tourism: Travel agent, tour bus operator, tour guide, ski instructor, administrator, marketer, salesperson, flight attendant, receptionist, customer services/customer relations, customs and border control officer.

Hair and beauty: Beautician, spa or massage therapist, hairdresser, barber, nail technician.

Retail: Retail assistant, supermarket assistant, retail store manager, window dresser.

Sport and recreation: Gym manager, personal trainer, fitness instructor.

Other service industries: Event organiser, writer, journalist, news producer, member of the armed forces (air force, army, navy), advertising copy writer, customer representative, funeral director, printer, film making support, financial services support, legal services support, data entry operator/transcriptionist.

Social & Community Services

Are you a helping type of person, then maybe these might for your profile;

Community services: Careers adviser, community worker, counsellor, psychologist (clinical, criminal justice, educational), funeral director/embalmer, home aide, life coach, early childhood educator, social worker, teacher, support worker, therapist (art, music, occupational therapy, psychotherapy).

Defence: Combat/warfare specialist, communications operator, driver, engineering officer, fire-fighter, gunner/ rifleman, medic, mapmaker, pilot, steward, technician/specialist (aircraft, avionics, electronics, hydrographic, ICT, logistics, supply and others).

Emergency services and protection: Ambulance officer/paramedic, animal control officer, border protection/bio-security officer, corrections officer, criminologist, customs officer, conservation worker/manager, emergency management officer, environmental health officer, fire-fighter, fisheries officer, health and safety inspector, immigration officer, loss prevention officer, parking warden, personal protection officer, police officer/detective, private investigator, probation officer.

Creative Industries

In the Creative Industries, some employment is available through arts organisations that develop and provide regular or one-off events, seasons of work, tours, and festivals. You may be self employed with several jobs on the go at the same time. Along with your own creative activities, these make up your income. On the other hand, you could be working in a small business as an employee, or on a short term contract.

Examples of jobs include: actor, musician, singer, dancer, film maker, photographer, technician ,writer, composer, editor, stylist ,curator, exhibition manager ,designer, including graphic, animation, and CGI, computer gaming, architecture, costume, stage and set, lighting and sound, advertising and branding, industrial, interior, and fashion ,technician, including sound, lighting, props, stage and set, makeup ,visual artist, sculptor ,ngā toi and pasifika practitioner, kaiako, kaiāwhina ,director, producer, content manager, publisher, event co-ordinator, arts business manager (kaiwhakahaere), arts leader, cultural advisor, organiser.

• Aug 2, 2023

Everything you need to know about NCEA English assessments from an expert teacher (part 2)

Everything you need to know about NCEA English

So, you can now call yourself an NCEA student, yet do you need a bit of a head's up on your NCEA English assessments? – Well, you've come to the right person, because I'm an NCEA English expert!

Here are the ins and outs of NCEA English! Part two! Check out part one about NCEA English exams, if you haven't already.

This blog will cover the NCEA English assessments under: Creating Meaning: Writing, Speaking, and Presenting.

These are some of my favourite assessments because I am able, as a teacher, to see my students' personalities shine through in their NCEA assessments. Here they are creating poems and stories, writing blogs and articles, critically analyse themes in a formal way, analyse films - and what I would call "The Mothership" - speeches and/or presentations!

A brief introduction about me and Tovah's Tutoring Company Ltd.

Another brief introduction about myself. My name is Tovah and I have a tutoring company called 'Tovah's Tutoring Company Ltd'. We have been available to New Zealand high school learners since February 2022. My team and I are experienced teachers with a plethora of content knowledge between us. I have been a teacher for over 12+ years and have taught NCEA English, NCEA Drama and/or NCEA Dance in a variety of Waikato/Waipa/Auckland high schools. So, I can say with confidence that I am an expert in my qualified subjects and know the ins and outs of each NCEA assessment.

Here are the ones I will be covering in this blog:

#1: NCEA ENGLISH Creative writing

#2: NCEA ENGLISH Formal writing

#3: NCEA ENGLISH Oral presentation

#4: NCEA ENGLISH Visual text (film)

#1 : NCEA ENGLISH Creative Writing

To begin with, it is imperative to say that creation is one of the highest forms of skills you can learn. to be able to think of an idea, conceptualise it, plan its delivery, and then execute your creative idea(s), is an intelligent thing to master so, all of these ncea assessments may be challenging for ncea students, so they do need to be well practiced..

Creative writing is fantastic. There are many ways to deliver it such as through poetry, scripts, blogs, articles, journals, short stories, novels etc. All students will be given a brief such as a situation or theme to write about and they will need to demonstrate this by using a variety of language features.

NCEA English proofreading and editing

I think one of the main things, particularly within NCEA English Level 2 and 3 is that you need to have a strong understanding of how to edit your work. You need to be able to re-read over your work and carefully proofread it to make sense. This element is crucial and is often overlooked in NCEA English Level 1 for NCEA students. But this skill is imperative in NCEA English Level 2 and 3 so it must be practiced at the very least in NCEA Level 1 English.

Three aspects to learn in NCEA English:

knowing your audience that you are writer for

knowing the purpose of your writing and therefore the writing style for the written piece you are developing (whether you will be informing, entertaining, or persuading your audience)

knowing how to communicate language features in a variety of ways to deliberately facilitate the reader's thoughts and the images they develop when reading your work.

#2 : NCEA ENGLISH Formal Writing

Ncea english critical analysis.

Formal writing is all about structure. It is important to know that you will be critically writing in this NCEA English assessment(s) so you must know how to write with conviction (having sounds examples and evidence to back up your opinions), while also writing formally (without teenage colloquialisms/slang and venting/ranting/tangents).

NCEA English paragraph structure

Having a sound knowledge of paragraph structure and essay structure is paramount to submitting NCEA English assessments. The vast majority require you to develop your answers in paragraphs and/or essay formal. In other words, through formal writing.

A common format idea for paragraphs which is easy to follow is the acronym S.E.E.D

Statement, Example, Evidence, Discussion. When you follow this correctly, you will develop a critical analysis formal piece of writing.

NCEA English practice tip

On another note, comprehension tasks and 3 level reading guides will strengthen this skill (formal writing).

The formal writing assessment is only available in NCEA Level 1 English; however, components of formal writing can be used for the NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3 'Produce a selection' crafted and controlled assessments (AS 2.4 and 3.4), which is commonly known by NCEA English teachers and NCEA students as 'writing portfolios'. These assessments require students to produce a variety of different written pieces to showcase the NCEA student's knowledge of writing types, audience, purpose/writing style, and language features.

#3 : NCEA ENGLISH Oral Presentation

The Oral presentation is a flash way of saying "speeches". Students will have a concept to talk about and they will be required to plan and structure the speech with language features suitable for expressing their point across. For NCEA English Level 2 and 3 they are allowed to include a PowerPoint presentation. The minimum time limit is 3 minutes for NCEA Level 1 and 4 minutes for NCEA level 2 and 3.

Appropriate NCEA English oral presentation language features could include:

Rhetorical question

Alliteration

Facts and statistics

Audience interaction

Appropriate NCEA English oral presentation delivery features could include:

eye contact

hand gestures

change of voice (tone, pace, pausing, emphasis, volume)

body posture and movement

controlling technology while speaking

#4 : NCEA ENGLISH Visual text (film)

This assessment moves in parallel with media and advertising. Students will convey a message through an image they create, normally on A3 paper, which can be made using a variety of mediums of their choice e.g. scrapbooking material, drawing, painting, graphic design. There should be a message to convey and layers of symbolism used to communicate the message. Things like knowing what colours, fonts, textures, images and impact what message conveys. It is common for teachers to use this assessment as the next stepping stone after analysing a written text, so that students can communicate a theme within the text.

NCEA English visual text colour influences can include:

Red symbolises love, lust, hate, danger, revenge

Orange symbolises harvest and autumn

Yellow symbolises happiness and joy, also great to demand attention (construction sites etc)

Green symbolises envy, wealth, money, growth, nature

Purple symbolises luxury, royalty

Pink symbolises playful, infancy

White symbolises purity, loyalty, perfection, cleanliness, hygiene

Black symbolises professionalism, mystery, darkness, evil, unknown.

If you'd like support with this, I can help through our NCEA group tutorials - I am a qualified NCEA English teacher with confidence teaching NCEA English and supporting students with NCEA English exams.

See you in one of my NCEA English group tutorials!

Tovah O'Neill

Tovah's Tutoring Company Ltd

[email protected]

www.tovahstutoring.co.nz

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ASSESSMENT MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Purpose Statement

Learners credited with this Unit Standard are able to write texts for different purposes and audiences, and use language conventions appropriately to support communication.

Classification

Core Generic > Work and Study Skills

Available Grade

Guidance information.

https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/assessment/view-detailed.do?standardNumber=32405

Creative writing

Section 1 - what is creative writing.

Creative writing is the creation of a fictional piece of writing designed to transport the reader into the writer's world.

Whilst it can be based on a true event, it is a made-up piece of writing.

It is a chance for the reader to walk a mile in the writer's shoes.

Section 2 - What does the task look like for NCEA Level 1?

On the left here is the task for NCEA Level 1 creative writing. It is worth 3 credits and is INTERNALLY assessed.

You need to read through this task and brainstorm some ideas that you could write about. It is based on an experience so it could be your own, someone you know, or a fictional character that you base it on.

You MUST complete all the practice exercises and make notes from the videos provided to ensure that you have a good understanding of how you can construct your writing.

You MUST have contacted your teacher and discussed your writing plan before you start drafting.

It must be a minimum of 350 words long (about 2/3 of a page).

Always remember to SHOW and not tell :-)

On the right here are the exemplars for this task that past students have written.

They are NOT based on the same task that you will be doing but they do show how vital it is to SHOW and not tell.

You need to make a bullet point list of what you need to do to get an Achieved, Merit and then Excellence.

This will be something you can keep looking back at during the writing process to make sure you are on track for the grade that you want.

Section 3 - Ok, so how do I get started on my creative writing piece?

Step 1 - Understand how creative writing is made and why:

Watch this first video and answer the following questions:

What is the point of creative writing?

What kinds of things can you use when you write descriptively?

What happens for the reader when you write descriptively?

Watch this second video and answer the following questions:

What are the eight points of the eight-point story arc? What does each of them do?

Why would using a structure like this make your creative writing more interesting for the reader?

Step 2 - Build up your toolbox

In this section, there are a bunch of practice activities to really get you into the swing of things for creative writing.

Please remember to make a copy first if you're going to edit a Google doc.

Your first mission in this toolbox building, is to read through the slides presentation on the left here and complete the activities that are in it.

The next stage of your toolbox should be around just giving creative writing a go.

Fortunately for us, there is no particularly wrong way you can go about creative writing, as long as you are willing to keep editing and developing your work.

Give two of the exercises from the link to the right a go, send you efforts to your teacher for feedback :-)

After you have received feedback from your teacher on your practice pieces, it is time for you to have a go at the real deal.

Settle on an idea and plan with your teacher and get writing :-).

If you're still super stuck on how to get started, have a look and see if one of the prompts on the left can help get you thinking.

REMEMBER you creative piece must include an EXPERIENCE which leaves it very broad so you can most likely use your amazing idea :-)

FURTHER TIPS:

Don't worry about the word count, you will get there.

Don't worry about getting the perfect words etc. first time, that's what editing is for.

Make sure your ideas are developing and things are progressing in your creative writing piece.

Section 4 - What do I do after I have finished my draft?

After you have completed your draft, you edit your work. You read and reread it to improve and develop it further.

The videos on the left are designed as a starting point to help you edit, find out more about how to edit both creative and formal writing here .

It is a good idea to be looking for a different thing each time you read it over, for example:

Punctuation

Sentence structure

Descriptive wording

Development of ideas

Paragraphing

Deleting uneccessary words or sentences

The above list is not definitive. It is a prompt to get you thinking about how to edit.

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