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Lesson Two - PART A: writing

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Course: ELA 30-1 RVSO
Book: Lesson Two - PART A: writing
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Date: Monday, 10 November 2025, 9:01 AM

Table of contents

Introduction

writeLesson Two - Part A: Writing
Duration - 1 block (1 x 80 min + homework)

"It isn't the load that weighs us down - it's the way we carry it." - anonymous

The Diploma Exam in ELA 30-1 will is written in TWO parts. "Part A" is the written response, in which you will complete two writing assignments. "Part B" is a reading comprehension exam, which involves reading several texts and answering multiple choice questions about them.

As the time draws nearer to write Part A of your ELA 30-1 Diploma Exam, you need to take a close look at the exam. In this lesson you will study past diploma exams and create study notes for the diploma exam that is imminent.

The descriptions of the exam and the scoring criteria within the Word documents are taken directly from the English Language Arts 30-1 Diploma Exam Information Bulletin.  If you wish to download and read the entire document, it is available on-line at the Alberta Education website, linked on the Resources page for this lesson.

Lesson

Part A: Written Response, worth 50% of the total diploma examination mark, consists of two thematically related writing assignments:

  • Personal Response to Texts Assignment
  • Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts Assignment

Part A contains three reading selections from fiction, nonfiction, and/or poetry, and visual texts that provide a thematic focus and writing prompt for both assignments.

  • Personal Response to Texts Assignment requires that students respond to texts and a question to explore the ideas and impressions that students may also explore in the Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts Assignment.
    Value: 20% of the total examination mark (Parts A and B combined)
    Words: 600 - 1200
    Scoring: Scores contribute to the total examination mark in the following proportions:
    • 10% - Ideas and Impressions
    • 10% - Presentation
  • Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts Assignment requires that students compose a response to a thematic topic that they support by referring to literature that they have studied in English Language Arts 30–1.
    Value: 30% of the total examination mark (Parts A and B combined)
    Words: 800 - 1600
    Scoring: Scores contribute to the total examination mark in the following proportions:
    • 7.5% - Thought and Understanding
    • 7.5% - Supporting Evidence
    • 5% - Form and Structure
    • 5% - Matters of Choice
    • 5% - Matters of Correctness
  • Read the Word document which outlines what to expect on Part A of your final exam.
  • Study the two RUBRICS that will be used to mark "Part A" of your final exam.


To prepare to write Part A:  Written Response do the following:

REVIEW

  • literary essay writing NOTES
  • visual reflection NOTES
  • diploma preparation tutorials
  • former diploma exams

PRACTICE

  • write former Part A questions
  • former exams, samples, thesis examples - first link in "DIPLOMA EXAM PREPARATION" unit entitled "previous and sample exams"

GATHER and MEMORIZE

  • specific details
  • brief quotations from the three pieces of literature that you will potentially use to write about on your diploma exam >> not necessary, however. If you do opt to memorize quotations, ensure that they are central to the theme of the text, so that what you are taking the time to memorize is widely applicable to a variety of different topics.

Assignment

(30 marks)

Open a new Word document. Label it E301U5L2surname
In this document, complete the assignment outlined below.
Submit this assignment using the Dropbox Folder for U5L2 Part A Prep

Part A involves writing TWO assignments - a personal response to ONE of the texts presented on the exam and a critical/analytical essay on ONE of the texts studied in the course.

It is important to prepare well for the critical/analytical essay. Without specific evidence and explanations, you will not be able to support the thesis statement that you devise for the Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts Assignment.

  1. Choose three pieces of text that we studied this semester about which you would feel confident to write.
    (Perhaps you will choose A Doll's House, "On The Rainy River", and The Great Gatsby.)
  2. For EACH piece of text, LIST and EXPLAIN the following
    • title, author, genre
    • important characters - provide detail
    • symbols, motifs - provide detail
    • theme - provide detail
    • quotations - 3-5 (brief) - that are important to the text in general - explain significance to the text

Conclusion

It is essential that you complete the assignment above in order to be prepared for Part A.  Before you ever sit down to write the exam, you must have three potential pieces of text chosen about which you are able to write.  Then, once you have seen the question, you can decide which ONE you will use.  If you do not do this last assignment, you will be unprepared for the Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts Assignment, which counts for 30% of the total exam mark - Parts A and B included!!  Therefore, I look forward to reading and commenting on your choices.

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