1. How do I form a critical and evaluative opinion?
The BIG
Question:
How do I form a critical and evaluative opinion?
Lamb To The Slaughter
What does the title suggest the story will be about? lambs? Really?
Why do you think the writer may have chosen this title?
The story begins with ‘The room was warm and clean’ – why might the writer have made this choice?

2. Challenge Yourself:
Be critical and confident in my evaluation of the text. Think outside the box with my textual selection (judicious)
Keywords:
Agree/disagree
Arguable/could be argued
However/Alternatively
In addition/Moreover
Suggests/infer/implies
Reader
Minimum Expectations:
Make a clear and relevant response to the focus of the statement, using and justifying my opinion.
Clearly explain how a writer uses different methods to affect the reader.

3. Let’s read the short story

4. AO4 – Forming Evaluative Opinions
Expected:
Groups of 4 – Read the true story.
Discuss what you think about the event, the build up to the end and the decisions made.
Use evidence from the texts and from your own experiences to help support your views and convince others to support them too.
What would you have done in a similar situation?
Whose fault is it that she reacts the way she does?
Are we a society that excuses revenge?
Is something that a victim does excusable no matter what? Why or why not?

5. THINK! What do you think are the key elements to this question?
Q4 –Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references (AO4)
THINK! What do you think are the key elements to this question?
A reader of the story said: “In this section of the text, the writer presents the wife as calm and innocent which makes it impossible to accept her guilt.”
To what extent do you agree?
In your response, you could:
• consider your own impression of what happens
• evaluate how much the writer makes you feel annoyed at the husband
• support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Metacognition – dissect the question using the whiteboard or visualiser. Important element here is that students are able to Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references
Why do you think this question is worth so many marks? What’s different about examiner’s expectations?

6. AIR Assessment Band Criteria
Level 4
Perceptive, detailed evaluation
16-20 marks
Shows perceptive and detailed evaluation:
 Evaluates critically and in detail the effect(s) on the reader
 Shows perceptive understanding of writer’s methods
 Selects a judicious range of textual detail
 Develops a convincing and critical response to the focus of the statement
Level 3
Clear, relevant evaluation
11-15 marks
Shows clear and relevant evaluation:
 Evaluates clearly the effect(s) on the reader
 Shows clear understanding of writer’s methods
 Selects a range of relevant textual references
 Makes a clear and relevant response to the focus of the statement
A – Acknowledge a strength in the performance
__________________________________
I – Set an improvement task
R – Respond to your partner’s improvement task in your book in green pen.

7. AIR Peer Assessment A – Acknowledge a strength in the performance
Skill
Achieved
Analyses the effects of
the writer’s choices of structure (B4)
Evaluates how individual aspects shift, change, develop (B4)
Selects a judicious
range of textual detail (B4)
Makes sophisticated
and accurate use of
subject terminology (B4)
Explains clearly the
effects of the writer’s
choices of structural features (B3)
Selects a range of
relevant textual detail (B3)
A – Acknowledge a strength in the performance
____________________________________________________
I – Set an improvement task
R – Respond to your partner’s improvement task in your book in green pen.