Work Sample & Commentary: El ojo malvado

Spanish Language Arts
Work Sample & Commentary: El ojo malvado

The task
Students were asked to produce a narrative account written in the form of a mystery. This student’s story is titled “El ojo malvado” (The Evil Eye).

Circumstances of performance This sample of student work was produced under the following conditions:		Click to Enlarge
alone	in a group
in class	as homework
with teacher feedback	with peer feedback
timed	opportunity for revision
What the work shows c Writing: The student produces a narrative account (fictional or autobiographical) that: • engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a point of view, and otherwise developing reader interest; • establishes a situation, plot, point of view, setting, and conflict (and for autobiography, the significance of events and of conclusions that can be drawn from those events); • creates an organizing structure; • includes sensory details and concrete language to develop plot and character; • excludes extraneous details and inconsistencies; • develops complex characters; • uses a range of appropriate strategies, such as dialogue, tension or suspense, naming, pacing, and specific narrative action, e.g., movement, gestures, expressions; • provides a sense of closure to the writing.

This work sample illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following parts of the standards:
c	Writing: Produce a narrative account.
a	Conventions: Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the Spanish language.

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The myth of the evil eye (“mal de ojo”) is very much a part of Latin American culture which has many traditions and customs to protect people (particularly newborns) from misfortune.
This sample of student work is written in the third person and told from the point of view of the protagonist with whom the reader may or may not empathize.

The work engages the reader immediately with the title, "El ojo malvado." The first two paragraphs provide the background and establish the context as a story about a man who is despised by everyone. This gives the reader a clue as to what will happen as the story unfolds.
The student established the conflict in the second paragraph with the line, "...cada vez que el miraba pasaba algo malo." (…every time he gazed at someone, something bad happened.) The conflict is highlighted by the protagonist's fear of hurting his own child.
The narrative includes details that are relevant to the story’s resolution and avoids extraneous details and inconsistencies.

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The student created an organizing structure by presenting the events in chronological order. The story begins: "Hace muchos años...,” (Many years ago…) then develops a plot that concludes with an unexpected ending: "...su ojo malvado lo había matado." (…his evil eye had killed him.)

The sensory details in the story clearly foreshadow the emotional drama that lies ahead.

The student paced the information revealing some details while withholding others in order to develop a complex character. For example, the student introduced the character as the most despised man in all the world before telling the reader why.

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The student created a character who is not inherently evil but who can inadvertently harm those around him with a glance. This character is further developed by the fact that he blames himself for something beyond his control, "Su único problema era tener un ojo malvado." (His only problem was that he had an evil eye.) The fact that the main character is aware of his predicament creates movement and suspense in the story.

Closure occurs when the evil eye inadvertently kills the protagonist after his son is fully grown, "…su ojo malvado lo había matado." (…his evil eye killed him.)

a Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the Spanish Language: The student independently and habitually demonstrates an understanding of the rules of the Spanish language in written or oral work, and selects the structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context of the work. The student demonstrates control of:
• grammar;
• paragraph structure;
• punctuation;
• sentence construction;
• spelling;
• usage.

The student demonstrated an understanding of the conventions of the Spanish language.