Evidence Tells the Story

Overview

This is lesson 6 of 18 in Lead, Reflect, Grow. Students examine different types of portfolio evidence—work samples, feedback, projects, service experiences and personal reflections—and practise explaining what each item reveals about their learning, character and growth. The lesson builds on earlier work identifying personal values, goals and examples of leadership.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify useful evidence of personal, spiritual and relational growth
• explain what a portfolio item shows about learning, values or behaviour
• distinguish between describing an item and interpreting its significance
• connect evidence to values such as service, responsibility, compassion and integrity

Success criteria

• I can identify what type of evidence an item represents.
• I can explain what an item shows about my growth, rather than simply describe it.
• I can link evidence to a value, goal, action or change in my thinking.
• I can suggest which evidence would make a portfolio claim more convincing.

Curriculum links

• Religious Education: reflecting on how beliefs, values and actions shape personal growth and relationships.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Relationships / Self and others: considering how groups and organisations contribute to community wellbeing through values and collective action.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Bodies | Minds / Adolescent change: recognising that reflection and understanding support personal growth and connection.
• Key Competencies: managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing, and thinking.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook: What counts as proof? Teacher displays the opening question in the hook slide: “If someone says, ‘I have grown as a person’, what evidence would help you believe them?” Students silently think, then share one possible piece of evidence with a partner. Invite two or three responses and clarify that a portfolio is not just a collection of attractive work; each item should help tell a story.

2. 4–9 min · Direct teach: Evidence and explanation. Teacher uses the evidence types and model slide to introduce five evidence types: work sample, feedback, project, service experience and personal reflection. Model the difference between description and explanation: “I helped at the food bank” describes an experience; “Helping at the food bank showed me that service requires reliability and attention to others’ needs” explains growth. Students help identify the value, action and learning in the model.

3. 9–16 min · Guided sorting and discussion. Teacher distributes the portfolio evidence analysis worksheet and reads the five short portfolio examples aloud, checking understanding of unfamiliar terms. In pairs, students label each example by evidence type and complete the prompts: “This shows…”, “This connects to the value or goal of…”, and “This is convincing because…”. Circulate and ask, “What changed, improved or became clearer?” rather than accepting answers that only retell events.

4. 16–23 min · Apply: Strengthen the evidence. Teacher displays the improvement task on the pair activity and sentence-stem slide. Each pair chooses one weak portfolio statement from the worksheet, such as “I worked on the project and it went well”, and rewrites it to include a specific action, value and learning. Students use the structure: “This evidence shows that I… because… This helped me grow by…” Invite pairs to read one improved statement; classmates identify the evidence, value and growth shown.

5. 23–27 min · Individual portfolio choice. Teacher asks students to select one real item or experience they might use in their own portfolio, without requiring them to disclose anything private. Students complete the final worksheet prompt: “My evidence is… It shows… This matters because… A limitation or question about this evidence is…” Encourage students to choose evidence connected to leadership, service, relationships, faith, values or personal responsibility.

6. 27–30 min · Plenary and check-out. Teacher returns to the hook question using the plenary slide and asks students to complete the sentence: “Good portfolio evidence tells a story about growth by…” Students share with a partner, then hand in the worksheet. Briefly preview that the next lesson will focus on selecting and organising evidence for a coherent portfolio story.

Resources

• the Evidence Tells the Story slide deck
• the portfolio evidence analysis worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pens or pencils
• Timer
• Five short sample portfolio statements included on the worksheet

Assessment

• Listen during pair discussion for students distinguishing description from interpretation and linking evidence to a value or goal.
• Check worksheet responses for accurate evidence-type identification and a specific explanation of growth.
• Use the final rewritten statement as an exit check: students should name an action, connect it to a value and explain what changed or was learned.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters, a word bank of values, and one completed example for students who need support. Read the examples aloud and allow students to discuss ideas before writing.
• Pair students thoughtfully and accept oral responses, scribed responses or speech-to-text where appropriate. Avoid requiring disclosure of personal, family, cultural or religious experiences.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach evidence, feedback, service, value, growth and reflection, and use icons or simple explanations alongside each term.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare two possible items and justify which would provide stronger evidence, including what additional information would make it more reliable.