Tag Archives: Assessments

A Skit! (bring the Revolutionary War to life in your class!)

Posted on August 29, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

by Kelli Lewis

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Skits, anyone? I always strive my hardest to make lessons and activities hands-on, engaging, interactive, and interesting because I feel that is how students learn better and learn more. I taught a week-long unit on Paul Revere and wanted to find a way to incorporate some acting for the students to perform. I searched online but found nothing. I ended up writing my own script. My class did the skit several times, to ensure that all students received a part. The students broke into groups and practiced their parts with other students who had that same part.

The skit is primarily a conversation between two modern-day peers who are discussing the Boston Tea Party. As they are discussing the events that occurred, the setting flashes back to pre-Revolutionary War Boston, and other students then act out the events.

Here’s the script:

Narrator 1: Hey, what are you doing?

Narrator 2: Oh, I’m just learning about The Boston Tea Party.

Narrator 1: A tea party? In Boston? When?

Narrator 2: No, silly. The Boston Tea Party happened a long time ago during the American Revolution.

Narrator 1: Oh, what happened?

Narrator 2: Well, the colonists were tired of King George III.

Narrator 1: What was so bad about King George III?

Narrator 2: Well, for one thing, he lived in England over 3 thousand miles away from the colonies. He was making laws and trying to rule the colonists.

Narrator 1: Were the laws fair?

Narrator 2: No, so the colonists protested.

Sons of Liberty 1: Listen here, King George III! We have our own laws!

Sons of Liberty 2: And we don’t want yours.

Sons of Liberty 3: We already pay a lot of taxes!

Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, leave us alone!

Sons of Liberty 2: We should not have to pay a tax on tea.

Sons of Liberty 3: Let’s go talk to Paul Revere.

Narrator 1: Then what happened?

Narrator 2: Well, a man by the name of Paul Revere led a group of colonists. They called themselves the Sons of Liberty.

Narrator 1: What did they do about the taxes?

Paul Revere: Listen, men, why should we pay taxes when the king does not listen to our opinion?

Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, no taxation without representation!

Sons of Liberty 2: Let’s do something about it!

Paul Revere: How about we form a secret club, dress up like Indians, march on board the ships, and….

Sons of Liberty 3: DUMP THE TEA!!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere dress as Indians.]

Narrator 1: Wait, you mean they wanted to dump the tea from all of the ships?

Narrator 2: Yes, every last bit.

Narrator 1: How would that end the tax on tea?

Narrator 2: Well, if all the tea was destroyed, then no one could pay taxes on the tea.

Narrator 1: That would get the king’s attention!

Narrator 2: Right. So on December 16, 1773….

Paul Revere: Ready men? Tonight we take over the ships.

Sons of Liberty 1: Let’s go!

Sons of Liberty 2: I’m ready!

Sons of Liberty 3: Me too!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere enter the ship.]

Paul Revere: Grab every pound of tea and throw it in the ocean!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere grab all of the tea bags and throw it overboard.]

Narrator 1: It sounds like Boston was a real hot spot in the American Revolution.

Narrator 2: Yeah, the scene of a very famous party!

Narrator 1: Not just any party…the Boston Tea Party!

Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia whose great ideas we are honored to share on A Learning Experience!

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Posted in Academic Success, Assessments, Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, History

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Create an Interactive Bulletin Board!

Posted on August 7, 2010 by ecossick| 5 Comments

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by Rachel Stepp

Classrooms need to be designed with students in mind, and one way to bring student involvement into your room design is by creating an interactive bulletin board. Here are some ideas to take your board from blah to brilliant!

1. Did You Know?

Create a spot where you can post a simple question related to something in your curriculum. Students can then move a clothespin that has their names written on it to a side of a poster where one side represents, “Yes, I knew that!” and the other side states, “No, I did not know that, but I do now!” By doing this, you can pre-assess your students and understand their background knowledge.

2. Challenge Question

Post a question each week that relates to what your students are learning but challenges them to think deeper. You can keep track of this by using a library pocket (available at stores such as The School Box) to hold blank answer sheets and another library pocket to hold students’ answer submissions. At the end of the week, students who answered correctly can win a homework pass or another incentive.

3. Question of the Day

Create a poster that has a spot to place a new question everyday. This question can be secured with a tack or tape. The questions posed can be multiple choice questions about topics that were previously taught. At the bottom of the poster, place three library pockets labeled “A,” “B,” and “C.” Students can answer the question of the day by putting a Popsicle stick with their name on it into the pocket that corresponds with their answer. Students can answer this question as they first come into the classroom or as morning work. This is a great way to review and assess students!

4. Related Work Folders

At the bottom of your bulletin board, you can create file folder pockets (using stapled file folders) for each subject area you teach in your classroom. In these pockets, you can put related worksheets or activity guides for students to complete during their spare time. For example, in the Language Arts file folder pocket, you might place a worksheet about verbs because your students studied verbs the week before. Having worksheets for the students to work on during their own time eliminates off-task behaviors and unproductive down time.

An interactive bulletin board is great for any classroom because once it has been created, it can easily be altered without redoing the entire bulletin board. The questions can be changed for any topic and grade level. If you do not have a spare bulletin board, any one of these ideas can be implemented on a sheet of poster board, as well.

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

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Posted in Academic Success, Assessments, Classroom Decor, Morning Work

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Engaging and Easy End-of-the-Year Activities

Posted on April 18, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

The end is drawing near, and it’s time to finish with a bang! Here are some grand activities to take you through the final days of the school year.

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by Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed.

Collaborative writing

In groups of four, have each person write an opening to a story (a mystery, a silly story, or whatever you decide).  Let them write a story opener for 5 minutes, then pass the paper to their left.  The next person reads the story opener of the person who just passed to them, then continues the story by adding the conflict or problem.  This person also writes for five minutes.  Then, each person passes again to the left, reads what’s written, then writes for five more minutes (continuing the story), and then pass again.  Finally, each person writes a final time (the conclusion), and then passes so that each person has the story they began.  Once they see what their group members wrote, the giggle fest begins!  And guess what… they just wrote four paragraphs!

Culminating projects

I like to send my students on a “scavenger hunt” to review the topics we learned throughout the year (see attached details and grading rubric).  Although you could easily tailor this project to any subject area, I use this idea in math.  This review project shows that the concepts they’ve learned in math have real-world relevance, application and connection.  The students enjoy the openness and creativity with which they’re tasked – no rigid project rules here!  Students’ projects are so creative and different from one another, too!  (A big thank you goes to Sharon Shaw for the idea; I took her high school version and made it fifth-grade appropriate).

Review games

I love the variety of PowerPoint games you can find online these days!  From Jeopardy! to Who Wants to be a Millionaire! to Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?… the options are endless!  You can choose from making your own questions from the templates or the ready-made games (both free!) chock full of good review questions.  Use your favorite search engine to find the exciting options out there!

As we draw to the close of another school year, we need to keep the academics flowing even if the energy level is low.  Students will enjoy these hands-on, energetic activities that review and reinforce the concepts taught throughout the year!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

To submit your own ideas for publication, simply e-mail an original educational article (250-500 words) to editor@schoolbox.com. You’ll receive a $35 School Box Gift Card if you are selected for publication!

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Posted in Assessments, Behavior Management, Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, Discipline, Games, Writing

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A Little at a Time

Posted on April 8, 2010 by ecossick| 5 Comments

by Kristin M. Woolums, M.Ed.

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We’ve all been told that doing things in small doses instead of one large task is the better way to get things done.  This is true in the classroom, as well.  Think about it:  we tell our students to study a little each night for an upcoming test, and that all night cram sessions don’t work (and actually work against a student).  Why not apply this philosophy other areas and subjects in my classroom?

Homophones in the Morning

Each day, my students and I discuss a homophone pair or trio as a part of their morning work.  For example, the homophones there, their, and there are constantly mixed up by students and adults alike.  We discuss the meanings of these words (usually accompanied by pictures or phrases for each word), the similarities and differences, why they’re easily confused in the real world, and ways to help keep them straight.  The students then use each word in a sentence (10 or more words in my 5th grade class).

By the end of the school year, we’ve introduced or reinforced the meanings of over 200 words, 2 or 3 at a time.  Students “blossom” in improvement in the use of these homophones, as well as in their sentence length and creativity. This is a must for the English language learners in my classroom, too.  See the attached list of homophones I use each day in my classroom, but many more are available online.

Daily Grammar Practice

Many students don’t enjoy grammar.  Thanks to a great grammar program called Daily Grammar Practice (DGP, for short), we take on grammar for 5 minutes each morning.  DGP is effective because it breaks down the grammar parts on a weekly sentence, but it allows students to see how the parts all fit together.  The best part is that if a student doesn’t “get” the sentence one week, there will be another one the next week, and the repetition ensures that what’s learned is not forgotten.  Offered for grades 1-12, it’s a program that I use each day with conviction.  It’s like taking a daily vitamin of grammar! (Visit dgppublishing.com)

Some other things a teacher could do on a daily basis are:

  • Estimation of whole numbers, fractions, or decimals while learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
  • Quote of the day – give each student a quote and let them explore its origin and meaning
  • Famous figure of the day – whether it’s a famous scientist, entertainer, story character, or historical figure, the options are limitless of learning about a new person each day.
  • State or country of the day – assign each person a region to research and share with the class.

I didn’t invent anything new here, but it’s reaffirming to see how students learn so much better when they take in a little at a time.  I can’t imagine a lesson on just homophones or just estimation!  But broken down into easily digestible daily parts, these ideas are much more manageable for student and teacher alike!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

To submit your own ideas for publication, simply e-mail an original educational article (250-500 words) to editor@schoolbox.com. You’ll receive a $35 School Box Gift Card if you are selected for publication!

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Posted in Morning Work, Writing, grammar

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The Plot Thickens: A Graphic Organizer for Teaching Writing

Posted on April 5, 2010 by ecossick| 1 Comment

So, it’s time to assign a writing project to your class. You want creative stories with a clear beginning, middle and end. But how do you get your students–from third grade through high school–to craft well-developed tales (and not rambling gibberish that, let’s face it, you will dread grading)?

Here’s a super creative way to teach plot to your students. Just walk them through the attached Plot Skeleton organizer (which was adapted from Angela E. Hunt), and they’ll be equipped with all the elements of a good story.

An Explanation of the Chart:

Main Character Needs: What are the deep needs of your main character (which will turn into motives for action)? Most have an obvious need (like survival for Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web) and a hidden need (like Wilbur’s need for acceptance).

Inciting Incident: What happens to change the course of the story? (i.e. The conflict, like when Wilbur discovers that pigs’ purpose is to become food for the farmer.)

Complications: Events that happen as the main character tries to resolve the conflict. There are usually a couple complications that lead to the “bleakest moment.” Ex: Wilbur tries to escape but realizes the world is too scary for him; Fern is growing up and not as interested in Wilbur anymore; Bleakest Moment: Charlotte dies

Help: What happens to help the character overcome the conflict? Ex: Charlotte saves Wilbur’s life by spinning words in her web.

Lesson or Decision: What lesson is learned or decision made by the main character as a result? Ex: Wilbur discovers that friendship is of paramount importance and friends sometimes come from unlikely places.

Resolution: How do the character’s needs ultimately get met or resolved? Ex: Wilbur takes Charlotte’s babies back to the farm, where he befriends several of them and never again feels lonely.

Here’s how to use it:

1. First, model how to fill out the skeleton by completing one or two together (either on an overhead projector or on the board), using books you’ve read together as a class to complete the blanks.

2. Then, model creating a story from your own imagination, and fill in the chart in front of the class, showing them how to use questioning to develop your story (i.e. “What could be the inciting incident that gets the action rolling?” and “I wonder why a character would do that. What could be their inner need?”).

3. Give a copy to each student and have them brainstorm ideas for their own story, using the chart as a guideline.

4. Have students share their plot skeleton charts with a partner at the end of class to get feedback and additional ideas.

5. From the plot skeleton, students then begin drafting their stories.

This chart takes more scaffolding in the younger grades (third through fifth), but it’s worth the effort. These components of a strong plot will ensure quality writing from your students–writing you’ll actually enjoy grading!

To download the graphic organizer, click here!

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A Creative Book Report!

Posted on March 28, 2010 by ecossick| 3 Comments

by Kristin Woolums, M.Ed.

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We recently featured Kristin’s outstanding ideas for a creative novel study, using From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler by E. L. Konigsburg with her fifth-grade class. Below is the study’s culminating project, called a “Summary-by-Chapter” book report. Check out this great idea, which can be applied to any book or novel!

A “summary-by-chapter” book report asks students to create a book report with a few sentences and visual representations summarizing each of the story’s chapters (see attached detail sheet and grading rubric). This is the catch: I leave the assignment fairly open-ended, telling students that they can use whatever materials they’d like to create their visuals.

Whenever I assign this project, the students’ creativity is always so phenomenal! Besides receiving traditional book report formats, I’ve received pop-up books, PowerPoint presentations, display boards, and even a cardboard box divided into 10 sections with a clay representation of each chapter!

Additionally, in the review of the story, they are always very excited about sharing their favorite part of the book, their favorite character, and if they’d recommend the novel to a friend (a resounding ‘yes!’ for From the Mixed-Up Files). I was so excited about how my students reacted to this project; they really got into it!

If you’re looking for a creative way to end a literature study, try this one…and see where your students’ imaginations take them!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

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Posted in Assessments, Reading, Teaching, Writing, comprehension

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Anatomy of a Creative Novel Study

Posted on March 25, 2010 by ecossick| 3 Comments

by Kristin Woolums, M.Ed.

A creative study based on From the Mixed-Up files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler

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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is a Newbery Award-winning novel about two children who run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The story combines adventure and comedy, and each year, my 5th graders eagerly tell me how much they love it!

Originally published in 1968, one might think that it wouldn’t appeal to today’s youth, but here’s how I foster a love of a novel that’s over 40 years old:

A Virtual Field Trip

Early in the story, the lead characters, Claudia and Jamie, run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I take my students to the computer lab for a virtual field trip to see the sights that Claudia and Jamie would have seen (www.metmuseum.org). The website allows students to see priceless pieces of art that they perhaps would never get to see, so I allow them to browse through the many pieces shown online. Click here for a printable sheet about the virtual tour.

The students supply a few details about their favorite pieces, including a rough sketch, which they record on a note-taking guide (click here to print it). We discuss the proper way to react to art and that there are many pieces that showcase the human body in tastefully, yet unclothed, ways (just a head’s up!).

A Great Debate

There are several ethical decisions that Claudia and Jamie encounter throughout the story:

o Stealing money from the museum’s fountain so they could eat

o Sneaking around and lying so they wouldn’t get caught living in the museum

o Worrying their parents by running away

Each student chooses whether they thought the action was justified or not, and in a traditional debate setting, we civilly discuss the matter at hand. This makes for some very teachable moments, and the students love this!

A Creative Culmination

To end the study, the students participate in a creative “summary-by-chapter” book report. A post describing all of the details about this creative project, including a rubric, is coming next on A Learning Experience. The best part is that this idea can be adapted to any novel!

This wonderful and timeless adventure about two children running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is chock full of adventure, comedy, and a sense of family as Claudia and Jamie learn to survive in the real world. My students enjoy the novel, and I hope Ms. Konigsburg is happy that I’ve taken her exciting novel to the next level by interjecting classroom reading with a virtual field trip, a debate, and a creative book report project!

Kristin’s Chapter-by-Summary book report idea (including a rubric) is coming next on A Learning Experience!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

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Posted in Assessments, Field Trips, Reading, comprehension, reading aloud, reluctant readers, technology

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Part III: Assessing Your Wax Museum

Posted on February 24, 2010 by ecossick| Comments Off

Recently, we posted about a great culminating activity for a biography or history unit: A Wax Museum! Now, it’s time to talk about how to grade this project.

So, your students researched historical figures, wrote biographical sketches, created costumes,  and recited their sketches during a successful “Wax Museum.” But now, how do you devise a numerical grade from all of this activity?

A rubric is the best assessment for this activity because you can grade students on a variety of criteria and provide ample feedback–easily. For a great Wax Museum rubric, click here.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this creative idea for bringing characters to life for your students!

Up next on A Learning Experience: Our favorite children’s book picks!

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Using “Hangman” to teach writing…creatively!

Posted on January 31, 2010 by ecossick| 1 Comment

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Getting your kids excited about writing

by Sandra Jacoby

I have been extremely lucky this year in that I have a classroom full of kids who will just write, draw, cut and paste all day! Unfortunately, we all know this is not the norm; many times it is hard to get kids motivated to write.  But just today, I was reintroduced to a way to make writing exciting and challenging for kids of all ages…using the classic game of hangman!

Higher Grades

In high school, middle school, and even upper elementary, hangman can be used to introduce the topic of the assignment and build excitement and anticipation about writing!  Just think of a topic, spell it out in blanks on the board (Wheel-of-Fortune style), and then have the students guess letters until the topic is revealed. This will work if the topic is 10 words long or one word long. To get students even more motivated to write, allow a student to lead the game by calling on classmates to fill in the blanks.

For more advanced classes, have the students each create a topic they would like to write about and put it in a jar at the beginning of the school year.  Approve the topics, and then, when it is time for a new writing prompt, allow a student to draw a topic from the jar and set up the hangman game on the board.  This encourages freedom and ownership, which students of all ages appreciate!

Elementary

In addition to writing lessons, hangman can also be used as an original way to practice spelling words. Instead of just hearing the word and putting the letters in order (as in a spelling bee), hangman allows the children to see the letters come together to make the word. This way, they practice visualizing and analyzing the order of the letters.

Primary

Set up the game in front of the class on the chalkboard or on a sheet of paper in front of a small group.  Use your students’ names or your name or simple words that go along with your theme of the week.  You can help students guess letters by giving them a sound of one of the letters used.  For example, give the students /s/ and see if they can guess S.

You could also play using the alphabet.  Students can give you all the sounds they know, and you put the letters in the appropriate places. For sounds they repeat or make up, they get an arm or leg!

Do you have a creative way to get your students excited about writing? We’d love for you to share it with a comment on this post (and be entered to win a $20 School Box gift certificate)!

This article was submitted by Sandra Jacoby. Sandra graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in December, 2008, with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies. She currently teaches pre-kindergarten in Fredericksburg, Texas.

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Posted in Academic Success, Assessments, Motivation, Teaching, Writing

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Unique Assessments III: Reader’s Theater

Posted on December 10, 2009 by ecossick| 2 Comments

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This is part three in a three-part series on unique assessment ideas. (Part one and part two can be found here and here.) Here is an idea for using reader’s theater to evaluate comprehension.

Reader’s Theater is essentially just creating a skit based on a book or historical event. Because the skit will encompass all of the main ideas surrounding the historical event or plot of a book, it is a superb way to assess student comprehension. Here are some quick steps to generate reader’s theater skits with your students:

1. Groups. First, break students into groups of four to six. Assign (or allow a chance to pick) a different historical event or portion of a novel to each group.

2. Main Ideas. The groups need to first brainstorm the main ideas of the event of story and list them chronologically. You might want to model this first as a whole class, using a different book or historical event than those assigned to the groups.

3. Characters. Next, the groups should list all characters and major players.

4. Skit Conventions. Now would be a great time for a mini-lesson on playwriting conventions, such as format, use of colons after each speaker’s name, use of parentheses to describe emotion or voice inflection, dividing the story into Acts and Scenes, etc).

5. Plot. Next, review the elements of a story’s plot (beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion). Students can fill out this printable form to help organize their story into these plot components.

6. Writing. Now the groups are ready to turn their lists of main events, plot elements, and characters into a skit! Model this as a class, first.

7. Practice. Allow time to practice, create props, sets, etc. This can get as elaborate or as simple as you desire. Simple props work just fine!

9. Then…perform! While the rest of the class will LOVE watching the other groups perform, other possible audiences include parents, other classes or younger students. Your students can complete this printable Reader’s Theater Audience Feedback Form on each group, as well.

This is a fun and unique way to assess comprehension while also encouraging public speaking and cooperative learning!

written by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

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