My favorite assessment

During high school one of my favorite teachers was my 11th and 12th grade English teacher. While I always thought that I would want to teach English she increased my interest and helped me realize that it was something that I truly wanted to pursue.

One of the best assessments that she had us do during my senior year was an alternative assessment for Hamlet. Instead of the typical assignments of a test or essay we were given a group assignment and together had to come up with our own way to show our understanding of the play.

Although the assessment was broad the class was small in number so the teacher was able to work closely with each of the groups preventing confusion or loss of focus. I think that the style of assessment worked well for the class because it allowed for us as students to gain multiple perspectives on the play. I remember that one group wrote a longer poem that focused on the debatable madness of Hamlet which incorporated numerous facts from the story that coincided with their argument. My group chose to interpret the play in a modern why. We made a video and selected key scenes from the play— Hamlet’s conversation with his father’s ghost, Ophelia’s demise into madness, and the dual of Hamlet and Laertes. We made it modern by changing the words into modern language and using contemporary music in the background. This showed not only our literal understating of the old English language but also that we understood what type of tone was trying to be conveyed.

I found this assessment to be very effective. It allowed for us as students to be creative but while still obtaining a sense of comprehension of the play. It allowed each group to explore the play at a deeper level and also see how others viewed important aspects of the play. Using a group setting allowed for a collaborative dynamic which I found to be beneficial. In a larger class such a format may prove to be ineffective but for the specific situation is was successful.

Mapping Standards

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elastandards/elamap.html

Target 1: Students will discuss the pros and cons of the “Utopian Society” created in the novel.
Standard 1 &4- Students will gather facts that agree and/or disagree with the society that the characters live in. These facts will be shared and discussed with other students.

Target 2: Students will gain an understanding of who the main characters are.
Standard 1-Students will label each character, identify personality traits and explain relationships to other characters.

Target 3: Students will study the hierarchal structure that exists among the characters and discuss its relevance.
Standard 3- Students will analyze the hierarchy that exists within the book and state opinions and make judgments on how important it is to the characters and the novel as a whole.

Target 4: Students will work together to determine important moments in the plot.
Standard 1,3&4- Students will collectively gather the events of the story and decide which ones hold the most importance and relevance placing.

Target 5: Students will gain and understanding of the symbols present throughout the book.
Standard 1- Students will connect the literal symbol and what it represents in the book and interpret what impact and power it has on the character(s)

Target 6: Students will discuss what it means to be an adult in both the book and today’s society.
Standard 1&4-Students will interact with one another collecting facts and interpretations of what adulthood means and compare the viewpoint of the book with that of the society around them.

Target 7: Students will connect the themes of the book to incidents in the story as well as to the world around them.
Standard 1&3-Students will identify the important themes of the book identifying where they exist in the book and then tie them to their own lives as well as to the larger world around them.

Learning Targets

Learning Targets

In this unit we will be studying The Giver by Lois Lowry. We will study the specifics of the book as well as connect to it the world we live in today.

1. Students will discuss the pros and cons of the “Utopian Society” created in the novel.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: define (Utopia), explain (why/why isn’t the community a Utopia), prepare, support (a list of evidence showcasing both sides), state (their own opinion on whether it is or isn’t and Utopian society.

2. Students will gain an understanding of who the main characters are.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: describe (their features and actions), compare (one against the other), question and/or defend (their actions, motives, decisions), recognize (their positive qualities and flaws)

3. Students will study the hierarchal structure that exists among the characters and discuss its relevance.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: identify (what the hierarchy is), label (the different degrees/levels) differentiate (between the different levels), identify, (what characters fall where and why), discuss (its importance and how it affects the characters)

4. Students will work together to determine important moments in the plot.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: listen (to the opinions of others), choose (the important events), organize (them into the proper order), select (key events-rising action/climax/falling action), report (to the group/class)

5. Students will gain and understanding of the symbols present throughout the book.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: define (what a symbol is), identify (specific symbols in the book), explain and justify (what each symbol means), create (a connection between the symbol and one’s own life)

6. Students will discuss what it means to be an adult in both the book and today’s society.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: list (what it means to be and adult),differentiate (between factors deciding adulthood in the book and today), outline and explain (why such different viewpoints exist between the book and today’s society) relate (the two sides-what factors do they have in common if any)

7. Students will connect the themes of the book to incidents in the story as well as to the world around them.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: identify (the important themes), relate (how they tie into the world), give examples (of personal connections), show (where they apply/occur in the book), conclude (if said theme is common to our society/world)