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Benchmarks: 1. Present a position and support it with evidence and citation of sources. 2. Work effectively in a group. |
I used the Mock Debate (Lesson #1) to prepare the students
for the final debate. This lesson
allowed them to practice the skills they would need for this final
assessment. The research that the
students did (Lesson #2= collected information on their own topic and five
main points about other civilizations) gave them the information they needed
to support their argument as to why their civilization was the greatest in
ancient times. Scoring Guidelines: Every two days during the research process, students had to turn in five main points about other civilizations besides their own. I had a basic rubric (It is attached = handwritten) due to time restraints, but this did allow me to track the progress of the students and keep them on task (students were given a score from one to ten points = two points per main point). Post-Assessment: Although I chose
not to have a test or a quiz over the material, this method of assessment
could be used. Instead, I decided to
do the LEARNED part of our KWL Chart and asked
each class to tell me five main points about each of the civilizations. We do this activity after each chapter we
cover and then write our responses on poster board. Then we hang them on the walls in our
classroom as reference points. Scoring Guidelines: I did not assign any scores to this post-assessment, but it did allow me to analyze what each class learned. Also, I made sure that every student gave me answers during this KWL activity and did not allow one particular student to respond every time.
· Put desks in groups of seven or eight with the names of each civilization on the front · Explain the basic ground rules for a debate (Ex. Raise hand if one wants to speak) · Explain that we were going to start with a particular topic (Ex. Government) and then move to the next topic (Ex. Religion) · I had my rubric for the debate and graded the students as they presented their findings (rubric is attached) · Students used the third day of the lesson to present their Informer-Stimulator pieces that illustrated why their civilizations were the greatest in ancient times (*Many students did power-point presentations)
The inclusion students in my class only had to do three main points instead of five. Also, we have an aid in the classroom (5th period) that helps me work with the students when they need extra support.
The History Channel, Discovery Channel, and Fox News are all great
resources for additional learning on the subject. I watched a great program on Christianity
in the
The students needed to make sure that their research and
informer-stimulator pieces were finished when we began our debate. Interdisciplinary Connections In Science class, students could take various important scientists or experiments and debate who or what has had the greatest impact on the world today. We also had the art teacher work with the kids on their power-point skills in Art class.
There were many important terms depending on the topic researched.
Students used www.beyondbooks.com.
to find information about their topics.
Many also used power-point to present their informer-stimulator
pieces. Research Connections We did not base our project on a particular research
study, but we did get every student involved because each student had his or
her own responsibility in the group. Students,
in the right setup, generally like to work in groups and be active
learners. We used these ideas along
with the collaborative approach to guide our project. General Tips Again, have a Plan B if the technology part of the project does not go as planned.
Attachments · Debate and Informer-Stimulator Rubric |
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