Unit Assessments-One size does NOT always fit all

For some standards or subjects that are taught in our schools, we can give an end of unit assessment that allows for students to choose how they show their learning.  This is a great way to meet the needs of each learner, while assessing the learning at the same time.  I am going to share a couple of examples of how teachers in our district give choice on some assessments to show learning.  Edutopia is a great place to read about how choice boards improve engagement and help meet the needs of diverse learners. Laura Loder Buechel 's article talks about how and why choice boards work and she gives several great examples of different types of choice boards.  I want to use this space to share choice boards or assignments that give choice to show learning that you can find throughout our district.  This will help you become familar with possible options your child might come across during their learning journey.  

What you will see among these options is some provide a choice in the topic they zoom in on and share their learning, some show choice in the design or product of their learning, and some show a choice in the actual product itself.  

First is an example of a project the students do in social studies.  This project is after they have learned about the larger categories of Native Americans that were in North America before settler arrived.  Students will know a general description of what life was like living in each region as a person from this time period, but for their final product, will be asked to zoom in on one region and share specifics in an infographic.  The choice comes from the learner getting to select the region that interested them the most and learning more information about a specific tribe from that region and then share with others what they have learned.  While everyone is required to make an inforgraphic, they also get choice in the style and delivery of the infographic.  This is where their creativity and artistic abilities can shine.  There is a rubric or checklist of how it will be graded, and as long as those requirements are met, students are able to make their infographic how they choose.  These two ways learners get to choose for their final product increases engagement and they are proud and take ownership of thier hard work.  You will see an example of the requirements and a student's final work below.  

Grading Checklist                                                                                 Sample Infographics

 

Another example of a final product for a unit is when teaching geography, our teachers let the students show what they know about maps by creating a map of an island from their imagination.  Again, they get total design choice, as long as their map contains the required components to show their learning.  You will see below the checklist and an example of a final product.

The last example I will share is a way to give choice in what activity they will complete to extend their learning.  You can click on the image to see the details of each option.  Students love getting to choose the activity.  Then inside each activity there are several choices the learners get to make while working on the assignment.  Learners are in complete control of the assignment, fully engaged, and get excited about having a say and then working hard to complete the task at hand.  Most of the options allow for their peers to participate in their final product by reading the magazine they created or acting out the script they wrote.  This just adds to their excitement and how proud they feel when they accomplish something they can enjoy, as well as others.  

These were just a few of the many examples you will see throughout our district.  If you want to know specifically which ones your learner is exposed to, watch for those rubrics coming home graded or talk with your child's teacher.  Watch the video below for more on how choice boards work from Shake Up Learning: