Assessment Plan
This unit utilizes various different forms of formative assessments to assess student learning. The lessons in the unit feature almost daily journal entries. Instructor should use these journal entries to assess what each student got out of the day's lesson and how well they are able to connect what they got out of the day's lesson to what they learned in previous lessons. Some lesson also uses exit slops to uncover student misconceptions and to assess students' learning.
In addition to exit slips and journal entries, the worksheets that accompany classroom activities are also assessment tools. The worksheets are designed to scaffold learning for the students. The worksheets will be summative assessments that assess the learning that took place. The seismographs the students build during the "build your own seismograph" lesson will also be assessed in two ways, whether or not the seismograph records any seismic activity at all and whether or not the students have devised a scale for measuring the magnitude of an earthquake compared to another earthquake. As long as the seismograph can do those two things, each student will receive full credit for the lab activity.
The formal end of the unit summative assessment for this unit will include essay questions that the students will receive before the test. They will be allowed to review the essay questions ahead of time. They will also be allowed to bring in an outline of the essay if they chose to make one ahead of time. The students will also be able to use their journal entries throughout the test, although they will only be useful for the essay questions. Students will have an unlimited amount of time for the essay part of the test. This means that if they do not finish the essay during class time, they will be able to come in during lunch or before or after school to finish until they are done. The remainder of the test must be completed in class. The test will take one class period. Other than the two essay questions, there will be a variety of short answer questions that will force students to apply what they know to certain situations. There will be some fill in the blank and multiple choice questions as well.
In addition to exit slips and journal entries, the worksheets that accompany classroom activities are also assessment tools. The worksheets are designed to scaffold learning for the students. The worksheets will be summative assessments that assess the learning that took place. The seismographs the students build during the "build your own seismograph" lesson will also be assessed in two ways, whether or not the seismograph records any seismic activity at all and whether or not the students have devised a scale for measuring the magnitude of an earthquake compared to another earthquake. As long as the seismograph can do those two things, each student will receive full credit for the lab activity.
The formal end of the unit summative assessment for this unit will include essay questions that the students will receive before the test. They will be allowed to review the essay questions ahead of time. They will also be allowed to bring in an outline of the essay if they chose to make one ahead of time. The students will also be able to use their journal entries throughout the test, although they will only be useful for the essay questions. Students will have an unlimited amount of time for the essay part of the test. This means that if they do not finish the essay during class time, they will be able to come in during lunch or before or after school to finish until they are done. The remainder of the test must be completed in class. The test will take one class period. Other than the two essay questions, there will be a variety of short answer questions that will force students to apply what they know to certain situations. There will be some fill in the blank and multiple choice questions as well.