Evaluate 1.1.1 Formative Assessment

Every teacher, whether brick-and-mortar or virtual, should provide opportunities for pre-assessment as a means to identify students' prior knowledge.  There are many options to pre-assess student readiness but my favorite method is a quick mind-mapping or brainstorming session.

Once the pre-assessment has been conducted, teachers must develop instruction and assessment that takes into account diverse student needs and learning styles.  For virtual teachers in particular, this means creating engaging instructional experiences that incorporate formative assessments for every 20-30 minutes of student work time.  Thus, varying the methods of assessment is crucial element in online instruction.

To demonstrate the need for varied formative assessments, I created the three examples below based on the Civil War unit I've been developing over the course of my previous posts.  The topic of focus is Abraham Lincoln's life, role in the Civil War, and legacy.  The assessments below are designed to fit into an AP US History course but could easily be adapted for an on-level course, too.

1. Lincoln Logs: Framing the Lincoln Narrative
After viewing several video narratives of Lincoln's life, students will complete a RAFT Activity in which they must contextualize his role in the Civil War.

ROLE: Digital Museum Curator
AUDIENCE: Civil War Enthusiast
FORMAT: 3 minute, mini-podcast via morphbox, AudioBoo, Vocaroo or another digital recording app
TOPIC: Abraham Lincoln's Role in the Civil War


2. The Lincoln Collection: Document Analysis
Students will participate in a close reading of four writings/speeches of Lincoln.  After reading excerpts from the documents listed below, students will complete a graphic organizer in which they "talk back" to the text.  In this process, students will annotate in a double entry journal format and will consider audience, purpose, tone, and rhetorical devices.

Excerpts will be taken from the following documents:

• First Inaugural Address
• Gettysburg Address
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Second Inaugural Address

3. Lincoln Memes: Defining His Legacy
Students will be provided with four images in which they must create a meme illustrating Lincoln's legacy.  Students may choose a quote that they believe best encapsulates Lincoln's legacy or may create their own understanding of his legacy (see samples below).  Students will also be given a list of online meme generators/makers and a rubric.