Formal Formative Assessments: Quizizz

There are many times when I implement formal formative assessments to give the students a chance to practice and demonstrate their understanding of the content while I gain a better understanding of what information we need review or skills we need to work on. This example above is a Quizizz game for the students’ spelling words. Much of the time, I will create spelling and vocab games, whether online or in the classroom, where students can practice and demonstrate their spelling and vocab word knowledge. Through games like these, I get an understanding of what words I need to explain further or have students practice more so that they know how to spell the word for their test. In this game, it shows the average percent accuracy for the class, which questions students get wrong, and how many students got that question wrong. By receiving clear information regarding the student’s accuracy, I get a good understanding of how much the students fully understand the words and can go over the questions that I see students have repeatedly got wrong. Lastly, games like these are low stakes, students will not be graded, and it is a fun, engaging activity. 
Informal Formative Assessment: Frederick Douglass Timeline

Before beginning the new reading unit on social justice, I decided to frontload some information regarding Frederick Douglass’s life since the students were going to begin reading a biography about him. Prior to creating their timelines, I assessed about much the students already knew about Frederick Douglass by having them complete a KW chart, listing what they know and what they want to know. After that, I assigned groups with 3-4 students in each. Every group was assigned a period in Frederick Douglass’s life, and they would use the National Park Service page on Frederick Douglass to write about the major eras of Frederick’s life. 

On classroom I posted the link where they will find their information, the groups numbers that will be creating a timeline for that part of Frederick’s life, and a timeline example so that they know how to structure their timeline. 

The coolest part of this activity was that students got to see their finished product and how each period of Frederick’s life connected with one another to create the full timeline of his life. This is the students doing a gallery walk of the timeline. 

After they finished and the full timeline came together, I assessed through discussion what the students learned about Frederick Douglass based on what they created and what they saw on other timelines. In addition, I had them finish their KW charts by adding on the back their LW, what they learned and still want to know. I asked them to hand in these charts to me at the end of class so I could read through them and get an understanding of what the students had learned and any questions they still have that we could answer while reading the biography. 

 

Summative Assessments

In reading class, the summative, more high-stakes assessments are unit tests for spelling, vocabulary, and reading. However, I created a summative assessment for the students to do a project at the end of the unit on biographies, dramas, and poetry. The students will use what they know and their notes regarding the different key features of biographies, dramas, and poetry, to create their own short writing piece based on what they choose out of a hat. They must demonstrate their knowledge of these different forms of writing by incorporating the key features of each into their short writing piece. In the end, I will be able to assess whether the students understood what techniques and distinguishing features are included in either biography, drama, or poetry. They will also hand in their class notes, a Ven diagram listing the distinguishing features of each form of writing. 

Final Unit Plan Project: 
Students used what they have learned from their readings and recorded in their Venn Diagrams to create their own poems, biographies, and dramas.
(press the link below to veiw my reflection of my Unit)
Resources:

“Frederick Douglass.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/frdo/learn/historyculture/frederickdouglass.htm. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.