Formative

Assessments

Assessment Techniques / Individual / Partner or group / Written / Oral / Drawn
ABC to XYZ/ Vocabulary /  /  /  /  / 
Analogy /  /  /  / 
Anticipation Reaction Guide /  / 
Application Card /  /  /  / 
Cloze /  /  / 
Concentration /  /  / 
Consensus Conclusion /  /  / 
Exit Tickets /  /  /  / 
Find the Error /  /  /  / 
Focused Write /  /  / 
Graffiti (Carousel) /  /  / 
Graphic Organizer /  /  / 
Journal/DialecticalNotebook /  /  / 
People Search
(Scavenger Hunt) /  /  / 
Reflect and self-assess /  /  /  / 
Sketch to Stretch (Draw your understanding) /  /  / 
Sorting the Cards /  /  / 
Spontaneous Action
(Stand up and share) /  /  /  / 
Stem Statements
(Writing prompts) /  /  / 
Stop and Process /  /  /  /  / 
S Q 3 R (Reading) /  /  /  /  / 
Summary Formats /  /  /  /  / 
3 – 2 – 1 /  /  /  / 
Trading Cards (Grouping) /  /  / 

"Accurate student-involved classroom assessment practices represent critically important components of effective instruction and,...should occupy a very prominent place in...any professional community." Richard J. Stiggins, On Common Ground

TIPS:

  • Model and explain purpose of the technique so students see its value in assessment.
  • Let students know how much time they will have (2-5 minutes per question is usually enough), what kinds of answers you want (words, phrases, short sentences, paragraph), and when they can expect your feedback.
  • First time uses will take longer than time suggested in this resource.
  • Many techniques can be adapted for individual/group; written/oral; quick/extension.
  • Select the technique based on your assessment purpose.
  • Allowing students access to notes or texts during any of the activities is optional.
  • Prepare exit questions for careful clear phrasing; post questions and directions.
  • Collect ¼ class daily and rotate or select randomly to spot check class status occasionally.
  • These formative assessments are meant to be quick for teacher and for students to gauge or process understanding of the learning objective, and are not intended to be graded.

NOTE: If you have any questions or stories and examples of applying formative assessment, please email your coordinator or .

Title: ABC…to…XYZ (5-10 minutes)

Purpose(s):support vocabulary retention; summarize; aid recall

Procedure:Research and theory on vocabulary development suggest teachers initially provide

students with a description, explanation, or example as opposed to a formal definition, followed by

opportunities for students to generate their own restatements, first linguistically, then pictorially, for

reprocessing and deepening understanding. Whichever technique below is used to assess students’

understanding of the terms,explain purpose of the technique when giving directions. Select a format:

  1. Acrostic: Vertically write letters relating to a concept, key term, or item in lesson; students create lines describing what they learned
  2. Alphabet Story: Partners summarize or retell, with each sentence beginning with the next letter of the alphabet.
  3. Brainstormed sentence: Brainstorm words from the lesson. Now use as many as you can in sentence(s) about the lesson.
  4. Last Word: Students brainstorm ideas from lesson and shape them into acrostic so that summary contains all critical facts about the topic(see example).
  5. List-Group-Label: Students list words related to a given topic, then group the words and label the groupings.
  6. Picture This:Students represent each term or phrase using a graphic representation, picture, or pictograph.
  7. Random Letter: Each student is assigned or selects a letter and in order calls out and explains the term or presents a sentence beginning with the letter.
  8. Taxonomyof the subject/concept: List the alphabet vertically with a word or phrase beginning with as many letters as you can. Students who are able to generate a longer list usually understand more (see example). Students can make a predicted list of terms before the lesson, adding during lesson (Stop and Jot) and adding and reviewing during closure.
  9. Tic Tac Toe: On white board display vocabulary words or concepts. Using 3 words in a row, column, or diagonal,students form sentences for a paragraph. Economics: Two sample sentences might be: Adam Smith was a free market economist who believed in laissez-faire. In a laissez-faire government, individuals are free to buy and sell goods and services.

Free market system / Invisible Hand / Competition
Adam Smith / Self-interest / Market
Laissez-faire / Government / Goods and services
  1. Word Splash: Students generate a brainstormed list or words for a given topic; or given a word splash of such terms, students compose or discuss how these words relate.
  2. Word Walls: Students select terms and place them in a graphic organizer to show relationships (see also graphic organizer –structured overview).

Materials: academic vocabulary notebook; index cards

Notes:

Reference: Dodge 44;Fleming 42;Rutherford86,123-4;etc.

EXAMPLES of LAST WORD

Economics: word list to use Science: LAST WORD on Plate Tectonics

in brainstorming for acrostic

Affirmative action

Aggregate demandP angaea was a prehistoric land mass, the basis for present continents.

Aggregate supplyL ifts land in some places.

ArbitrationA lways moving land somewhere.

BoycottT ectonics is from the Greek meaning builder.

Business cycleE arthquakes happen at plate boundaries.

Capitalism

Collective bargainingT he movement of the plates is predictable.

CommunismE arth is sometimes buried by plate movement.

Consumer price indexC rustal movements cause earthquakes.

CorporationT renches come from subduction.

DeregulationO ceans contain a ridge where plates separate.

EntrepreneurshipN ew land is formed by volcanoes.

Federal deficitI celand is along a plate boundary.

FederalismC ontinental drift theory explains the movement of continents.

Free enterpriseS preading occurs at mid-ocean ridges.

Horizontal integration

Income tax

Interstate Commerce Act

Major economic systems

Market economySocial Studies: ACROSTIC for BOYCOTT

Micro and macro

Monopoly

National debt

Opportunity costB uyers do not buy goods.

Private sectorO pposition to government policy occurs.

ReaganomicsY ou, as consumer, have the power of the dollar to protest injustice.

Social securityC hange occurs when others follow you.

SocialismO ptions and actions yield results.

SocioeconomicT he money you do not spend counts.

Standard of livingT raitors or resisters? The colonists’ Tea Party was the right idea!

Stock market

Tariffs

Trust

Vertical integration

Workers compensation

Reference: Marzano.Reference: Observing…359, 371

Notes:

EXAMPLE of TAXONOMY

The ABC’s of the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Aassembly aqueductN

BbourgeoisOoligopoly

Ccapitalism capitalPpatent proletariat

DdoctrineQ

Eentrepreneur exploitationRregulation

FSsocialism

GTtransformer tycoon

HUutilitarianism unionism urban

IinfrastructureV

JW

KX

Llaissez faireY

Mmanual labor monopolyZ

EXTENSIONS:

Ask students to skim the list of specialized contents and select a topic of interest for any of the following products. No duplication of subtopics!!

  • a written 2-3 page research paper, using 2-3 citations from print and online sources
  • a collection of related documents with DBQ and constructed responses
  • a flip book of Q+A
  • 2 diary/journal entries from that period of time, incorporating unit vocabulary

Notes:

Title: ANALOGY (5-10 minutes)

Purpose(s):Analogy is a comparison between two items that may require explanation of the

connection of new concept, theme, or idea to familiar information. Similes or metaphors also show

how well students understood and analyzed information.

Procedure:Decide if you want students to complete your analogy or create their own.

1. Finish My Analogy:Explainthat this activity is to demonstrate how well the class understood

the lesson by finishing a partially completed Analogy. Present only the beginning of the Analogy. For

example, you could say "A is like B because…." and have students provide the reason they are

similar. Another approach is to say "A is like….." and have students identify information that is

similar and provide the reason by describing attributes. Have students state the next part of the

Analogy and record the Analogy on the presentation material. You may stop with one or request

several pairs. Provide feedback throughout, checking for reasoning and supporting evidence of

students’ thinking. Summarize the results of the activity. You may wish to post some creative ones.

2. Create Your Own Analogy: Explain that this activity is to demonstrate how well the class understood the lesson by creating Analogies. Divide students into pairs or small groups if desired. Inform students of the information for which they are to create Analogies. Ask questions to foster thinking:What does this remind you of? Why is … like …? How did you come up with that comparison? Students create Analogies for the information independently, generating several pairs or several reasons for one pair. Students present their Analogies and their rationale to their group. Provide feedback throughout, checking for reasoning and supporting evidence of students’ thinking. Summarize the results of the activity, especially if there are common categories of answers (sports and nature are common). Invite a few students from different groups to share to the whole class.

Example:Science:Atoms are like a grapefruit because…

both have an outer layer: grapefruit has skin and membrane; atoms have electrons orbiting.

both combine with other things to form interesting combinations: grapefruits with other fruits form fruit salad; atoms with other atoms form molecules and compounds. Observing…355

Example: Civics: metaphor - The 3 branches of government are like a pencil: the “lead” is the legislative that writes the laws; the body is the executive that carries out the laws; the eraser is the judicial for Constitutional review.

Materials: Post an analogy example on the whiteboard or as power point. Model, perhaps with a

handout, the first few times you try this technique as a summary assessment during closure.

Post Directions for Group Discussion of Analogies:

•Explain the significance of your analogy.

•Why did you create your particular analogy?

•What does the analogy suggest about today’s lesson topic?

•How do you apply the meaning of your analogy to today’s lesson topic?

•How is your analogy influenced or changed by your group members?

Notes:

Reference:“Charting a Course: How do I use Analogies?”from

ANALOGY Example of Verbal and Visual Word Association

Mathematics:Select vocabulary terms that would be appropriate for this technique. Explain to students that this will help them discover critical characteristics of a concept and with personal associations deepen their understanding. Direct students to draw a rectangle divided into 4 sections for each term. If you are using 3 terms, they will need 3 rectangles each divided into 4 sections. They write the term in the upper left box and the definition (from text or lesson) in lower left box. Invite them to draw a visual representation (perhaps from a text graphic) in the upper right box. They make their own personal association, example, or characteristic for the fourth box at the lower right.

Vocabulary term / Visual representation
Definition / Personal association or characteristic
Right triangle /
A triangle with one right angle
90 degrees
Square corner /
Ramp of slide

Reference:Barton + Heidema 84-5

Title: ANTICIPATION REACTION GUIDE (5 minutes each – pre and post)

Purpose(s):toactivate background knowledge; stimulate discussion; compare thinking; confirm,

reject, modify understanding; assess application of new knowledge or skills

Procedure:Prepare a series of statements, some true and some false, including misconceptions.

Students respond AGREE (+) or DISAGREE (-) before the reading or lesson. Afterwards, they

revisit the same statements and discuss the information that confirmed or changed their thinking.

Explainthat this is not a true false test but an activity to encourage critical thinking.

Materials: Guide (see example)

Example: Science

Name ______Date ______Class period ______

Cell DivisionAnticipation/Reaction Guide

Directions: Before reading the assigned section, read the following statements. In the

“before reading” column, put a check mark next to each statement with which you agree. Work independently but be prepared to discuss your responses with your partner. Then put this guide away, and read the sectionassigned. Do not mark on this during your reading. After you read the section, place acheck mark in the “after reading” column next to each statement with which you agree.

Again, you will first work on your own. Be prepared to give reasons for your responses.

Before After

ReadingReading

_____1. Cells reproduce by a process called cell division. _____

_____2. The mitochondria control cell division. _____

_____3. During cell division each chromosome in the cell makes

an exact copy of itself._____

_____4. The cell membrane disappears during mitosis. _____

_____ 5. New plant cells stay side by side, separated by a new cell wall

and cell membrane._____

Notes:

Reference:Technique developed by Bean and Peterson; above example is from

ANTICIPATION REACTION GUIDE EXAMPLES

Slavery and Native Americans Lesson: 1600-1865

Instructions: Respond to each question twice. For statements with which you agree, put an "A" in the column. For statements with which you disagree, put a "D" in the column.
Response Before Reading / Topic: Native Americans and Slavery / Response After Reading
Most Native American tribal groups practiced some form of slavery before the European introduction of African Slavery into North America.
Among the Cherokee, the white man's view of civilization was embraced-perhaps reluctantly but surely,-including the use of enslaved blacks as a labor force on their farms and, in some cases, their plantations.
In 1860, nearly 4,000 enslaved blacks lived in the Cherokee nation.
After the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln and the rapid secession of most of the southern states, the U.S. government actively sought allies from the Five Civilized Tribes.

Reference:Austin,Tori.

Esperanza Rising

Before After

_____ After the Mexican Revolution, there continued to beproblems _____

between the rich and poor people.

_____ People’s lifestyles don’t change very much when they_____

move to a different country.

_____ When people immigrated to California, they found work, _____

but they also experienced discrimination.

_____ In the 1920’s and 1930’s, almost half a million Mexicans _____

and Mexican Americans were repatriated to Mexico.

_____ Farm workers had strikes and were successful in getting _____

better pay and living conditions during the 1930’s.

Reference:

ANTICIPATION REACTION GUIDE EXAMPLES

English: Critical Lens Quotations- Agree or disagree and explain why. List 2 literary works that relate to the quotation. Be prepared to discuss.

QUOTATION AGREE / DISAGREE LITERARY EXAMPLES

Time ripens all things.______

______

The best literature is about the old universal truths, such as love, honor, pride, compassion and sacrifice. ______

______

No man that does not see visions will ever realize any high hope or undertake any high enterprise...

______

Reference:

Business EducationComputer II Class: Economic Decisions and Systems

Decide if each answer is true or false.

  1. A compact disc player is an example of a need.
  2. Tangible products you can purchase to meet you wants and needs are called goods.
  3. When you decide to buy a jacket instead of a concert ticket, you are making a tradeoff.
  4. Capitalism is another name for a traditional economic system.
  5. Competition forces businesses to search for new ways to satisfy customers’ wants and needs.
  6. The market price for a product is the point where demand exceeds supply.
  7. Economists predict future changes in the economy.
  8. China is the largest producer of goods and services in the world.

Choose the best answer to complete each statement below. You can use the answer more than once.

  1. controlled economy B. market economy C. traditional economy D. mixed economy
  1. Resources are owed and controlled by the people of the country. ______
  2. The government decides what and how goods are produced. ______
  3. Workers often use hand tools and readily available natural resources. ______
  4. As countries become more developed, they often adopt this economic system. ______
  5. Consumers base their decisions on their own self-interest. ______

Title: APPLICATION CARDS (2-4 minutes)

Purpose(s):to determine how well students can transfer learning to a new situation

Procedure:Ask students to write down real-world applications for what they have just learned.

They may apply the concept or content knowledge, vocabulary, skill, thinking process, etc. The

context in which the technique is used must be considered, however, and the students must begiven

specific instruction on what should, and should not, be written to avoid reiteration of facts.Follow up

with informal interviewing (what makes you say so?) to unpack their thinking.

Examples:

Science: To assess understanding of centripetal force (commonly confused with centrifugal force),

ask students for 5 different practical applications with an explanation on what the nature of force

acted. The textbook gives 2 or 3 so ask for more!

English:List the kinds of writing that require persuasion (advertisement, letter of application,

election campaign speech, call to action paper, grant or proposal).

Computer: Give uses of spreadsheets (record keeping, graphical display of data, data tables,

optimization, productivity tables, statistical analysis, forecasting using time series, simulations,

invoices, expenses, net worth, comparison).

Bus. Ed. HS Accounting: A reconciliation of a bank statement is completed when a bank statement is received to ensure that the bank statement and checking account are in balance and correct. Describe four differences that may exist between the bank statement and the checkbook balance, at the time the bank statement is received, and the reason for each difference. Write your four answers on an index card and share them with a neighbor by explaining how you would rectify them. Each person (two) involved in this sharing process will explain only one of the choices at a time until all the reasons for differences in balances are discussed. This will be done by rotating responses between partners.