This post is based around an assignment called "Stepping into the Picture"; this particular assignment is as follows:
Have your students recreate this photograph through a drama exercise. Have students research information about those who participated in the Confederation process by using your classroom textbook, doing guided research on the Internet or in the Library, or printing out the biographies assign your students to "role play" The Fathers.
Ask your students to create conversations that "might have occurred" between the Fathers of Confederation as they waited patiently on the stairs outside of the Legislature in Charlottetown to get their photograph taken. In 1863 this would take a long time. It was a very slow process. This would allow them time for quite a detailed talk. The conversations should include something about the person, the region and people they represent, and their arguments for or against Confederation.
Once the conversations are ready then ask the students to recreate the photograph of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown in front of a projection of the photograph. When they are in place start on one side of the photograph and work across calling on each student to read, or better still re-enact, the prepared conversation.
Once the conversations are ready then ask the students to recreate the photograph of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown in front of a projection of the photograph. When they are in place start on one side of the photograph and work across calling on each student to read, or better still re-enact, the prepared conversation.
My response as to how I would assess this activity is:
To begin on this task, I would explain the step by step process of the task and then create success criteria with the students based on the curricular expectations and based on what the students want to get out of the task. Before they get started on their work, I would make sure that everyone is clear on the criteria. I would then check in with students during each stage of the process; during the research stage I would check in with groups to make sure that all students are on task and understand what it is that they need to do.
During the conversation creation stage, I would do the same, but also checking that the content of their conversations was relevant and appropriate. At the beginning of each class, I would remind students of the timeline of their work and we would review the success criteria together.
As they recreate the scene, I would also look for clarity of voice and an engaging tone, which they would know from the success criteria that we had created together. At the end of the process, I would have them assess themselves and their peers with one piece of positive feedback and one constructive criticism. Throughout the task, I suppose the success criteria would be the guiding principles of my checklist so that I wouldn’t be using something as complex as a rubric, but not as simple as a plain checklist.
I found this assignment challenging to assess because there is so much going on. I was glad to be challenged in this way, because it is one thing to think of a great activity for your class, and it is another to think about its relevance and how students will be showing what they are learning. As with many tasks, I think it is often best to work backwards and to think about what it is that you would like your students to learn and build around that; this, of course, can also be limiting. All in all, I think it is best not to overwhelm yourself or your students with too many expectations (as I learned from one of my peers), and just to focus on the main ideas and skills.
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