Assessment strategies are given in this section to accompany the activities described on this site. These activities focus on improving all aspects of a students’ English language. Our approach to assessment is get students interacting with other, discovering new technologies, as well as gaining information on Canadian History at the same time. These activities allow students to be creative and to learn from each other. Students will blog, record audio, present information and reflect on their work. Our aim is to make assessment diverse and fun, so that a students’ strength can shine through various channels.
Model of Assessment
Activity 1:
Lesson Objectives:
Analyze political, economic, social, and geographical factors that led to groups of people (Chinese, Irish, and German) immigrating to Canada and the role they played in the development of a young nation.
Part 1:
Immigration Discussion Questions
Use the following questions to guide your understanding of what the lives of Chinese, Irish, and German immigrants were like.
Review before each video or article and make sure you are using these questions to guide your conversation. Use the Conversation Rubric below for conversation expectations. When you post your conversations to your blog, make sure to say which one you would like marked for content understanding.
Questions
- What were some of the concerns Immigrants had about moving to Canada?
- What were some of the push and pull factors that lead them to move?
- Where in Canada did the move to? Why?
- What did they bring with them from their home country?
- How did they travel? How long did it take?
- What was it like when they arrived? Was it like they expected?
- Did their lives improve once they arrived? How?
- What dangers did they face?
- What were some struggles they went through?
- What were some victories they had in their new life?
Conversation Rubric
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | |
| Understanding | Student used very few examples from video/article. Little to no connection was demonstrated. | Student used few examples from video/article. There were few connections made to the questions. | Student used some examples from video/article. Connections were present in some examples. | Student used many key examples from video/article to make strong connections to the questions. |
| Thinking | Student was unable to make connections between the different events and the questions. | Student made connections between a few events and the questions. | Student made connections between some events and the questions. | Student made connections between events and the questions. |
| Communication | Student did not use appropriate vocabulary or follow grammar structure when speaking. | Student used few correct vocabulary terms when expressing ideas and basic grammar was followed. | Student used many correct vocabulary terms to express ideas and had a good sense of grammar in their responses. | Student spoke clearly and used appropriate vocabulary to express ideas. Grammar structure was followed. |
Teacher can use this to mark blog conversation post. Also, students can also be asked to peer mark other students blogs.
Language Skills- Speaking: The conversations that are recorded in stage one would be an excellent formative assessment tool for teacher and student to give and receive feedback on how they are progressing with their speaking skills and using correct vocabulary and grammar structure when communicating thoughts, ideas and factual information.
Content knowledge: The conversations would also serve as a great check for the teacher to make sure students have an understanding of the main ideas and concepts around immigration to Canada in the 1880’s.
Summative
Stage 2: Timeline : The visual timeline that students will make after researching a specific group of immigrants would be a great measure of their in depth understanding of immigration in Canada.
Stage 4: Personal Digital Story: This final product would serve as a strong artifact of learning. Students finished products should demonstrate connections between the historical information that has been covered to their own or their families story. This is an opportunity for students to compare and contrast as well as add new pieces to the picture. It is also an opportunity to measure literacy skills such as writing, speaking, grammar and spelling.
Immigration Digital Story Rubric Guide
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | |
| Connection to Historical Information | Student did not use any vocabulary and historical information in connection to their story. | Student rarely used vocabulary and historical information in connection to their own story. | Student used vocabulary and historical information most of the time in connection to their own story. | Student used vocabulary and historical information in connection to their own story. |
| Use of Digital Storytelling Tool (DST) | Student did not chose a DST that helped to tell their story in an interesting way | Student chose a DST that helped to tell their story but lacked some creativity. | Student chose a DST that helped to tell their story. | Student chose a DST that helped to tell their story in an interesting way |
| Communication | Student did not provide details and events were not ordered to help give meaning and continuity | Student provided little detail and ordered events to help give meaning and continuity | Student provided most details and ordered events to help give meaning and continuity | Student provided details and ordered events to help give meaning and continuity |
| Structure | The finished product contained many grammar and spelling errors. | The finished product contained some grammar and spelling errors. | The finished product contained a few grammar and spelling errors. | The finished product is free of grammar and spelling errors. |
Activity 2
Students will fill in the KWL chart, this will give the teacher an idea of what prior knowledge the students possess.
Briefing sheet for preliminary research.
Colony: Names:
| Population (1860): |
| Urban Centers:
|
| Key figures:
|
| Write brief summary of key points emerging from your research. Try to focus on to find strengths and problems of the colony. Focus on the condition of trade, defense/armed forces, political system, economy, key political figures and their role in political system. You can make point form notes. |
Digital Storytelling Workshop Assessment.
Advisors will evaluate the process based on the student’s engagement, inventiveness, and reflection. If the student chooses to participate in the Story Challenge, prestigious reviewers will evaluate the final product based on execution and communication.
Each category of the rubric will be given a score of 5, 10, 15, or 20 with a final possible score of 100 points.
ADVISORS:
Engagement ______ /20
Inventiveness ______ /20
Reflection ______ /20
REVIEWERS:
Execution ______ /20
Communication ______ /20
TOTAL GRADE: ______ /100
The following example would receive grades of 20/20 in each category:
ENGAGEMENT Student is interested and engaged in working, uses his or her time wisely, and works appropriately with others.
INVENTIVENESS Student used a story map, board, or other planning method that helped him or her think about how he or she would tell his or her story. Student sought feedback and thought critically about how to improve his or her story.
REFLECTION Student thoughtfully explained how and why he or she chose to create his or her story. His or her answers to the questions are thorough, organized, and creative.
EXECUTION Student used images to creatively tell the story behind the words. Student uses his or her natural speaking voice, as well as music (optional) and effects (optional) to support (without taking away from) the meaning of his or her story.
COMMUNICATION Student tells a PERSONAL STORY about an object, person, event, or place that profoundly impacted him or her or someone he or she knows. Student’s digital story articulates a clear message and tells a compelling and engaging story the viewer connects to emotionally.
[Rubric categories thanks to: Paul Sproll and the teachers at Hope Arts High School, Providence, RI]
Rubric for final presentation:
Participation Rubic:
This can be used for the blog responses as well as posting on other student’s times:
