Adapted from "Heuristic for Designing Writing Assignments" by Ericka Lindemann, Content Area Writing by Jim Burke, and the work of Write Boston Coach Kelly Knopf-Goldner
To
counterbalance the weight of standardized testing placed on students in the
twenty-first century, we need to design summative projects that engage students in the dynamic integration of content with real-word literacies – reading, writing, and numeracy in a variety of modes, frequent oral processing, academic conversation,
questioning, non-routine problem solving, viewing, producing, presenting, and reflection.
To guide the design of these projects, we are asking five questions and looking for some of the answers in the Core standards:
Task: WHAT do I
want students to do?
- Will the
assignment tell me about what they’ve learned?
- Does the
assignment assess not only what my students know but what they can do?
- Is it connected
to the “real world”?
- Does it appeal
to the interests and experiences of my students?
- Does it require
specialized knowledge?
- What genre is
most appropriate? (See “Writing
Is…”)
Purpose: WHY are
my students doing this?
- Does the
assignment challenge students to explore authentic and essential questions and
issues in the discipline?
- Does the
assignment challenge students to grow as critical thinkers, communicators, and
creative problem solvers?
- Does the
assignment address some of the core standards for literacy and/or numeracy in
my subject?
Audience: WHO is
the intended audience?
- Beyond the
teacher and their peers, for what “real world” audience will the students be
writing?
- What do students
need to know about their audience?
- Will students
have an opportunity to receive feedback from their audience before submitting a
final draft?
Process: HOW
will students do this work? HOW will I assess it?
- Are students
working alone or together?
- To what extent
will I guide the students’ work?
- In what ways
will they practice prewriting, writing, and rewriting?
- Will the
assignment challenge students to read, discuss, revise, and/or publish their
work?
- Do students have
enough information from me to make effective choices (of subject, genre,
strategies, etc.)?
- How will I
evaluate the work?
- What is the criteria for success? What constitutes
a “successful / strong / distinguished” response to the assignment?
- Will other
students, or the writer, have a say in evaluating the work?
- How can I
improve the assignment next time?
Timeline: WHEN
will students do the assignment?
- How does the
assignment relate to what comes before or after it in the course?
- How much time in
and outside of class will students need?
- What deadlines
do I want or need to set for various stages of the assignment or for collecting
student work?
Click here for a
user-friendly handout, Designing Effective Assignments.
Activate the
following links for current examples of performance-based assessments designed by RPS teachers. Each one draws from a rich sequence of activities and resources performed over a period of time.
Advertising a 19th Century Reform Movement
Andrew Jackson: Deserving of the $20 Bill?
Civil Rights Protest Songs
Digital Storytelling
From Novel to News Account: The Branding of Isabel Finch
Proposing a Solution to a Problem
The Red Sox, Jerry Remy, and Media Responsibility
The Shakespeare Conspiracy Theory
Should Massachusetts Reinstate the Death Penalty?