"The Big Question" Honors Assessment
What is "The Big Question" Honors Assessment?
The Big Question assessment is designed to encourage critical thinking and synthesis of a multitude of sources at an honors level. The assessment will be completed in a portion of the second half of the year and the grade for the assessment will be placed in either third or fourth quarter depending on the date of completion, and weight the assessment varies by grade level. This assignment is required in order to justify the 0.5 GPA bump for students taking an honors course.
BIG QUESTION BY GRADE LEVEL
Lists of questions or topics and rubrics for both paper and presentation are provided.
Sample materials are offered for teacher reference; use or modify these resources as needed.
Regarding the format of the final product, teachers have the option to offer students choices or require a single format from all students.
In all grade levels, the final product -- an essay or written component(s) for presentation or PBL/PBA -- should be submitted to TurnItIn.com.
*In tenth grade, an additional PBL/PBA option is provided. Teachers who wish to offer the PBL/PBA option to students will need to develop their own rubrics for this option.
BIG QUESTION REVISIONS (2019)
The following revisions were made during the summer of 2019:
Vertical alignment to ensure differences in requirements between grade levels (see chart - length, topics, and weighting)
All grade levels have the option of a paper or presentation
In ninth and eleventh grade, the option of a paper or a presentation is given.
In tenth grade, an additional option for a PBL opportunity is given (teachers will develop their own rubrics for this option).
Teachers have autonomy to give students choice or mandate the format of the final product.
Encourage vertical alignment discussion within schools
Assignment to be completed during the second semester (grade may be in third or fourth quarter)
Rubrics were edited to align language with LCPS argument rubric
Distinct rubrics created for both papers and presentations
Written components required for presentations
MLA Outline and works cited (required)
Additional options: Proposals, Annotated Bibliography, Split-Level Journal
Resources added for each grade level for teacher use and editing
FYI, old language of "artifacts" revised to "sources"
