This page has information about assessment and grading for the Ethnic Studies course.
The following items are reviewed each week and help facilitate discussion, feedback and insight for growth and development:
Notes/annotations
Summaries
Reflections
Discussion board posts
Check-ins - MH check-in, to do lists, goals, follow-up
Drafts
At the end of each unit of study, you will turn in a project packet that contains:
Title page - Title and reflection for your project. What did you explore? What did you learn? New concepts? Terms? Information? Insights? How did it go? Challenges & Successes: What was most challenging for you? What did you struggle with? What were you successful at? What went well? - compilation of reflections
Annotations/notes
Works Cited
Creative piece - writing (poem, play, fiction, creative nonfiction, etc.), podcast, song, dance, film, painting, photograph — process/commentary must accompany piece
Academic/Analytical writing - research-based essay, article, blog post, etc. - Writing research-based essays that explain their creative works can help students develop more fluency with writing because it can sometimes be easier for students to explain themselves when they have something visual or tangible that serves as a representation of the complex ideas and information that went into creating it.
Self-Assessment - use the assessment questions provided for this unit
Written assessments are designed to help students build on the foundational skills they learn in 9th grade. Writing instruction in Ethnic Studies supports the rhetorical skills taught in 10th grade English. Students also experiment with structure and style, apply the basics they have learned, while transitioning to using more complex rhetorical strategies that can make their writing more engaging. Practicing more complex techniques for style and structure also helps prepare students for more challenging comprehension and analysis when they get to AP Lang because the rhetorical strategies at that level are more complex.
Assessment of academic research and writing is based on the following standards and skills:
AP Seminar & AP Research Skills
Assessment is focused on helping students develop:
critical thinking
creative expression
analytical writing skills
Each unit is structured around an inquiry-based project that will have a creative expression component and an analytical writing component. Throughout the entire unit, students continually brainstorm critical questions and to reflect on both the content and their process. Students also conference regularly with the teacher, and they practice listening closely to one another and offering feedback that can be supportive and helpful.
As a class, we learn and discuss core concepts in the unit.
Individually, students research an individual topic of interest.
Students read, discuss and think critically as they absorb new information. Students share information and ideas in small group discussions, whole class discussions, and online discussion boards.
Individually, students develop a creative piece (literary or other art form) to explore and express their understanding. In writing workshops students study mentor texts and practice applying literary techniques and experimenting with structure and style. In small group discussions, whole class discussions and online discussion boards, students discuss their creative process and their progress.
Individually, students write a research-based essay that walks a reader through the information and complex ideas that form the basis for their creative piece (or an existing creative piece). In writing workshops students study mentor texts and practice applying rhetorical techniques and experimenting with structure and style. Students also practice using critical close reading and applying their knowledge of craft to revise and edit their own work. In small group discussions, whole class discussions and online discussion boards, students discuss their analyses, their writing process and their progress, and they practice giving positive constructive feedback to one another.
The idea is to walk students through the skills of:
processing information and thinking critically
synthesizing information from a variety of sources
expressing deep/complex understanding
communicating their understanding in a clear, organized and engaging way.