Evaluation Plan

Course Content and Expectations: This unit plan is comprised of various opportunities for evaluation. Throughout the four weeks, we provide students with different opportunities to show us how well they are learning what we are teaching. This is dependent on how well they: read the book, engage with the material to find understanding, participate in in-class discussions, prepare for quizzes, work on the weekly performance tasks, and engage with the final assignment. Every day of the unit, students are assigned new chapters to read, along with reading questions to have completed for the following day (during the first portion of the unit). Every day, students are to pass homework check so that they can engage in group homework discussions if work is done. It is expected that students are done their work every day. If they are not done and do not pass the homework check, they are required to continue on with their reading and homework. Meaning they do not get the opportunity to join in on the separate group discussions until they have completed. This is intended to give incentive to students to have their homework done in advance so that they will: not feel left out, get their answers checked over by their peers, engage with their peers about the post-reading questions, and to solidify their chapter knowledge so that they can better engage with the in-class discussions and assignments. Students must make their own interpretations, interact with their peers in discussions, and learn how to be prepared for class and accountable to and for themselves and others. For the second portion of the unit, it will be assumed that all students have completed their reading prior to class, so that they can participate in group discussion. Within each group assignment, there will always be members elected for certain positions (such as scribe, time keeper, and facilitator). In this regard students will have to sign off on work they contributed and indicate what role they took in the completion of group task assigned. The progression of the unit if formulated in such a way to set a standard for the class that needs to be upheld for the rest of the unit. They learn, in the first portion of the unit, the expectations that we as teachers have of them and how much work needs to be done to fully participate in our class. Modification and Differentiated Instruction: For this unit plan, we make sure that we provide students with varying learning abilities and styles and supply opportunities necessary to learn in ways that best suit them. In every lesson we allow for students to work or interact with their peers (perhaps to pool together knowledge) so that students can learn from each other and gather peer-given knowledge in modalities that work best for them (i.e. note taking, discussing, listening, etc.). Students are also given the opportunity to engage with the lesson by watching videos and responding to them, taking notes, reading articles aloud, performing written or visual activities, and the occasional games. We make sure that if students are not confident about the material that there are opportunities for them to discuss with classmates and solidify what they know or enhance their understanding. Because not everyone learns in the same way, we make sure that every lesson has auditory, verbal, and visual components; where possible, we also try to make sure that we can cater to the tactile learner (through activities or written assignments). For students needing the aid of a computer in class, the website, bravenewworldedu.weebly.com, contains all class materials such as specific handouts and assignment outlines.

KICA: Knowledge - This part of learning is brought about by in-class demonstrations of understanding, quizzes, and writing assignments. At various times, students are asked to draw on what they have learned from the book/assigned chapter(s). Inquiry - This part of learning is brought about when students are asked to conduct research for their assignments using secondary sources, or in in-class discussions/group discussions, reading articles, and connecting to the text in various in-class circumstances. Additionally, students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage with their classmates so that they can compile their knowledge so as to be able to better construct responses. Communication - This part of learning is expressed through students writing, personal expression, higher order thinking questions (for instance, responses to critical thinking questions in nightly readings), assignments, and in class group discussions. Application - This part of learning is brought about when students are asked to connect knowledge from the text into their comparative essay /or critical reflection, and in the weekly assignments where students are to make connections from class to the text and to the real world. In assignments, students are to incorporate written grammar conventions, proper spelling, and attentive reading skills (i.e. reading questions properly). Assessment: Assessment for learning - In order to get an understanding of what students already know or what they have understood, students participate in group discussion circles, think-pair-shares, What do you remember activities, and chapter reading questions (both during and postreading). Assessment as learning - In order for us to see what students are learning, we assign students daily chapter readings (for the first portion of the unit), weekly in-class activities, and in-class discussions. Students are required to participate and are held accountable for their participation via homework checks, chapter discussion circles vs silent desk work, and in-class assignments that are marked. These assessments allow for us to see on a regular basis how each student is progressing. Assessment of learning - In order to see what students have taken away from the teachings, we give students assignments and quizzes. The purpose of this is for students to perform recall and application of understanding in different ways. Our assignments require kinesthetic movement (through writing, editing, and typing), visual analysis (analyzing images, Youtube videos, and the movie of the novel), and audio interpretation (watching the movie and watching Youtube videos). They also require for students to engage in higher order thinking by responding to abstract questions with their critical thinking/reading skills.