Standardized Assessments, Eugenics and Argumentative Writing
These lessons can be used and modified for 6th-12th grade. For lower grades, you may need to read the
articles aloud. Graphic organizers can be shortened or modified.
Common Core standards:
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant
evidence.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze
how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Objectives:
1. Students will compare two differing points of view in non-fiction, argumentative text.
2. Students will write an argumentative letter on standardized assessments, using textual evidence
from the non-fiction texts and their own personal thoughts and connections to the topic.
3. Students will find 2 central ideas of a non-fiction article.
Essential Questions:
1. Why were standardized assessments created?
2. Why do blacks and Latinos score significantly lower on standardized assessments?
3. Should standardized assessments be mandated in school districts? Explain with evidence.
Lessons:
(Some days can be joined and completed in one lesson)
Day 1:
1. Bellringer (Write in their journal): What qualities make an individual a good person? What
qualities make an individual a good citizen in their community and in society? What qualities do
high stakes tests measure?
2. Pair: Share with a partner your thoughts on the questions.
3. Share: Share with the class, the main points of your discussion.
4. Tell them the statistic that blacks and Latinos test significantly lower on standardized assessments
than their white peers.
5. Have them discuss in pairs:
a. What do you think about this?
b. How does this make you feel?
c. Why do you think Latinos and blacks score lower than their white peers?
6. Share out in large group discussion.
Day 2:
Resources: Eugenics PowerPoint, Eugenics graphic organizer
Connection: Remind them that yesterday they discussed why Latinos and black score
disproportionately lower on standardized assessments than their white peers. Explain how today they
will learn about the history of standardized assessments and why they were first created.
1. Bellringer: What are the differences between a standardized test and classroom assessments?
Which one do you prefer? Explain.
2. Tables or pairs share their responses, then share out with the whole group.
3. Pass out graphic organizer on Eugenics & standardized testing.
4. Show Eugenics PowerPoint and pause for small-group or whole group discussion throughout
(depending on the size of your classroom).
a. Students will fill out the graphic organizer while seeing watching the PowerPoint.
5. Students will complete the final reflection questions on the Eugenics graphic organizer.
Day 3:
Graphic Organizer: Central Idea
7a. Connection: Remind them that yesterday they learned about the history of standardized tests and
the differences between classroom assessments and standardized assessments. Today, they will go
deeper into the Eugenics movement.
8a. Tell the students that they will work on finding the 2 central ideas of a non-fiction texts by doing a
close read of the article on Eugenics. Explain that the central idea of a text is the message of the story. It
is the unifying element of the text, which ties together all of the other elements.
9a. Model finding the central idea by reading aloud:
http://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/2008/03_scoring_well/pdf/24-4-Woollen.pdf
Page 4-5: how the SAT disproportionately affects Blacks/Latinos
10a. Explain the central idea.
11a. Tell the students to find the central idea of: “A Brief and Ugly History of Intelligence Testing”
http://crackingthelearningcode.com/bonus1.html
12a. Tell the students to fill out the graphic organizer on central idea, using textual evidence,
explaining the textual evidence and including their own thoughts and connections.
Day 4:
Article Links:
BBB letter: http://cps.edu/PARCC/documents/PARCC-english.pdf
More than a Score Statement on Misinformation from ISBE on opt out and PARCC:
https://chicagotestingresistance.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/mtasmisinformationfromisbeoptout1.pdf
Graphic Organizer: Comparing differing view points
1. Connection: Remind them of the letter they received last week from BBB on standardized
assessments.
2. Explain how people have differing viewpoints on standardized assessments.
3. Pass out a comparison graphic organizer for comparing BBB’s letter to More than a Score’s
Response letter.
4. Tell the students to underline her thoughts on standardized assessments. Tell them to “star” which
points she is against and wants to rebuttal. Read aloud BBB’s letter.
5. Read aloud More than a Score’s response. Tell them to star their rebuttals.
6. Explain how in strong argumentative writing, the writer rebuttals the opposing viewpoints.
7. As a class, discuss, the differing viewpoints.
8. Students will fill out the comparison graphic organizer, using textual evidence.
Day 4:
Graphic Organizer: Argumentative Writing
9. Bellringer: (write in their journals) Should students take standardized assessments? Explain with
evidence from yesterday’s articles, the Eugenics PowerPoint, article and your own experiences.
10. Students will discuss their responses in pairs.
11. Students will share our to the whole group and debate the topic.
12. Connection: Remind the students how yesterday they read 2 differing view points on standardized
assessments and today they will write their own argumentative piece on standardized
assessments using a graphic organizer.
13. Explain how strong argumentative writers include a thesis, reasons with evidence, a rebuttal to
the opposing viewpoint and their own personal connections. Provide a graphic organizer on
writing an argumentative piece on whether students support standardized assessments. The
graphic organizer will include:
a. thesis
b. textual evidence from the letters.
c. explanation of the textual evidence in their own words.
d. Students’ own personal experiences connected to standardized assessments
19. Students will use the graphic organizer to write a letter to BBB on their thoughts on standardized
assessments.
Extra resources to include in the lesson:
1. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
2. “More than a Number” video. Explain how NY schools rate kids 1-4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcjIftvIC3I