

A New Generation of Assessments
Presented at NC SS Leaders Conference,
October 2014
Courtney Tuck & Melissa McGready- WSFCS
 Why
“Old School” testing won’t work
anymore…
 What today’s testing needs to accomplish…
 What makes a strong conceptual Multiple
Choice or Constructed Response question…
 Time to practice writing questions…
Ancient Egyptians
used shaduf to
move water to
their
crops.
An extensive canal
system was used in the
Indus Valley Civilization
of Harappa.
The Ancient Chinese
created an irrigation
Regulators were used system capable of
on canals in
water storing,
Mesopotamia to control
channeling,
the level of water in the irrigating and draining
irrigation ditches.
in the Western Zhou
Dynasty
Memorization
of facts
Never-ending lists of people,
places, dates, & events
Small % is retained
Your Mama’s Test Questions…
1. Which of the following acts required colonists
to pay a tax on paper products?
A. Quartering Act
B. Stamp Act
C. Tea Act
D. Paper Act
Your Mama’s Test Questions…
Matching:
1. written language using wedge shaped
characters
2. civilization on Tigris and Euphrates River
3. written language using symbols and pictures
A. Egypt
B. cuneiform
C. Mesopotamia
4. some of history’s first written laws
D. Code of
Hammurabi
5. civilization on the Nile River
E. hieroglyphics
Your Mama’s Test Questions…
Fill in the Blank:
1. ___________________________’s 95 Theses resulted in the start of
the Protestant Reformation.
2. The Catholic Church charged ___________________ with heresy
because he said the earth revolved around the sun.
3. ____________________________ believed that all people have
natural rights, including life, liberty and property.
4. _______________________ expressed the importance of a
government with checks and balances and a separation of powers.
Galileo
John Locke
Martin Luther
Montesquieu
Conceptual
teaching requires a new
generation of assessments
o Based on standards - not just facts
o Application of knowledge - not
memorization and regurgitation
o Requires students to use primary sources
& stimulus material (maps, graphs, charts)
o Requires student to think critically
 Start
with the standard you want to assess
 Take note of the verb and what students
should be able to do/understand
6.G.1.2
the
and the
WH.H.6.4
the
.

Phrase the item as a question
The first President of the United States of America was
A. Abraham Lincoln
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. George Washington
D. John Adams
Avoid
using “NOT” or “All … except” in
your questions
Which of the following was NOT a motivation for
European Exploration?
A. Spread Christianity
B. Slave trade
C. Resources and Riches
D. Fame and stature among leaders
 Create
answer choices that are all
approximately the same length
What development marks the transition from the
Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Era?
A. Use of irrigation
B. Ability to farm
C. Knowledge of fire
D. Humans developed advanced weapons that
allowed them to protect themselves.
 All
answer choices must be plausible
What was main complaint of the American colonists that
pushed them toward revolution?
A. Taxation without representation
B. Limits on trade and economic affairs
C. Extreme dislike for the British flag design & colors
D. Disagreements on how colonies should be ruled
 Avoid
answer choices “All of the Above”,
“None of the Above”, etc…
How did the economies of the East African city-states
influence their culture?
A. Arab traders shared their culture with the Africans
B. Arab traders forced the Africans to give up their way
of life
C. African merchants refused to trade with Muslims
D. All of the above
___ 2. How did the religion of Judaism transform (change) the society in Mesopotamia?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Abraham was no longer the ruler of Ur.
It introduced monotheism to a polytheistic society.
The 10 Commandments replaced the Code of Hammurabi.
It caused the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire.
6.C.1.2 Explain how religion transformed various
societies, civilizations and regions.
___ Which statement best describes the
information shown in the image above?
A. Taxation Rate - those at the top pay
the highest taxes
B. Population - it shows how the number
of people increased in Egypt over
time
C. Social Structure - each level was more
important than the one below it
D. Religious Beliefs - each level
worshipped those in the next level
above them
6.C.1.3 Summarize systems of social structure within various civilizations and
societies over time.
Use the table below to answer the question.
Federalist
Democratic-Republican
• Strongest support in New
England
• Favored a strong central
government
• Supported by bankers and big
business owners
• Led by Alexander Hamilton and
John Adams
• Strongest support in the South
• Favored states’ rights
• Supported by farmers and
shopkeepers
• Led by Thomas Jefferson and
James
Madison
Which of the following individuals would have been most
supportive of the Federalist Party in 1800?
A
a large plantation owner in Virginia
B
a small grocery store owner in Georgia
C
a small farmer in rural Pennsylvania
D
a large shipping company owner in Massachusetts
AH1.H.4.1: Analyze the political
issues and conflicts that
impacted the United States
through Reconstruction and the
compromises that resulted.
 Start
with the standard you want to assess
 Take note of the verb and what students should be
able to do/understand
6.G.1.2
the
and the
WH.H.6.4
the
.
 When
possible, mirror the verb from the
standard
 Use quantifiers in your prompt to guide
student responses
 Incorporate choices
 Stimulus material - quotes, reading
passages, charts, graphs, maps, images,
timelines
Why
did the world go to war in 1939?
Discuss how alliances changed the
outcome of WWI.
How was the South affected by the Civil
War?
Mount Rushmore- USA
Abu Simbel- Egypt
Compare how these monuments reflect how the Ancient Egyptians and
Americans value their leaders. Explain one way they are alike and one
way their values are different.
Explain the impact of the printing press on the
Renaissance/Reformation. Give two examples
of how it impacted society.
1820 Missouri Compromise
1850 Compromise of 1850
1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act
Choose one of the items listed and explain how political
conflict led to the creation of the compromise or act.
Then, explain why the compromise or act failed to resolve
this conflict. (2 points)
AH1.H.4.1: Analyze the political issues and conflicts that impacted the
United States through Reconstruction and the compromises that resulted.
Explain how the physical
geography of a place
influenced the
development of industry.
Then, provide one
example of how
industrialization changed
the environment.
WH.H.6.3 Explain how physical geography and natural resources influenced
industrialism and changes in the environment.



Questions for summative tests at the end of your units will
contain content specific material.
Questions on the NC Final Exam will most likely be more
broad in their scope and not focused on a specific time or
event.
We suggest you “Throw them a Curve” on every assessment
throughout the year. Ask a question that applies the same
concept but uses a new example with stimulus material
students must use to answer it.
 Within
groups, practice writing a few
questions
o Copies of Unpacked Standards for your
foundation
o Stimulus material related to content
o Tips for Effective Questions
We
love our Mamas. We can
even love your Mamas. But we
can’t use the same test
questions she took when she
was in school. It’s time for a
change…
Courtney Tuck - Middle School SS, WSFCS
ctuck@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Melissa McGready - High School SS, WSFCS
mmmcgready@wsfcs.k12.nc.us