407 Assessment Design.doc

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Liz Tezak
November 5, 2008
Design an Assessment
Unit: Latin American Literature
STAGE 1:DESIRED RESULTS
Established Goals/Objectives:
Students will be able to:
o Recognize various forms of literature
o Demonstrate an understanding of critical perspectives
o Analyze a variety of texts for cultural voice and purpose
o Create an array of personal writing pieces
o Interpret aspects of minority literature
o Examine the use of short stories, novels, informational texts, poetry, etc.
o Demonstrate their ability to research an author or issue
Understandings:
Various genres offer multiple options for perspective, interpretation, and purpose.
Thus, it is important for individuals to make cross-cultural connections between
what they read, and their own personal experiences and prior knowledge. Cultural
literature becomes a vehicle for one to be heard and understood
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to be a Latin American author?
How does our self-identified culture shape our experiences?
Whose perspective is correct? How do others’ experiences shape our understanding?
How do various types of texts speak to their intended audiences?
Michigan State Standards:
CE 1.2.3 Write, speak, and create artistic representations to express personal
experience and perspective (e.g., personal narrative, poetry, imaginative writing,
slam poetry, blogs, webpages).
CE 1.4.1 Identify, explore, and refine topics and questions appropriate for research.
CE 1.5.4 Use technology tools to produce polished written and multimedia work
CE 2.2.3 Interpret the meaning of written, spoken, and visual texts by drawing on
different cultural, theoretical, and critical perspectives.
CE 3.1.7 Analyze and evaluate the portrayal of various groups, societies, and cultures
in literature and other texts.
CE 3.1.9 Analyze how the tensions among characters, communities, themes, and
issues in literature and other texts reflect human experience.
CE 3.2.1 Recognize a variety of literary genres and forms (e.g., poetry, drama, novels,
short stories, autobiographies, biographies, multi-genre texts, satire, parody,
allegory) and demonstrate an understanding of the way in which genre and form
influence meaning.
CE 3.3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of American minority literature and the
contributions of minority writers.
STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Tasks:
Students will choose one option from the Unit Project Handout. They will turn in a
written proposal in advance to approve their topic, project choice, and explain why
they chose it. Class periods will be set aside for group workshops, as well as
individual working time, including one-on-one time with me. Every project must
include a written reflection to explain their thinking process, how they arrived at the
finished project, further description or clarification of the project’s aspects, and what
they believe they learned more from the text by creating the project.
Other Evidence:
o Project Proposal
o Reading or Organization Checks/Status Reports
o Observation during Workshop
o One-on-One Conferences
o Project
o Written Reflection
STAGE 3: LEARNING PLAN
Learning Activities:
o Weekly journaling of readings
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Class discussion – Small group discussion
Small group discussion activity for Cisneros’ text – one group/one chapter
Lit circles for novel choice
Advertisement activity to promote critical perspectives
Lessons on how to research and use the media we find
Multi-media workshop
Critical responses to media representations of Latinos
Anticipation guides/KWLs/Silent Discussions (Beers 128)
SWBS activity/Sketch to Stretch/Most Important Word (Beers Ch 8)
Group presentations of author bio/movie bio/short stories/poems
Unit: Latin American Literature
Novels:
Desert Blood – Alicia Gaspar De Alba
House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
Choose One:
Dreaming in Cuban - Cristina Garcia
Nilda – Nicholasa Mohr
How to Be a Chicana Role Model – Michele Serros
And The Earth Did Not Devour Him – Tomas Rivera
Short Stories:
“Woman Hollering Creek” – Sandra Cisneros
“The Curcuit” – Francisco Jimenez
“Speaking in Tongues…” – Gloria Anzaldua
“The Cariboo Café” – Helena Maria Viramontes
Poetry:
“To Live in the Borderlands Means You” – Gloria Anzaldua
“We Call Them Greasers” – Gloria Anzaldua
“Loose Woman” – Sandra Cisneros
“Legal Alien” – Pat Mora
“Poem For The Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, An Intelligent, Well-Read
Person, Could Believe In The War Between Races” - Lorna Dee Cervantes
“Jorge the Church Janitor Finally Quits” - Martin Espada
Michele Serros’ poetry readings on her MySpace
Movies:
YouTube clips
Bordertown
Historias y Testigos: Ni una muerta mas!
Latin American Literature
Unit Project
It requires something more than personal experience to gain a philosophy or point of view
from any specific event. It is the quality of our response to the event and our capacity to enter
into the lives of others that help us to make their lives and experiences our own.
Emma Goldman
Looking back at the past eight weeks, the time has come to demonstrate what we
have learned. This assignment is intended for you to reflect on your learning and
demonstrate your knowledge through all that we have accomplished throughout this
Latin American Literature unit. Each prompt offers a variety of genres, intended
audiences, and ways of thinking about the content we have discussed in class. Feel
free to go in whichever direction you prefer, however be sure to explain the how and
why in your proposal.
The Neighborhood
Several of the texts that we have encountered deal with characters that live in
neighborhoods (Nilda, Esperanza, the women in Garcia’s novel, the young boy in
Rivera’s novel). With this in mind, create an elaborate map that represents the life
that surrounds the character you choose. Then, create a map of your own
neighborhood. Your map should depict the things/people that surround you, and
how this affects who you are as an individual. Your reflection should include how
the comparison of the maps furthers your understanding and connection with that
character and text. (254)
Social Issue
While some problems in the world may make one individual feel helpless, we must
understand that words have power. Just by bringing awareness to those around you
(friends, family, classmates), you are forcing others to become conscious of the
problems that affect the people we care about. This project asks that you further
research the issue brought up in Desert Blood or another issue that you can connect
with one of the characters in any of the texts (gay rights, political intervention, Cuban
relations, etc). You will then create a website, film a media segment, write a letter to
congress (or something you propose) that will bring awareness of your topic.
Author/Character Bio
While applications such as Facebook and MySpace may be spaces for fun outside of
the classroom, they may also be useful tools in learning. This project asks you to
create a Wikipedia site, Facebook, or MySpace page for a character or author that we
have discussed. This may sound easy, but beware! You will be graded on the depth
and breadth of your knowledge and personal connection with the character/author.
This should further your understanding of one text and will explain this in your
reflection as well.
Perspective Taking
Write your own short story or poem that illustrates an identity struggle that either
you struggle with or have insight about. Be wary not to stereotype a culture in which
you are not fully versed! Your text could also mirror that of Dreaming in Cuban,
where you offer multiple people’s points of view on a similar topic. Although the
majority of this project is writing, you must also turn in a written reflection on how
you chose your topic and how it connects to the texts.
Graphic Novel
Choose any of the short stories that we have discussed and create a graphic novel to
represent its topic. Much time and thought should be placed on how and why you
represent the characters in the ways that you choose. This project offers the freedom
of creativity that many of you potential artists will enjoy.
Latin American Voices
In the form of an interview that will be audio recorded or video recorded, you will
assume the role of the media interviewer. Imagine that you are crossing the country
to gather the voices of many Latin Americans. Whether it is through written or oral
interviews, the final product will be in some form of media. Once again, the
reflection will connect your findings to themes throughout the texts. (361)
Collage/Montage
Whether it is on a poster or made digitally, you will create a representation of the
themes found throughout any of the texts you choose. You may use clip art, movie
clips, sound bytes, pictures, text, etc. to represent the themes and issues relevant to
Latin American men and women. Your reflection will connect your creation,
thinking, and the texts.
Propose Your Own!
The directions are just that! You will need to meet with me ahead of time to work out
the parameters of your project and how it connects to the material from class. I am
open to anything and everything; so don’t be afraid to come to me! This is an
excellent outlet for your creativity and personality to shine through.
Design an Assessment Reflection
I have attached a bulleted description of my unit on Latin American literature,
however I edited it from the original found on my curriculum map. I specified the
poems and short stories, swapped some of the novels, and added pieces of media as
well. Also, I decided to make the unit last eight weeks, rather than six. While
reflecting, I noticed that there is a lot of reading to be done for this unit. This unit
may work well with an honors or higher level course. Alternatively, I have offered an
option for the final four novels. Students will choose one of the four novels and then
work in lit-circles to give summaries of themes and main points to the class in
groups, based on which book they chose. In this way, all of the students will
understand the various themes that cross each of the texts, while eliminating a few
hundred pages worth of reading.
I feel as though my Backward Design outline and student assignment handout are
self explanatory of the assessment I plan to implement for this unit. My main
concern was to create a set of optional projects for students of multiple intelligences
to find their niche in this unit. In the end, I want my students to walk away from this
feeling as though they have found a meaningful and personal connection between
their prior knowledge and the content of these texts.
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