25 Formative Assessments - Dodge 2009

25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom Judith Dodge, Scholastic Teaching Resources
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
for a Differentiated Classroom
Judith Dodge
New York Toronto London Auckland Sydney

Mexico City New Delhi Hong Kong Buenos Aires
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Carol Ann Tomlinson, who continues to inform my work in
this field
Thank you to Debra Steinroder, Jill Simpson, and Lisa Drewes, who took
many of the ideas in this book and piloted them with their students, often
improving them and making them more useful for others
Thank you to the countless teachers in over 75 school districts with whom I
have worked over the past twenty years, exploring together how to refine the
art and science of teaching and learning
A special thanks to the teachers in the following school districts, who eagerly
shared their work, ideas, and students sample with me so that we could
spread those ideas to others: Elmont, Freeport, Herricks, South Huntington,
North Merrick, Mineola, Middle Country, Westhampton Beach
Thank you to Jen Maichin, a special education teacher, who pointed out
how the assessment strategies in this book could help teachers implement
the federal mandates of Response to Intervention in their general education
classrooms
Thank you to Mike Mildon, who helped me finally go digital with my strategies
Thank you to my family, who has been so supportive during the process of
completing this book
Thank you to my parents for always believing in me; they would have been
so proud
And thank you to the team at Scholastic, including Joanna Davis-Swing, my
editor, who continue to support me as a teacher of teachers
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use.
No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the
publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Editor: Joanna Davis-Swing
Cover design: Jorge J. Namerow
Interior design: Kelli Thompson
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-08742-1
ISBN-10: 0-545-08742-2
Copyright 2009 by Judith Dodge.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
40
15 14 13 12 11 10 09
Thank you to Noel Forte, who worked with me on the technology connections,
making this book more current
Contents
Introduction

What Are Formative Assessments and Why Should We Use Them?. . . . . . . . . 4

Using a Variety of Formative Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Types of Assessment Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
How to Use the Assessments in This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Keeping Track of the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Differentiating Instruction in Response to Formative Assessments. . . . . . . . . 7
Formative Assessment Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Designing Tiered Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Gathering Multiple Sources of Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
25 Quick Formative Assessments: Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 1: Summaries and Reflections

1. Dry-Erase Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2. QuickWrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3. WriteAbout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. S-O-S Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5. 3-2-1 Summarizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6. My Opinions Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
7. My Textbook Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
8. FactStorming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 2: Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers

9. My Top Ten List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
10. Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
1 1. Noting What Ive Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1 2 . List-Group-Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
1 3 . Web Wind-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Section 3: Visual Representations of Information
1 4 . Picture Note Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
1 5 . QuickWrite/QuickDraw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
1 6. Unit Collage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
1 7 . Photo Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
1 8 . Filming the Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1 9. Flipbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
20. SmartCards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Section 4: Collaborative Activities
2 1 . Turn n Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
22. Headline News! Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
23 . Four More!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
24. Find Someone Who ... Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
25. Carousel Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Reproducibles Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Reproducibles ( V a r i a t i o n s ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 - 1 0 3
Introduction
What Are Formative Assessments
and Why Should We Use Them?
C arol Ann Tomlinson

(2007/2008, p. 11)
Informative assessment
isnt an end in itself,
but the beginning of better
instruction.
ormative assessments are ongoing assessments, observations, summaries, and reviews that inform teacher instruction and provide students
feedback on a daily basis (Fisher & Frey, 2007). While assessments are
always crucial to the teaching and learning process, nowhere are they
more important than in a differentiated classroom, where students of all levels
of readiness sit side by side. Without the regular use of formative assessment,
or checks for understanding, how are we to know what each student needs
to be successful in our classroom? How else can we ensure we are addressing
students needs instead of simply teaching them what we think they need?
Traditionally, we have used assessments to measure how much our
students have learned up to a particular point in time (Stiggins, 2007). This
is what Rick Stiggins calls assessment of learning and what we use to see
whether our students are meeting standards set by the state, the district, or
the classroom teacher. These summative assessments are conducted after a unit
or certain time period to determine how much learning has taken place.
Although Stiggins notes that assessments of learning are important if we
are to ascribe grades to students and provide accountability, he urges teachers to
focus more on assessment for learning. These types of assessmentformative
assessmentssupport learning during the learning process.
Since formative assessments are considered part of the learning, they need
not be graded as summative assessments (end-of-unit exams or quarterlies, for
example) are. Rather, they serve as practice for students, just like a meaningful homework assignment (Chappuis & Chappuis, 2007/2008). They check for
understanding along the way and guide teacher decision making about future
instruction; they also provide feedback to students so they can improve their
performance. Stiggins suggests the students role is to strive to understand
what success looks like and to use each assessment to try to understand how
to do better the next time. Formative assessments help us differentiate instruction and thus improve student achievement.
When I work with teachers during staff development, they often tell me
they dont have time to assess students along the way. They fear sacrificing
coverage and insist they must move on quickly. Yet in the rush to cover more,
students are actually learning less. Without time to reflect on and interact
meaningfully with new information, students are unlikely to retain much of
what is covered in their classrooms.
Formative assessments, however, do not have to take an inordinate
amount of time. While a few types (such as extended responses or essays)
take considerably more time than others, many are quick and easy to use on
a daily basis. On balance, the time they take from a lesson is well worth the
information you gather and the retention students gain.
Using a Variety of Formative Assessments
he National Forum on Assessment (1995) suggests that assessment systems

include opportunities for both individual and group work. To provide you
with a comprehensive repertoire, I have labeled each assessment as Individual,
Partner, Small Group, or Whole Class (see chart, page 11). Listening in on
student partners or small-group conversations allows you to quickly identify
problems or misconceptions, which you can address immediately. If you
choose a group assessment activity, you will frequently want to follow it up
with an individual one to more effectively pinpoint what each student needs.
Often, the opportunity to work with others before working on their own
leads students toward mastery. The group assessment process is part of the
learning; dont feel you must grade it. The individual assessment that follows
can remain ungraded, as well, although it will be most useful if you provide
some feedback to the learner, perhaps in the form of a brief comment or,
at the very least, a check, check-plus or check-minus, with a brief verbal
explanation about what each symbol indicates (You have mastered the skill,
You need more practice, etc.).
By varying the type of assessment you use over the course of the week,
you can get a more accurate picture of what students know and understand,
obtaining a multiple-measure assessment window into student understanding (Ainsworth & Viegut, 2006). Using at least one formative assessment
daily enables you to evaluate and assess the quality of the learning that
is taking place in your classroom and answer these driving questions: How is
this student evolving as a learner? What can I do to assist this learner on his path
to mastery?
Types of Assessment Strategies
have chosen a variety of quick ways for you to check for understanding
and gather evidence of learning in your classroom. In this book, you
will find four different types of formative assessments.
S ummaries and Reflections Students stop and reflect, make sense of
what they have heard or read, derive personal meaning from their
learning experiences, and/or increase their metacognitive skills. These
require that students use content-specific language.
Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers Students will organize information,
make connections, and note relationships through the use of various

graphic organizers.
Visual Representations of Information Students will use both words and
pictures to make connections and increase memory, facilitating retrieval

of information later on. This dual coding helps teachers address
classroom diversity, preferences in learning style, and different ways
of knowing.
Collaborative Activities Students have the opportunity to move and/or
communicate with others as they develop and demonstrate their

understanding of concepts.

How to Use the Assessments in This Book
he quick formative assessments found within this book are designed for easy
implementation in any classroom. Almost all can be used, with a little modification, throughout grades 38 and across the curriculum. A few are better for
either younger or more sophisticated learners. Each strategy is labeled for easy
identification by grade level on the list of strategies found on page 11.
You can choose any of the 25 quick assessments in this book to measure
learning in your classroom. For each strategy, I will provide the following.
it. I will explain how the strategy supports differentiated instruction.
Step-by-Step Instructions Steps for introducing and modeling the strategy
for students
Applications Suggestions regarding what you can assess with the strategy
In addition, for many strategies youll find:

Tips for Tiering Any ideas specific to the strategy for supporting struggling
learners and challenging advanced learners that may not appear in the
Introduction of this book
TechConnect Ideas for integrating technology with the formative
assessment
Reproducibles and/or Completed Samples of Student Work
Ive also included variations of some of the reproducibles in this book. The
variations may be found on pages 97-103. See page 95 for a complete list of every
reproducible.
Exit Cards
One of the easiest formative assessments is the Exit Card. Exit Cards are index
cards (or sticky notes) that students hand to you, deposit in a box, or post on
the door as they leave your classroom. On the Exit Card, your students have
written their names and have responded to a question, solved a problem, or
summarized their understanding after a particular learning experience. In a
few short minutes, you can read the responses, sort them into groups (students
who have not yet mastered the skill, students who are ready to apply the skill, students who are ready to go ahead or to go deeper), and use the data to inform the
next days or, even, that afternoons instruction.
Feedback provided by the Exit Cards frequently leads to the formation
of a needs-based group whose members require reteaching of the concept
in a different way. It also identifies which of your students do not need to
participate in your planned whole-group mini-lesson, because they are ready
to be challenged at a greater level of complexity.
Several of the formative assessments contained in this book can be used
as Exit Cards. In the table on page 11, I have placed an asterisk next to those
assessments that you can use as an Exit Card to quickly sort and group students
for subsequent instruction.
Introduction A description of the strategy and the relevant research behind
Keeping Track of the Data
hen you use formative assessments, you must keep track of the data
that you collect. The easiest way to observe and assess student growth
is to walk around your room with a clipboard and sticky notes. As you notice
acquisition of a new skill or confusion and struggle with a skill, record the
students name and jot down a brief comment. Consider keeping a folder for
each child in which you insert any notes that you make on a daily basis. This
process will help you focus on the needs of individual students when you
confer with each child or develop lessons for your whole class.
Another way to keep track of the data is to use a class list such as the one on
page 8. On this sheet, you can note specific skills and record how each student
is doing. You can use a system of check-minus, check, and check-plus or the
numbers 4, 3, 2, 1 to indicate student proficiency with the skill.
Differentiating Instruction in Response

to Formative Assessments
homas R. Guskey suggests that for assessments to become an integral

part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach
in three important ways. They must 1) use assessments as sources of
information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with
high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to
demonstrate success (2007).
Once you have assessed your learners, you must take action. You
will be able to help your students achieve success by differentiating your
instruction based on the information you have gathered. Ask yourself,
Who needs my attention now? Which students need a different approach?
Which students are not learning anything new, because I havent challenged
them? Tiering your activities for two or three levels of learners is usually
what is called for after a review of assessment data. We must be prepared
to provide both corrective activities and enrichment activities for those
who need them. An important caveat to keep in mind, however, is that
the follow-up, corrective instruction designed to help students must present
concepts in new ways and engage students in different learning experiences
that are more appropriate for them (Guskey, 2007/2008). Your challenge
will be to find a new and different pathway to understanding. The best
corrective activities involve a change in format, organization, or method of
presentation (Guskey, 2007/2008).
After using any of the formative assessments contained in this book,
you can choose from among the suggestions on page 9 to scaffold your
struggling learners or challenge your advanced learners. The suggestions
for struggling learners will help students during their second-chance
learning on the road toward mastery. The suggestions for advanced
learners will challenge those students who, in my opinion, are frequently
forgotten in mixed-ability classrooms. With these easy adjustments to your
lesson plans, you will be able to respond to the diverse readiness needs of
students in your heterogeneous classroom.

Formative Assessment Data Collection

Assessment of: ___________________________________________________________________
4= Advanced
3=Proficient
2=Developing
1=Beginning
Now what? The next step . . .

Use the information gathered to design tiered activities.

See page 9 for ideas on how to tier follow-up learning activities
List Specific Skills: Record 4, 3, 2, 1
Students
Designing Tiered Activities

Addressing Student Needs at Different Levels of Readiness
Scaffolding Struggling Learners

Offer teacher direction (reteaching with a different
method).
Allow the student to work with a reading partner, study
buddy, or learning partner. (Buddy-up an English
language learner (ELL) with another student.) This will
provide peer support for collaborative learning.
Allow students to use class notes, textbooks, and/or other
classroom resources to complete the task.
Provide a model or exemplar (of a similar problem solved
or a sample of the type of writing expected).
Furnish step-by-step directions; break down the task.
Provide hints or tips.
Color-code different elements; highlight for focusing;
provide masks and markers for focused attention on
specific text.
Provide sentence strips, sticky labels with terms,
or manipulatives (plastic coins, Judy clocks, Unifix
cubes, fraction tiles, number lines, algebraic tiles,

calculators, etc.).
Provide a partially completed graphic organizer or
outline.
Provide out-of-sequence steps for students to reorganize.
Provide a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) paragraph (with or
without a word box) for students whose language is
extremely limited or for those who struggle with
grapho-motor skills.
Give a framed paragraph or essay (with sentence
starters to help organize the writing).
Provide guided questions.
Supply a word bank and definitions.
Support with visuals, diagrams, or pictures.
Provide words on labels for students to simply pull off
and place appropriately.
Allow additional time.
Challenging Advanced Learners

D esign activities that are more complex, abstract,
independent, and/or multistep.
Pose a challenge question or task that requires them to
think beyond the concrete and obvious response (from
the newly learned material) to more abstract ideas and
new use of the information.
Require more complex expression of ideas: different
types of sentences, synonyms, more than one adjective or
action (verb) to describe whats happening.
Require that metaphors and similes, idiomatic expressions, or specific literary elements be included in their
writing.
Ask students to make text-to-text and text-to-world
connections (more abstract than text-to-self connections).
Require students to note relationships and point out connections among ideas: compare and contrast; cause and
effect; problem and solution; sequence, steps, or change
over time; advantages and disadvantages; benefits; etc.
Ask students to tell the story from a different point of view.

Ask students to place themselves into the story or time
period and write from the first-person point of view.

Ask students to consider What if? scenarios.
Provide multistep math problems.
Include distracters.
Do not provide a visual prompt.
Ask students to suggest tips or hints that would help
others who struggle to make sense of the information
Provide a problem or model that does not work; have
students problem-solve.
Have students create their own pattern, graph, experiment, word problem, scenario, story, poem, etc.
Have students use the information in a completely new
way (Design an awareness campaign about ; Create
a flier to inform ; Write/give a speech to convince ;
Write an article to educate ; Write an ad to warn others
about ; Design a program to solve the problem of . )
Gathering Multiple Sources of Evidence
Response to Intervention (RTI)
ith the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA,
2004) under No Child Left Behind, schools are searching for ways to implement
the newly required Response to Intervention (RTI) model. This new way of delivering
intervention to struggling students encompasses a three-tiered model.
Tier 1 interventions include monitoring at-risk students within the general education
classroom, ensuring that each student has access to a high-quality education that is
matched to his or her needs. RTI focuses on improving academic achievement by using
scientifically based instructional practices.
According to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (2005),
Tier 1 strategies encompass alternative assessment which utilizes quality interventions
matched to student needs, coupled with formative evaluation to obtain data over time
to make critical educational decisions. Not to be confused with tiered activities, which
are a cornerstone of a differentiated classroom (where one concept is taught at two
or three levels of readiness), Tier I activities are any of the in-class interventions classroom teachers provide to assess and monitor their at-risk students.
The evidence-based formative assessments provided in this book are excellent
methods for classroom teachers to measure the progress of their Tier 1 students.
10
n differentiated classrooms everywhere, a resounding mantra is Fair

is not equal; fair is getting what you need. Assessments enable us to
determine what students need. But for our assessments to be accurate,
we need multiple measures of student understanding. We need evidence
gathered over time in different ways to evaluate how effective the teaching
and learning process has been. Tomlinson and McTighe (2006) suggest that
when we gather a photo album rather than a snapshot of our students,
we can differentiate instruction based on a more accurate evaluation of our
students learning needs.
I wish you success as you gather your own photo album of your students
and choose from a variety of reflective, unique, and engaging assessment
tools. This book offers you an assessment tool kit to choose from as you
create a classroom that is continually more responsive to the needs of your
diverse learners. These assessments will provide you and your students
evidence of their learning and help them on their journey to greater
achievement in school.
25 Quick Formative Assessments

Quick Reference
Section 1
Summaries
&
Reflections Verbal-Linguistic & Interpersonal
Gr. 35
Gr. 68
I P G C
Assessments
IP G C
Dry-Erase Boards
QuickWrite
WriteAbout
S-O-S Summary
3-2-1 Summarizer
My Opinions Journal
My Textbook Page
G I
FactStorming
Section 2
TechConnect
Page #
13
15
16
19
22
25
Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers Logical-Mathematical

IP G C
My Top Ten List
38
IP G
Matrix
41
Noting What Ive Learned
44
IP G
List-Group-Label (LGL)
47
IP G
Web Wind-Up
Section 4
Assessments
Visual Representations
Gr. 68
IP G C
I
TechConnect Page #
of Information
50
TechConnect
Page #
53
Spatial
Assessments
Picture Note Making
IG
QuickWrite/QuickDraw!
Unit Collage
Photo Finish
Filming the Ideas
Flipbooks
SmartCards
56
59
TechConnect
Page #
80
63
67
73
76
Collaborative Activities Kinesthetic & Interpersonal
Gr. 35 Gr. 68
IIndividual
PPartner
CWhole Class
GSmall Group
32
Gr. 68
Gr. 35
an be used as
C
Exit Cards
28
Gr. 35
Section 3
IP G C
Assessments
Turn n Talk
P G
Headline News! Summary
Four More!
85
Find Someone Who ... Review
91
G C
Carousel Brainstorming
82
94
11
Summaries and
Reflections
he strategies that follow are summaries and

written reflections. Relying heavily on verballinguistic skills and focusing mostly on intrapersonal
intelligence, students are asked to reflect upon their

own learning. They must reorganize information to make
meaning for themselves. Brooks and Brooks (cited in
McLaughlin & Vogt, 2000) note that from a constructivist
point of view, learning is understood as a process that
incorporates concrete experience, collaborative discourse,
and reflection. Following are eight strategies that invite
students to summarize and reflect after their learning
experiences.
12
Section 1
Dry-Erase Boards
sing dry-erase boards has been a standard

strategy in classrooms where teachers encourage consistent student engagement. However, there
are many classrooms where dry-erase boards sit on
shelves or in closets gathering dust, remnants of a
forgotten, or underused, technique for energizing
classrooms. Let me share an important reason for
digging them out and dusting them off.
Assessment is immediate with the use of a
dry-erase board. When students raise their boards
during class to offer responses to a question or
problem, you get on-the-spot information. You can
see if students are incorporating new knowledge,
and which areas, if any, are presenting confusion.
Depending upon your assessment of student understanding, you can instantly change the direction of
your lesson or reteach a part of it.
Step-by-Step
1. If you have a class set of dry-erase boards, have
two students pass one out to each classmate. This

assigned job can rotate and can include collecting
them at the end of the day and, occasionally, cleaning
them of any remaining ink.
2. As students record and illustrate on the boards,
pass among the desks, assessing student understanding. You might carry a clipboard to make notes about
misconceptions or different ideas for sharing with
students at the end of the activity.
Applications
ry-erase boards can be used for any subject.

They are, however, particularly useful for math,
language arts, and foreign-language review, practice,
and enrichment. See page 14 for a sample lesson in
language arts.
The dry-erase board is flexible and ideal for
use in a differentiated classroom. Among the myriad
tasks you can design for dry-erase boards are answering questions, solving math problems, illustrating
concepts, generating lists, composing sketches, and
creating graphic organizers.
Whenever you feel the need to reengage your
learners, you can create a brief activity with the dryerase boards. You can use them from time to time
throughout the day, for short practice, or for reflection.

They can be used for warm-ups, homework review,
or guided practice. They can be used by individual
students, partners, or small groups. Visual learners are
aided by the use of images and colors. Tactile-kinesthetic learners are supported by the physicality of writing or drawing, raising the boards, and the interactive
environment they create.
You can use the boards as Entrance Cards, on
which students write or draw something that makes a
connection to the previous days lesson. This practice is
effective in activating prior knowledge, and Ive found it
to be highly motivating as well.
13
Language Arts: Expanding Sentences

As you pull one card at a time from the box, direct
students to erase and rewrite their sentence to

include the new information.
Have two or three students share their sentences after
each rewriting.
TechConnect
The makers of SMART Board technology have created
a new gadget that allows for on-the-spot assessment.
These interactive clickers, or Senteos, allow the
teacher to prepare an Ask the Audience portion
of a lesson to instantly measure and view graphs of
student understanding.
For more info: www.smarttech.com (search: Senteo).
Using the free Web tool SurveyMonkey to assess

students is another option. Unlike the handheld devices, SurveyMonkey doesnt provide instant access to
information. However, the results can be retrieved from
the Web site or stored for later use.
A tutorial for SurveyMonkey can be found at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/Home_Videos.aspx.
Tips for Making Your Own Dry-Erase Boards!
here are many teacher stores and online distributors

that sell class sets of individual dry-erase boards or
paddle dry-erase boards (with handles for easier student
use). Do an Internet search for dry-erase boards and
youll find thousands.
Most teachers, however, have budgetary constraints and find that class sets are too expensive for
them to purchase (up to $100 per set). Instead, they
make their own. Its easy. Go to a home improvement
store and purchase one sheet of shower boardthis is
the material that is placed behind the tiles in a shower.
It comes in 8' x 4' sheets and is white and shiny. One
board costs around ten dollars. Many teachers have
reported in online blogs that if you tell the salesperson
that you are a teacher, he or she will accommodate you
by cutting the board into 12" x 12" individual boards.
14
After having the board cut into the smaller size,

cover the edges with duct tape. Ask your students to
bring in old clean socks to serve as erasers. You will
have to supply dry-erase pens, which can last the year,
if properly taken care of (remind students to replace
caps immediately when not in use).
After a while, the ink leaves marks that are hard
to remove from the shower board. I found an excellent idea online from a teacher who suggested treating
the boards with car wax before using them to help
keep marks from becoming permanent. There are
many products that can be used every once in a
while to completely clean the boards. The savings
incurred by making the boards yourself is worth the
occasional time you or your students will need to
clean them thoroughly.
This activity will encourage students to write fuller,

richer sentences.
First, have students write a simple sentence
on their boardfor example, Damien runs or
Mary studies.
Then, pull one card at a time from a set of cards
with the following words written on them: How?
Where? When? With whom? Why?
QuickWrite
A
QuickWrite is a brief, timed writing activity.

Giving students two or three minutes
to reflect on and summarize their learning in
writing allows them to make sense of what they

have been studying.
Step-by-Step
1. Either midway through a lesson or at the end,

provide students with a large sticky note, an index
card, or a half-sheet of paper.
2. Advise students that they will have two (or three)
minutes to reflect on what they have just learned and

write about it.
3. State the prompt you want students to respond
of the content, require a list of steps, ask for an

analysis of the work, or request the use of specific
content-area vocabulary in a wrap-up of the topic
under study. The more specific the prompt, the
better the response.
4.
Have a few students share their reflections with

the class. Alternatively, you can collect the QuickWrites
as Exit Cards.
to. You may pose a question, ask for a summary
Applications
series of QuickWrites can be kept in a journal,

allowing students to revisit what they have learned
over time. You can collect the journals periodically

and provide written feedback to your students.
TechConnect
Have students create a TalkAbout instead of a QuickWrite. Using a microphone connected to a computer
and the free audio-capturing software that comes with
Windows (Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment/
Sound Recorder), students will record their responses
to the prompts instead of writing them. For students in
a differentiated classroom who would find it easier to

speak than to write, this option would provide an
appropriate alternative assessment.
For about $50, teachers can purchase a Webcam to attach
to the computer so students can videotape themselves

providing the summary.
15
WriteAbout
Debra Steinroder models a

WriteAbout for her fifth-grade
students using a poster-size
version of a WriteAbout.
Step-by-Step
1. At the end of your lesson, provide a WriteAbout
5.
2. Model for the class how you would complete a
Collect this assessment and provide feedback to

students. Provide a simple check or check-plus to
indicate the individuals level of mastery. Share with
your class what a check or check-plus means. (A
check means that you understand most of the terms
and ideas, but still have to master others. Please notice
any circles, question marks, or questions that I have
written on your paper to help guide your next steps in
learning.)
sheet to students (page 18).

(TIP: If you photocopy these pages on colored paper, they will be easy
to find later when needed for studying.)
WriteAbout. Depending upon the grade of your students, you may need to model several times. Brainstorm
key words and draw a picture to represent the main
idea.
3. Demonstrate how to write a summary using the key

words on the list. Show students how you check off the
terms as you use them and circle them in your writing.
4. Let partners talk and complete a WriteAbout together.

16
After a few practice opportunities with a partner,

students should be ready to complete a WriteAbout on
their own.
6.
7. Plan your instruction for the next day so that it fills

any gaps in class understanding and/or includes flexible
grouping for a follow-up tiered activity.
esearch has shown that summarization yields

some of the greatest leaps in comprehension
and long-term retention of information (Wormeli,
2005). A WriteAbout is a concrete tool for summarization in which students use key vocabulary terms
(the language of the content area) to synthesize their
understanding in a paragraph as well as represent
key ideas graphically. Combining both verbal-linguistic and spatial intelligences, this assessment tool is a
favorite of many students.
Applications
he WriteAbout is also a useful tool for homework.

It provides an opportunity for students to synthesize the key understandings of the days lesson.
Keep in mind, however, that this assessment is
designed for a single concept within a larger unit.
Dont use it, for example, to see what students have
learned about the Civil War. Use it to see what they have
learned about the Underground Railroad, the advantages held by the North or South, or Reconstruction
after the war.
Teachers have used the WriteAbout paragraphs
successfully with their Expert Groups in a Jigsaw
review activity (See Dodge, 2005 for a more detailed
explanation about the Jigsaw Activity.) Briefly, students are assigned a Home Base Group and each
is given a different subtopic, question, reading, or
problem to complete. They then move into Expert
Groups to work with others given the same assignment. There, each student completes his own WriteAbout. When he/she returns to the original Home
Base Group, each Expert contributes his/her piece
to the groups poster on the whole topic. This poster
or product represents a group assessment. To check
for individual understanding, follow up with several
short-response questions.
TechConnect
Tips for Tiering!
Using a software program like Kid Pix or the free

paint tool that comes with Windows, students can
draw the pictures, symbols, or steps. Then, using
the paint tool found in either program, they can
write their paragraph.
n addition to the ideas on page 9, consider the

following.
To support struggling learners: Duplicate the WriteAbout template with the vocabulary terms already
printed on it. (Provide definitions, if you feel they are
necessary)
Students use A WriteAbout to help them

process the information they have been
learning in a unit on animal adaptations.
They check off the vocabulary terms and
circle them in their writing as they use
the key words in context.
17
WriteAbout
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic __________________________________________________________________________________
Draw a picture or write symbols in

this box to summarize the topic
List Key Words about the topic
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Paragraph: S
ummarize your learning by using the terms above in a paragraph about the topic.
Check off the terms as you use them. Then circle the terms in your paragraph.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
18
S-O-S Summary
n S-O-S Summary is an assessment that

can be used at any point in a lesson.
The teacher presents a statement (S), asks the
students opinion (O) (whether the student agrees
or disagrees with the statement), and asks the
student to support (S) his or her opinion with
evidence. This summary can be used before or
during a unit to assess student attitudes, beliefs,
and knowledge about a topic. It can be used at
points throughout a unit or lesson to assess what
students are coming to understand about the
topic. And it can be used at the end of a unit to
see if attitudes and beliefs have been influenced
or changed as a result of new learning.
S-O-S
Read the following statement: ______________

What does it mean?
your opinion?
Circle one: I agree
W
hats
I disagree
S
upport
your opinion with evidence (facts, data,

reasons, examples, etc.).
This fifth grade student is using the S-O-S

Summary to practice writing an English Language
Arts essay on characterizationwithout all of
the writing. Reacting to the given statement,
she provides her opinion with brief, bulleted
responses, supporting her opinion with evidence.
19
Step-by-Step
1. Provide students with an S-O-S Summary sheet

(page 21).
2. Write a statement (not a question!) on the board
4. Collect the S-O-S Summary sheet to assess

student understanding.
5. Make decisions about the next days instruction.
3. Give students five minutes to agree or disagree
with the statement by listing facts, data, reasons,
Applications
he S-O-S Summary is excellent practice for essay

writing without all of the writing. It helps students
choose a point of view and support it with evidence
presented in brief bulleted points. Teachers can
use it frequently because it requires much less
time than an essayboth to write and to assess.
The S-O-S Summary is also good practice
for students who are required to complete DBQs
(document-based questions) in social studies,
write critical-lens essays in English Language
Arts, or ponder ethical dilemmas in science.
Each of these tasks requires students to take a
stand on a particular issue and support their point
of view with evidence, facts, and examples.
Sample Statements
The main character is a hero.
Recycling is not necessary in our community.
If
you are young, its not important to have good

health habits.
The city is the best place to live.
T
he
Industrial Revolution produced only positive

effects on society.
Y
ou
dont need to know math to live comfortably

in the world.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To challenge advanced learners: If you have a mature class, capable of independent, critical thinking,
you can make this activity more complex. Ask half of
the class to agree with the statement and the other
half to disagree with it; have students complete an
S-O-S Summary from their assigned viewpoint.
Then hold a debate. Have the two groups stand on
20
opposite sides of the room with their S-O-S Summary

in hand and encourage the two sides to defend their
opinions orally by using all of the facts, data, and
examples they have written. Then, ask students to
return to their seats and write the very best argument
they can for the opposite viewpoint. This is an excellent
exercise for developing listening skills; arguing
from a particular viewpoint; and deconstructing
conflicts in literature, history, and everyday life.
for students to copy. This activity works best when the

statement is one which can be argued from two points
of view (see sample statements in box below).
examples, and so on that they have learned from class

discussion, reading, or media presentations.
S-O-S Summary
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Read the following statement:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What does it mean?________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Whats your opinion?
Circle one:
I agree
I disagree
Support your opinion with evidence (facts, reasons, examples, etc.).
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Read the following statement:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What does it mean?________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Whats your opinion?
Circle one:
I agree
I disagree
Support your opinion with evidence (facts, reasons, examples, etc.).
21
3-2-1 Summarizer
1 personal connection they can make to the
information
As students pause for a few minutes to consider
their learning, they are given a chance to reflect,
organize their thoughts, summarize, prioritize
important ideas, and, therefore, move the information
into long-term memory.
Step-by-Step
1. At the end of your lesson, hand students a 3-2-1

Summarizer (page 24) or have them copy one from
the board.
2. Ask students to reflect upon the lesson and
respond to your prompts. The more focused the

prompts, the better the assessment will be. A generic
prompt like List three things you learned today will

not provide you with as good an assessment as State
three causes of the Civil War.
3. Collect the 3-2-1 Summarizer as students leave

the classroom or ask students to deposit them in a
box specifically marked Exit Cards. (Tell students,
Todays Exit Card is your 3-2-1 Summarizer.)
Applications
he type of information that you ask for can be

adapted to any topic or content area.
Social Studies:

3 Contributions of Greek civilization
2W
ays the Greek economy differed from the
Egyptian economy
1W
ay the geography of Greece influenced
Greek life
English Language Arts:

3 Examples of prejudice in the book
2 Instances that show how the main characters

prejudiced views have changed
1R
eal-life situation in which you were affected
by or witnessed prejudice
Science:
22
3 Parts (and functions) of a plant
2 Ways to keep plants healthy
1W
ay Earth would be affected if there were
no plants
Math:
3 Strategies for solving word problems
2 Important things to look for when solving

word problems
1 Solution to a provided word problem
Teachers in one district I worked in modified this

strategy to raise the level of thinking required. Integrating Blooms Taxonomy into the three types of
prompts, they suggested that 3 represent low-level
knowledge/comprehension prompts, that 2 represent middle-level application/analysis prompts, and
that 1 represent high-level synthesis/evaluation
prompts. See page 23 for an example of integrating
Blooms Taxonomy into the 3-2-1 Summarizer.
3-2-1 Summarizer is a strategy for closure at

the end of a lesson. The numbers refer to how
many of each kind of summary statement or response
you require students to provide. For example, you
might ask students to record:
3 facts theyve learned
2 questions they have or wonder about
3-2-1 Summarizer Using Blooms Taxonomy

3 Knowledge/Comprehension prompts: Provide 3 .

(Examples, Facts, Ways, Reasons, Principles, Events, Characteristics, Features, etc.)
2 Application/Analysis prompts: Provide 2 .

(Causes/Effects, Comparisons [Similarities/Differences]
Steps in a Sequence, Connections, Advantages/Disadvantages, Benefits, etc.)
1 Synthesis/Evaluation prompt Provide 1 . :

What if ? What is the significance of ?
Which is better, or ?
How would you prioritize ?
Can you propose an alternative solution?
Can you create/design/invent a new ?
Why is this important to know and understand?
nother variation of the 3-2-1 format is used in reading. Using the Question-Answer Relationship, or
QAR (Raphael, 1986), teachers of reading can have students focus on four basic question-answer
relationships: Right There questions (the answer is found in one sentence); Think and Search
questions (the answer is found in more than one place; the reader needs to put ideas together);
Author and Me questions (the answer is not in the text, but you need to think about what the author
has said in order to respond); On My Own questions (the answer relies on your background knowledge
of a topic, not the text).
A 3-2-1 Summarizer Using QAR
Provide 3 R ight There questions for students to answer:

How many ?
Who is ?
Where did ?
Provide 2 Think and Search questions for students to answer:
What is the main idea of this passage?
Why do you think ?
What examples can you find of ?
Compare and contrast
Provide 1 Author and Me or On My Own question for students to answer:
The author implies
The speakers attitude is
In your opinion
Describe a time when you
23
3-2-1 Summarizer
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
24
My Opinions Journal
eflection is critical to deep understanding.

The learner must ask, Does this make
sense? (Sousa, 2001). As students grapple with
key ideas through discussion and writing, they
make sense of what they are learning. The new
information needs to fit into what they know, so
the learners must make connections between
what they already know and understand and what
they are presently learning. David Sousa suggests
that students must also find meaning, which he
describes as relevance, in the information.
When we ask students to record their opinions
and elaborate by making connections, we are
providing opportunities for them to personalize their
learning and find more relevance and meaning
in their studies. The great payoff for this type of

reflection is that if the information makes sense
and has meaning for the learner, it is more likely
to be remembered.
My Opinions Journal provides a vehicle for
students to record their beliefs as they come to
know (Atwell, 1990) and find deep meaning in
what they are learning. It gives students practice
in forming an opinion, supporting it with evidence,
and communicating it to others. You can use My
Opinions Journal as an assessment and a window
into the minds of your students. Over time, the
journals will become reflections of the growth
of your learners and a record of how they are
evolving.
Step-by-Step
1. Provide students with a small journal notebook (or
3. After modeling an example for the class, engage
2. At the beginning of a unit, provide sentence
4. Once students are comfortable with this format,
a booklet made of lined paper). This journal can be

a section of your students notebook or you can store
the journal notebooks in a crate in your classroom.
(Have one student hand them out and another collect
them on the days that you plan to use them.)
starters like the following to activate prior knowledge:

In my opinion, _____ leads to _____
(Example: In my opinion, prejudice leads to _____ )
I believe _____ is important because _____

(Example: I believe protecting endangered species is
important because _____ )
I think _____ is necessary because _____
(Example: I think democracy is necessary because _____ )
I feel it is important to understand _____ because
_____ (Example: I feel it is important to understand
fractions because _____ )
students in a shared writing by providing them

with an opening statement (using sentence starters
like those found in step 2), and having them work
together to contribute support and evidence to back
up the stated opinion.
stop periodically throughout a unit or activity and

ask students to form an opinion about a particular
concept, character, statement, or issueand record
it in their My Opinions Journal.
5. Collect the journals from time to time to pro-
vide feedback. Many teachers choose a day when

students are busy working independently on an
activity to read through the journals and hold miniconferences with a few students. Others collect and
read the journals, a few at a time, and offer students
feedback in the form of brief written comments.
Model several times how you write a journal entry

based on a prompt, until students are comfortable
with the process (see example on page 26).
25
Tips for Tiering!
TechConnect
following.
To challenge advanced learners: Ask these
students
W
hat
connections can you make from todays

lesson to something else weve learned
previously?
hat connections can you make to a different
W
subject or discipline?
How to Write a Journal Entry
he class has identified many big ideas

about the industrialization of the 1900s,
including: Industrialization had a negative impact
on Americans.
Model for students how they might respond
in their My Opinions Journal to that big idea:
I
believe that industrialization during

the early 1900s had a negative impact
on Americans. As workers shifted from
rural to urban life, their life in the
cities consisted of run-down tenements
and crowded living space. Crowding
helped spread disease. Often, there
were inadequate water and sanitation
facilities. Fires broke out in the crowded
tenements. Children worked in factories
instead of going to school. I dont think
industrialization helped families enough.
26
A blog is the perfect online publishing tool to

encourage student communication about their
opinions and to assess student understanding.
Developed specifically for classroom use, Blogmeister.com is a safe space that requires teacher
approval for all postings.
For more info: www.classblogmeister.com.
My Opinions Journal
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic or Unit
Big Idea
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Use one of the sentence stems below (or choose your own) to respond to the big idea above:
In
my opinion, ____ leads to ____.
I believe ____ is beneficial/dangerous because ____.
I think ____ is necessary/important because ____.
I feel it is important to ____ because ____.

I used to believe/think/feel ____, but now I
believe/think/feel ____ because ____.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
27
My Textbook Page
important vocabulary, explaining key concepts

in their own words, and suggesting tips and
hints for understanding the information, students will make the information their own. Kept
in a three-ring binder, the individual student
textbook that is created becomes the proud
possession of each student and serves as an
excellent study tool. Studying for midterms,
finals, and other assessments becomes much
easier when students have their own summaries
and examples to review.
Step-by-Step
1. Photocopy My Social Studies or My Math Textbook
4.
Page (page 30 or 31) and distribute to students.
Ask students to complete their page for homework the following day.
2.
5.
3. Assign students to work on My Textbook Page
Ask students permission to keep two or three of

the best examples to show as exemplars the next time
you assign a textbook page.
Model how to complete a sample textbook page on

a topic you have just covered. Ask students for help in
creating tips and hints. Show students how they can use
colors, arrows, circles, and boxes to make the steps and
examples clearer to the reader (see sample on page 29).
together the next day. They share ideas, but each

student completes a page.
Collect the pages you assign as homework to

assess student understanding. Review and provide
feedback to students on their textbook pages.
6.
Note: A My Science Textbook page may be found on page 99.
Applications
ocial studies and science teachers sometimes prefer

that students contribute to a Class-Generated
Student Textbook (see Tips for Tiering! page 29) on
one big topic. A class book on the Revolutionary War,
for example, might include pages from different students on
various subtopics: British actions against the colonies,
spies against Britain, the Loyalists versus the Patriots,
events leading to the revolution, and so on.
28
You can put spiral bindings on these pages and

save the books from year to year. These studentwritten books can be advance organizers for future
classes to read. They will help students to learn the
new material by providing a context and prior knowledge before you begin a new unit.
s part of a yearlong project, have students

create a student-generated textbook of
their own for your curriculum. Completing one
page at a time, at intervals of about every other
week, students will compile this study guide as
part of their required homework. You will be able
to use these pages to assess student understanding
of a topic.
My Textbook Pages should be assigned
after your class has explored an important
concept. By summarizing main ideas, noting
This student synthesizes her learning on

the topic of the Louisiana Purchase into
a one-page summary for her studentgenerated textbook.
TechConnect
A wiki is a free online space for writing or publishing
a document. Anyone can contribute, edit, or revise
the document. Therefore, creating a class wiki on
any topic, concept, or theme presents an exciting
opportunity for all students to be involved in the
publication. Developing a student wiki is the perfect
place to create a Class-Generated Textbook Page.
For teachers new to wikis, check out these sites:
http://writingwiki.org
Note: click on For Teachers New to Wikis on right
side of screen
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To challenge advanced learners: Ask advanced
students to compile a Class-Generated Student
Textbook. Keep this textbook in your possession and use it during extra-help sessions with
students who are struggling with a concept or
who need additional review on a topic. Written in
student language, these class books often make
difficult material more accessible to struggling
learners.
http://www.wikispaces.com
http://pbwiki.com
29
My Social Studies Textbook Page
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Concept / Topic
30
Description/Summary of the Topic:
Key Vocabulary Terms:
Important Historical Figures and Their

Contributions:
Historical Developments/Key Events:
Geography/Economy:
Achievements:
_________________________________________________________________________
My Math Textbook Page
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Concept / Topic
_________________________________________________________________________
Description/Summary of the Concept:
Examples/Step-by-Step Instructions:
Hints/Tips:
Keep in mind Remember to
The most important things to understand about

this concept are:
How this concept relates to other concepts

weve studied:
URLs to find out more and to practice:
31
FactStorming
F
istics, documents, themes, characters, groups, key

figures, and so forth about the topic you have been
studying. Then offer a choice of high-level writing
activities that provide different ways for students to
organize the information and to think more critically
about it. This activity will deepen the understanding
students have about the concepts within a unit. It will
appeal to most learners because the element of choice
(an important principle in differentiated classrooms)
empowers them to choose a preferred way to express
what they know.
Step-by-Step
1. Select activities for students to choose from and

compile them on a student handout. See page 33
for a list of suggested activities. .
Allow students to work alone, with a partner, or in a

small group. Remind them to reference as many terms
as possible from the list that has been generated.
Students may record their work on paper, or you can
supply a transparency and pen for each group so they
can share on the overhead later.
After students have worked for about 1520

2. Write a topic youve been studying on the board, 5.
minutes on their task, bring the whole class back
such as immigration, biomes, or fairy tales.
3. Ask students to generate terms related to the
topic and record them on the blackboard or on an

overhead transparency. Or have students record
their own lists on the handout you provide (see
pages 3436).
4.
Have students choose from among the FactStorming choice activities that you provide to show
their understanding about the statement or topic.
together for sharing. In this way, all students will

benefit from reviewing and synthesizing the material
from different perspectives.
6. Finally, you might assign a second choice activ-
ity for homework. Students should select a different activity from their first activity. Serving as an
individual formative assessment, this second writing
opportunity will allow students to process information even more deeply, and will further enhance
their learning.
TechConnect
VoiceThread, a finalist in the 2008 Webware 100
Awards, provides online space for images and student
recordings to be posted. VoiceThread is a place to hold
many descriptions of any image.
To use VoiceThread with the FactStorming assessment strategy, show students a series of photos
related to a topic they have been studying. Form small
groups and allow each group to choose one way (see
32
the FactStorming Choice Activities on page 33) to make

sense of the images. Allow students to work together
to analyze the images and put together a summary
statement about the information. Then, instruct the
reporter for each group to record the groups response
using a microphone (or by typing text, if a microphone
is unavailable).
For more info: http://www.voicethread.com
actStorming is a summarization activity that

begins as a whole-class review and leads
to individuals, pairs, or small groups reworking
the information to make it their own. Engaging
students in a class brainstorm or idea splash
is just the first step in this review or assessment
activity. It involves much more than just identifying a low-level list of facts.
Toward the end of a unit, generate and record a
student-made list of facts, events, movements, ideas,
principles, factors, concepts, attributes, character-
FactStorming Choice Activities

To make sense of the topic, choose from the following activities:
For Social Studies
Create a time line to sequence at least five key events. Provide a caption detailing
the significance of each event.
Categorize all of the terms (details) into groups and provide a label for each
group (main idea). Write a brief summary highlighting the main ideas.
R ank all of the events in order of importance and defend your choices in a
Choose at least three events and elaborate by adding details to describe them.
Choose at least three events, circumstances, factors, beliefs, or ideas whose
written summary.
effects can still be felt today. (Provide specific written evidence of their effects
on life today.)
Choose at least three events, circumstances, factors, beliefs, or ideas and
describe their causes or their effects.
C hoose at least three events, circumstances, factors, beliefs, or ideas and
compare them to others you have learned about.

For Science
Choose at least three terms and elaborate by adding details to describe them.
Choose at least three terms and describe their cause or effect.
Illustrate at least three terms and write a description of the significance of each.
C hoose at least three terms that are related. Describe the relationship clearly
using scientific terminology. Do this for a second group of at least three terms.
C hoose at least three terms and compare them to something else we have
studied.
For Language Arts
Choose one character. Compare and contrast this character with two others in the
story (or compare and contrast this character with two members of your group).
Choose one character and describe how this character changes over time. Include
at least ____ ways this character changes and why these changes occur.
Choose at least three themes and give evidence from the story of these themes
in action.
Sequence at least five events from the story and discuss how they each affected
the main character.
Choose at least three actions the main character takes and discuss the characters
motivation. (Why does he/she take each action?)
33
FactStorming Social Studies
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic
_________________________________________________________________________________
sing as many terms and references as you

can from the list you have created, choose
one of the activities below to show your understanding of the statement or topic.
Create a time line to sequence at least five key
events. Provide a caption detailing the significance of each event.
Categorize all of the terms (details) into groups

and provide a label for each group (main idea).
Write a brief summary using the terms.
Rank all of the events in order of importance

and defend your choices in a written summary.
34
Choose at least three events and elaborate by

adding details to describe them.
Choose at least three events, circumstances,

factors, beliefs, or ideas whose effects can still
be felt today. (Provide specific written evidence
of their effects on life today.)

factors, beliefs, or ideas and describe their
causes or their effects.

factors, beliefs, or ideas and compare them to
others you have learned about.
FactStorming Science
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Statement or Topic ______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

one of the activities below to show your understanding of the statement or topic.
Categorize all of the terms (details) into groups
and provide a label for each group (main idea)
Create a graphic organizer to display your organization.
Choose at least three terms and elaborate by

adding details to describe each one.
Illustrate at least three terms and write a

description of the significance of each.
Choose at least three terms that are related.

Describe the relationship clearly using scientific
terminology. Do this for a second group of at
least three terms.
Choose several terms and use them to write a

brief summary highlighting the main ideas.
Choose at least three terms and compare each

one to something else we have studied.
Choose at least three terms and describe their

cause or their effect.
35
FactStorming English Language Arts
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Statement or Text /Novel/Short Story
_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

one of the activities below to show your understanding of the statement or the reading.
Choose one character. Compare and contrast
this character with two others in the story (or,
compare and contrast this character with two
members of your group).
Choose one character and describe how this

character changes over time in at least two ways.
Explain why these changes occur.
36
Choose at least three themes and give evidence

from the story of these themes in action.
Sequence at least five events from the story

and discuss how they each affected the main
character.
Illustrate at least three symbols from the story

and write a description of the significance of
each.
Choose at least three actions the main character

took and discuss the characters motivation (Why
did he/she take each action?)
Section 2
Lists, Charts, and
Graphic Organizers
he formative assessment strategies that follow

include student-made lists, charts, and other
graphic organizers. Focusing on logical-mathematical
intelligence, the activities ask students to think about their

own learning and to reorganize information by generating
their own graphic organizers.
Simply photocopying a graphic organizer and requiring
that students fill it out will not ensure deep learning or
provide an authentic assessment opportunity (Fisher &
Frey, 2007). Instead, we need to provide opportunities for
students to create their own organizers. Greg Freeman, in
David Hyerles book A Field Guide to Using Visual Tools
(2000), explains how these graphic organizers help students
to scan the information, make sense of it, and see the
pattern that the teacher is helping them connect. These
student-created graphic organizers provide insight into
students comprehension and demonstrate personal
understanding and reasoning, rather than just literal
recall (Irwin-DeVitis & Pease, 1995).
Following are five strategies that invite students to
reflect on their learning experiences by listing what they
consider most important, by grouping and categorizing
terms, by showing connections among concepts, and by
generating their own graphic organizers.
37
My Top Ten List
a particular topic that students must know and

understand to be conversant about the topic. As
you help them to develop these lists, you will also
be guiding them in learning the critical concept of
distinguishing between main ideas and details.
Step-by-Step
1. Provide students a template of My Top Ten List
(see page 40 as well as variations on pages 100-103

for Math, Science, Social Studies, and English
Language Arts) .
2.
Model the creation of a My Top Ten List using a topic

listed under Applications or one of your own choosing.
Ask all students to contribute their ideas. As they do so,
place their responses on the board under one of the
following columns: main ideas and details. (Discuss the
difference between a main ideathe principal ideas
and a detailthe specific facts about a main idea.)
3. After students have exhausted their responses,

let partners narrow the list down to the top ten.
4.
Share as a whole class and try to come to some
consensus about the main ideas. Help students

recognize
what is most significant about this unit of
.
study
5.
Let students work with a partner to develop the

next few lists that you assign. Allow them to use their
notes and texts when compiling lists the first few
times. After students come to know what a quality
response looks like, one that provides main ideas,
essential understandings, and key concepts rather
than less important details, you can have students
work on this activity individually.
6.
Use this strategy periodically, every other week

or so, so that students learn to focus on what is
important. By using it frequently, students will come
to anticipate and think about what they will include
in their next My Top Ten List. They may even ask
you to assign this task!
Applications
Using My Top Ten List Across
the
Curriculum
his strategy can be used to synthesize learning

in any subject area. You can choose fro m among
the following ideas or create your own.
English Language Arts: My Top Ten List
about a character: attributes, quotes, what

others say about the character, what others
think about the character, what actions the
character takes, what conflicts the character
has, how the character changes over time

Social Studies: My Top Ten List
about a famous historical figure: the place or

time period in which the person lived, his
or her background or position, the persons
accomplishments and his/her impact on
38
society, the persons attributes, obstacles

the person may have overcome
Social Studies: My Top Ten List

about an event: a description of what it is or
was, the place and time period in which it
occurred, its purpose, its causes and effects,
its significance, who was involved with it
Math or Science: My Top Ten List
about a math or science concept: its definition,

attributes, characteristics, and examples; what
category it belongs to; how it works; steps
involved in it; tips and hints to help remember
it; when we might use it in real life; why its
important to know about
y Top Ten List is an engaging way for

students to review their notes and texts to
determine the most important ideas and concepts
learned in a unit of study. My Top Ten List will
represent essential concepts about
These fifth and eighth grade students use My Top Ten List to sort what they know about the main characters in the novels
they have read. Using the details listed, the second student prepares to write a thesis statement and paragraph showing
his understanding of the themes that have emerged through this activity. (This template is available on page 100.)
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Provide students a
list of statements. Let them use their notes to
answer whether each statement is true or false.
If the statement is false, tell them to make it true.
(For example: The urban community has wideopen spaces, farms, small villages, and some
isolated houses. False. The rural community has
wide-open spaces, farms, small villages, and some
isolated houses.)
Continue to allow students to work with peers
and/or consult their texts and notes as they
develop their lists.
To challenge advanced learners: Challenge these
students by asking them to prioritize their My Top
Ten List from least important to most important
(number 10 being the least important and
number 1 being the most important).
ake classroom posters of some of your My Top

Ten Lists to help activate prior knowledge for
new units of study and to remind students of all that
theyve learned throughout the year. Make frequent
references to the posters and note connections to
help students integrate their understandings and
come to see all learning as interwoven. A worthy
teaching goal would be to help students make their
own references and connections during class discussions and written assignments from the My Top Ten
List posters. Provide bonus points to students who
refer to the posters in their conversation or writing.
My Top Ten Lists will become a favorite for some
students. Offer it as one option for students to
choose on Choice Homework Night a once-a-week
or biweekly opportunity for students to choose from
a menu of homework choices carefully modeled over
time. (See Dodge [2005] for additional ideas about
how to use Choice Homework Night to provide homework options that appeal to students with diverse
interests and strengths.)
39
My Top Ten List
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic _________________________________________________________________________________
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
40
Matrix
harts and tables help us organize our thinking.

As students grapple to understand the great deal
of information that comes their way, graphic organizers such as charts, tables, webs, and flow maps can
help them see visual patterns and relationships. When
studying a unit that has several ideas, people, principles, or other items to compare, the Matrix strategy
can help students make sense of the information.
Like a Venn diagram, the Matrix is a visual

tool that helps students make comparisons
among items. Unlike a Venn diagram, however,
the Matrix can be used to compare and contrast
many items at once. Be sure to provide multiple
opportunities for designing and using this tool
with your students before you use it as an
independent assessment tool.
Social Studies students use the

Matrix to compare and contrast
several U.S. documents.
Step-by-Step
1. Duplicate and distribute the Matrix template
nicate clearly about the differences and similarities

of the items being discussed.
2. Model for students how you would fill out the
5. As a follow-up, have students write a compare-
(page 43).
chart as you guide them in a rich discussion in review

of a topic (comparing characters, states of matter,
types of landforms, characteristics of communities/
regions/biomes, etc.).
3. Have students fill in a chart of their own as you

model and complete yours.
4. Provide students the language of compare-contrast
(see box page 42) so that they can speak and commu-
contrast essay using at least five of the terms listed on

page 42.
6.
After the next days reading or lesson, allow

partners to work together to complete a Matrix template
to organize and compare the information.
7. Once students are comfortable and confident in the
use of this strategy to organize and compare information,

assign independent tasks in which they do so.
41
Applications
Tips for Tiering!
Which snacks should be placed in the

vending machine at school?
Fats
Calories
Sodium
Trail Mix
Potato Chips
Pretzels
Each
In the same way
However
And
Similarly
Also
Instead
On the contrary
In common
Same
In contrast
But
One difference
Different
Neither
Although
Even though
Whereas
different genres
characters
stories in an author study
to compare:
time periods, civilizations

countries, states, or regions
political/historical figures or groups
to compare:
human systems
ecosystems
weather and climate
In Math,
42
he Matrix organizes information for compareand-contrast analyses. Reinforce this purpose

by creating a classroom poster of the transition
words used to compare and contrast; see below.
Encourage students to use these words in order
to communicate more logically and coherently.
Point out to students when a particular word or
phrase from the list might help their speech or
writing become more precise.
Much as
In Science,
In comparison
In Social Studies,
The Language of Compare and Contrast
Similar to
In English Language Arts, to compare:
n addition to the ideas on page 9, consider

the following.
To support struggling learners: Continue to
provide students the characteristics by which
to compare the items.
Provide a partially completed chart.
To challenge advanced learners: Ask students
to make comparisons by choosing their own
characteristics.
Ask students to compare items to others
that are not in this unit of studyfor example,
those learned previously, those experienced
in their own life, or those that exist in society.
Both
Here are some other ways to use the Matrix.
to compare:
problem-solving strategies
geometric shapes
types of graphs
emonstrate to students how they can design tables with varying rows and columns,
depending upon the number of items and the
number of characteristics being compared.
Ultimately, the goal for using the Matrix is for
students to be able to create them on their own
(instead of filling in a template) so they can use
them for independent study or research. At first,
you can provide templates for students to complete
during a lesson. Later, you can ask students to
create their own charts after a homework reading
assignment. You can also ask students to reorganize
information from their class notes by designing their
own chart to serve as a study guide.
Charts like the Matrix can be used to help
students in decision making (McKenzie, 1997).
Model how you might use a matrix to evaluate
data and draw conclusions about it. For example:
Matrix
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Items to be Compared/Categories
#1
#2
#3
Characteristics /
Features:
43
pictures and words is inviting to learners who are

spatial and enjoy illustrating their ideas.
Used with struggling students or students
new to note taking, Noting What Ive Learned
provides an introduction to a critical skill that
students must master to be successful in school.
Since students organizational skills and ability to
function independently vary greatly in a mixedreadiness classroom, you need to begin notetaking instruction with a very basic note-taking
format and then offer alternative strategies and
less structured formats when students seem
ready (Dodge, 2005).
Step-by-Step
1. Provide students with a template of Noting What
5.
2. If this is the first time your students are using
Read the next textbook section aloud. Follow

steps 4 and 5. Repeat until section is completed.
3. Read aloud one section from your textbook or
as an effective study tool by folding the right side of the

page over to meet the right side of the boxes. Students
can then study by asking themselves questions and trying
to answer them aloud without looking at the details
underneath the folded paper. (See the sample on page 45.)
Ive Learned to accompany a reading assignment

(page 46).
this outline, provide them the Main Ideas, Questions, or Key Words for each of the boxes. (Each box
should reflect one section of the reading.)
other nonfiction text, and then pause. Give students

two to three minutes to list details (facts, data, examples, evidence, and so on) supporting the main idea
or to answer the question that is written in the box.
4.
To provide students additional support with this

note-taking instruction, you might allow partners first
to talk for one minute to gather ideas before writing
individually.
Have students share ideas as a whole class, so

that all students can learn from one another.
6.
7. Show students how to use Noting What Ive Learned
8.
Change to a different activity for the rest of your

lesson. You will want to practice this reading and
note taking/sharing at least once a week for part of
the class period. Over time, students will build their
note-taking skills and will be able to read and take
notes more independently.
Applications
his strategy can be used for listening comprehension, as well. As part of your lesson, you might give a
PowerPoint presentation, show a video, or play a podcast
(digital media files downloaded off the Internet). Every few
minutes, stop for students to record what they have
heard on their Noting What Ive Learned organizer.
44
Once students have been given direct and

guided instruction, as well as paired practice, they
will be ready to use the Noting What Ive Learned
template on their own for homework. Frequent practice with this strategy will make better note takers of
your students.
oting What Ive Learned is a simple notetaking strategy that can be used in all grade
levels and across the curriculum. Adapted from
my favorite new note-taking strategy, Column Note
Taking, it utilizes the best element of this note-taking
system popularized at Cornell University (Pauk,
2000): two columns, one for main ideas and
another for details. Keeping this basic format, Ive
added boxes so students can provide drawings and
other nonlinguistic representations of the information, and Ive enumerated the details to make outlining simple and inviting for beginning note takers
(Dodge, 1994). This format of note taking with both
Students use the Noting What Ive

Learned outline to organize their notes
for Social Studies.
TechConnect
Have groups of students plan PowerPoint presentations using the Noting What Ive Learned graphic
organizer as their prewriting/organizational tool.
During presentations, have other students listen and
record their own notes on a blank Noting What Ive
Learned outline.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Continue to provide
the main ideas, questions, or key words for these
students as long as needed.
Provide the page number, paragraph, or section
where students will find the details they will need.
Highlight sections of the text to help English
language learners focus on comprehending a
smaller amount of text.
To challenge advanced learners: Encourage
advanced note takers to take notes in whatever
format works best for them.
45
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic __________________________________________________________________________________
Draw It!
Main Ideas, Questions, Key Words
Write It!
What Ive Learned
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
46
List-Group-Label
ist-Group-Label (Taba, 1967) is a strategy

that helps students make sense of information
and develop their vocabulary. It requires students
to list and sort terms to activate prior knowledge
or review concepts after a unit of study. Used as a
formative assessment, List-Group-Label measures
student understanding of a topic or concept.
In a closed sort, the teacher provides the
categories, or labels, for organizing the terms
related to the topic. Students group the terms
according to the teachers suggested labels. In
an open sort, students use their critical-thinking skills to create their own labels for sorting and
grouping the terms.
Since the brain is a category seeker, ListGroup-Label is a brain-friendly activity. It helps
students retain information more easily. It also
raises the level of thinking because it asks that
students make sense of the facts, data, and terms

by noting relationships. Students completing an
open sort will find very different ways to group the
terms and make sense of the information. There
is no right way to sort the terms, as long as the
students can explain the grouping by making an
accurate connection. The conversation and discussion that are part of this exercise are usually rich
with content vocabulary and generally lead to
meaning making at critical levels of thinking.
As List-Group-Label can be designed as an
open-ended strategy, it addresses the needs of
students of all readiness levels. Struggling and
grade-level students will see the more obvious
connections; advanced learners will make broader
connections, tying information they are learning
now to ideas from other disciplines and to topics
previously covered.
Step-by-Step
1. Choose a topic, concept, or theme that you have
the Colonists, Colonists reactions, Battles, Spies)

Ask partners to group the terms according to
each label.
2. Write it on the board or an overhead transparency.

3. Ask students to generate as many terms as
5.
been studying.
they can that relate to the topic, concept, or theme.

You can guide this activity with questions to evoke
specific vocabulary. (What were the causes of the
Revolutionary War? How did the colonists respond?)
Record between 25 and 30 terms.
4.
Provide categories for the students to complete

a closed sort (for example: British actions against
Ask several pairs of students to share the terms

they have placed under each label and to explain
the connections they have madefor example:
These terms all relate to the causes of the American
Revolution. They are all actions taken by the King
of England against the colonists.
6.
Alternatively, complete steps 13 and then

have students engage in an open sort, organizing
the terms in their own way and coming up with their
own labels.
47
Applications
students. Tactile-kinesthetic learners will appreciate the

opportunity to move the cards around from group to
group to make sense of the terms.
You can photocopy a set of terms in boxes or
students can fill in boxes on their own blank template
as you develop a class-generated list of terms. Then,
each student can cut apart the boxes, creating his or
her own set of flash cards. The template on page 49
will make it easy for you to create materials for either
an open sort or a closed sort.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Provide the terms
on flash cards so they can be manipulated and
moved around easily into different groups.
For second-language learners or students who
struggle with vocabulary, provide the entire list of terms
(or cards) in random order, as well as a list of categories, so they will be engaged in a matching activity.
Provide one example of a label/category and a
group of terms; ask that they find other groups and
provide labels/categories.
Provide students with several groups of words,
already sorted; ask them to label the groups.
To challenge advanced learners: Have these students
48
work together to take the topic and generate their

own list of terms. Then, have them group and label
all of the terms.
Encourage these students to extend their thinking
by allowing them to work with the terms and categories
on a large sheet of paper with markers. Have them
create a concept map or semantic map, showing
categories, as well as hierarchical relationships (degree
of importance) among the terms. Explain that they can
use large boxes or circles to indicate that an idea has
a greater degree of importance than one in a small
box or circle. Provide students with a list of linking
terms (see Web Wind-Up page 51) to help them show
deeper, more complex understanding and multiple
relationships.
s a follow-up, you can have students write

a summary of the topic, using as many main
ideas (categories) and details (terms) as they can in
their writing. This writing exercise is good practice
for an essay that might come later as a summative
assessment.
Terms can be listed on a handout and students
can be given a graphic organizer to help them sort the
information. Terms can also be written on flash cards,
making grouping and regrouping an easier task for
List-Group-Label
Topic __________________________________________________________________________________
Create a closed or open sort for a List-Group-Label activity.
List terms that are related to the topic in the boxes below, copy and distribute to students.
49
Web Wind-Up
Before beginning a new topic of study, assess
learners by asking them to demonstrate on a web

what they already know about the topic. After studying
the material in class, students can return to this web
and add information in a different color, creating a
wind-up, or summary web, incorporating what they
have learned. Alternatively, they can create an entirely
new summary web illustrating what they have come to
know and understand. (See examples on page 51 that
illustrate a pre-assessment web and a Web Wind-Up
on the topic of digestion.)
Step-by-Step
1. Introduce the web graphic organizer by describ-
ing its specific purpose: to organize information about

a topic or concept with all its details, definitions,
attributes, characteristics, and examples visually
displayed.
2. Choose a topic or concept that you have
been studying and write its name in a circle in the

center of a piece of chart paper or on the board.
Have students do the same on a sheet of paper.
Then have partners work together to brainstorm
everything they can that relates to the topic and
write their ideas on lines coming off the circle
(see sample on page 51).
3.
Once students are comfortable and confident

using the web with familiar material, you can assign
them to use it with new information.
4.
Be sure to emphasize the language of addition

when working with this strategy, as it will reinforce the
purpose for using this particular organizer. You might
create a classroom poster of addition words such as:
first, second, third, and, in addition, also, for instance,
for example, to illustrate, besides, furthermore,
another, and finally. When students use appropriate
addition words in describing a topic with its details
and examples, they will communicate more precisely
about the topic Youll find a more complete list of
transition words in the Appendix, page 94.
Applications
Web Wind-Up can be a frequent tool for summarizing either a class lesson or an assigned reading.
Include it as a Choice Homework Night
Web Wind-Ups can also be done in small
groups. Give each group a large piece of paper (18"
x 24") or a large dry-erase board to demonstrate their
understanding of the material covered in that days
(or the previous days) lesson. Each group should be
assigned a recorder, a timer/leader, an illustrator, and
50
a presenter. Groups can present their summaries to

one another, or students can take a gallery walk
to view how different groups have organized the
information.
Upon completing the presentations or returning to their seats from the gallery walk, students
can write a summary as an individual formative
assessment of what they know and understand up
to this point.
he Web Wind-Up is a thought-provoking

summarization tool that uses a web to
engage students in active learning. Because
there is no one way for students to design this
graphic organizer, it honors the individual learner in a differentiated classroom and fosters creativity. It encourages critical thinking rather than rote
learning because it stresses recognizing concepts
and noting relationships among ideas.
This science teachers uses a web to pre-assess

learners before she begins her unit on digestion.
After the unit, students use a Web Wind-up to
show what they have learned.
TechConnect
Using software programs like Kidspiration or
Inspiration, younger students can create graphic
organizers with circles, arrows, spokes, and graphic
images, as well as words.
A free web tool for mind mapping, called Mind-
meister, is better for older students, as it uses only text.

However, the exciting part of this online tool is that
it allows any number of students to work together
simultaneously to create the graphic organizer. For
more info: www.mindmeister.com.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Continue to provide
the main ideas, questions, or key words as needed.
Change the wheel and spokes to a box with
horizontal lines for students who find the spatial
orientation of a web to be visually confusing.
Topic: ________
To challenge advanced learners: Provide these

students with linking terms to write in color on
their webs so that they can note relationships,
hierarchy, and changes, as well as the details,
attributes, and examples. Encourage them to use
words such as:
is /are
is like/is unlike
is the same as
is different from
takes place in
during
because
is changed by
uses
can be
represents
involves
contains
is an example of
another example
is
is caused by
causes
produces
consists of
results in
equals
is a result of
as a result
therefore
because
determines
by
symbolizes
becomes
is made of
is found in
takes place
is changed
leads/leads to
has/have
This additional language will allow students to

expand, build, and reflect upon the information
in a more complex and sophisticated way.
Encourage these students to draw arrows, boxes,
circles, and lines to indicate relationships among
the ideas.
51
Section 3
he formative assessment strategies that follow

ask students to create visual and nonlinguistic
representations of information. Marzano, Pickering,
and Pollock (2001) describe nonlinguistic representations

as the most underused instructional strategy of all those
reviewed in their book Classroom Instruction That Works.
This is unfortunate because there is evidence that students
who create visual representations of a concept are better able
to understand and recall the concept (Ritchie & Karge, 1996,
as cited in Fisher & Frey, 2007). Marzano et al. suggest that
there are a variety of activities that help students produce
nonlinguistic representations (including creating graphic
representations, making physical models, generating mental
pictures, drawing pictures and pictographs, and engaging
in kinesthetic activity). Nonlinguistic representations help
students to elaborate, adding to their knowledge. By
allowing students to draw, we enhance their understanding
of content, and the effects on achievement are strong
(Marzano et al., 2001). Providing this type of formative
assessment and elaboration increases the likelihood of
retention of information later on. Following are seven
strategies that invite students to generate visual representations to show their understanding.
52
Visual Representations
of Information
Picture Note Making
he Picture Note Making strategy makes sense

for our diverse learners. It is both active and
motivating, and it appeals to students who have
spatial learning preferences. Additionally, it supports the research that suggests ideas are stored
in our brain both verbally and in nonverbal image
forms (Paivio, 1986).
Although not all learners find visualizing helpful in their learning, there are many who would not
have access to the flow of ideas if it were not for the
concrete images they can see (McLaughlin & Vogt,
2000). Visualization activities like Picture Note
Making provide new opportunities for students to
communicate about their learning, which is critical
to the social construction of meaning.

Students are given a Picture Note Making
template (see page 55) and asked to write three
important ideas that they have learned. On the left
side of the page they are asked to visualize and then
draw a picture to help them remember as much as
possible about the topic or concept, including big
ideas as well as details. (See example below.)
The pictures can be shared and discussed in
pairs or small groups. The conversation about the
topic or concept is usually rich in detail because
of the variety of illustrations. The images help
visual learners retain the information better than
simply discussing the concept orally.
Picture Note Making helps these students make sense of what theyve learned in a unit on electricity. Using both
linguistic and non-linguistic representations ensures better retention.
53
Step-by-Step
1. After a learning experience (a class discus-
sion, demonstration, reading assignment, research

activity, and so on), have students reflect and write
about three key understandings (big ideas) that
they have learned about on the Picture Note Making
handout.
few minutes for students to sketch images related to

the big ideas. (If time is short, you can ask students
to finish the drawings at home and hand in the
paper the following day.)
Applications
f you use Picture Note Making several times

throughout a particular unit of study, you can
have students collate their pages afterwards and
put them together to create a book on the topic.
Some teachers I have worked with use Picture
Note Making as a follow-up to school-wide assembly programs, a visit from an author, or a field trip.
Other teachers use this strategy as a follow-up
to a video or their own PowerPoint presentations to
assess what their students have learned.
about the topic or concept. Provide brief comments

to students as feedback.
4.
Have students engage in a strategy called Sketch

to Stretch (Short, Harste, & Burke, 1996), in which
they use their pictures to share in small groups. As
each student in the group shows his or her Picture
Note Making illustration, group members verbally
describe what they see and interpret the drawing for
themselves. Finally, the writer-artist elaborates and
gives his or her own interpretation of the images.
TechConnect
Have students use Kid Pix software or the free
paint tool that comes with Windows to illustrate
their understanding in a large box. Students
can then give three facts, understandings, or
conclusions about the image.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Suggest that students

list any details they can remember (rather than
asking them to record the big ideas).
Provide a list of big ideas from which students
can choose or from which students can choose one
to elaborate upon.
54
Supply students with pictures to help spark their

memories and make the writing flow more easily.
To challenge advanced learners: Ask students to
use Picture Note Making to create a how-to booklet for other students to read and use (How to Be a
Good Friend, How to Deal With a Bully, How to Keep
Your Teeth Healthy, How to Recycle in Your Home,
How to Solve Math Word Problems).
2. After the writing is complete, allow an additional
3. Collect the papers to assess student learning
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List three important ideas about the topic:
Draw a picture to help you remember as much as you can

about the topic:
Topic __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Picture Note Making
55
QuickWrite/QuickDraw
ideas, reflect on what they know about a topic,

and make connections (Tompkins, 1998). The
writing side of the assessment engages learners
in the process of elaborative rehearsal, which is
necessary to increase the meaning of semantic
information, as well as the likelihood of its retention (Wolfe, 2001). On the left side of the page,
students draw symbols or images to synthesize
what they know and to show relationships among
the information. I find most students enjoy
completing this assessment because there is a
drawing component to it. The complete QuickWrite/QuickDraw serves as a good study tool later
on for students with its memorable images and
brief explanations.
Step-by-Step
1. Duplicate the QuickWrite /QuickDraw template

on page 58; give one to each student.
2.
Allow students to write and draw for between

five and ten minutes to show their understanding of
a particular concept you have identified. (It is interesting to note whether students write or draw first,
as this is probably an indication of their preferred
mode of expression. You can keep this in mind
when, in the future, youre deciding which assessment strategies to offer students.)
3. Allow students to share their QuickWrite/Quick-
Draw assessments with one another in small groups

as you circulate to listen in on the conversations.
Encourage them to add to their own papers after
listening to the ideas of their classmates (Tompkins,
1998). Ask them to include this additional information in another color, so they can see the process of
their learning and the value of sharing ideas.
4.
Collect this completed QuickWrite/QuickDraw

and make notes about any misunderstandings or
gaps in student understanding. Form a needs-based
group to follow up the next day, if necessary.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Provide written steps

or explanations and ask that students create an illustration to represent the information nonlinguistically.
56
Provide the illustrations and ask that students

describe them in words.
Allow two students to work together on a QuickWrite/QuickDraw, with one student writing and the
other illustrating.
uickWrite/QuickDraw is an assessment tool

that invites learners to explain their thinking through both writing and drawing. Because this
assessment includes both linguistic (left-brain) and
nonlinguistic (right-brain) representations, it offers
teachers a view into the thinking of learners who
might have a preference for one mode of thinking over the other. Marzano et al. advise us that
the more we use both systems of representation,
linguistic and nonlinguistic, the better we are able to
think about and recall knowledge (2001).
On the right side of the page, students write
as they analyze information and break it down to
show their understanding. As students engage in
this quickwriting, they are able to develop their
The QuickWrite/QuickDraw strategy addresses the fact that our brain is a dual-processor. As the student
on the left listens to a poem that his teacher reads aloud, he draws the images that he sees in his mind and,
afterwards, explains his understanding in words. The science student on the right is guided by a word box his
teacher has provided to help him compare vertebrates and invertebrates by both writing and drawing.
Applications
he QuickWrite/QuickDraw is a useful assessment for showing understanding about the

following
In Science:

Sequence/steps/cycles/processes
Scientific principles
Content-area vocabulary
In Social Studies:

Steps in a process
locks/money/shapes/patterns/
C
measurement
In English Language Arts:
In Math:
Important events/turning points/conflicts

Elements of civilization
Highlights of an era
Content-area vocabulary
Characters/key figures/attributes
Setting/conflict/problems and solutions
Beginning, middle, end
Symbols/themes
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QuickWrite/QuickDraw
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Unit Collage
Unit Collage is a student-generated, ongoing, visual synthesis of a topic studied in

class. It includes on one page a group of eight to
ten drawings, symbols, captions, and so forth that
capture the essence of a unit of study. Creating
individual unit collages allows students to process information more deeply through their own
synthesis of ideas, both visual and linguistic. The
benefits of completing a Unit Collage are many.
Because the collages are fairly open-ended, they
appeal to learners of different strengths and

intelligences. Along the way, these collages serve
as a check for student understanding and
an opportunity for informal assessment. These
collages will later serve as effective study tools
and triggers for student memory. Some students
choose to save the collages for years, keeping
a visual record of some of the most important
ideas, principles, and key concepts that they
have studied in a particular class.
This teachers colorful display of students Unit Collages about the regions of the United
States allows students to reference the information learned in past units as they work to
make sense of new units of study.
59
Step-by-Step
1. It is important to model for the class how to create
a Unit Collage. If you are not comfortable with illustrating ideas yourself, engage one of your student artists
to create the first one with you.
2. Take a poster-size sheet of paper and divide it into

3. Throughout the unit, stop after discussing an
important concept/subtopic and brainstorm with the

entire class how you could illustrate the concept to make
it memorable. Together, decide what vocabulary terms,
phrases, or quotes should be included in addition to
the picture or drawing.
4.
Illustrate the particular concept youre working

on, adding any important content-specific language
that the class has decided is necessary to describe the
concept accurately.
5. Continue with the study of the unit, which may
7. Students should now be ready to create their own

individual Unit Collages for the next unit.
8. Before you photocopy the reproducible on page
62 for students to use, decide whether you want to run

off the copies with subtopics or questions printed in
each box. This is usually helpful for younger students
or those with weak organizational skills.
9.
Stop periodically throughout the unit for students

to fill in a box on their collage. Midway through a lesson, brainstorm ideas with the class and then provide
five minutes or so for students to individually complete
the box as a check for understanding. Or you might
give students five minutes at the end of the lesson
as closure. Alternatively, you can assign one box for
homework and have students share their collage the
next day with a partner.
take several more days, or even weeks, until its

conclusion. Along the way, stop periodically to create
a new block when you determine that it would be
helpful to increase retention.
Types of Information/Visuals to Include on a Unit Collage

Key understandings or concepts
Formulas
Principles
Parts and functions
Examples
Pictures
Symbols
Themes
Story elements
Literary devices
Quotes
Tips and hints
Key figures
Turning points
Major contributions
Legacies
Important events
Content vocabulary terms
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Label each box on the

unit collage with a key concept, quote, or example to
guide students.
To challenge advanced learners: Leave the task more
open-ended, allowing these students to determine what
is important in the unit and how they should synthesize
and record the information.
60
Have students make a connection that you did not

discuss in class between two ideas in this unit, or have
students compare something they learned in this unit
with something they learned previously. Ask students
to write each connection or comparison in one of the
boxes on the Unit Collage.
Eliminate this activity completely for this group of
learners and substitute a more complex, higher-level
task (see ideas for FactStorming on page 32 for more
rigorous thinking activities).
at least six boxes. Place the heading, topic, or title of

the unit at the top of the page.
6.
At the end of the unit, use the class-generated

Unit Collage to help review the unit. (You may decide
to have more than one poster page, depending upon
the complexity of the unit.)
Applications
roup Unit Collages: While students will enjoy

keeping their own individual Unit Collages,
periodically place students in heterogeneous groups
to complete a Group Unit Collage as a review for an
entire unit. Provide a list of key elements that must
be included in each of the groups collages. Allow
20 30 minutes for groups to complete the task
using any resources they have (textbook, notebooks,
handouts, and so on). During the last few minutes
of class, conduct a gallery walk for students to visit
all of the posters.
If you are willing to let this activity take a
little more time, it can be even more effective. Let
student groups present the information on their
collages to the rest of the class. Then distribute

a practice assessment with short response questions to each student. Allow students to take a
gallery walk, return to their seats, and complete
the assessment individually. Permit students to go
back to any collage for additional help in completing the assessment. This is, after all, a formative
assessment, not a summative assessment. This
practice strategy is for learning. The questions will
help students continue to process more deeply the
information they have been studying.
.
TechConnect
To create a digital Unit Collage, students can use
PowerPoint to create one slide with seven or eight
images. First, students will create a folder and save
pictures as they scan them from their own drawings
or download them from the Internet. Then, they will
create a background for their slide and insert onto the

slide each picture that theyve saved. Finally, students
will insert a text box next to each image for description,
summary, or analysis.
A science student uses the Unit Collage

to create a visual summary on the topic
of Matter.
61
Unit Collage
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Topic
62
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Subtopic/Question:
Photo Finish
hoto Finish is a series of snapshot

visuals that captures the essence of a
topic. Spatial learners will welcome the
occasional opportunity to show you what they

know through their own illustrations.
Through drawing and writing a Photo Finish, this student compares transportation in the 1800s with transportation now.
remember one fourth-grade student who was

classified as learning disabled because of his difficulty with writing. I was visiting his class, and they
had just finished a unit of study about communities.
Knowing his strength was drawing, I asked him to
make an illustration to show me his understanding
of how the suburban, urban, and rural communities
compared to one another. Had I asked him instead
to write about those differences, I would have been
inaccurate in my assessment of what he understood

conceptually. His very detailed sketches showed
me his understanding of the different homes, jobs,
lifestyles, and physical features found in each type
of community. I remember how proud he was as I
praised his deep knowledge and understanding.
I decided to tell his teacher to work on his writing
skills the following day, allowing him to bask in the
good feelings he was experiencing during this moment.
63
Step-by-Step
1. As always, it is important to model for the class

how to complete any new strategy. If you are not
comfortable with illustrating ideas yourself, engage
one of your student artists to create the first one
with you.
on page 66. This version has eight boxes for illustration .

.
3. Throughout the unit, stop after discussing an
important concept and brainstorm with the entire

class how you could illustrate the concept to make it
memorable. Together, decide what vocabulary terms,
phrases, or quotes should be recorded in addition to
the picture or drawing.
4.
Model your thinking about how you choose what

key ideas to illustrate and how you will represent them.
For example, after a unit on the three branches of
government, I begin my modeling like this:
e have been studying the three branches of government,
W
and I remember that the legislative branch makes the laws
about trading, money making, and paying taxes. So, in the
first box, I will write legislative branch and laws. Then,
in the second snapshot box, Ill sketch outline maps of the
5. Continue to model your thinking process as you
complete a Photo Finish to show what you know about

the executive and judicial branches of government.
6. Once you have guided students in developing
meaningful nonlinguistic representations of information, you can give them practice doing this on their
own. You might list four key ideas for students and allow them to brainstorm with partners for two or three
minutes about which symbols or illustrations they
could draw to represent the concepts. Then, give
students just a few minutes to complete their individual drawings. (Some students could go on drawing
forever, so be sure to advise them that these sketches
should be brief and include simple art work, such
as stick figures.) If you use a timer and say, Pencils
down! at a given point, your slowest artists will soon
understand that they have to start immediately and
keep it simple. If drawing is difficult for some students, encourage them to try, but allow them to write
about their understanding instead.
Applications
ive students the Photo Finish template

(page 66) to assess their understanding of:
64
Major contributions
Characters/key figures
Turning points
Important events
Examples of themes/story elements/literary
devices/conflicts
Different groups or categories

Cause and effect
Change over time
Before and after
Sequence/important events/steps
2. Copy and distribute the Photo Finish reproducible
U nited States and England with arrows indicating their

trade. In the third box, Ill draw a picture of several bills ($1,
$5, $10, and $20) and write money making. Finally, Ill
draw the dollar symbol with an arrow pointing to the word
government to show that the legislative branch makes the
laws about paying taxes.
Tips for Tiering!

the following.
To support struggling learners: Provide students

with a cause (in writing) and have them illustrate
this cause and one effect. Or provide students with
four pictures (four causes) and let them illustrate an
appropriate effect for each.
Provide students with out-of-sequence sentence
strips indicating steps, sequence, or change over
time. Have them sequence the ideas and then draw
an illustration to represent each of the ideas.
Provide students with several pictures. Have
them sort the pictures to compare and contrast
concepts. Explain to them that some of the
pictures will not be used (this will encourage the
students to think more critically than if they were
engaged in a simple matching exercise). When
they have chosen from among the pictures, let
them paste the illustrations onto the Photo Finish
template to show the comparisons.
To challenge advanced learners: Ask these
students to use Photo Finish to show higher-level
thinking by illustrating:
Cause and effect
Change over time
Before and after
Sequence/steps
eep in mind that some students will simply

be unable to illustrate as a way of showing
understanding. A Photo Finish, therefore, is not
an effective assessment tool for everyone. When
some students do poorly on this activity, it does
not imply lack of understanding about concepts,
but rather a discomfort with drawing. Since we
are not trying to measure artistic skills in the
content-area classroom, we should be prepared to
provide these students with an alternate assessment strategy that requires writing instead of
drawing, or one that provides the pictures for
students to describe. Remember, it is important
to have a repertoire of assessment tools so that
over time you can gather accurate evidence of
understanding from your diverse learners.
TechConnect
Using Photo Story (a free download from Microsoft
.com), you can have students create a slide show
by choosing digital photos and creating a descriptive
audio track to run concurrently. If you want to add
music, as well as audio, you can pull Photo Story
into Movie Maker (it comes free with Windows XP
and Vista) and add a music track to the background.
For more info: http://www.microsoft.com.
65
Photo Finish
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66
Filming the Ideas

O
ne of my students favorite activities throughout the years has been using the Filming the
Ideas organizer. Students like it because it gives
them an opportunity to draw. I like it because it
gives me an open window into my students minds.
They are required not only to draw, but to use very
precise language in their writing.
This two-page organizer has eight boxes on
each page, four on the left side and four on the
right. The pages are stapled together, and students
cut apart the boxes on top so they can be folded
over to reveal the boxes underneath. This layered
tool can be used to illustrate many organizational
patterns of thought, such as cause and effect,
compare and contrast, and sequence. Students can
write a summary on one page and create a visual
rendering on the other; the completed organizer can
serve as an effective study tool.
It is important to include assessments with
constructed responses in your repertoire, as anyone

familiar with state assessments will tell you. Boxes
on the first page of the Filming the Ideas organizer
can be preprinted with constructed response questions that require students to apply their knowledge
and skills to answer a question or complete a task.
Students must write short answers or more extended responses on the second page. In this case,
students would draw a simple sketch to illustrate the
concept on the first page next to the constructed
response question. On the second, lined page underneath, they would answer the question. Although
assessments like these are more difficult to evaluate than assessments that simply require students
to select a multiple-choice, true-false, matching, or
short-answer fill-in from a provided list, formative
assessments of this type contribute to more valid
insights about student understanding (Ainsworth &
Viegut, 2006).
The Filming the Ideas organizer allows students in

this classroom to keep track of the events occurring
in the book their class is reading.
67
Step-by-Step
1. Decide whether you are going to print the first
page with questions and/or images or leave it blank.
2. Photocopy the Filming the Ideas reproducibles
(pages 7172) or have students bring up the digital

copy on their computers.
template on top of the eight-box lined template.

Instruct them to place three or four staples along
the outside margins. Then, students (or the teacher)
can cut the top sheet along the middle bold line.
This will allow the top sheet with questions and
pictures to open up and reveal student-written
responses. (To save time, you can instruct students
to complete the cutting at home. The horizontal bold
lines can be cut up to the side margins so that each
box flips open separately.)
4. Give students clear directions about how to
complete the assessment. Explain to students that

the Filming the Ideas organizer will help them
arrange ideas in ways that will make the information
memorable. Be sure to explain which higher-level
5.
Tell students if they have to include certain

content vocabulary, show a particular number of
steps, compare and contrast certain elements or
factors, or sketch specific items or processes.
6. Allow students the time it takes for them to
complete the required task. Depending on the way

you design the activity, they may need a full class
period (3040 minutes) and/or additional time the
next day or as homework. This type of assessment
will take longer to finish than many of the others
suggested in this book. However, keep in mind that
by varying the type and complexity of the assessments you choose, you will have better and more
accurate evidence of student understanding.
The Filming the Ideas organizer is frequently used to compare and contrast. Here, the student
compares the Mesa Verde to his own community.
68
3. Have students staple the eight-box unlined
thinking skill the organizer will be used to illustrate.

Will students be required to show cause and effect,
compare and contrast, or problem-solution, by illustrating and labeling both the left and right sides of the
organizer with these terms? Will students be asked
to sequence events, describe change over time,
record steps in a process, or note stages/phases/
parts of a cycle by numbering the boxes from left to
right continuing down the page?
Applications
se the Filming the Ideas organizer to teach the

following skills and organizational patterns.
Chapter SummariesFilming the Ideas is ideal for
helping students create chapter summaries of classroom read-alouds (chapter books) or outside readings.
If there are no titles for the chapters, ask students to
create a title and a symbol or image that shows what
each chapter is mostly about (main idea).
Describing a ConceptStudents can use Filming
the Ideas to represent their understanding of a concept
by sharing facts, examples, characteristics, functions,
or attributes of the concept, along with visuals. (For
example, students can describe the digestive system by
recording facts about it, providing examples of different
types of digestion, describing its function and how it
works, specifying characteristics of an unhealthy digestive system, etc.).
Recording Steps in a Process /Stages in a Cycle
Students can use Filming the Ideas to illustrate and
show their understanding of stages in a life cycle,
phases of the moon, steps in an experiment, or any
other process or cycle.
Noting Events in Chronological Order/Sequence
Filming the Ideas is effective in social studies classrooms, where students can sequence historical events
or record periods of history along with illustrations.
It also can be used in language arts classrooms as a
prewriting tool for creative writing (planning events in
the story) or as an organizer for logical, coherent writing
involving sequence (an autobiography, a characters
change over time, events that impact a characters life,
and so on).
Cause and EffectUse the Filming the Ideas
organizer when asking students to show understanding of cause-effect relationships. Label the four boxes
on the left side of the top page with the word Cause.
Accompanying illustrations on this side of the page will
show student understanding of each cause. Label the

four boxes on the right side of the top page with the
word Effect. Illustrations on the right side will show
student understanding of the effect of each cause to its
left. Students will provide written explanations on the
second page to describe each cause-effect relationship.
Compare and ContrastThe design of the Filming
the Ideas organizer is also useful to compare and contrast any two ideas, concepts, periods of time, books,
characters, groups, or classifications. On the left side,
list four characteristics, elements, or factors. Students
will illustrate the first page and elaborate in writing on
the second page. On the right side, students will compare these characteristics, elements, or factors to those
from a different time period, book, character, group, or
classification.
Math Problem SolvingOne of the best variations
that evolved from teacher use of the Filming the Ideas
organizer is the one-page, four-box version for solving
word problems in math (see sample on page 70).
Photocopy the organizer with the word problem printed
in the first box. Then, model for the whole class how
to solve the word problem by proceeding through the
steps: recording known information and what needs to
be solved; drawing an illustration of the data; solving
and labeling the problem; and using the language of
math to explain the procedure.
After you have modeled the steps for the entire
class, allow students who have the confidence to
proceed on their own to solve a second, similar problem
which you have photocopied on the reverse side. Invite
students who struggle with solving word problems
to work with you around a table to solve the second
problem together. Challenge advanced math students
to create and solve their own word problem on a blank
math Filming the Ideas organizer.
Use Transition Words With Filming the Ideas
e sure to introduce and require the use of transition words that are associated with each type of organizational
pattern. Provide a list of transitions like the ones found in the Appendix (page 94) each time your students use
Filming the Ideas. Post the words on your walls to reinforce their use during classroom conversations. (Allow
them to place stickers with their initials on the posters whenever they use the words to communicate ideas.) Encourage
students to use several transition words in any writing activity to help them connect their ideas. You can teach students
to think more critically about information by helping them to arrange their thoughts using graphic organizers, along with
appropriate transition words.
69
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Supply a simpler
list of transition words for students to choose
from (i.e., first, second, next, then, later, soon,
after that, finally).
Preprint the Filming the Ideas organizer with
the transition words in each box.
To challenge advanced learners: After giving
general directions, leave the task more openended.
Allow students to create their own questions to
answer.
Provide an advanced list of transition words
(initially, subsequently, simultaneously, consequently, and so on) for them to choose from.
Require students to compare and contrast the
new information with something they studied
before (without suggesting the comparisons).
Have students research new information related
to the topic and organize it in one of the patterns
described on page 69 under Applications.
70
TechConnect
Use Kid Pix, VoiceThread, Photo Story, Movie Maker,
or PowerPoint to integrate technology with this
assessment tool. (See TechConnect Ideas from
previous chapters for brief descriptions and URLs
to learn about some of these technologies.)
The Filming the Ideas for Math

problem-solving invites students
who have difficulty with word
problems approach them with
less anxiety. This student-friendly
graphic helps a learner break down
the problem into manageable steps
and encourages illustrations.
Date _______________________________________
Name ______________________________________
Filming the Ideas Judith Dodge

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Filming the Ideas Judith Dodge

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Flipbooks
I
ts been my experience that most students

love to draw. Giving these students the
opportunity to draw in a content-area classroom
usually evokes great enthusiasm and involvement
in the task. Since drawing pictures or symbolic
representations of information stimulates and
increases activity in the brain (Gerlic & Jausovec,
1999), there is good reason for us to provide
students with opportunities to create such
nonlinguistic representations.
A Flipbook, which includes both linguistic
and nonlinguistic elements, is an ideal tool for

encouraging elaboration of information. Students
are asked to draw as well as write about the
information being studied in a layered book
(Zike, 2004). While verbal/linguistic learners
will prefer to write about the information, spatial
learners will prefer to illustrate their understanding. The flipbook requires both forms of
expression. Therefore, you will be able to assess
the learning of your students more accurately,
whatever their preference.
"
Step-by-Step
1. Have students take three pieces of 8" x 11"
Step 1
"
"
paper and layer them vertically, stepping each page

down " at a time.
2.
Have students align the papers neatly on both

sides. Instruct students to hold the three pages on
both sides by placing their thumbs underneath the
three pages and their other fingers on top. Have
them fold all three sheets upward in one motion,
stepping down " inch one more time. All the tabs
are the same distance apart. Students will now have
a flipbook with five " tabs and a larger top fold to
be used as a cover.
3. When the first five tabs are the same distance

apart, have students crease the papers well.
"
Steps 2 and 3
"
"
4.
Have students turn the booklet so the crease is at

the top. Place two staples on the top of the booklet.
5. To design a Mini-Flipbook, have students follow
steps 1-3, then cut the booklet in half. For a neater

cut, you may want students to first use a ruler and
mark 4 " on two or three spots. Have them lightly
sketch a line down the middle of the booklet and then
cut it in half. Alternatively, you can use a paper cutter
ahead of time to cut all of the paper in half. Have them
staple each booklet at the crease.
6. The Flipbook is now ready for use.

7. On the " tabs have students write subtopics,
Step 4
concepts, or questions that you provide. Then, tell them

to lift the flap above and write what they know about the
subtopic/concept or answer the question. On the flipped
page above, they will illustrate their understanding.
73
hen we choose to use a Flipbook for assessment, we do so because we want to create a unique opportunity to
enhance student elaboration. Keep in mind, however, that some students will simply be unable to illustrate
as a way of showing understanding. Therefore, as with Photo Finish, and other nonlinguistic assessments, we
must be careful not to interpret their lack of artistic skills as lack of understanding about the concepts. Be sure to
explain to students that you will look at their whole Flipbookwords and picturesto assess their understanding
and to measure what they have come to know.
side from providing valuable assessment data,

the Flipbook will serve as a great study tool for
students later on. As they both draw illustrations
and elaborate in words, students are reorganizing
information that they have learned. This reorganization is the essence of a good study strategy. When
we reorganize previously learned information, we are
more likely to place it in long-term memory.
Students love to make the Mini-Flipbooks (see
step 5 on page 73 for directions on making them). In
many classrooms, they often choose to make one on
Choice Homework Night (Dodge, 2005), when they
have the option of choosing from several activities
to show what they know in a way they prefer. If you
punch a hole on the top of the small booklet, it can
be kept neatly in a students binder.
While most teachers are familiar with basic
flipbooks (which offer descriptions of topics or
concepts), you might not have thought of using the
Flipbook as a visual time line (showing change over
time, sequence of events, etc.), as a Venn diagram
(showing comparison and contrast), or to show pros
and cons or cause and effect. By turning the Flipbook (or the Mini-Flipbook) on its side, it becomes a
visual time line, providing students a clear sense of
sequence or chronology.
To design a Flipbook that shows comparison and
contrast, pros and cons, or cause and effect, follow
steps 14. Then, cut the pages in half, leaving the
back page uncut. The back page will hold the booklet together. Now you can compare the differences
between two books, time periods, countries, biomes,
systems, and so on, according to different characteristics (see sample on page 75). On the back of the
Flipbook, students can record how the two things
being compared are the same.
Similarly, by labeling one side Advantages and
the other side Disadvantages, students can use
this cut flipbook to show their understanding of the
pros and cons of a particular document, treaty, governmental policy, presidency, solution to a problem,
and so forth.
Finally, you can also use this two-part Flipbook
to describe the cause and effect of actions and events.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Provide students with

out-of-sequence sentence strips that have descriptions,
steps, or events. Have them sequence the ideas, copy
or paste them into their Flipbook, and then draw an
illustration to represent each one.
74
To challenge advanced learners: Instead of providing

students with subtopics, steps, and questions to use
in their Flipbooks, tell them only what the assessment
is designed to show (for example: cause and effect of
different weather conditions, comparing and contrasting
different geographical regions, the change over time of
the main character), and let them organize the Flipbook
in any way they choose in order to show this information.
Applications
Flipbooks Can Assess Student Understanding in the Following Areas:
Language Arts:
Writing more complex sentences
Change over time
Sequence/steps
Cause-effect (motivation-effect)
D
escriptions and examples of
characters/themes/story
elements/literary devices/
conflicts, etc.
Science:
Social Studies:
Observations over time

in an experiment
Stages in a life cycle
Cause and effect
A
dvantages and disadvantages
D
ecosystems, organisms, human
systems, weather systems,
forces/energy/resources, etc.
Change over time

of events/steps
leading to
Cause and effect
A
dvantages and disadvantages
D
key historical figures/major
contributions/turning points/
important events/civilizations/
documents/issues/political
groups/time periods, etc.
Sequence/steps
S
equence
TechConnect
TechConnect: At one of the best Web sites for teacher
resources on reading, the International Reading
Associations ReadWriteThink.org, you can design a
flipbook online and print it out, ready to go.
For more info:

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/flipbook/.
Cover
Interior Pages
A student compares food, games, and

school during colonial times and today.
75
SmartCards
S
master the concepts (Conner, 2006).

SmartCards, however, are more than just
summaries; they serve as excellent assessment
tools for learning. Students complete them one at
a time throughout an entire unit of study, and you
can collect them at any time to assess student
understanding. After reading the cards over and
writing brief comments on them, you return them to
students so that the cards might be layered as a set
of SmartCards about one main topic (see example
below and illustration on page 77). By reading the
cards, you should have a good idea of what students
know up to this point.
The SmartCards created for this unit on simple machines serve as a study tool for review.
76
martCards are a collection of student-written

summaries and illustrations on index cards
about subtopics or concepts from one unit of study.
Although at first glance they may look like flash
cards, these summary cards require higher levels of
thinking than flash cards generally do. While flash
cards usually include just a word, a definition, and,
perhaps, an example or picture, SmartCards require
students to get the big picture of an idea and
condense it into their own words (Agee, 2008). In
addition, they require students to summarize ideas
from class, textbooks, or homework assignments,
rephrasing things because this helps students to
Step-by-Step
1. Hand out one piece of heavy-stock paper to
4.
each student. (You can also use manila folders.)

Have students label the top of the heavy-stock
paper with the main topic under study, or the title
of a book being read (for example: Biomes, The
BFG). Students will attach index cards to this sheet
to make up a set of SmartCards on a specific main
topic or book.
After brainstorming as a whole class what graphic

organizer, illustrations, or essential questions should
be placed on the front of the card, you can let
students work together in pairs to discuss what written
details (terms, definitions, examples, etc.) need to
be included on the lined back of the card. If time is
short, you can then assign the second side of the
SmartCard for homework.
2.
5.
3. Decide as a class what the front of the card
Let students pair-share to discuss their cards

and borrow ideas from one another to make their
SmartCards more complete.
Now have students write the name of the first

subtopic or question that you provide on the bottom
of the unlined side of the card (for example: The
Rain Forest, Characters). Each card will represent
a different subtopic of the main topic. (The second
subtopic might be: The Desert or Setting.)
(unlined side) should include to represent the

information. Will there be a web with subtopics
on the spokes? Should there be drawings to make
the concept memorable? What illustrations could
we include? Might we list essential questions to
consider?
Front view
Main Topic___________________________
You can collect this completed SmartCard the

following day and make notes about any misunderstandings or gaps in student understanding. Write
brief comments as feedback to your students.
6.
7. Finally, have students tape their card (with the

unlined side and labeled subtopic face up) at the
bottom of the heavy paper mentioned in Step 1.
Future cards will be layered on top of this card.
(See below.)
Inside view
Subtopic 3
Subtopic 2
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Subtopic 3
Subtopic 2
Subtopic 1
Subtopic 1
77
Applications
dents the value of creating accurate and complete

SmartCards throughout the unit. Students usually
put extra effort into the set of cards they prepare for
a subsequent unit, hoping they can once again use
them during the summative assessment. This time,
you can either allow them to use their cards during
the test, allow them to study from the cards for a
few minutes before the test, or give them from one
to five bonus points on the test, depending upon
how complete and accurate the SmartCards are.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Give students
a list of questions, terms, and sketches (on a
checklist) to be included on their SmartCard.
To challenge advanced learners: Provide a
blank card. Encourage these students to synthesize the information any way they think best.
TechConnect
At StudyStack, you can have students create digital
sets of flash cards with which they can practice
online or export to their iPods for on-the-go practice!
For more info: www.studystack.com.
This fourth grader is eager to work on

her SmartCards on the plant life cycle.
78
ome teachers keep these cards in a file drawer

for their students and return them before quarterly, mid-term, or final exams. This is especially
helpful to students who are disorganized or those
who tend to lose many of their important papers.
The SmartCards make studying for these exams
much easier than starting from scratch with traditional review sessions.
Occasionally, teachers will allow students to
use their cards on a summative assessment that
follows. This is a good way to impress upon stu-
Section 4
Collaborative Activities
he formative assessment strategies that follow ask

students to collaborate with others and orally
describe what they are learning. Most of the strategies
also involve movement, making these assessment strategies

special favorites of most students. Carla Hannaford, in
her book Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your
Head (1995), explains that movement is essential to
learning. Movement awakens and activates many of our
mental capacities. Movement integrates and anchors new
information and experience into our neural networks. And
movement is vital to all the actions by which we embody
and express our learning, our understanding and ourselves.
Focusing on bodily-kinesthetic and interpersonal skills,
the five assessment strategies that follow invite greater
engagement and communication as students journey
toward mastery of content.
79
Turn n Talk
T
Step-by-Step
1. After approximately 1015 minutes of class

discussion or lecture, have students turn to a
partner. Younger students should discuss what
is most important to remember, perhaps listing
key ideas together on paper. Older students
should share their own notes and discuss the
main ideas of this segment of class instruction.
2.
During this time, circulate among the

pairs, asking questions to check more deeply for
understanding.
3. Bring the whole class back together. Point

out any confusion or gaps in knowledge that
you have become aware of.
4.
Continue with the lesson for another

10 15 minutes. Repeat the opportunity for
Turn n Talk.
have come to see that attentiveness runs in cycles

and that it lessens after just a brief time of focus
(from 5 to 20 minutes in most school-age children).
To influence students attention, you can limit your
lectures and activities, and follow with a two-to-fiveminute diffusion activity (a total break from the
content or an alternative form of the learning) that
refocuses attention. Diffusion activities may include
partner shares, student presentations, creation of
individual graphic organizers, group work, or even
relaxation exercises and Simon Says stretch breaks.
Applications
se Turn n Talk as a diffusion activity, as

well as a strategy for longer retention. Use it
when you see glazed eyes, confusion, or signs
of boredom in your students. This quick strategy
will reenergize and refocus them.
TechConnect
To use the Turn n Talk strategy as a digital formative
assessment, pose a series of questions to which students
must respond on their laptops (or on a computer in a
computer lab). After each question, allow partners one
minute to discuss their answers first. Then, have each
student individually respond to the question online
using SurveyMonkey. You and your class will be able to
view the results graphically in real time and you will be
able to analyze the data for subsequent instruction.
For more info: www.surveymonkey.com.
Tips for Tiering!

following.
To support struggling learners: Provide students with

an outline to guide their discussion. For example, you
can partially fill in Noting What Ive Learned, found on
page 46.
80
Provide a list of questions (on a handout) that partners should ask each other to help keep the Turn n Talk
conversation focused and moving along. (See page 81;
cut into quarters and give one to each set of partners.)
generate questions and answers that can be used with
the entire class for review.
his strategy encourages student conversation

about what they are learning. Based loosely
on Dr. Mary Budd Rowes 10-2 Structure (1986),
it calls for students to listen for ten minutes to the
teachers presentation and then to discuss for two
minutes with a partner their notes and understandings about the topic. This can be repeated several
times during a lesson. During the last few minutes
of the class, the teacher brings all students back
together; students summarize key understandings,
and the teacher sorts out misconceptions.
Eric Jensen (1996) describes how researchers
Turn n Talk
W
hat are the most important ideas to
remember?
W
hat are some of the details related to
each idea?
W
hat questions do we need to ask so
that we can understand this information

better?
H
ow is this information related to
something else we know?
W
remember?
W
each idea?
W

better?
H
W
remember?
W
each idea?
W

better?
H
W
remember?
W
each idea?
W

better?
H
81

Sounds of a Bubble Bursting
(Foreclosures in the Wake of the Real Estate Bust)
Failure to Act!!
(Investigative Report on the Railroad System)
Hopes Dashed for Truce!

(Two Sides Fail to Come to Agreement Despite
International Urging)
The Wait Is Over!!

(Release of a New Anti-Cancer Drug by the FDA)
he Headline News! Summary asks students

to sum up the essence of a lesson by creating
newspaper headlines and delivering a brief news
summary as an innovative way to involve them in
meaning making. Allowed to use only a few words in
the headline, students must think of a concise way
to summarize what they have learned. Small-group
discussions provide them with the opportunity to

reflect upon what they have heard, read, or seen
immediately following the learning experience.
Allowing students to have small-group discussions
helps learners make connections they may not
make on their own.
Step-by-Step
1. Familiarize students with headlines and their
purpose. In Differentiation in Action (Dodge, 2005),

I describe a process to help students get comfortable
with creating headlines. The process familiarizes the
whole class with headlines they see in the newspaper.
2.
Place students in small groups to create their

own headlines for articles that you provide (with the
headlines cut off).
3. Model for the entire class how to apply this
summarizing technique to developing headlines

for a passage from a novel or social studies or science textbook.
4.
Ask pairs to create headlines for subsequent

passages in the textbook.
5.
Have partners share their ideas with the whole

class, alternating between the reading/writing activity for a passage and the sharing.
6.
You will need to model for students how to write

a summary. You can use the following questions
to guide your whole-class practice with summariz82
ing: What is the main idea? What do we know so

far? What is the significance of the event, discovery,
problem, conflict, etc.? Whom does it affect? What
seems likely for the future?
7.
You can provide additional practice for homework. Over time, students ability to summarize
the essence of a reading or class discussion will
become more refined.
8. Once students are comfortable with writing
headlines, you can give small groups a few minutes

during class to prepare an oral summary of the
event, chapter, passage, or concept in a one- or twominute Headline News! Summary. You might want
to provide sentence starters such as the following to
guide the development of their summary:
What we know so far is At this point, we
understand that
The conflict appears to be The action
taken by has led to
The problems facing us now are What
remains to be seen is
(Adapted from Jeffrey Wilhelms Action Strategies for Deepening
Comprehension, Scholastic, 2002)
Conviction Overturned!
(New Information Emerges)
Applications
ou can have students in small groups develop

the Headline News! Summary first. Then they
can work to develop the headline. For some
students (those who are right-brained, preferring
steps that go from whole to part), this process
might be easier.
Create a Headline News! bulletin board in your
classroom so that your students can post their
Tips for Tiering!

the following.
To support struggling learners: Provide an
outline for a written script for Headline News!
Summary.
Offer a selection of topics from which to
choose. Then, have students write the Headline
News! Summary from an outline or sentence
starters.
To challenge advanced learners: Place an
advanced group of readers/writers together and
ask them to:
use puns, metaphors, or similes as part of
their headlines
predict a future event in their headline,
based on what they know so far, then
write the Headline News! Summary as if the
prediction has taken place
create two headlines showing opposing
viewpoints on the same subject
headlines summarizing what theyve learned. This

bulletin board should remain in place for the entire
year, if possible, to help students see all of the
learning that has taken place. In addition, the bulletin board will help students activate prior knowledge
when they try to make connections to new material
they are studying.
TechConnect
Using the Web site listed below, your students can
work alone or with one or two others to create a
one-page newspaper article with as many as to
three headlines and articles. They can customize
the name, fonts, colors, and layout for their digital
Headline News! Summary.
Go to: http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive
.aspx?id=110&title
83
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
News Subject ____________________________________________________________________________

The Headline:
Consider the following:

What is the main idea?
Whom does it affect?
What do we know so far?
What seems likely for the future?
W
hat is the significance of the event,
discovery, problem, conflict, etc.?
The Summary:
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Group Members:
84
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Four More!
F
our More! is an assessment tool for closure

that integrates collaboration, movement, and
individual accountability. Students who struggle
to stay seated all day long will welcome this
movement activity.
The strategy begins with students working on their own. They then move around the
classroom for a brief period of interaction and
information gathering with classmates. The
movement part of the activity usually takes

no longer than three or four minutes, but
it is just enough time to reenergize students
and allow them to refocus their attention at
the end of a lesson. Then, students head
back to their seats where they individually
elaborate upon what theyve recorded, adding
details to the main ideas they have gathered
from their peers.
This animated learner enjoys the

interaction that is encouraged as
part of the Four More! activity.
The second part of the Four More!

activity invites individual reflection
on what they have learned while
engaging with their peers.
85
Step-by-Step
1.
Tell students that its time to summarize what

they have been learning today. Give each student a
Four More! template (page 87).
2.
3. Now, have students move from their desks to
circulate with peers. Tell them they must gather four

more ideas, one additional idea from each of four
different students to fill the remaining boxes.
4.
When all students are seated again (or when

you call time after about three minutes), ask
students to elaborate individually on the main ideas
by providing at least two details or descriptions
next to the bullets for each key idea.
Applications
se this strategy to review for a unit test or as a

prewriting activity for an upcoming essay.
This Four More! summarizer was

used after students were assigned
a textbook reading on the Atlantic
Provinces of Canada. After jotting
down two key ideas of their own,
students collaborated with peers to
find Four More!, and returned to
their seats to elaborate further on
their own.
86
Have all students write two key ideas (main

ideas) that they recall from the lesson on the lines
in the first two boxes.
Explain that completing this idea-sharing part of

the task is very important for their next activity and
that they will have approximately three minutes to
collect ideas from classmates. Encourage students
to move around the room, and advise them to return to their seats as soon as they are done.
Four More!
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Concept /Topic
__________________________________________________________________________
Key Idea: (On your own, jot a key idea)
Key Idea: (On your own, jot a key idea)
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Key Idea:
Key Idea:
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Key Idea:
Key Idea:
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
87

F
ind Someone Who Review is another

movement activity that focuses on content
while inviting student interaction that is purposeful.
Students reinforce their learning by explaining what
they know to others, who listen actively and agree
or disagree. Moving throughout the classroom for

about ten minutes, students will ask and answer
nine questions and record the responses on their
own charts.
Math students used this Find Someone Who Review to process their understanding on the
topic of probability. As students circulated and shared answers, they signed their initials in
the box showing their response. (In addition to a generic template for content-area classrooms,
there is a template for use in developing student social skills, a getting-to-know-you activity
on page 98.)
88
Step-by-Step
1. Hand out copies of the Find Someone Who
Review template (page 90). To save time, run the

chart off with nine focus questions related to the
present topic of study printed in each box.
2.
Give students ten minutes to circulate through

the room and ask their classmates for the answers
to the questions on the sheet. Explain to them that
each answer must come from a different student
and remind them that as theyre conducting their
inquiries, they need to talk in quiet voices and to
give the speaker their complete attention. Tell them

to return to their desk when their charts are complete.
3. Circulate among students, taking note of
student responses and assessing understanding.
4. After students return to their desks, ask them
to synthesize what they have learned (or reviewed)

by having them write a brief summary. The summaries
provide an opportunity for students to reorganize
the information, thus increasing the likelihood of
retention.
Applications
his activity can be used to activate prior knowledge before beginning the study of a unit or a
novel, or it can be used as a rehearsal strategy to
process new information. Of course, it can also be
used at the end of a unit to assess what students
have learned.
In addition, this activity can be used as a review
for a homework reading assignment. After circulating and talking about the reading, students are
primed to analyze the reading more closely with
the teacher.
This activity puts the responsibility on the students when used for test review. Students integrate
what theyve learned using interpersonal skills as
well as relying on their own cognitive skills for creating summaries.

The Find Someone Who Review format can
also be used to build social skills in your classroom.
Instead of prompting students to review content,
direct students to find out information about each
other. A Find Someone Who Social Skills reproducible is available on . As students mingle to
find others who have similar interests, hobbies, collections, and dreams, they get to know their peers
in a new way. Its enjoyable to use this activity at the
beginning of the year, after a vacation, or near a
holiday.
89
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Topic __________________________________________________________________________________
Find someone who:
90
can describe what would

happen if
can explain why
can describe the difference

between
can make a connection

between and
can describe the effect

of
can describe how
can explain the point of

view of
can explain the sequence

of
can tell you when
arousel Brainstorming is a powerful summarizing activity that engages all learners.

As students carousel from chart to chart,
they record ideas, details, and illustrations that
show their understanding of a particular topic
or concept. In heterogeneous groups, students
brainstorm together for a few minutes about a
topic or question before they carousel to the
next chart. This assessment technique utilizes
small groups and focused conversations that
help build student confidence. Used as an
assessment, Carousel Brainstorming allows you
to get a feel for what the class has learned and
pinpoint any gaps or misunderstandings.
These eager learners worked together as a team, rotating from

chart to chart as they analyzed their reading in a Carousel
Brainstorm activity.
Step-by-Step
1. Create a list of important subtopics or open-
ended questions about your big topic. Write each

one on a different sheet of chart paper. You can
use the planning sheet on page 93.
2.
Form groups of students so that there are as

many groups as there are charts. For example, if
you created five charts, you should have five groups.
(Form groups by having students count off from 1
to 5 and then grouping all the 1s together, all the 2s
together, and so on.)
3. Number the charts to indicate the order in
which groups should move from chart to chart.

Make sure, however, that the charts themselves do
not build upon one another, because some students
will be starting at the last charts and then moving to
the first charts.
4. Give a different color marker to each group and

have the groups carousel from chart to chart and
respond in writing to each of the topics or questions.
For each chart, a different group member records
the groups responses on the chart. Students might
draw a sketch or a symbol to illustrate an idea,
provide details or examples for each subtopic,
perform a required mathematics operation, or

answer a provided question with a response that is
different from those already recorded.
5.
Explain to your students that they must read

what others have written but may not directly copy
whats already been said (although, to encourage
language development, you might allow them to say
the same thing in a different way or to elaborate
on another groups response by adding additional
words).
6.
Give students from two to three minutes at each

chart to add as many ideas as they can, and then
ring a bell or flick the light to signal that its time to
move to the next chart.
7. The Carousel Brainstorming strategy is an activity
for processing and reviewing information. Be sure to

provide a follow-up activity that makes use of the
information gathered. Using the charts, students can
write brief essays that note relationships, summarize information, or make comparisons. The charts
can be referred to by the whole class. The teacher
should point out errors or misunderstandings and
provide additional information where he/she has
noticed gaps in understandings.
91
Topics for Carousel Brainstorming

Shapes
W
ord
Colors
Analyzing
Money
Time
Making
Study of the decades

Comparison of body systems
Elements of a civilization
Presidents
T
he Civil War (causes and effects,
battles, the Underground Railroad,
historical figures)
A Sample Lesson:
Using Carousel Brainstorming to Provide
Student Practice in Analyzing Graphs
Teach a mini-lesson to the whole class on
how to analyze graphs.
Form heterogeneous groups for a
Carousel Brainstorming. Each chart should
have a different graph (photocopied and
attached to the chart) for students to analyze
with their group. They will rotate through
the charts, drawing conclusions about each
graph (or answering open-ended questions
that you have written on the charts).
After students return to their desks,
give each an Exit Card with a new graph on
it and ask students to analyze the graph on
their own. Collect, assess, and determine what
instruction and grouping need to take place
the next day.
TechConnect
To integrate technology, use computer stations
or laptops instead of charts around the room. (If you
have a Smart Board, students can save their charts
in Word and send them to the Smart Board. The
charts can then be saved in Smart Board Notebook
software for printing copies and future retrieval.) At
each computer, open and save a Word document
with a different question or subtopic for the Carousel
Brainstorming. As small groups of students rotate
through all the computer stations, they must print
their response using their own color at each station.
You can print out the responses from all the stations
and provide students with their own copies to use
for follow-up writing assignments.
92
Applications
ou can use the charts as a prewriting

activity. Students can be asked to write
a summary using information from all of the
charts or to compare and contrast information on two of the charts (two presidents, two
characters, two stories, two time periods,
and so on).
If the charts are about characterization, you might ask students to stand next
to the character they are most like (or most
unlike) and explain how they are similar or
different using details from the charts.
Tips for Tiering!

the following.
To support struggling learners: Provide them
with details written on sticky notes. Have them
place the notes on the appropriate charts.
Encourage students to draw illustrations on
the charts.
Buddy-up shy or quiet students (or ELLs)
with a partner.
create symbols to represent main concepts and
themes.
numbers
A
nimals
L
etters
study
graphs
Different ways to make the number ___
Story elements
Comparing fairy tales
Expanding sentences
Character analysis
Concept /Topic
Teacher Planning Sheet
__________________________________________________________________________
Key understandings (what students must know and/or be able to do):
reate four to six open-ended questions or subtopics that will prompt students to share what they
know about the key understandings they should be developing about the topic. Record these here,
then write each on a separate sheet of chart paper for students to work with as described on page 92.
Chart 1:
Chart 2:
Chart 3:
Chart 4:
Chart 5:
Chart 6:
Tips for Making the Carousel Brainstorming Strategy Work

D
esign
questions/subtopics that are open-ended,

allowing for an unlimited number of responses.
Include no more than five members in a group.
Provide a different-color marker for each group.
After two to three minutes, rotate the groups.
Have the marker rotate with the group.
Rotate the recorder at each chart.
Remind students that they
must read what previous groups have written.

may not repeat what has been written.

may add an asterisk or exclamation point if they

agree strongly with a prior groups response.
may write a question mark next to or circle a prior

groups response. (This will increase the likelihood of
accuracy on the charts and pinpoint areas of confusion
to be reviewed.)
Use the charts for a written follow-up activity with
students. (For example: Choose the character with whom
you most identify. Compare and contrast yourself with this
character in at least three ways.)
93
Appendix
Transition Words
Use Transition Words
to
Describe a Concept (the language of addition)

First
And
Also
Another
For instance
For example
Second
For one thing
In addition
Another way
Another example
Besides
The third reason

To further illustrate
A third way
Furthermore
Another similarity
Finally
Also
Same
Different
Whereas
In comparison
However
Instead
In contrast
Neither
Much as
And
On the contrary
But
Although
Compare and Contrast

Both
Each
Similarly
In common
One difference
Even though
Similar to
In the same way
Show Chronology/Sequence/Steps/Stages
At first
Long ago
Looking back
To begin with
In the beginning
First
Earlier
First Second Third etc.
Next
Then
Soon
Later
Before long
After that
Last
At the same time
Meanwhile
While
Finally
Eventually
Lastly
Subsequently
Consequently
In the future
Years from now
Illustrate Cause and Effect:

As a result
Because
For this reason
So
Therefore
94
Since
Due to
Since
This led to
Consequently
Thus
If ... then
Then ... so
The transition words below can be used with Web Wind-Up, Matrix, Filming the
Ideas, and any other graphic organizer to evoke logical and coherent writing as a
follow-up about a topic.
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Reproducibles Index
Section 1: Summaries and Reflections

WriteAbout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S-O-S Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3-2-1 Summarizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Opinions Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Social Studies Textbook Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Math Textbook Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Science Textbook Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Factstorming Social Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Factstorming Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Factstorming English Language Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
21
24
27
30
31
34
35
36
Section 2: Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers

My Top Ten List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

My Top Ten ListMath, Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Top Ten ListHistorical Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Top Ten ListHistorical Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My Top Ten ListCharacter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Noting What Ive Learned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
List-Group-Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Section 3: Visual Representations of Information

Picture Note Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

QuickWrite/QuickDraw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Unit Collage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Photo Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Filming the Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Filming the Ideaspage 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Filming the Ideasword problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 4: Collaborative Activities

Turn n Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Headline News! Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Four More! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find Someone Who ... Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find Someone Who ... Social Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carousel Brainstorming (Teacher Planning Sheet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
81
84
87
90
93
95
Filming the Ideas
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Problem
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
What I Know
What I Need to Find Out
Illustrate, Solve, and Label
Explain and Justify

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom 2009 by Judith Dodge Scholastic Teaching Resources
Find Someone Who ... Social Skills
Name _________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Find someone who:

loves to read
knows how to skateboard
goes on vacation in Florida
has a birthday in the same

month as you
likes the same flavor ice

cream as you
likes the same board game

as you (chess, checkers,
Clue, Monopoly, etc.)
is great at math
loves to draw
likes the same sport as you
My Science Textbook Page
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Concept / Explored
______________________________________________________________________
Questions raised about the phenomena (prior

to the investigation)
Description/Overview/Summary of the Concept

Explored:
Key Vocabulary Terms/Definitions/Examples:
Visual Representation of the Experiment/

Demonstration:
Explain in words what you have discovered/

conclusions drawn: Causes/EffectsSequenceCycles/PatternsProblem/Solution, etc.
Where does this phenomenon exist/occur in the

real world? Give at least two examples.
My Top Ten List
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Character: ______________________________________________________________________________
escribe the Top Ten things you need to know

about this character, including: attributes,
quotes, what others say about the character,
what others think about the character, what
actions the character takes, what conflicts the

character has, how the character changes over
time, etc.:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
My Top Ten List
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Historical Event: ________________________________________________________________________
escribe the Top Ten things you need to

know about this historical event, including
a description of what it is or was, the place
and time period in which it occurred, its purpose,
its causes and effects, its significance, who

was involved with it, how it is/was related to
something else we studied:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
My Top Ten List
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Historical Figure: ______________________________________________________________________

know about this historical figure, including:
the place or time period in which the person
lived, his or her background or position, the
persons accomplishments and his/her impact

on society, the persons attributes, obstacles the
person may have overcome:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
My Top Ten List
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
A Math/Science Concept: _______________________________________________________________

know about this concept, including its
definition, attributes, characteristics, examples,
to what category it belongs, how it works, steps
involved in it, tips and hints to help remember

it, when we might use it in real life, why its
important to know about, how it is related to
something else we studied:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

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25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom Judith Dodge, Scholastic Teaching Resources

New York Toronto London Auckland Sydney

What Are Formative Assessments and Why Should We Use Them?. . . . . . . . . 4

Section 1: Summaries and Reflections

Section 2: Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers

C arol Ann Tomlinson

Using a Variety of Formative Assessments

he National Forum on Assessment (1995) suggests that assessment systems

Types of Assessment Strategies

make connections, and note relationships through the use of various

pictures to make connections and increase memory, facilitating retrieval

communicate with others as they develop and demonstrate their

How to Use the Assessments in This Book

In addition, for many strategies youll find:

Introduction A description of the strategy and the relevant research behind

Keeping Track of the Data

Differentiating Instruction in Response

homas R. Guskey suggests that for assessments to become an integral

Formative Assessment Data Collection

Now what? The next step . . .

Use the information gathered to design tiered activities.

List Specific Skills: Record 4, 3, 2, 1

Designing Tiered Activities

Scaffolding Struggling Learners

cubes, fraction tiles, number lines, algebraic tiles,

Challenging Advanced Learners

Ask students to tell the story from a different point of view.

period and write from the first-person point of view.

Gathering Multiple Sources of Evidence

Response to Intervention (RTI)

n differentiated classrooms everywhere, a resounding mantra is Fair

25 Quick Formative Assessments

Reflections Verbal-Linguistic & Interpersonal

Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers Logical-Mathematical

My Top Ten List

Noting What Ive Learned

Picture Note Making

Filming the Ideas

Collaborative Activities Kinesthetic & Interpersonal

Headline News! Summary

Find Someone Who ... Review

he strategies that follow are summaries and

intelligence, students are asked to reflect upon their

sing dry-erase boards has been a standard

1. If you have a class set of dry-erase boards, have

two students pass one out to each classmate. This

2. As students record and illustrate on the boards,

ry-erase boards can be used for any subject.

throughout the day, for short practice, or for reflection.

Language Arts: Expanding Sentences

students to erase and rewrite their sentence to

Using the free Web tool SurveyMonkey to assess

Tips for Making Your Own Dry-Erase Boards!

here are many teacher stores and online distributors

After having the board cut into the smaller size,

This activity will encourage students to write fuller,

QuickWrite is a brief, timed writing activity.

writing allows them to make sense of what they

1. Either midway through a lesson or at the end,

C arol Ann Tomlinson

Introduction A description of the strategy and the relevant research behind

Now what? The next step . . .

Ask students to tell the story from a different point of view.

Name ___________________________________ Date

Name ___________________________________ Date

Name __________________________________ Date

1 personal connection they can make to the

2 Instances that show how the main characters