Formative Assessment Bank Created by Delta County Teachers In Cooperation With Ava M. Lanes, Educ. Consultant
Thumbs up, thumbs down Students put thumbs up if they agree or understand Thumbs are vertical if they aren t sure or are neutral Thumbs are down if they disagree or do not understand
Simon Says Teacher uses the Simon Says game to see if students understand a concept Example: Mr. Curtice says sit down if the integers on the board are positive numbers.
Fist to Five Student puts up five fingers if there is great understanding or agreement One less finger shows less understanding or agreement A fist shows no understanding or agreement
Human Graph Students stand in various parts of the room showing proficiency levels or selfassessment areas. For example, students stand in the advanced area if they know something well enough to teach it to others
Physical Signals Pointing at correct answers Raising hands if you understand Putting hands on heads if they understand Thumping chest like a gorilla if you understand Others
Deck of Cards Cards are dealt to students All students with a jack of clubs answer, for example Everyone with a face card is in one group and will answer a specific question, for example
Numbered Heads Together Students are put in groups Each group has an assigned letter or group name Each individual has a number in the group Teacher calls on C4 so the student at table C, #4 answers Answers are prepared by entire group so everyone must answer every question Student gives team answer so they have support
Stand Up/Sit Down You stand or sit depending on what you know or if you are ready to report out Example: everyone with the answer 4 sits down; those remaining report on their different answers and how they got them
Whip Around Everyone stands The teacher asks one person at random to report Everyone with that same response sits down Continue until all are sitting Random calling upon of students
Anonymous Written Response Answer is written on paper No names are used Teachers then does a quick count of who gets the learning
Clickers Students vote with a clicker devise upon answers on a screen Can by done by texting with cell phones
Gabcast, Podcast Gabcast allows students to call in to teachers and leave the equivalent of a voice mail to leave an assignment Example: student does an oral response in a foreign language, or band student plays a solo to teacher Podcast: presentation that is web based; teacher can give instruction and feedback to student electronically
Quizzes, Tests Paper/pencil assessment Can be only one question or a test of any length
Survey Monkey Program you purchase from the web to have students do surveys or answer questions about content electronically Tallies responses electronically for teacher
Student-created Questions Student writes the questions for a quiz/test Student writes questions they still have after content has been taught
Peer editing, review Students score and edit their peers written responses and discuss why they scored them at a particular proficiency level on a rubric Students peer edit and help their classmates find mistakes in writing mechanics
Self Reflection Students are given time to think about their learning They can then share reflections, orally or in writing Reflections can be shared with other students or the teacher
Literacy Circles Students all read the same text Each student in the group is assigned a role; e.g. recorder, vocabulary detective, illustrator, etc Students learn and discuss together and assess learning together
Flashcards Facts, definitions, formulas, etc are memorized and tested with a set of flashcards One student can test another student
Around the World Students line up as a class A question is asked and two students compete to see which one can answer first correctly The one who wins goes on to compete with the next person in line and tries to beat every person in the line and go around the world
Knockout Questions are asked and students compete, trying to knockout another student with the first, correct answer
Portfolios Student collections of proficient work Students choose which pieces are put into their portfolios
Auditions Students try out for a part in a play or presentation Often used in the arts and music, but can be used in other areas also
Homework Check for understanding on specific essentials
Checkmark, Question or Exclamation Mark Students put a checkmark by items they know or main ideas Students put a? by things they read that causes them to question Students put an exclamation mark by items they think are important or items which are major thinking points
Survey Students answer questions about items which are taught, which were best learned, etc
KWL Chart Students tell things they know (K) Students list things they want to learn (W) Students list new learning they received (L)
Oral Reports Students present what they have learned to the class or a group
Raising Your Hand Students give answers or make responses to teacher questions or student questions
Think-Pair-Share Students are paired Item for discussion is given and everyone has some reflection time to think They share their thoughts to their partner One or both of the partners share with others Works best if student shares partner s answer, not his own, because it helps them to be better listeners to other s thoughts
Names on Sticks Student names written on sticks are pulled randomly by teacher to give answers Sticks are put back into container after an answer is shared so students are never off the hook to give an answer
Illustration Student draws thinking rather than writing or a combination of both
Grouping Group students by categories One category could be Bloom s Taxonomy Students answer questions of different cognitive levels in this way
Computer-generated Tests Testing is done electronically
Cloze Passage Teacher reads a section of text and leaves out key words. Students read the key words when they get to that section Students are tested in the same way, filling in only the key words
Cognitive Test Batteries CELA WCJ ACT Others
True/False T/F tests or quizzes
Negative Practice Example: DLI where students correct mistakes or look for mistakes in editing writing Looking for poor examples and making them exemplars
Walk-throughs Observation of a learning environment and /or activity Charting proficient or advanced qualities of a teacher or a classroom Observing students in a classroom
Vision/Auditory Assessments
Fitness Gram Charting of fitness levels or abilities
Maximum Lifts, Times for Running, Races Charting progress on goals for lifting, running, number of push-ups, etc
AIMS, Dibels Benchmarking and progress monitoring for specific skills
Choral Response All students answer together All students read together
Sing Along Singing jingles about vocabulary, parts of speech, etc Students sing solo or in a small group to assess
Science Labs Lab write-ups to show learning Hands-on completion of experiments
Run to the Board Students are put in teams Question is given and students walk quickly to the board to write the answer The marker is like a baton in a relay race Next student either corrects the answer of the previous student or does his own question First group finished correctly wins
Student Reflection Reported to Administration Administration surveys students as to what they are learning in class, how many are having learning objectives taught every day, etc.
Constructed Response Student writes answers in sentence/paragraph form, showing his thinking
5, 10, 25, 50, 100 Question Test Traditional testing of learning Paper/pencil tests
Exit Ticket Student answers a question, writes a response, etc as they leave class Exit ticket is their ticket out of class
Bellwork Short questions/response starters are given each day for the student to address as soon as they enter the classroom Teacher scores and gives feedback and adjusts instruction based on learning
3-2-1 on a Notecard Students write 3 things they learned 2 things they still have questions about 1 thing they could teach others You can use different categories for the 3-2-1 or make them specific to content (3 carnivores, 2 herbivores, 1 omnivore, for example)
Whiteboards Students record answers and hold them up, either just to the teacher or to a partner
List 3 Things Student lists three things he learned, three questions, etc.
Jigsaw Class is divided into groups Each group becomes an expert on one part of the learning Each reports back to the whole group, bringing learning of the whole topic together Can be used to read a book in an hour for example
Non Verbal Response Students answer nonverbally (raising a hand, gestures, sign language, etc)
Rubric/Scoring Guides Using levels of proficiency (4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, for example) and setting criteria for each level that is clear and specific
Pass the Ball Student hands a ball or throws a ball to another student to answer a question or give another answer to the same question Student asks a question and the student who catches the thrown ball answers the question Teacher can also be the ball thrower Suggestion: use a soft ball (Kush, etc)
Projects Student builds a project to demonstrate learning or apply learning
Posters Students create posters which show learning
Notetaking Students show they know key ideas by pulling out key ideas or supporting ideas in a notetaking form
Highlighting Students highlight key ideas from text or their own notes
Summaries Students pull out main ideas from learning or text by summarizing what is important
Compare/Contrast Students demonstrate what is similar and what is different with concepts or ideas they are learning
Application Students apply what they have learned by building a project, solving an equation, explaining an answer
Graphic Organizers Students display learning graphically by filling in a Venn diagram, for example, to show compare/contrast skills Other examples: charts, two-column notes, organizational charts, maze, filling in captions to pictures, etc
Using Acronyms NYKWYK-now you know what you know, for example Student learns acronym and completes each of the parts
Act it Outs Student physically acts out the learning
Timelines Student completes a timeline of learning or events
Student Teaching Student becomes the teacher to show learning
Technology Creation of WebPages Blogging Twittering Podcasts Text Messaging Video Productions
Light Bulb Student demonstrates or articulates the idea that really made him think Student illustrates an important idea that challenges thinking
Preteach/Reteach Preteach and students show which learning they already have Teach the content Reteach the content to those who need more repetition
Symbols with Color Students mark text or use common symbols in writing for editing and revision Colored symbols show thinking points
Yes/No Paddles Students hold up paddles with yes or no on them to answer questions
Zip Around Teacher zips around the room, calling upon students randomly to answer questions Similar to whip around activity
Multiple Choice Students answer questions with several choices of answers
Fill in the Blank Students fill in the blank for questions asked
Short Answer Students give one or two word answers to questions
Matching Students match questions with answers
Extended Response Students write a detailed answer to a question or questions
Discussion Students talk about an issue, content or opinions All students have a voice
4 Corners Questions are put into quadrants and students are assigned to a corner for answering Students are asked to go to different corners of the room, depending on answers or needs
Online Survey with Cell Phones Like the Clickers, students text answers with their cell phones
Crossword Puzzles Students fill in answers to content on a crossword template
Jeopardy Students choose categories and answer questions based on content Can be done manually with pocket charts or electronically with the computer
Boardwork Students show learning by doing problems or answering on the board so teacher can see steps taken, not just an answer
Real World Examples Student brings in real world situations that either pose questions or demonstrate learning Students solve problems based on real world problems or situations
Spinner/Dice Game Students are chosen to answer by a spinner or dice number Questions are chosen by roll of dice or spinner Types of questions are determined by dice roll or spinner
Topical Nets Graphic organizer with topic in the middle and thinking in displays connected somehow to the topic Example: the maze or spider web graphic
Kinesthetic Response Physical response that shows understanding Example: stand up if you know the answer
Pretesting Testing before teaching to see who already knows what you are going to teach
Cause and Effect Starting with the cause, charting the effects Starting with the effects, give possible causes Example: What would have happened if the South had won the Civil War instead of the North?
Hypothesis/Prediction Student gives a possible reason for an event and explains why Student predicts what will happen, given a series of events or situations
Down and Dirty Quiz Quick, to the point, short quiz
Peer Evaluation Students evaluate classmates with a specific set of criteria
Cognitive Awareness Using colored cups, signs, etc to indicate answers or understanding
Selected Problems Assess only certain questions or certain parts of an assignment Example: grade only the planning of an essay, not the whole thing at once Example: grade only question 5 on a test because it targets the essential learning being taught the best
Models Student makes a model of something to show learning Student models the steps of the learning or the thinking he uses to arrive at a conclusion
5 Questions from Yesterday Review questions from previous teaching
Cartoon Student shows process of learning through a cartoon drawing
People Sort Have students represent parts of something (for example, the main idea student in front of the support detail person; people representing prime numbers in order) Sort people into areas of the room according to understanding (similar to human graph or human spectrum)
Journal Students write about their learning in a journal format
Sticky Notes Students explain notes taken while reading with written or oral response Notes can be put on walls where people go to indicate understanding or a specific answer or an area of interest
Checklists Students check off parts they have included or done well in an assignment
Competitions Students compete with others for quickness and correctness of reply
Individual Conferences One-on-one talking with students to assess understanding
Inspiration Software program on FirstClass to organize thinking
Asteroid Ball Reward to answering correctly is to throw your ball into a can or hole; asteroid is the model from a science classroom
Folded Paper Fold paper with questions on one side and answers on the other, skills on one side, concepts on the other, etc Assessment is creating the folded examples or review of one side, while looking at the opposite side
MO-JOs Mini-opportunity-classroom formative assessment Jumbo-opportunity-district assessment; larger unit test
Counting Partner s Response Students are partnered. A question with multiple parts is asked. One partner answers orally and the partner counts the number of parts the partner has.
Response Cards Mini white board exercise. Students write one word answers or hold up yes or no cards for the response.
Q-L-C Asking a QUESTION, then adding new LEARNING, and finally, making CONNECTIONS with other text or background knowledge
Scale of 1-10 On a scale of 1-10, where are you at with your understanding?
Classifying Game Choose a category: students write on sticky notes items that belong in each category or they list them on the board Choose an item and then match it with a list of categories Categories can be areas of content being studied so this game becomes an assessment
I Spy Teacher uses I spy as a starter such as I spy an object east/northeast of the clock when teaching cardinal directions.
Story Pyramids Top of the pyramid could be setting. Students get only one line to write it. Next level has two lines which could be characters and they fill in two. Next level is three so you might do three events. You build a pyramid of a story with single words or phrases. Then the story can be written or the items filled in assessed as story elements
Acrostic/Poem Use a base word and write each line of the poem with the first letter of that word. Build a poem.
Alphabet Thinking Use one letter of the alphabet. Write words that begin with that letter to answer questions. Example: Causes of the Civil War: The letter is S. Slavery, South s economy built upon agriculture, Specific cultural elements such as plantation life, etc
Spelling Bee/Content Bee Students compete spelling words, doing math facts, etc
Learning Log Students chart their learning
Letter Writing Students write a letter demonstrating their learning
Gallery Walk Students walk around the room looking at posted work, questions, etc and then summarize what they see, discuss what they see, or answer questions about what they see