Summative Assessments and Study Guides
Each unit, you will have at least one major tests/projects that will be used to assess your mastery of learning objectives for the unit. These major tests/projects will be worth more points than classwork, quiz, and homework grades. Study guides, detailed directions, and/or rubrics for these assessments will always be posted.
In College and Career Communications 12, a major objective is to prepare one’s self for the future, including further education or the job search. Students will participate in a variety of career readiness activities throughout the year, including resume building, career research, a Reality Check Workshop and Exit Interviews. Students will also focus on a particular career or career cluster and develop an online portfolio that demonstrates their abilities to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively. This portfolio counts as 50% of the final exam; the other 50% of the exam is an exit interview conducted by teachers and members of the business community.
In English 12 College Prep, major project grades will include a research paper, writing assignments, and a variety of individual and group projects and presentations. Test grades will comprise of end of unit tests, with multiple choice questions and written responses used to assess your knowledge. Quiz grades will comprise of vocabulary quizzes, grammar quizzes, and literature quizzes. All summative assessments in the class will be graded by rubric. See the grading rubrics below that will used in this class for grading:
Oral Presentation Rubric
SOL Writing Rubric
Socratic Seminar Rubric
Prior to any quiz or test, we will spend time in class reviewing the concepts, terms, and content that will be tested. I will also provide study guides that
students will complete in class and at home to prepare for the quiz or test. Additionally, I hold tutoring hours most afternoon; please schedule tutoring as needed.
The most important thing you can do before a test or quiz is study! In order to study effectively, you need to know how to study.
Here are a few tips for effective studying:
(adapted from: http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/study.htm)
A. Take good notes.
1. Always take the notes for a particular class in the same notebook.
2.Date each entry into your notebook.
3. It is usually best to keep the notes for different classes separate from each other.
4. Your notes should contain as complete a record of what the instructor said as possible. Of course, you should not try to write every word spoken, but don't leave out ideas. When you study, your notes should call back to your mind the entire sequence of ideas presented.
5. Anything the instructor writes on the board should appear in your notes.
6. If possible, try to take your notes in some kind of outline form.
7. You might find it useful to have a second color of pen or pencil available for highlighting important ideas or indicating vocabulary.
B. Be involved in your classes. Don't simply pretend you are a sponge, ready to soak up whatever the instructor says. You are there to learn, not to be taught.
1. If the instructor is moving too rapidly for you, or if you don't understand what is being said, say something!
2. Ask questions if you are confused. Confusion is definitely your worst enemy.
3. If your class includes group activities, participate as fully as you can. Such exercises are done for your benefit, not to provide a break for the instructor.
C. Review your notes every day.
1. Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%. If you want to significantly reduce the time necessary to prepare for exams, this is the way to do it.
2. Reviewing material before the next class period enables you to identify points of confusion or omission in your notes, which prepares you to ask the questions you need to ask before the next lecture. Again, confusion is your worst enemy.
D. It is excellent policy to give high priority to new vocabulary. Language is the most fundamental tool of any subject, and it can seriously handicap you to fall behind in this.
E. Keep up on your reading. Be independent enough to do this without being told.
F. Don't leave assignments until the day before they are due!
If you have a paper to write or a project to complete, begin it as soon as possible. Remember that many papers or projects require quite a bit of research before you can even begin writing. In most cases, it is impossible to accomplish the necessary preparation in one day or even one week.
G. Prepare for Exams.
1. Do not wait until the night before an exam to study! Of course, you should be regularly reviewing your notes, but the preparation still takes time.
2. A good first step in preparation is to read through your notes a couple of times. While you are doing this, you might also
a. Highlight major topics and subtopics, with the goal of generating an outline of your notes. Even if you take your notes in outline form, this is a good practice. Major topics often extend through more than one day's lecture, and it is easy to lose track of the overall picture from day to day.
b. With a second color, highlight all vocabulary terms.
3. Consider ways of dealing with the information other than those used in class. Suggestions:
a. Make charts, diagrams and graphs.
b. Make lists.
c. Practice drawing vocabulary words.
4. There are almost always types of information which you will have to memorize (eg. vocabulary). No one has ever invented a better device for memorizing than flash cards.
5. Never, ever pull an "All-Nighter" on the night before an exam. What you may gain from extra study time won't compensate for the loss of alertness and ability to concentrate due to lack of sleep.
6. On exam day: 1. Try not to "cram" during every spare moment before an exam. You may find it useful, on the night before an exam, to jot down a few ideas or facts which you wish to have fresh in your mind when you begin the exam. Read through your list a couple of times when you get up in the morning and/or just before you take the exam, then put it away.
H. Save everything. Never throw away a handout or a returned assignment or exam. Keep your class materials together and neat.
I. It is excellent practice to set aside a study area at home, and to designate a particular span of time each day as study time.
In College and Career Communications 12, a major objective is to prepare one’s self for the future, including further education or the job search. Students will participate in a variety of career readiness activities throughout the year, including resume building, career research, a Reality Check Workshop and Exit Interviews. Students will also focus on a particular career or career cluster and develop an online portfolio that demonstrates their abilities to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively. This portfolio counts as 50% of the final exam; the other 50% of the exam is an exit interview conducted by teachers and members of the business community.
In English 12 College Prep, major project grades will include a research paper, writing assignments, and a variety of individual and group projects and presentations. Test grades will comprise of end of unit tests, with multiple choice questions and written responses used to assess your knowledge. Quiz grades will comprise of vocabulary quizzes, grammar quizzes, and literature quizzes. All summative assessments in the class will be graded by rubric. See the grading rubrics below that will used in this class for grading:
Oral Presentation Rubric
SOL Writing Rubric
Socratic Seminar Rubric
Prior to any quiz or test, we will spend time in class reviewing the concepts, terms, and content that will be tested. I will also provide study guides that
students will complete in class and at home to prepare for the quiz or test. Additionally, I hold tutoring hours most afternoon; please schedule tutoring as needed.
The most important thing you can do before a test or quiz is study! In order to study effectively, you need to know how to study.
Here are a few tips for effective studying:
(adapted from: http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/study.htm)
A. Take good notes.
1. Always take the notes for a particular class in the same notebook.
2.Date each entry into your notebook.
3. It is usually best to keep the notes for different classes separate from each other.
4. Your notes should contain as complete a record of what the instructor said as possible. Of course, you should not try to write every word spoken, but don't leave out ideas. When you study, your notes should call back to your mind the entire sequence of ideas presented.
5. Anything the instructor writes on the board should appear in your notes.
6. If possible, try to take your notes in some kind of outline form.
7. You might find it useful to have a second color of pen or pencil available for highlighting important ideas or indicating vocabulary.
B. Be involved in your classes. Don't simply pretend you are a sponge, ready to soak up whatever the instructor says. You are there to learn, not to be taught.
1. If the instructor is moving too rapidly for you, or if you don't understand what is being said, say something!
2. Ask questions if you are confused. Confusion is definitely your worst enemy.
3. If your class includes group activities, participate as fully as you can. Such exercises are done for your benefit, not to provide a break for the instructor.
C. Review your notes every day.
1. Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%. If you want to significantly reduce the time necessary to prepare for exams, this is the way to do it.
2. Reviewing material before the next class period enables you to identify points of confusion or omission in your notes, which prepares you to ask the questions you need to ask before the next lecture. Again, confusion is your worst enemy.
D. It is excellent policy to give high priority to new vocabulary. Language is the most fundamental tool of any subject, and it can seriously handicap you to fall behind in this.
E. Keep up on your reading. Be independent enough to do this without being told.
F. Don't leave assignments until the day before they are due!
If you have a paper to write or a project to complete, begin it as soon as possible. Remember that many papers or projects require quite a bit of research before you can even begin writing. In most cases, it is impossible to accomplish the necessary preparation in one day or even one week.
G. Prepare for Exams.
1. Do not wait until the night before an exam to study! Of course, you should be regularly reviewing your notes, but the preparation still takes time.
2. A good first step in preparation is to read through your notes a couple of times. While you are doing this, you might also
a. Highlight major topics and subtopics, with the goal of generating an outline of your notes. Even if you take your notes in outline form, this is a good practice. Major topics often extend through more than one day's lecture, and it is easy to lose track of the overall picture from day to day.
b. With a second color, highlight all vocabulary terms.
3. Consider ways of dealing with the information other than those used in class. Suggestions:
a. Make charts, diagrams and graphs.
b. Make lists.
c. Practice drawing vocabulary words.
4. There are almost always types of information which you will have to memorize (eg. vocabulary). No one has ever invented a better device for memorizing than flash cards.
5. Never, ever pull an "All-Nighter" on the night before an exam. What you may gain from extra study time won't compensate for the loss of alertness and ability to concentrate due to lack of sleep.
6. On exam day: 1. Try not to "cram" during every spare moment before an exam. You may find it useful, on the night before an exam, to jot down a few ideas or facts which you wish to have fresh in your mind when you begin the exam. Read through your list a couple of times when you get up in the morning and/or just before you take the exam, then put it away.
H. Save everything. Never throw away a handout or a returned assignment or exam. Keep your class materials together and neat.
I. It is excellent practice to set aside a study area at home, and to designate a particular span of time each day as study time.
