Just like students, teachers needed to be assessed. Teacher evaluations help teachers know what they are doing well and how they can improve to be even better educators. But, the big question regarding teacher evaluations is how do we best assess teachers? Do we base evaluations on observations, student performance, student surveys, parent surveys or lesson plan reviews? What is the best and fairest way to assess a teacher? In researching this topic, I found that teacher evaluations can vary from school to school and from state to state. There seems to be no unilateral standard form of teacher assessment. But, to look a bit closer at teacher evaluations, I would like to take two examples to write about here.
Danielson's Framework
The Danielson Group, founded by Charlotte Danielson, offers a framework to assess the performance of teachers. Based on research, they group has developed four domains on which teachers should be assessed:
Domain 1: Planning & Preparation
Domain 2: Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
Within each domain are five or six different, specific elements that are part of the assessment rubric. As the website suggests, these domains provide a base on which observations and professional dialogue can be built.
The Framework may be used for many purposes, but its full value is realized as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching. The Framework may be used as the foundation of a school or district’s mentoring, coaching, professional development, and teacher evaluation processes, thus linking all those activities together and helping teachers become more thoughtful practitioners.(Danielson Group, 2013)
Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System
The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, or TVAAS, is an educator evaluation that is based in part on students' standardized test scores. Thirty-five percent of the teacher's assessment is based on how well their students perform on standardized tests throughout the year and compared to other classes throughout the state of Tennessee. The remaining sixty-five percent is based on a classroom observation rubric, somewhat similar to the Danielson's Group framework. The Tennessee rubric includes three categories for performance evaluation:
Instruction
Planning
Environment
Again, similar to the Danielson's Group framework, this part of the teacher evaluation should include frequent observations throughout the school year along with constructive feedback.
My Thoughts
As a teacher, I think it is important to take a step back to really look at what I am doing in the classroom and reflect on how I can be a better teacher. I do not think using standards test scores to assess a teacher's performance achieves this end goal. Yes, standardized tests, over time, can track a student's progress and growth, but to link it to the teacher's own professional future, I believe is wrong. Students change teachers from year to year and students test differently. I do not think standardized tests are good indicators for assessing teachers. I do think these tests can be beneficial in mapping out student achievement. I also think educators can look at these tests and learn from their students' scores. But, I do not think it should be integrated into formal teacher evaluations. I feel that the best way to do this is through observations and through discussions. I like the idea of a rubric, as in both examples I mentioned above, because with a rubric the expectations are clear and unbiased. I think the Danielson's Group framework gives four clear and important areas in which teachers should be evaluated: planning, classroom environment, instruction, professional responsibilities. There is so much that goes into teaching, but I think these four categories really address the areas in which teachers can be best assessed, and, in turn, make the most progress when necessary.
Before introducing a new topic to students, it is important that teachers know what, if any, prior knowledge our students have. Finding out what students know can be done through a warm-up activity, a class discussion or in formal pre-assessment activity. Because of students' personalities and the fact that some students just like to talk more than others, a great way to pre-assess a class is through a game or quiz. The link below is one example of a very simple pre-assessment quiz that I created for a unit on farm animals for my kindergarten class.
The short quiz lets me know how familiar my students are with the types of animals that live on a farm. It gives me exact numbers of students who know a lot, a little or nothing at all. And, because the whole unit will focus on farm animals, it is good for me to know exactly what my students will need before we start the unit.
The unit that this pre-assessment quiz leads into is aProject-Based unit. The standard this unit is based on is
Literacy in Kindergarten:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g. what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
Since my Kindergartners will do a reading unit about nonfiction, I will base this project on farm animals. Beginning with the pre-assessment quiz, I will find out what they know so I can begin to help them build their knowledge in an appropriate way for each ofthem. Then, each student will work with a partner to choose an animal. They will research it through nonfiction books, online videos, games or internet resources that I will provide them with. We will also visit a local farm to see the animals in action. The students can prepare questions to ask the farmers. After finding information about their animals, each group will create a book about its life on the farm, including where it lives on the farm, what it eats, how it is taken care of, and how it helps the farm (cows give milk, chicken gives eggs). They will illustrate their books and write about their animal. The final product will be presented at the "book launch" event with parents and classmates.
With this project, students will apply what they have learned about the connection between illustrations and text to create their own book. Based on research about their farm animal, collaboration, critical thinking, and transposing the information into their book, they create their own final product in their own way.
The Next Step...
After the pre-assessment animal farm quiz, I have a good idea of what my students know. I can differentiate instruction to meet their needs. Let's say that I have three different groups of knowledge:
Group #1 has the most knowledge and they answered all the farm animal quiz questions correctly
Group #2 could answer some questions correctly but not all
Group #3 could not answer any questions correctly
Based on these results, I then create my differentiation plan:
What's Next...
After the pre-assessment and the differentiation strategies to appropriately address each student's level, I would want to see how each group is doing. Part of the tracking progress assessment is seeing the work the students produced when they were working in their groups in the differentiation strategies mentioned above in the chart. Group #1 had a worksheet that they had to come up with two animals that lived on a farm, draw them and answer simple questions about them. Group #2 watched and listened to an online book about farm animals. Then, they chose a farm animal to draw and write one sentence about. Group #3 looked at books about farm animals, then watched a video about farm animals and the sounds they make. Afterwards, they were asked to draw one farm animal, write its name and the sound it makes. Depending on how well they complete these activities after having worked with their group, I will know what the next step will be--more differentiation strategies or working together as a whole class. This is all part of the tracking progress assessment.
Even though I would be observing the groups during their activities, following these activities, I would want to bring the class together and see how they are doing. I would ask my students to come to the rug in front of the SmartBoard. I would ask them to think about the animals they saw with their groups. Then, I would ask them what animals live on a farm. I would also ask them any other information they could tell me about these animals. I would write what they say on the SmartBoard so the whole class could see everyone's answers. After this class discussion I would take note of what students understood about farm animals and which students needed more help for the next lesson. A lot of what we can assess about student progress can be done through observation, but the teacher has to know each student very well.
For the next lesson on our animal farm project, I would begin with an activity to check what they remember from the previous lesson. I would hand out a worksheet with an outline of a farm. A second worksheet would have outlines of various animals--cow, horse, monkey, snake, elephant, chicken, sheep, etc. The students would cut and paste the appropriate animals on the farm. Based on this beginning of class assessment, I can track their progress.
In the End....
Well, there really is no end here. As teachers, we are constantly observing our students and helping them reach their personal learning goals along with common core standard learning goals. From one day to another, students can shift between learning groups and levels depending on the content. Teachers should be flexible and always aware that student ability and knowledge changes. And, to be the best teachers we can be for our students, our techniques and methods should change, too.
High stakes assessments refer to any test used to make important decisions about students, teachers, administration, schools and/or school districts. The main goal is to find accountability and to provide effective teaching for successful students. The scores from high stakes tests can be used to determine sanctions and penalties for schools or school districts, awards for schools, grade advancement for students, or compensation in salary or bonuses for teachers and/or administration. For better or for worse, high states assessments have been part of a student's education in the United States. Typically, and with the program of No Child Left Behind signed into law in January 2002, students have been required to take standardized tests in each grade level. However, with the Every Student Succeeds Act passed in December 2015, the testing system has been reconfigured to test from 3rd through 8th grade and once more in high school. The ESSA aims to provide more equity for students and less punitive repercussions for teachers and schools. Overall, the purpose of these standardized "high stakes" tests is to
monitor student learning over time.
inform professionals and the public on some of the strengths and weaknesses of the public school system.
assist the department of education, school districts, and schools in decisions related to the development, review, modification, revision, and implementation of existing curricula and supporting instructional resource materials.
assist the in decisions concerning allocation of resources.
identify areas of need and provide directions for change in both pre-service and in-service teacher education.
provide directions for educational research.
provide states, school districts, and schools with information that can be used to maintain strengths and overcome weaknesses. (https://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=11406)
While all these reasons listed above appear to be noble reasons for administering high stakes assessments and there are arguments in favor of high stakes assessments, such as establishing a standard for all students, providing information about student and school performance and creating high expectations, there is a downside to these types of tests. Opponents of high stakes testing argue that
It foorces teachers to teach to the test
Is a narrow view of education because it only focuses on certain subjects
Is not equitable and does not provide differentiation for all learners
Puts too much pressure on students and teachers to perform well
May increase failure rates
As we see in the video above, the two teachers in Georgia are faced with the challenge of "teaching to the test" from the first day of school. We also see that there is no inclusion for those students who have learning differences.
High Stakes Testing: How does it affect me as a teacher?
Beginning in September, I will be an elementary school teacher in a different type of school in France. I will be teaching across three primary grade levels in an American section of a French international public school. It is an interesting balance between cultures. Students in the American section attend classes in English, mainly language arts but also a bit of science, history and geography, 6 hours a week and spend the rest of their school week in French public school classes. Due to the special nature of the American section, and while it is accredited, they do not administer the standardized, high stakes assessments that schools in the United States do. Therefore, I will not be under the pressure to "teach to the test" or worry about funding given or taken away or stress on my students due to high stakes assessment.
There is, however, a tradition of high stakes testing in French education. In middle school, before entering high school, students take the Brévet. And, to graduate from high school, students must pass the Baccalauréat. These tests have been around since their implementation by Napoléon who created a national, centralized education system in France. The Baccalauréat is the most stressful test for French students as it determines whether they graduate or not and what university they can get into. These tests also reflect on the school, but more in terms of their reputation than in funding. A student's success (or failure) on the test is primarily up to the student. The Baccalauréat is not a standardized test. It is comprised of a week-long series of oral and written tests from philosophy to language to literature to science and math, depending on how the student has been tracked academically. Tracking generally begins around the end of middle school or beginning of high school and students decide whether they want to concentrate on a literature-based or math/science-based curriculum.
The Baccalauréat exam, while a high stakes test because it determines high school students' futures, has a mixed reputation in France. It was once highly regarded and respected but nowadays seems to be more of a "rite of passage." As an article in The New York Times by Scott Sayare reported:
Outside the Lycée Condorcet in Paris last week, Justine Ripoll said that the test she
was about to take served little practical purpose, but she defended it just the same.
“It’s more a rite of passage than an exam,” said Ms. Ripoll, 18, dragging lightly on a
morning cigarette. “That’s why it would be a shame to get rid of it. Everybody’s been
through it. It’s traumatized everybody.”
To be known as a having "traumatized everybody" gives a clear indication of how French people view the exam.
Since I will not be teaching upper school students, I won't be directly affected, as a teacher, by the French exams--Brévet and Baccalauréat. And, because the American section does not administer American standardized tests, I think I am lucky to not have to worry about high stakes assessments. After having read various articles and watched videos, like the one above, it is clear that high stakes assessments have a large impact on students, teachers and schools. Personally, I think it is difficult (impossible) to look at one child's test result and determine 1) that child's academic future and 2) the effectiveness of the teacher. I feel it is much more constructive to look at the test result along with the child's progress throughout the year (or at least across a few months), their social and emotional benchmarks and their progress in all subjects, not just the two or three tested on the standardized assessment.
Consequences
In my research on this topic for my assignment, I found that most of the articles written on high stakes assessments were not in favor of them. It seems like the majority of opinions feel that these types of tests to not fully reflect student learning. I think it is a difficult situation because there seems to be a need to find a standard and to globally track student progress, but administering a standardized, high stakes test does not seem to be the most effective method. Overall, the two biggest concerns related to high stakes assessments that I found were 1) teaching to the test, which took away from parts of curriculum, and 2) the tests not improving education for all students.
The first concern of teaching to the test, we saw illustrated in the video above with the two teachers in Georgia teaching to the test the first day of school. Additionally, in a study done in Australia among 8,000 teachers, the results showed that because of high stakes assessments, there has been a reduction in time spend on other curriculum areas and more time spent on curriculum related to tests. The study confirmed that this ultimately narrowed the overall education of each student. These findings are unfortunate when we think about the kind of students we want to encourage. Are we teaching students to think in a standardized way rather than fully preparing them with 21st Century skills in real-world experiences?
The second concern, revolving around not improving education for all students, is really the idea that the tests have seemed to punish those schools, students or teachers who have not performed well instead of using the tests to help those who need help the most. As the 2015 article High-Stakes Testing Hasn't Brought Education Gains points out
The only thing that more testing will tell us is what we already know: The schools that disadvantaged children attend are not being given the supports necessary to produce achievement gains. Students cannot be tested out of poverty, and while NCLB did take us a step forward by requiring schools to produce evidence that students were learning, it took us several steps backward when that evidence was reduced to how well a student performed on a standardized test.
The authors of this article point out that it's not necessarily the test that is bad, but how the test results are used.
The Future
What will the future of high stakes assessments be? In France, there is no move to change or remove the Baccalauréat from the educational system. So, French children will go through the same "trauma" their parents and grandparents experienced. The rite of passage will continue.
In the United States, we will have to wait and see how the Every Student Succeeds Act impacts students, teachers and schools. Perhaps the greatest gift we can give to our students with regard to high stakes assessments is to take away the the power it holds over them. We can look at the results, but also look at the student as a whole. Schools are not factories that are intended to produce the same make and model, so if our testing does not reflect the differences among our students, then the way we assess them overall should.
Sources
Dianis, J. B., Jackson, J. H., & Noguera, P. (2015). High-Stakes Testing Hasn't Brought Education Gains. Phi Delta Kappan, 97(1), 35-37.
N.A. (2014). High-Stakes Test. The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/high-stakes-testing/
Polesel, J., Rice, S., & Dulfer, N. (2014). The Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Curriculum and Pedagogy: A Teacher Perspective from Australia. Journal Of Education Policy, 29(5), 640-657.
Sayare, S. (2013). Rite of Passage for French Students Receives Poor Grade. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/world/europe/a-rite-of-passage-for-french-students-receives-a-poor-grade.html?_r=0
Shindell, R. (2001). What is the Real Purpose of Standardized Testing? Teacher Newsmagazine. 14(1). Retrieved from: https://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=11406
Supovitz, J. (2016). Is High Stakes Testing Working? Excerpt from: Can High Stakes Testing Leverage Educational Improvement? Prospects from the Last Decade of Testing and Accountability Reform. The Journal of Educational Change, 10(2-3).
von der Embse, N. P., & Witmer, S. E. (2014). High-Stakes Accountability: Student Anxiety and Large-Scale Testing. Journal Of Applied School Psychology, 30(2), 132-156.
Recently, I have been working closely with the Common Core Standard for Kindergarten Literacy:
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g. what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
In this post, I will look at one of the objectives I created for this standard and establish three different types of formative assessments. Objective
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how each illustration gives clues about the characters, setting or events of the story. Assessment #1: Think-Pair-Share
I believe it is important for students to express themselves and their thoughts. In the larger classroom setting, it is not alway easy for every child to talk especially if they are shy or hesitant to speak in front of others. Some students need more reflection time before they are able to answer a question as well and might feel on the spot if the teacher calls on them directly. It can also be challenging to have a detailed discussion if different students are throwing their ideas out there. Consequently, the first assessment I would like to do for this objective would be think-pair-share. For this assessment, I would ask them questions like "which illustration shows the setting of the story?" or "which illustration shows when Henry got his new puppy?" or "which illustration shows how Henry feels about...?" I could ask different pairs different questions about the same story so each group has to come up with their own answer and students are not repeating another group's answer. First, I would introduce the concept of think-pair-share, if we had not done it before. I would explain that first each student will think about the topic/question for about 2 minutes, then they will meet with their partner for about 5 minutes to discuss their the question and their ideas and, finally, they will share their ideas with the rest of the class. I will let them know they are allow to use paper to write down or draw their ideas, if they need or want to do so. I would mix the reading levels up and mix different personalities to try to have the students balance each other out. I hope this would help encourage and motivate them as well. This assessment asks students to collaborate, communicate, use critical thinking skills, evaluate and use social skills.
Assessment #2: Matching Since the first assessment is based on speaking, I would like for the second assessment to be different A visually-centered assessment could reach students who are more visual learners. With this assessment, the idea is to have students match images from a story discussed class with the words on the same page. The students will have to reflect on the illustration and what it shows in order to connect it with the words and the actions or events they describe. They must truly find a link with the words and the pictures. To keep it simple and focused, I would have images and text on a single sheet of paper from a story we discussed. The images on the left side in a column and the words on the right side in a column. The students would have to draw a line from the illustration to the correct words that describe the action. This assessment asks students to see the correlation between the illustration and the story text. I requires students to analyze, use critical thinking and productivity. Assessment #3: Draw it
It would like the thirst assessment to be a little more in-depth. This assessment would have the students create their own illustrations to a very short story. I would give the students a short text, no more than three pages, that they have not read before. An example of a short story they could illustrate in three pages is:
Sam says “bye” to his parents. He leaves his house. He sees his friend, Emma. They walk to school. When they get to school they see all their friends playing in the playground. Sam and Emma go to the playground. The bell rings. All the kids line up behind the teacher to go inside. It’s time for school to start!
This assessment gives the students the freedom to be creative in their drawings while adhering to the story's plot. It asks students to use creative thinking, critical thinking, analyzing, problem solving, producing, productivity and initiative. After having been asked to do analyzing of the link between illustrations and story text in the first two assessments, this assessment has them create the link between the two. It will be interesting to see and have student share their different illustrations for the same story. Final Thoughts In planning three assessments for the same objective, I wanted to plan a variety of assessment types that would reach different styles of learners and allow students to use an array of skills. I think that 1) think-pair-share, 2) matching and 3) draw it are all good ways to formatively assess the students as they are learning this objective.
Sources Dyer, K. (2013). 22 Easy Formative Assessment Techniques for Measuring Student Learning. Northwest Evaluation Association. Retrieved from: https://www.nwea.org/blog/2013/22-easy-formative-assessment-techniques-for-measuring-student-learning/ http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/assessment/10-assessments-you-can-perform-in-90-seconds/ http://www.readtennessee.org/teachers/common_core_standards/kindergarten/reading_literature/rlk7/rlk7_assessments.aspx http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/using-think-pair-share-30626.html Sources for Images http://www.k12reader.com/kindergarten-sight-words/ https://fr.pinterest.com/pin/464574517792375559/ http://www.123rf.com/photo_28423143_cute-little-preschool-children-drawing-with-colorful-paints-at-kindergarten.html
This week I looked at the Common Core Standards through special lenses. Actually, I selected one Common Core Standard to work closely with, to dissect and contemplate. I decided on the following Common Core Standard:
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
I chose to concentrate on this standard because reading is such a fundamental skill and a foundation for all areas of learning. It really takes its roots in Kindergarten, which I will be teaching next year, and a student's first initiation can affect how he or she feels about reading and even about school in general. I love reading and sharing books and stories with others that one of my most ardent goals is to try to instill a love of reading, or at least an appreciation for it, in all of my students. Even though I love reading and want to share it with my students, just reading the standard does not give a teacher any major clues as to how to go about helping students learn about the relationship between illustrations and the story. To really get to the heart of the standard, there are three methods to use to be able to break it down and scaffold it into different lessons: Unpacking A Standard, Backwards Mapping and Writing Objectives. Unpacking A Standard
I found this first step, unpacking a standard, really helpful in understanding the essence of the standard. In looking at the verbs in the standard you are able to know what students need to do and what types of activities they need to take part in, to achieve the standard. The nouns, too, tell you about the content the students should be learning. Knowing these hints, to look at the verbs and nouns, was so useful to me in breaking down the standard and fully grasping it. I was also better able to understand how I could create effective lessons for my students. For example, the only verb in the standard I chose to focus on is the verb describe. At a first read and taking the standard as a whole, it seems pretty basic. But, in pulling out the verb and really thinking about it, I was able to consider the verb in different ways. Describe is often oral, but it can also be a written description or a pictorial description. So, in pulling the verb out of the context of the standard, I was able to come up with different ways for my students to communicate the connection between illustrations and the story.
Backwards Mapping
I really liked backwards mapping. It was quite a natural process because it makes perfect sense to me. In thinking about the end goal, and what I wanted my students to be able to do with the content and accrue in knowledge, was a great way to start. When you have an image in your mind of your students succeeding with the content, then you can plan more easily the proficiencies, activities and assessments that will bring them to that place. I found this process rather instinctive. I also felt that it flowed nicely from the unpacking exercise. With the standard dissected, it was easier to see how you could build up to the end goal. Mapping and Writing Objectives
Having already unpacked the standard and having looked at it through backwards mapping, it was a logical step in the process to write the objectives next. The first two steps really give you a deeper understanding of the standard itself as well as different ways to approach it. When we have our proficiencies in mind from backwards mapping, we can create concrete and clear objectives. I found Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains very helpful when defining and writing my objectives. G-O-A-L!!! Overall, I found all three steps very valuable in the planning process. Independently, each strategy helped breakdown the standard into smaller, workable parts while together they created a scaffolded model of the standard in the form of objectives, proficiencies, activities and assessments. I will definitely use all three approaches when planning future lessons. Sources http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/K/ Clark, D. (2015), Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html NA. (2005). Effective Use of Performance Objectives for Learning and Assessment (For Use With Fink’s and Bloom’s Taxonomies). Teacher & Educational Development, University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Retrieved from http://ccoe.rbhs.rutgers.edu/forms/EffectiveUseofLearningObjectives.pdf Sources for Images http://www.slideshare.net/sknight/unpacking-standards http://www.mapsandlanterns.org/backward-mapping/ http://nearsay.com/c/109347/85134/3-tips-for-massachusetts-real-estate-agents-on-creating-goals-for-2016
When looking at the standards and classroom curriculum, it can seem quite daunting to plan lessons. But, it is helpful to keep the end goal in mind. Teachers can ask themselves, "what do I want the students to do with this content? or "What can they do with this content?" Therefore, it is best to starting planning your lesson beginning with the end. The reversed approach, called backwards mapping, can help teachers stay focused on the important aspects of content and not get bogged down skipping from one lesson to another without proper cohesion. Next school year, one of the grades I will be teaching is Kindergarten at an international school in France. The class I will teach is in the American section, so I will be following the Common Core Standards. For this exercise in backwards mapping, I chose the Common Core Standard:
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
I chose this standard because I am passionate about books and about reading. Personally, I
love reading and I want my students to be as excited as I am when they pick up a book. I believe that understanding a story through its images then through its words and understanding the connection between the two can be the foundation for a lifetime love of reading. Also, making connections between illustrations and the story can help students understand the different ways to read and tell a story. It can help develop students' critical thinking skills by opening their minds to the possibility of recognizing connections in other contexts and in other places, too. I think that these points are crucial to students and will help them greatly in the future.
The Big Question:
How do the pictures connect to the story?
Three Proficiencies
When students finish this unit based on CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7, they should have the following proficiencies:
describe the relationship between illustrations and the story
identify the illustration that describes a specific event in the story and identify what person, place or thing the illustration depicts
explain how illustrations help them understand the story
Three Assessments
The assessments for this Standard can take the shape of different forms, whether oral through description or visual through drawing a picture or writing a sentence. Here are some ideas:
Student explains in his or her own words the importance of the illustration on a specific page in relation to the event, character or setting of the story on the same page.
Student is able to match pictures with sentences from the story when they are presented out of order.
Students can create their own images to accompany the story. Or, the student can create and image to illustrate their own writing. For example, "I like to play soccer" illustrated with the student playing a game of soccer with his or her friends.
Three Activities
Activity 1
This activity focuses on discussion. The teacher reads the book "I Love My New Toy!" by Mo Willems out loud to the class. The story is about two friends, Piggie and Gerald. Piggie got a new toy and loves it until she things Gerald broke it. Another friend comes along and tell them it is a "break and snap" toy. In the end, Piggie and Gerald are happier playing with each other than with a toy. The teacher discusses the illustrations on each page and asks questions, like "How do you know Piggie is happy with her new toy?" or "How do you think Gerald feels when he breaks Piggie's new toy?" or "How do you think Piggie is feeling here?" The students describe the images in detail as they read the story.
Activity 2
The second activity builds on the first activity. The students pick their favorite part of "I Love My New Toy!" that they read as a class. They write a sentence about their favorite part. Then, they draw a picture to go along with their sentence. Finally, each student shares their sentence and picture with the class.
Activity 3
In the third activity, students will create a mini-book of their own. Taking images from "I Love My New Toy!" the students will glue them in the correct order in their mini-book. Then, on the last page, each student will write a sentence describing something he or she likes to do with his or her friend and draw a picture illustrating it.
In The End
After the unit has ended, we have come full circle. Knowing our big question and the proficiencies we would like our students to obtain from the beginning helps us achieve them in the end. Our lessons become more centered because we know our goal.
