MODEL: INSTANT QUIZ

(This is not really a quiz at all, but an involvement strategy)

OBJECTIVE: All students will become engaged in many levels of thinking about formal content input (especially textbooks), and studentsí confidence will grow through planned success and grades for effort. This especially helps student comprehend their difficult textbooks, such as social studies.

MATERIALS:
For Teacher: An article or chapter in a content-area book, or other content-input (such as film or slide show).
For Students: pencils and paper. It is not essential that students all have their own copy of the content material, but it helps with their vocabulary development and reading skills.

PLANNING: There is no pre-planning necessary for the teacher other than selection of content material.

STEPS OF THE MODEL


 
SET Say, "Number your papers from 1 - 10, this is a quiz." (This gets the students' attention). "If you pay attention as we read and discuss this chapter, you will get an "A."

LESSON

  1. Begin reading the chapter to the class and expect them to follow along. Stop and discuss the material as you wish, using sound questioning strategies and exciting their interest in the subject matter.
  2. From time to time stop and ask a question about something you have just discussed together. SAY: "Number 1: How were the elephants useful to Hannibal?" Every student who has been paying attention should be able to answer the question, and those who haven't been listening might be able to find the answer by looking at the text. Provide them with all the clues they need, because you want success. WHILE STUDENTS ARE WRITING, YOU MUST ALSO WRITE DOWN THE QUESTION SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE AN ANSWER KEY WHEN YOU COLLECT AND GRADE THE PAPERS.
  3. Ask the class for their answers, and let those who are off change their answers. (Your goal is that they learn the material, not that they are perfect.) Sometimes there will be several right answers, especially with higher level questions.
  4. Repeat the above process until the chapter is finished. Some of your questions can be convergent (there is only one right answer), but some should be divergent and even creative, allowing many right answers. Students can be asked to tell their opinion of actions, or sometimes to make a prediction about what they think the text will reveal next.

EVALUATION:
Process only These papers are only proof that students were paying attention and stayed involved, not what they really learned. Your goal is to give everyone an "A." The resulting grade will be for effort, and many students who usually do poorly in the grading department will be thrilled and more motivated to receive an "A."

NOTE: This is a wonderful tool to use if you are suddenly handed the social studies text and asked to read it with your students.

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