8th+grade+history+2011-12


 * 8th grade history PLC**: Elise Cisko, Bob Gilmartin and Carol Russin


 * SMART Goal ** ( **S **pecific, **M **easurable, **A **ttainable, **R **ealistic, and **T **imely):

Our goal this year is to create additional common assessments to be administered to all 8th grade history classes with a class average of 75% or better.


 * Rationale: **

The Core Content Curriculum Standards that are being revised indicate that the focus of Social Studies education will be on the analysis of historical information. Students will be required to refine their skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking skills and recognizing bias in primary sources.


 * Action Plan **
 * **Activity** || **Person Responsible** || **Timeline** || **Outcome** ||
 * create assessments that focus on reading comprehension, extracting key ideas from a reading passage and differentiating them between supporting details || Bob, Carol, Elise || September- January || Coordination between all of the 8th grade history teachers will assure that every student is practicing these skills ||
 * focus on critical thinking skills and recognizing bias in primary source documents || Bob, Carol, Elise || September-June || Students will demonstrate profieciency on a common assessment in which they analyze primary source documents at several points in the year ||
 * increase the use of Document Based Questions || Bob, Carol, Elise || September-June || Students will be involved in individual practice and peer review ||

Group Members Names: Bob Gilmartin, Carol Russin, Elise Cisko

What Middle School Goal does this impact? #1

Nov. 30, 2011 We compared our results on our first common assessment and were pleased to find that we all exceeded the 80% threshold though we had set a goal of 75% We worked on a second assessment to administer in the coming weeks so that we may continue our research.

December 2011 We continue to create common assessments of various types so that we can compare our results. The next common assessment will be a DBQ writing prompt.

January 18, 2012 We coordinated with our department supervisor to review and make final edits to the Honors Exam. We agreed to each distribute a common assessment on Andrew Jackson, which we decided will be the Document Based Question "How democratic is Andrew Jackson?". We discussed our common rubric for grading essays, refined it, and agreed to share results next meeting.

February 15, 2012 We discussed the common DBQ and will compare results when they are all graded. We discussed the results of the Honors Exam, which we all worked on. We created a common assessment for the end of the Westward Expansion Unit and will bring our results to the next meeting. We will have results for the DBQ and, hopefully the Westward Expansion Unit review, by next meeting.

March 14, 2012 We compared results of the common assessment from the Westward Expansion Unit, and were pleased that we met our goals. We shared concerns about the lack of reading comprehension and timed reading skills. We resolved to create more reading and corresponding questions assignments. We also discussed the results of the DBQ for the 9th grade honors exam and the possibility of an articulation meeting with High School teachers.

April 18, 2012 We worked on our new curriculum for next year. We need to create common assessments and plan the pacing of next year. This fits nicely with our goals for this PLC. We plan on meeting again on May 25 to continue with the new curriculum.

Notes from 2010-2011 PLC:

** Professional Learning Communities In-Service ** ** October 11, 2010 **

Seventy five percent (75%) of students will be proficient on a benchmark assessment given to all eighth grade students in marking period two (2) to measure the ability to interpret data and/or text. Anecdotal evidence suggests students are lacking in critical interpretation skills of data/test. These are skills necessary for NJASK & to meet Middle School goals #2 & #3.
 * 1. **** SMART Goal ** ( ** S ** pecific, ** M ** easurable, ** A ** ttainable, ** R ** ealistic, and ** T ** imely):
 * 2.** **Rationale:**

Carol Elise || October thru January || 75% of students will demonstrate proficiency on 2 of 2 questions that will be graded using a common rubric || Robert Gilmartin Carol Russin Elise Cisko
 * 3. ** **Action Plan**
 * **Activity** || **Person Responsible** || **Timeline** || **Outcome** ||
 * Create a 2 question assessment dealing with Unit 2 material. || Bob
 * Teach interpretation skills through class discussion using examples of primary source data such as charts, cartoons, text, etc. || Same || Same || Students will be involved in individual practice and peer review ||
 * Practice question will be administered to further develop interpretative skills. || Same || Same || Informal assessment and feedback from teacher and peers. ||
 * 4.** **Group Member Names:**
 * 4.** **Group Member Names:**
 * 4.** **Group Member Names:**
 * 5.** **Which Middle School goal does this impact?**
 * 1) #2 and #3

__ November 22 Notes __ We discussed a time period, chose the War of 1812, and agreed that the material we choose for the assessment should be primary source related. Carol was absent so, we held off on actually writing the assessment.

January 26 Notes We discussed our goals and use of primary source documents in our classroom to date. We are all using the DBQ "How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?" and using the same DBQ on causes of the Civil War for a writing sample. We decided to use multiple choice format questions at the end of Unit 3 and Unit 4 to highlight test taking skills and compare the student responses in each of our classes.

February 28 Notes We commiserated about our results. We did not achieve our goal for Unit 3. We discussed how we could get better results for the Unit 4 assessment. What are we doing wrong in terms of having students recall information over the long term? Is it a lack of unit tests, midterm or final exams? Could we find a unit DBQ that would force the students to integrate material learned in several different chapters and over a longer period of time? How can we focus on "the big picture" across our curriculum?

March 30 Notes We looked at a possible DBQ prompt on technology and discussed the possibility of using it as an assessment of skills. The documents range in time and topic over several chapters in the last unit that we do. We also discussed using the Washington DC project as a form of judging how we have done teaching research skills as well as mastery of technology components of the curriculum. All three teams assign a research project on sites on the DC itinerary- monuments, government sites and memorials.

May 11 Notes We discussed our plans this year to coordinate curriculum at the 8th grade level for US History. We felt that it was difficult to time our classes to all study the same topic at the same time. We feel it is imperative for the students to retain and process information over a longer term rather than just one chapter, as for a typical assessment, and discussed the possibility of creating a mid term or final assessment. Should we have some sort of history assessment at the end of the year? Who should write it? What should it count as? We discussed the lack of standardized testing for history, but noted that skills, such as reading comprehension, reading charts and graphs and geography skills, could be assessed on a standardized test.