ASSESSMENT

The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to
monitor learner progress, and to guide the teachers and learners decision making.

I believe that assessment is an essential component of teaching. I also believe that the primary
purpose of assessment is to improve students learning and teachers teaching as both respond
to the information it provides. It helps students see where they are and what they need to do
to manage their own learning. As a teacher, assessment gives me some information about
where to start teaching my students. The courses I took at Aquinas helped to refine my
understanding of assessment. I used both the formal and informal assessment formats during
my student teaching to obtain information that helped me improve my teaching and improve
the students learning. I will confidently say that assessment is the collection of data and
evidence documenting a persons learning in the areas of knowing, skills, and attitudes. I feel it
is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in
order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with
their skill and knowledge as a result of their educational experiences.
There are different assessment formats that can be used (formal and informal). I believe that all
students should be assessed on the same material, but teachers should use the assessment
approach or styles that help students of different learning strengths to demonstrate their
learning. This is a fair way to get accurate information from students about their learning. It is
important for teachers to assess learning contents the way it will give accurate goals or
information about students learning, achievement, and struggle. In this way, students of
different learning styles and multiple intelligence will all be fairly assessed and accommodated.

Evidence
My first piece of evidence is a lesson I created and thought at St. Thomas School. It was an
engaging and fun lesson activity where students were asked to explore and create a simple
electric circuit that supplied light to the bulb. I used my knowledge of the content to plan and
teach this lesson. Students were able to apply what they learned from the lesson; this helped
them to discover more information about how electric circuits function. I used both formal and
informal assessment format before, during, and at the end of the lesson to obtain information
about what my students already knew about the topic, what they were learning during the
lesson and what they learned at the end of the lesson. The information helped me to adjust my
teaching style in order to attend to the learning needs of my students.

AQUINAS COLLEGE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
4th Grade Lesson
Sr. Kate Okolocha
Subject/Content Area: Science; Electrical Circuits
Time Duration: 45 Minutes (This lesson might take two days to accomplish)
4/11/16
Michigan Curriculum Framework Content Standards and Benchmarks:
Demonstrate how electrical energy is transferred and changed through the use of a simple
circuit.
Unit Outcome:
The learners will (TWL) develop an understanding of electrical current by exploring what it
takes to make a bulb light. Then they will use critical thinking skills and deductive reasoning to
figure out how electricity flows by creating their own electric circuits using a few simple
materials.
Assessment:
The students will act out electric circuit with their teacher; they will apply what they learned
about circuits to light a bulb in small groups. They will watch a video illustrating how electricity
flows through a circuit. They will share what they learned from this lesson in small groups, and
answer the questions in the assessment worksheet. I will walk around listening to their
discussions and we will share their thinking and work together.
Lesson Outcome:
TLW explore what it takes to make a bulb light.
TLW describe how electrons flow in a circuit.
TLW identify the essential elements needed to complete a circuit.
TLW describe the parts of the circuit that light the bulb and how they are connected.
TLW explain how to tell when the path of an electric circuit is complete/closed or open.
TLW build an actual electric circuit.

Rationale/Purpose for Lesson:

Although electricity has been used as an energy source for over 100 years, many people dont
understand the basic principles of electricity. In this lesson, students will develop an
understanding of electrical current. They will learn that electrical current flows in a complete
circuit. They will investigate how to light a bulb in a simple circuit and discover that complete
circuit can be constructed in more than one way using the same materials.

Resources/Materials Required:

Wire strippers
Insulated wire
Flashlight bulbs
Fresh D- cell batteries
Activity worksheets, etc.
Video link and power point presentation.

Introduction:
Review students prior knowledge with this problem solving activity: Imagine that you are
hiking with a friend in the mountains. You stumble and fall. Your flashlight falls out of your
backpack. It rolls down the hill and out of sight. It is getting dark and you will need another light
source. What should you do to create another light source? Tell students that they will explore
what it takes to make a bulb light.
Procedure:
o
o
o
o

Ask students to turn and talk to each other about the meaning of electricity.
Have students share their understanding of what electricity mean.
Ask students if they can see electricity?
Discuss the meaning of electricity, circuit, current electricity, conductor with students
and give them some examples.
o Use pictures to explain to students that electricity needs a complete path along which to
travel
o Act out an electric circuit as follows: Ask students to join you in forming a circle. Tell
students that the teacher represents a battery and they represent a wire conductor. The
circle represents a circuit. Distribute pencils to each member of the circle, including
yourself. Tell students that these objects represent electrons inside a wire conductor.
Explain that a wire conductor is full of electrons.

o Remind students that you are playing the part of the battery in this circuit, and explain
that all batteries have a positive end, represented by your left hand, and a negative end,
represented by your right hand. Pass your electron to the student on your right. The
student receiving your electron should in turn pass the one he or she is holding to the
right.
o Have students continue passing on electrons to the person to their right. Tell students
that because electrons share the same negative charge, they repel one another, which
keeps them moving along in the same direction. State again that the flow of electrons
through a conductor is called electrical current.
o Tell students that as long as the circle remains intact and the electrons continue to flow,
their circuit is closed. To illustrate what happens when a circuit breaks, or opens, create
a gap in the circle of students that is too wide across to pass electrons. The current will
stop as a result.
o Part II: Light a Bulb
o Tell students that they are going to apply what they just learned about circuits to light a
bulb. Divide the class into smaller groups. Display the materials for the activity on the
table. Challenge students to use their critical thinking skills and trial and error to get
their bulbs to light. Walk around the class to observe how students are working in their
groups.
o Ask students to share the strategies that helped them light their bulb.
o Show students one of these videos illustrating how electricity flows around a circuit.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww6xYGu3O10

Homework: No homework
Closure:
o All students will write their explanations in the assessment worksheet to demonstrate
the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they learned as a result of this lesson.
o Take volunteers to share their responses and explain how they used their critical
thinking skills and trial and error to get their bulbs to light.
o Wrap up the lesson by reviewing the concepts on how electricity flows around a circuit.
Evaluation and Reflection:
The electric circuits adventure, exploration and closure works very well. If students
performance in the assessment worksheets is below average, I will reteach the activities

students might have failed in the assessment worksheet. This will help them understand the
lesson better.

Name/#.................................. Electric Circuits Assessment Worksheet

1. In what order did you connect the parts?

2. What parts do you need to have a closed circuit?

3. How can you be sure the circuit works?

4. How would you change a circuit to make it stop working?

Electric Circuit Rubrics

_____/8 (2 points for providing correct answer for each question)
____/ 4 (1 point for each sentence): Correct use of capital letters and punctuation for each
sentence.

Evidence #2
My second piece of evidence is the lesson plan I created and taught at Aquinas College. I
believe that all students should be assessed on the same material, but teachers should use the
assessment approach or styles that help students of different learning strengths to
demonstrate their learning. This is a fair way to get accurate information from students about
their learning. It is important for teachers to assess learning contents the way it will give
accurate goals or information about students learning, achievement, and struggle. In this way,
students of different learning styles and multiple intelligence will all be fairly assessed and
accommodated. I assessed students informally during the lesson, by asking them question and
taking note of their responses. I also conducted a formal assessment at the end of the lesson
with a scoring rubric to get more information about what my students are learning and what
they are still struggling to learn.

AQUINAS COLLEGE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Name: Sr. Kate Okolocha
Grade Level of Lesson: 3rd
Subject/Content Area: Language Arts/Creative Writing
Lesson Plan For Class Session Day 2 This is the actual day Im teaching this lesson from the
unit.(Students were assigned to read a story book in preparation for this lesson)

Michigan Curriculum Framework Content Standards and Benchmarks:

Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1.a
Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an
organizational structure that lists reasons. Provide reasons that support the opinion.

Unit Outcome:
TLW use writing to respond to increasingly-complex prompts which address literary elements as
well as personal connections.

Lesson Outcomes:

TLW free write in response to a story they were asked to read.

TLW practice making connections while summarizing specific information from a story.
TLW learn how to write using reasoning and specific sensory details.
TLW compare characters, plots, and other elements in the story.

Rationale/Purpose for Lesson:

In this lesson, oral responses to an assigned story book reading precede students written
responses to literature. Through conversations and discussions about texts, students are given
time to clarify their thoughts, get new ideas from others, and establish a core understanding of
fiction texts that enable them to respond in writing to prompts in individual open-ended ways.
They will use a topic sentence to begin a paragraph, and also use complete sentences in
describing specific sensory details from the text during writing activity.

Resources/Materials Required:
10 Xeroxed copies of Lee S. Justices Talented Alex.
Chalkboard and chalk
Activity questions to practice making connections while summarizing specific
information from a story.
Free write Topic: What are some of the things Alex does with his talent? How did
everyone in the family know that Alex has a talent? Use some examples from the text to
support your reasoning.

Introduction:
The teacher uses a good grabber to get students attention. Have you ever helped
someone in need? Have you ever received help from someone when you were in need?
Do you have a talent you could use to help someone in need?
When I asked you to read the essay by Lee S. Justice, I asked you to read for two things.
The first was what are some of the things Alex does with his talent? The other issue I
asked you to think about was: How did everyone in the family know that Alex has a
talent?
Procedure:

 Turn and Talk: Ask students to talk and discuss the questions with partners. Use
questions such as: What does Alex learn about his talent in the story? What did you
learn about your talent? (4-5 minutes).
Whole Group Discussion: Ask students to share their thoughts, while the teacher lists
their points on the board. Encourage students to take notes from this information
because it might help them to respond to free write questions.
Individual Pre-Writing Activity: Ask students to list all the things Alex does with his
talent, and then select at least three to describe in your paragraph using a topic
sentence. Use some examples from the text to support your reasoning. (4-5 minutes).
Ask students to share their thoughts/opinions, while the teacher lists them on the
board.
Turn and Talk: We are going to do one more exercise that will help you get in touch
with this story, think about it, and gain a deeper understanding of it. Work with a
partner, and talk about this: How did everyone in the family know that Alex has a
talent?
Individual Pre-Writing Activity: Ask students to use a topic sentence to begin a
paragraph and then describe how everyone in Alexs family know that he can solve the
familys mysteries. Use some examples from the text to support your reasoning. (4-5
minutes).
Ask students to share their thoughts, while the teacher lists them on the board.

Closure/Wrap-up:

Ask students if they have questions about the class discussions and pre-writing
activities. Ask students to share what they learned from the lesson.
The teacher will wrap up the lesson by reviewing the lists of class discussions written on
the board.

Home Work:
Spend some time in a special place and think about what you would do if you see
someone or a friend in need of help. Close your eyes and use your senses to explain
what you see, feel, and hear when you see someone desperately in need of help. List all
the things you would do when you see someone in need of help. In at least one
paragraph describe how you would use your talent to help a friend or someone in need.
Use a topic sentence to begin your paragraph and then be descriptive and specific in
your writing. You must submit this assignment tomorrow.

Assessment:
Teacher will use checklists/rubrics for literature writing responses to evaluate students
learning on the following criteria:

Rubrics
Part A
1 Not finished

2 Keep working

3 Good

A paragraph with a topic sentence

Uses specific details from the text
Uses complete sentences
Score____
Comments:

1
1
1

4 Very good
2
2
2

3
3
3

5 Excellent!
4
4
4

5
5
5

Part B
1 Weak

2 Keep working

3 Good

4 Very good

A paragraph with a topic sentence

Uses specific reasoning and connecting details
Uses complete sentences
Score____________________
Comment:

1
1
1

5 Excellent!
2
2
2

3
3
3

4
4
4

5
5
5