Samantha Hardie EPSY 485 Course Assignment Context The school is a high school, grades 9-12 in a rural area.

There are about 1,500 student enrolled at the school. The school breaks down to be 48.4% white, 33.9% African American, 6% Hispanic, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American, .0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 3.2% Multiracial. 47.4% of students come from low income households, and 10.5% of students are assigned an IEP. The school does not meet AYP standards and 51.7% of students meet PSAE standards.

The classroom is comprised of about 26 students. It is a Sophomore English classroom focused on British Literature. They have completed the Freshman English course, which focused on American Literature.

Unit of Study The classroom is a Sophomore English classroom focused on British Literature. The Unit we are working on is centered on Romeo and Juliet. During the unit, students will focus on not only the play, but also what makes up a work of Shakespeares in general. They will also find the differences between text that was created for theatre versus a typical book. In addition, we will discuss the question Why is Shakespeare still so relevant in society today? Some objectives from the unit are:

1. Students should be able to name some typical characteristics of a Shakespeare play and be able to pick them out from the work of Shakespeare they are reading. For example, a comedy has a happy ending and a tragedy a sad one. (Knowledge, Comprehension) 2. Students should be able to recognize the story of Romeo and Juliet and apply its principles to other more contemporary works. (Knowledge, Comprehension, Analysis, Synthesis)

Assessment Elements of Blooms Taxonomy are bolded in the analysis following the answer key.

Examples:

1. Shakespeares plays are usually divided into two genres-comedies and tragedies. List three characteristics of each genre. (6 points, 1 point per element) a. Answer i. If the student chooses tragedy, they must include three of the following examples: 1. Ends in death or separation 2. Tragic character flaw 3. A powerful man is the main character 4. Follows The Tragic Pattern 5. The supernatural/fate 6. Tragic Error

ii. If the student chooses comedy, they must include three of the following examples: 1. Comic Individual 2. Happy Ending 3. Marriage 4. The Green World 5. Deception 6. Intertwining Plots b. Analysis i. This Item will test their knowledge in respect to Objective 1. In order to answer the question, they need to know the specific parts of a Shakespearian comedy or tragedy. They are required to know at least three key parts, although they do not need specific examples from the play. It is a short answer question requiring them to list the elements; therefore they shouldnt be able to find clues from other questions to answer this. 2. Although Shakespeare lived and died ages ago, his work is still prevalent today. Compare Romeo and Juliet to a contemporary movie or book. Write a short essay providing at least three examples of how the stories parallel or how the story draws from the original Shakespeare story, and explain why and how it does so. (16 Points) a. Answer i. Look for the following things when grading: 1. Three concrete examples from both Romeo and Juliet and whatever text the student chose. (3 points per example)

2. Clear explanation for each example. (2 points per example) 3. Continuity between Romeo and Juliet and contemporary example (1 point per example) b. Analysis i. This item will test the students ability to analyze and synthesize information in respect to Objective 2. In addition, students will also need to apply the information they know in order to create an essay. They need to have an understanding of the plot and themes of Romeo and Juliet in addition to being able to apply those elements and themes to a more contemporary text or story. 3. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. List and explain two different elements of the play citing specific examples that make this a tragedy. (4 Points) a. Answer i. Look for the following things when grading: 1. Two elements of a tragedy are explained (1 Point Each) 2. Each element has a correct example from the play (1 Point Each) b. Analysis i. This item will test the students knowledge and application of the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy and tests their progress on Objective 1. They will not only need to know the elements of a tragedy but they will also need to know plot details from the play, ensuring that in addition to knowing the material they also have read the play. Question Analysis

This is a fair assessment because although you may need to know the same information for a few questions, you need to be able to provide information for all of it. The questions are aligned with the objectives set at the beginning of the lesson and were formed with them in mind. They are all short answer questions so that they wont be able to use clues from other questions in order to answer another. I will grade each question one by one and evaluate each one by the criteria set beforehand.

Analysis I would grade this activity because I plan on using it as a test at the end of the unit. I want to make sure that the students understand and can apply the different things they learned. Having a firm knowledge of Shakespeare is something that will help students with analysis and critical thinking in almost any English course, so these questions will test what I want them to be able to apply in the future. If they dont understand this, I can take further action later. The students will have the entire class period to work on this assessment. It should give them ample time to complete the essay as well as the two short answer questions. I will give them question number two in advance so that they can have some notes prepared, I dont want to test them on how fast they can think of something but rather I want to get a quality essay that effectively synthesizes information. It will be an independent assignment; I would plan to use it as an end-of-unit test and therefore would need the students to complete it on an individual basis. We wont go over it in class; I will collect it and evaluate it later on. In terms of accommodations, I would provide whatever a student needed to complete it. If they needed someone to read the questions to them, extra time to complete it, or anything else their IEP required they would get it. I wanted to conduct it in this way because it seems the most effective

way to test the objectives. In addition to seeing if they understood the point of the unit it also tests how well they understood the material from the book. The performance criteria are obviously if students can answer the questions correctly. To be more specific: Proficient Understanding: Students are able to answer all questions correctly and clearly. They can provide evidence from the play and other sources as needed. Adequate Understanding: Students can only answer some of the questions correctly. This would include not being able to name the elements of a Shakespearian play or connect it to a contemporary work. Poor Understanding: Students are unable to answer the questions correctly. They cant name the elements of a comedy or tragedy and are unable to make a connection to a contemporary work. I would want students to be either at a proficient understanding or an adequate understanding. If most students can name the elements of a Shakespearean play as well as explain Shakespeares relevance in society today that would make this a successful assessment. If students produce unclear, confusing answers or answer the items incorrectly I will know that the level of understanding isnt where it should be. If students get it, then we can move onto new subject matter. If students are mostly at a Adequate or Poor understanding, we will need to discuss the objectives more. I could teach a lesson about Shakespearean comedies and tragedies where I will put the elements into context. In addition, with any other text that is taught during the year I would make sure to point out if there are any Shakespearean connections to make sure the relevance of Shakespeare isnt lost on students.