Mzungu Boy Common Assessment

October 2010

Demonstrating My Learning Means That I Can:

• Explain why something is important.

• Make connections.
• Ask questions to extend learning.
• Reflect critically.
• Communicate effectively to others.
• Create meaningful solutions.

Essential Questions & How They Apply to Us:

EQ: How does literature help us connect to and understand the world?

Our Question: What did The Mzungu Boy teach me about colonial Kenya?

EQ: How does where we live influence how we live?

Our Question: How do the boys’ different backgrounds influence their experiences in colonial
Kenya?
 Guidelines and Deadlines
Guidelines:

When you demonstrate your understanding of the issues in The Mzungu Boy, be sure to address:
• the essential questions
• the readings about colonial Kenya
• You can also refer to what you learned during the last Socratic Seminar.

Deadlines:

3 Learning Journal entries (200+ words per entry)

i. Tuesday, 5 October
ii. Wednesday, 6 October (7/8)/Thursday, 7 October (1/2)
iii. Friday, 8 October

The assessment is due 20 minutes after the bell rings for your Humanities class on
Friday, 8 October.
• A crucial element for this assessment will be your time management skills.

Project Requirements:

Part 1: Choose one of the following ways to express your understanding.

Written

Essay Script (movie or play) Speech Letter

Lesson plan Journal entry/diary Story Poetry (with explanation)
Song (with music)
Your choice of written project (with teacher’s permission)

Art (with explanation – written or oral)

Map Painting or drawing Mandala Collage

Build an object Your choice of art project (with teacher’s permission)

Part 2: Learning Journal

How do you know you are learning? Why have you chosen the production style you did? How will
you address the essential questions and assessment guidelines? What are/were some challenges
and successes with your project?
 Mzungu Boy Assessment Rubric
CLOSE
Project represents simplistic
EQ:
or concrete thinking; difficult
to connect to essential
What did Mzungu
question; project distracts
Boy and other
from meaning; extensive,
texts teach me
extra explanation required to
about colonial
understand project and
Kenya?
demonstrate learning.
EQ: Project represents simplistic
or concrete thinking; difficult
How do the boys’ to connect to essential
different question; project distracts
backgrounds from meaning; extensive,
influence their extra explanation required to
experiences in understand project and
colonial Kenya? demonstrate learning.
Poor use of time or improper
project type lead to a below-
expectation project. Poor
Project Quality quality hinders
demonstrations of learning.
Clearly lacking in the serious
effort needed.
Learning
Did complete required
Reflection
number of journal entries.
Journal: How Do I
Missing more than two
Know I’m
thoughtful reflections.
learning?
GOT IT WOW
Project is clearly
Project is connected to
connected to essential
and supports the
question; complex,
essential question;
creative, and original
includes critical and
metaphoric and abstract
metaphoric thinking;
thinking; no further verbal
may require minor
or written explanation
explanation to
needed to demonstrate
demonstrate learning.
learning.
Project is clearly
Project is connected to
connected to essential
and supports the
question; complex,
essential question;
creative, and original
includes metaphoric &
metaphoric and abstract
abstract thinking; may
thinking; no further verbal
require minor
or written explanation
explanation to
needed to demonstrate
demonstrate learning
learning.
Demonstrates Precise planning and
thoughtful use of time project execution
management; throughout. Time-
appropriate choice of management allowed for
project type; quality and careful reflection and
attention to detail though to each step;
throughout most quality and attention to
elements of project detail throughout.
Completed required
Completed required
number of journal entries.
number of journal
Thoughtful reflections of
entries. Thoughtful
ALL elements of: “How do
reflections of most
you know you’re
elements of: “How do
learning?”
you know you’re
learning?”