Transcript Exercises in Assessment for World History Classrooms

Exercises in Assessment for
World History Classrooms
Patrick Manning
University of Pittsburgh
April 23, 2011
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
About 10 minutes of work.
Select one of the two documents provided, read
it, and write responses to these points:
1. List historical events and processes (with
approximate dates) that are referred to in the
document.
2. Identify world historical arguments (or
interpretations) that are presented.
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS – 2.
Up to 5 minutes, on your own:
Self-assessment: How did you do in interpreting
the document?
(Write comments that you will keep to yourself)
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS – 3.
Discussion (10 minutes):
What criteria do you use to assess worldhistorical interpretation of a primary document?
ESSAYS (COLLEGE-LEVEL)
MATERIALS:
1. Rubric announced to students for Midterm
exam in World History course at Pitt, 2011.
2. Essay topic given to students in introductory
World History course at Pitt, 2011. Basically,
“put a recent event in world-historical
context.”
3. Essays written by students in response to the
topic above.
ESSAYS – 2.
ASSESSMENT (up to 30 minutes):
1. Read the two student essays distributed to
you.
2. Create a rubric for evaluating the essays: it
should emphasize both general historical
skills and world-historical interpretation
3. Choose one essay and evaluate it according
to the rubric.
ESSAYS – 3.
DISCUSSION (up to 30 minutes):
1. Discuss the rubrics you have created.
2. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the
student essays.
3. Discuss “world-historical thinking”:
• How do you identify it?
• How do you encourage it?
• What difference does it make?