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Paidea 2014

Eleanor Dougherty

edthink.ecd@gmail.com

ASSIGNMENTS MATTER: WRITE A QUALITY TASK

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WHAT IS AN ASSIGNMENT?

A task consisting of a prompt that specifies what students are to do in clear, unambiguous terms

States a product as evidence of understanding and learning

Provides a rubric to describe “how well” Supported by an instructional plan

An assignment is TAUGHT!

Eleanor Dougherty, Assignments Matter (2005, ASCD)

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A QUALITY ASSIGNMENT TEACHES THINKING

Immediate answer not known to students

The procedure for arriving at answer not given; teachers facilitate and guide

Skills involved with task are key to discipline

Failure is as much a part of the learning process as success

(Sokol 2014)

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WHAT THINKING? WHAT SKILLS?

How does language structure shape meaning? After reading “Birches,” “Trees,” ‘Thirteen Ways with Figs” and the Fig Butter Recipe, write an essay that compares the effects of different language structures on meaning. Support your discussion with evidence from the texts.

(LDC/Paideia)

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What Thinking? What Skills?  

After reading Corduroy, write or draw a retelling of the story in which you describe the key events of the story. Support your response with evidence from the text.D 2Include at least 3 examples from the text in your response.

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QUALITYQuality text/sContent worth spending time on

Prompts that make sense and are doable

Skills that build on each otherProducts relevant to academic and workplace

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FROM TEMPLATE TO TEACHING TASK:WRITING IN RESPONSE TO READING

Insert optional question After researching/reading______(text), write _________(product) in which you explain _________(content related to

standards). Support your discussion with evidence

from the text.

LDC Collection 2.0 www.ldc.org

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CONTENT + R2, W2

1. identify content2. identify focus standards for R & W

3. identify a text/s4. fill in the template by connecting standards to text to content

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FROM TEMPLATE TO......

After reading ___ (text),write an ____ (product) in which you explain ____(content).Support your discussion with evidence from the text

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ASSIGNMENT (LDC TEACHING TASK)

After reading Billy Budd,write an essayin which you explain how Melville develops the theme of good and evil through Budd, Vere, and Claggart.Support your discussion with evidence from the text.

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AFTER RESEARCHING….

Insert optional question After researching_____(texts)

on___(content) write ______(product) in which you explain _______(content). Support your discussion with evidence

from your research.

LDC Collection 2.0 www.ldc.org

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SAMPLE

In what ways did the African American troops contribute to the Civil War?

After researching primary sources on the role of African American soldiers in the Civil War,

write a report in which you explain their roles and

challenges. Support your discussion with evidence from

your research. D2: What conclusion can you draw?

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YOUR TURN

1. identify content2. identify focus standards for R & W

3. identify a text4. identify a template5. fill in the template by connecting standards to text to content

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TEMPLATES FOR NON-WRITTEN PRODUCTS

(Insert optional question) After reading\listening/viewing______(text), _________(verb & product) in which you _________(content).

After reading the text about Egypt and participating in a seminar, construct a ”learning” board game in which you include artifacts and questions relevant to this ancient civilization.

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NON-WRITTEN PRODUCTS

After reading and listening to the three poems about “love”, perform a read aloud in which you orally compare how language and structure change the meaning of “love” in each work. Support your position with evidence from the texts.

Focus: Literature RL2 & 5, SL1

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YOUR TURN

R7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

After reading/listening/viewing ______(text), _________(verb & product) in which you _________(content). Support your ____with evidence from_____.

(participate, conduct, demonstrate, give, build, perform)

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WHAT TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW

Comfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty Know difference between knowledge

and competence Start with aim, not resources Use an evidence-based approach See limitations and uses of an approach

or strategy See what occurs during learning of a

task

(Sokol 2014)

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SEMINAR + ASSIGNMENT

Learning to think, however, takes consistent practice, and growth in the ability to think is usually a long journey rather than a quick fix.

Billings and Roberts (2012)

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PAIDEIA TASKS

How does Shirley Jackson's choice of words and phrases in "The Lottery" impact the tone of the story?  After reading "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, write an essay in which you analyze the impact of word choice on the story's tone, providing examples to clarify your analysis.

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RESOURCES

Template Task Collections (in Resources)

Literacy Design Collaborativewww.ldc.org

Eleanor Dougherty edthink.ecd@gmail.com