Broad Learning Objectives
* Place in time key historical events and actors
* Identify and evaluate multiple perspectives and approaches to historical understanding
* Identify and Evaluate the diversity of AAmerican@ experiences
* Formulate and defend an historical argument
* Write clearly, economically and persuasively about historical problems
Comprehensive/Knowledge:
* Develop a proper foot/end note
* Locate appropriate primary sources
* Distinguish between primary and secondary sources
Analysis/Application
* Interpret different types of evidence
* Detect and appraise bias and point of view
* Draw conclusions and inferences from examined evidence
* Formulate historical questions
Synthesis/Evaluation
* Create, organize and support an historical argument in written and oral presentation
* Assess and prioritize historical causes
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Teaching Practices
These learning objectives are measured by three assignments:
* Two history papers that articulate a clear historical argument developed from a careful analysis of primary sources
* Two to three short essay exams that require students to define key concepts, identify and discuss the significance of key people and events and to place those concepts and events in historical time and context
* Participation in a discussion list in which students contribute to ongoing discussions and arguments about key historical events, their causes and meanings.
The assignment I will focus on here is the history paper. Because of class size, students only write two history papers of between 1000 and 1250 words. These papers are modified research essays. By modified I mean that students do not actually locate the primary sources that they will use in this essay in the library but are provided with a series of primary sources in an assigned reader. They are also provided with a topic and series of questions that their essay must address. I needed an assessment tool that would enable me to measure the quality of their essay. I wanted a tool that would allow me to provide students with information as to the overall quality of their essay and one that would break the essay down so that students could understand how well they had addressed the various parts of historical writing. To this end, I chose a writing rubric that would give students a visual picture of my assessment. I have also found that the rubric leads to a more consistent assessment of student essays as it ensures that I am articulating clear standards
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