How do you assess students’ understanding of CCOT? What types of assignments or formative assessments have been most effective?
How do you assess students’ understanding of CCOT? What types of assignments or formative assessments have been most effective?
I really like to go with a student to student conversation/discussion as a formative assessment to check on student understanding of just about anything including student understanding of CCOT.
I haven't explicitly taught using CCOT as a learning strategy, but I'd like to incorporate it into revised lessons for the latter half of the year in World History. I particularly appreciate that students are expected to go beyond "identifying" continuities/similarities and changes/differences. They are also expected to evaluate and analyze if this is a positive or a negative change. It adds an additional layer of complexity to this higher order thinking skill.
To assess students' understanding of this learning strategy, I'd make sure that we go over a real life example together with the graphic organizer. For example, I could show pictures of four different iterations of cell phones or portable music players. Once I am confident that the students understand how to use the graphic organizer, they would be assessed on its use on a content-related subject, such as irrigation techniques or housing structures throughout history. In addition to completing the graphic organizers, they would be expected to write a paragraph or two related to the trends they found. Of course, they would be asked "why" numerous times to encourage further analysis and deeper thought.
I have not explicitly taught CCOT but I use it in my industrial revolution unit frequently. We do an activity where each student gets a small town where there is a river and coal is discovered. Every 5-10 years over the course of the 200 years, I tell them what to add to their town (coal mines, mansions, tenements, churches, stores, cemeteries and more). By the end of the activity, the students are yelling at me that they have run out of room in their town. As a formative, I check their answers to their questions on the slide then we discuss as a group. We then discuss the differences between the opening of the town to the end as well as the reason behind those changes. We also talk about the similarities. We talk about the positives and the negatives of our town and how it is dependent on what economic status the person is and their age/gender.
For my ESOL students, I have them cut and glue the different factors into a venn diagram. The pieces would combine words and pictures so increase UDL. Then below the Venn Diagram, I would have them write a few sentences comparing and contrasting.
I would agree with Robert Celentano, we have a high number of ESOL students and having them use visuals as much as possible is always a great way for them to learn new information. The CCOT thinking tool can be modified so ELs can access this cognitive tool for student understanding. Posters and graphic organizers are a great way for them to compare and contrast these ideas.
Student created timelines can definitely help with mapping the continuities or changes of a topic. It helps students begin to visualize the shifts, or lack there of, in society in regards to specific long lasting/occurring issues or topics. One thing I like to incorporate into these activities are connections. Rather than just having students create a timeline of a series of events with definitions, they need to connect major events to previous events and elaborate on how the continuities or changes are occurring socially, politically or economically. What are the catalyst for these changes or continuities? Having students connect these events helps to reinforce the command of the topic rather than it just being a simple exercise in recall.
Europe, and the world, looks quite different pre-World War I, the interwar period, post-war, and even post-Cold War so I like to have students color in an annotated World War I map and color an annotated interwar/WWII agression map to reflect on changes in borders that took place. Students then write a timed practice SAQ about how the borders of nations changed Post WWI and WWII, explaining for example how the Ottoman Empire dissolved into Turkey and the mandate system.
Yes, my students love the urbanization game too!
One modification I've made is that I start the year with students making a typical medieval/Renaissance European village. This goes up on a corner of a wall somewhere in the classroom. Then I post the mess of the urbanization game drawings next to that. They then have to discuss the CCOT and between the two time periods.
To assess students' understanding of CCOT, I use a combination of assignments and formative assessments that encourage critical thinking and analysis. One effective approach is to have students write essays that identify and analyze patterns of continuity and change across specific time periods. I use class discussions, timelines, and graphic organizers to help students visualize historical trends. Quick quizzes or short written reflections allow me to gauge their understanding throughout the unit and provide feedback. These methods help ensure students grasp the key concepts of CCOT while developing their analytical skills.
This is one skill where assessing is more challenging than others because I feel sometimes it just depends on a student’s knowledge about the world today and that is something we do not have as a part of our World I curriculum. Some ways I have assessed this skill are: 1. Having a socratic seminar about how just our laws are? Using content from Hammurabi’s code. 2. Creating a virtual museum that showcases the achievements of the Islamic Civilizations and on the museum “plaque” students must include how the achievement is seen in the world today.