What am I Assessing?

Examples

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The following example explains how the NAEP graphic is represented in a standards-based IPA.

Level: Novice-High German (middle/high school)

THEME: Going to School

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What makes my school special?

Interpretive Task:
Visit the website for the Hans und Sophie Scholl-Gymnasium in Germany (picture from school website).

• Find out where the school is located in Germany and who Hans and Sophie Scholl were. Include why you think the school selected this name.
• After you visit the links under “Wissenswertes" write down what you learned about the school. In what ways is it like or different from your school?

(NOTE: This task is completed in English since it assesses how well the students understood the information on the website. Students can also fill in a chart provided by the teacher to record the information from the website.)

Presentational Task:
Using the Hans und Sophie Scholl-Gymnasium “Homepage” as a model, design an introductory web page with links for your school.

Interpersonal Task:
With a partner look at the websites you each designed. Using German, state what is the same and what is different between your websites and also between your websites and the website for Hans und Sophie Scholl-Gymnasium.
This task targets a beginning language student in a middle school or high school. It could, however, be used by any level with two considerations: first, the website reference would have to reflect the level of the students involved in the project; second, the degree of simplicity/complexity demanded in the performance needs to reflect the language level of the students who are completing the assessment.

As you consider this IPA, notice how the three tasks are interrelated. What the students learn in the Interpretive Mode can be used in the Presentational and Interpersonal Modes. What the students learn in the Interpretive and Presentational Modes is the basis for the Interpersonal Mode. The assessment is authentic: it uses a real website of a school in Germany and then asks the students to create their own websites. (NOTE: This task can be used for other languages using a link to a school of the language you are teaching.)

Integration of the 4Cs

Integration of the 4Cs enriches the learning experience for the students:

• Cultures: Students learn about schools in Germany beginning with the historic significance of the name of the school. Further exploration of the website provides insights into the organization of the school, the courses taught, the schedule.
• Comparisons: Students can compare the information on their school website to the information on the German school's website.
• Connections: Students can use skills learned in their Technology class or English Language Arts class to design a website.
• Communities: Students can share their website beyond the classroom, perhaps with the school in Germany.

See more examples of complete standards-based integrated performance assessment units.