Inquiry Design Model:Session 2

Tasks

Part I: How do we know what kids know?

What do we want to know about what kids know?

• Content Knowledge• Conceptual Knowledge• Skills:– Disciplinary Skills– Inquiry Skills– Literacy Skills– Technology Skills

Your task• Evaluate the documentary: Speak Truth to

Power winning video by Kailash Satyarthi, a middle school student– http

://www.speaktruthvideo.com/2014-winners.html

• Parse it for:– Content Knowledge– Conceptual Knowledge– Skills

How do we know what students know?

Content Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge

Skills (Disciplinary, Inquiry, Literacy, Technology)

Task Debrief/Discussion:

• What does this student know? What content, concepts, or skills are evident from the documentary?

• What doesn’t she know? What content, concepts, or skills are not present?

• Are digital documentaries/videos a valid form of assessment? What are the affordances and constraints of the medium as a form of assessment?

Assessment is limited by…..• Ability to communicate (visually, orally, in written

form);• Age and experience with task;• Engagement in the task;• Context (hungry, tired, distracted, etc.);• The assessment itself (What does it intend to

measure? What can it actually tell us? Is it valid?)

• However, teachers still need to assess.

Part II: How is assessment represented in the inquiries?

Assessment in IDM

• Summative Performance Tasks• Formative Performance Tasks• Modular Performance Tasks– Summative Extensions/Adaptations– Taking Informed Action

IDM follows C3 Inquiry Arc

If students are asked a COMPELLING QUESTION….

Students answer in the form of a SUMMATIVEARGUMENT

What is an argument?

An argument is a collection of claims supported by relevant evidence, which can be considered an answer to the question investigated by the research.

As arguments become more sophisticated, students might include counterclaims.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Can Words Lead to War?

Argument stems:

NEED THESE from John

Your task• Consider the elements of a coherent,

evidenced based argument as outlined in the 7th Grade Uncle Tom’s Cabin Inquiry.– Can words lead to war? Construct an argument

that discusses the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical sources while acknowledging competing views.

• Take a minute and write down the key elements that you would use to evaluate the argument.

Discussion:

• What elements make a coherent argument about Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

• How should we support students in making a coherent argument?

IDM follows C3 Inquiry Arc

If students are asked a COMPELLING question……

Students answer in the form of a SUMMATIVEARGUMENT

In the middle are theFORMATIVE TASKS(Content and Skills)

Formative Performance Tasks

• In order to make a coherent and evidenced-based argument, – students need practice with argumentation skills;– students need a strong content/conceptual

foundation;

• This is where we get into formative work—there is no “gotcha” summative assessment.

• These formative tasks are framed by the supporting questions.

*Note: These formative tasks often follow a skill progression of increasing complexity.

Your Task

Using the excerpted blueprint on the last slide, examine the formative performance tasks in the 7th grade Uncle Tom’s Cabin Inquiry in relationship to the summative task.

In small groups, make a list of the ways that the the formative performance tasks help students make a coherent, evidenced based argument.

Modular Performance Tasks

• Summative Extensions• Taking Informed Action

Summative Extensions

• Additional or alternative ways for students to express their arguments.

• In keeping with C3 Framework: D4.3.6-8. Present adaptations of arguments and explanations on topics of interest to others to reach audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).

• Included in all annotated inquiries.

Exam

ple

s of

Sum

mati

ve E

xte

nsi

ons

Taking Informed Action

• Ways for students to civically engage with the inquiry.

• Sometimes action is embedded in summative performance task.

• In keeping with C3 Framework,– Step 1: Understand the problem– Step 2: Assess the problem– Step 3: Take Action on the problem

Taking Informed Action

IDM Taking Informed Action

Complexity of the Effort

Locu

s o

f A

cti

vit

y

Research Issue relevant to Inquiry

Identifying the problem(s) and possible civic

action(s)

Understand Problem Assess Options Apply Action

Clas

sroo

mSc

hool

Com

mun

ity Organizing a boycott

Organizing a fundraising event for an issue/cause

Uploading a PSA to a website

Circulating apetition

Write a letter to an editor

School Newspaper Special Issue

Organizing a school assembly

Bringing stakeholders together for a

classroom forum.

Example of Taking Informed Action:

Example of embedded Action:

Summary of Session 2: Tasks

• Evaluating the content and conceptual knowledge as well as skills that make up the social studies is tricky business.

• IDM features a variety of performance tasks that are outlined within the inquiry.

• These tasks include a: – consistent summative argument across all inquiries;– series of formative performance tasks that prepare

students for the summative tasks;– additional modular performance tasks that allow

students to express their arguments creatively and to engage civically.

IDM Conceptual Framework: Tasks

• The purpose of assessment is for learning (#5)

• Students are active learners within an inquiry (#4).

• Content knowledge and disciplinary skills are integrated within an investigation (#3).

• Students need opportunities to practice engaged citizenship (#7)

• Social studies shares in the responsibility for literacy (#8).

Looking ahead: Sources