The ABC’s of Anne Frank performance based assessment is designed to help students develop informational writing skills with a specific audience and purpose in mind. Students must convey their knowledge of Anne Frank to younger students, specifically fifth graders, in a format that integrates writing, research, and design. The assessment promotes critical thinking by making students convey the tragic and often graphic nature of the Holocaust and life of Anne Frank in a way that is suitable for a young audience. The assessment gives each student depth of knowledge about World War II, the Holocaust, and the life of Anne Frank, promoting metacognition well beyond the reading of the play. It is the culminating activity in a unit on Anne Frank that includes readings in the genres of nonfiction and drama.** This performance assessment was developed by a collaborative team of teachers and division staff from Middlesex, Poquoson, and West Point school divisions.

In this unit, students will delve deeper into the genre of myth to access appropriate standards.  The students will use Greek Mythology as a vehicle to master and apply fiction comprehension skills.  Students will also explore the background of Greek philosophers while applying and mastering nonfiction comprehension skills.  The students will show mastery by completing a Persuasive Writing Performance Based Assessment.

In this unit, students will delve deeper into nonfiction with a novel study titled, I Am Malala.  The students will apply nonfiction comprehension skills and close reading strategies to analyze and explore the challenges of an adolescent girl from a different culture analyze while reading.  The students will show mastery by completing a Persuasive Writing Performance Based Assessment. 

In this unit, students will examine the global topic of refugees.  The students will use nonfiction articles that provide students a background knowledge of the topic.  The articles will be the resources used to support learning of nonfiction VDOE Grade 8 standards. Students will apply comprehension skills daily throughout the unit of study.   The acquired background knowledge will support the second half of the unit as students will take part in a novel study using Refugee.   The students will show mastery by completing a persuasive writing performance based assessment. 

In this unit, students will delve into a novel study for Refugee.  The students will use the novel as a vessel to practice and apply comprehension skills.  Students will also explore the challenges of three adolescents who are all faced with the difficult decisions of having to leave their homes.   The students will show mastery by completing a Persuasive Writing Performance Based Assessment. 

This unit will focus on the not-so-distant future of the students - employment.  Students will analyze the process to identify necessary character traits of a strong employee by reading nonfiction and making connections between their lives and the reading by exploring potential careers.  The unit will culminate with a persuasive essay about the qualities of a good employee.

In this unit, students read fiction, nonfiction, and poetry selections about acts of courage, big and small, ordinary and extraordinary.  Throughout the unit students will assume the role of a blogger and write expository essay profiles about the people and characters they read about and their acts of courage.  This work will be curated in a Google Site that will serve as the Performance Based Assessment. 

Writing Website: Becoming Your Own Best Writing Critic. One year I was given a classroom of 180 learners. I couldn't fathom how I would give meaningful feedback in a timely fashion for these learners about their writing. In frustration I asked them how to solve the problem. My learners solved the problem and helped me craft this process I am sharing with you. Feel free to modernize and make it better but always share as you never know that one staff or student learner you may help in providing your solution.

Writing Website: Becoming Your Own Best Writing Critic. One year I was given a classroom of 180 learners. I couldn't fathom how I would give meaningful feedback in a timely fashion for these learners about their writing. In frustration I asked them how to solve the problem. My learners solved the problem and helped me craft this process I am sharing with you. Feel free to modernize and make it better but always share as you never know that one staff or student learner you may help in providing your solution.