Upping the Odds on Standardized Tests
Subjects
Grade
Brief Description
Students research test-taking tips focusing on nutrition, sleep, stress reducers, and more, and then present the information -- in a variety of fun projects -- to another class or grade level at the school.
Objectives
Students will:
Keywords
standardized testing, test preparation
Lesson Plan
Help your high school students perform their best on upcoming college admissions or state standardized tests with this fun and informative lesson plan. Students are empowered to improve their own odds of success, while sharing what they've learned with others.
This lesson is particularly appropriate a week to a month prior to college admissions test or state-mandated standardized testing. Begin the lesson by asking students what they have done to prepare for ___ test. Some might respond that they have taken practice tests (alone or in class), enrolled in special after-school courses or purchased prep materials, or simply listened to teacher instructions on test-taking strategies. Ask students to list important test-taking strategies (such as knowing the test directions, knowing when to guess and when to skip a question, and so on). List their responses on the board.
Explain to students that they are going to research ways to improve their test scores -- ways that have nothing to do with the test itself. Ask students to consider what some of those strategies might be. Responses might include eating a good breakfast, getting a good night's sleep, knowing how to deal with stress, getting to the test center/school early, and so on.
Tell students that their task during the remaining class period is to research 4-5 important test-taking tips that have nothing to do with the test itself, and then create a fun and informative product based upon their research. Emphasize that because this is almost test-taking time, the emphasis is not on how pretty the final product is, but on how much information is conveyed. Final products will be shared with students in other classes.
Below are the steps students should take to complete the assignment.
Note: Be sure to have students cite any sources used. Stipulate what you want them to include in their citations -- such as URL, date and time of search, name of Web page or article, and so on.
Specify how much time students have to complete their projects. By following instructions, students should be able to complete their products easily within 1-2 class periods.
Assessment
Students are assessed on their:
Depending on your class and on how much emphasis you wish to place on the lesson, you might choose to grade it as daily work or as a bigger project, perhaps using one of the multimedia rubrics found at RubiStar.
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Lorrie Jackson
National Standards
TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.3 Technology Productivity tools
NT.K-12.5 Technology Research tools
NT.K-12.6 Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making tools