Digital Collections

This is an exploration unit so assessment will concentrate on students' interpretations of their discoveries. Try to provide feedback on students' work as much as possible. One method of tracking progress is to have students create a unit portfolio. Some work will be added to the portfolio daily and by the end of the unit students will have a cross-Canada journal of their own creation. Students will also keep a journal to record responses to personal questions and for freewriting. The following are guidelines for daily assessment:

Lesson 1.1:

1. Journal - Responses (4) to questions about the readings
2. Discussion participation
3. Portfolio - family tree

Lesson 1.2:

1. Journal - freewriting response to "Caribana"
2. Discussion Participation

Lesson 2.1:

1. Journal - freewriting response to "My New Home"
2. Discussion participation
3. Autobiography
4. Portfolio - poem or song based on "Stereotyping"

Lessons 4-6 are for research and preparation. Emphasis is on groupwork and organizational and research skills. Encourage maximum group participation, self-direction and self-leadership.

Multicultural Fair Day:

1. Participation in fair
2. Multicultural display. In addition to teacher's evaluation, assign each student to assess two of her/his peers' projects. (Note: There must be free time scheduled into the fair to allow for this.) Have forms ready for them to fill out and give to the presenter. Have spaces on the form for:

a) one thing I really like about this project is . . .

b) one thing I learned from this project is . . .

c) one question I have for the presenter is . . .

Lesson 3.1:

1. Journal - answers to questions about Cape Dorset
2. Portfolio - a) letter to grandchildren about technology b) descriptive paragraph about landscape

Lesson 3.2:

1. 1.Journal - answers to questions about Yipsang and Japanese settlers in Alberta
2. 2.Portfolio - letter response to oral history

Lesson 3.3:

1. Journal - answers to questions about Saskatchewan elders

Lesson 3.4:

1. Journal - answers to questions about video
2. Portfolio - personal video review

Lesson 3.5:

1. Journal - answer to question about the French settlers
2. Portfolio - Diary entry

Lesson 3.6:

1. Portfolio - advertisement for atlantic settlers

Art gallery day:

Art gallery day. Evaluation can be conducted similarly to the multicultural fair

Lesson 4.1:

1. Journal - freewriting about artwork and symbols
2. Group work and discussion participation
3. Portfolio - copy of the legend or story

Lesson 4.2:

1. Journal - freewriting about the Canadian environment
2. Story presentations: have other students report on what they thought was interesting and how the story made them feel

Book Reports:

1. Book report presentations: individual feedback given by teacher and two students on all creative presentations. Students must sign up for a presentation spot beforehand.

At the end of this unit you can collect journals and portfolios. To avoid marking it all at once make periodical checks with feedback.