ASSESSING STUDENTS HISTORY ASSIGNMENTS

Olivera Grichenko is a history teacher in PS “Aleksandar Zdravkovski” in Jegunovce, Tetovo, and attended a PEP school-based assessment workshop in 2008. She tries to make the history classes interesting for the pupils and make the assessment less stressful for the pupils. Olivera shared a lesson example with us. Her 5th grade pupils were learning historical periods and below is how Olivera  organized the class in her own words:

„Pupils were divided into groups by lottery, which created initial exciting among them. Then they got a task to present on a paper time-line the history and pre-history periods and their time frames. While doing this, pupils were discussing, they used their text books and other sources of information. I supported and motivated their work while providing feed back information. 

Then, the pupils received the second paper time-line on which they presented the characteristics of the periods of the history and pre-history. Each one of the pupils in the group was supposed to present one period. Pupils were sharing their knowledge and were learning one from another.  Information about students’ achievements I recorded in the check lists developed for this purpose. “

“The purpose of this activity is through pupils’ presentations (drawings) to assess whether and to what extend they are able to distinguish history periods and can identify their characteristics, i.e. whether they are able to comprehend them on the time line. I intend to assess whether there are deficiencies in their understanding and what they are. It is particularly important for me to identify on time whether pupils need my help since they are 5th grades. It helps me to plan the future activities as the history time and history periods are the concepts on which we relate very often, however these concepts are complex for the pupils.”