Hudson Tasks G-J

1 | Hudson Bill of Rights Instructional Unit
Bill of Rights Unit
December 15, 2014
Henry Clay High School
Advanced Political Science
10th, 11th, and 12th Grades
Brian Hudson

Table of Contents
Cover Page……………………………………………………………………………………………...1
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………….....2
Task G: Design Learning Objectives and Assessments for an Instructional Unit………………...3
Task H: Design Instructional Strategies and Activities for your Instructional Unit……………….10
Task I: Analyze, Use and Communicate Unit Learning Results…………………………………..16
Task J: Reflect and Evaluate Teaching and Learning in Your Instructional Unit………………...23

Task G: Design Learning Objectives and Assessments for an Instructional
Unit
1) Kentucky Core Academic Standards to be addressed
SS-HS-1.1.2
Students will explain and give examples of how democratic governments preserve and
protect the rights and liberties of their constituents through different sources (e.g., U.N.
Charter, Declaration of the Rights of Man, U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, U.S.
Constitution).
SS-HS-1.3.1
Students will explain and give examples how the rights of one individual (e.g., smoking
in public places, free speech) may, at times, be in conflict (e.g., slander, libel) with the
rights of another.
SS-HS-1.3.2
Students will explain how the rights of an individual (e.g., Freedom of information Act,
privacy) may, at times, be in conflict with the responsibility of the government to protect
the "common good" (e.g., homeland security issues, environmental regulations,
censorship, search and seizure).
2) Levels and categories of student performance expected
Knowledge
● Students will familiarize themselves with the first ten amendments to the
U.S. Constitution and the rights, liberties, and freedoms that they protect. Not
only is the Bill of Rights chronologically next in this class's historical approach to
the development of the American political system, but it is also important for
students to know their rights to prepare them for future discussion of topical
political issues.
Application

● Students will use their acquired knowledge of the rights, liberties, and
freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights to acknowledge in which circumstances
the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution might be applicable. For
example, students will be asked to apply the Bill of Rights to scenarios such as
being charged with a crime or being censored for unpopular political beliefs.
Analysis
 Students will analyze rights, liberties, and freedoms in the Bill of Rights in
order to identify possible reasons for the inclusion of those rights in the first
Constitutional amendments.
Synthesis
● Students will be asked to make additions to the Bill of Rights based on
their own perceptions of the shortcomings of the document. This involves an
understanding of the ways in which American society has evolved since the
original ratification of the bill in 1791.
Evaluation
 Students will evaluate the Bill of Rights’s effectiveness at accomplishing
its intended goal of protecting the rights, liberties, and freedoms of the people of
the United States, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and providing
suggestions for its improvement.
3) Key concepts/big ideas/essential questions
According to the Kentucky Core Academic Standards’ expectations for Enduring
Knowledge, Understandings, Skills, and Concepts, the following big ideas will be

addressed by this unit.
 Students will understand that:
 all citizens of the United States have certain rights and
responsibilities as members of a democratic society.
 individual rights in a democracy may, at times, be in conflict
with others’ individual rights, as well as with the responsibility of
government to protect the “common good.”
 Students will:
 examine issues related to the intent of the Constitution of the
United States and its amendments: investigate the rights of individuals to
explain how those rights can sometimes be in conflict with the
responsibility of the government to protect the "common good", the rights
of others, and civic responsibilities
Though this is an elective course, and is therefore not assessed directly by the
Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP), there are several
students in this Advanced Political Science class that are taking it concurrently with a
United States History course, which is held accountable by K-PREP. Additionally, there
are some students who are taking this course as a replacement for the
Government/Civics course, which most in the Fayette County school district take in their
ninth grade year. Therefore, because the content addressed in this instructional unit is
aligned with the Kentucky Core Academic Standards, it will assist in the enrichment of
students' understandings of what Kentucky expects its students to know and be able to
do in both the History of the United States and Government/Civics.

4) Statement of learning objectives for a unit
1. I know and can identify the rights, liberties, and freedoms protected by the
Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution.
2. I can identify the origins of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution,
including historic inspirations and key figures in its creation.
3. I can interpret the text of the Bill of Rights and apply it to real-life scenarios.
4. I can evaluate the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights at protecting the rights
of the people of the United States and make suggestions for further protection.
5) Learning context
Student/Community Context:
 Henry Clay High School is a very populous and diverse community with an
enrollment of 2,380 students. The school’s population is 63% White, 22%
African-American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 4% “Other”. 36% of the students
qualify for free-and-reduced meals, and 3% are English language learners.
Generally speaking, the class composition of the students enrolled in Mr.
Helton’s Advanced Political Science courses is quite similar to that of the school
as a whole. The largest hurdle HCHS currently faces in terms of student
achievement, indicated by the School Comprehensive Improvement Plan, is
closing the gap for students with special needs.
Classroom Context:
 The classroom layout is designed to encourage discussion, with desks

and tables angled in a way so that most all students can easily face the center of
the room. This also allows the instructor to keep most students within eyesight at
most times, and also gives the instructor space to move around and address
student needs personally. The classroom’s walls are decorated with numerous
photographs of Mr. Helton’s former students, photographs from student
organizations, and awards won by the YMCA Club which Mr. Helton sponsors.
This reinforces to the class the value that Mr. Helton places on every student
who enters the room.
Implication #1: Considering the diversity of the students in this class, as well as
some hints that I have picked up on from previous classroom discussions, I think these
students will likely have had significantly differing experiences with law enforcement.
That being the case, I anticipate potentially heated discussion concerning the Fourth,
Fifth, and Sixth amendments as they pertain to law enforcement and the justice system.
Implication #2: Also considering the diversity of the students in these Advanced
Political Science classes, they are of widely differing proficiencies and motivations.
Therefore, for group assignments, I will be sure to group students in a way that places
students of greater proficiency and motivation with students of lower proficiency and
motivation.
6) Assessment Plan Organizer Table
Unit
Learning
Objective
Level or
Category of
Performance
Diagnostic
Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Modifications
Based on
Formative
Assessment
Summative
Assessment

Objective #1:
“I know and
can identify
the rights,
liberties, and
freedoms
protected by
the Bill of
Rights.”
Knowledge Pre-test Group
presentations;
3-2
homework;
note packets;
class
discussion
Considering
the results of
formative
work, the
instructor will
review the
material the
next day to
reinforce
facts and
ideas.
Unit Test
Objective #2:
“I can
identify the
origins of the
Bill of Rights
to the U.S.
Constitution,
including
historic
inspirations
and key
figures in its
creation.”
Analysis,
Application
Pre-test Group
presentations;
class
discussion; 3-
2 homework;
note packets
Considering
the results of
formative
work, the
instructor will
review the
material the
next day to
reinforce
facts and
ideas.
Unit Test
Objective #3:
I can
evaluate the
effectiveness
of the Bill of
Rights at
protecting
the rights of
the people of
the United
States, and
make
suggestions
for further
protection.”
Synthesis,
Evaluation
Pre-test Class
discussion
Considering
the results of
formative
work, the
instructor will
review the
material the
next day to
reinforce
facts and
ideas.
Unit Test
Objective #4:
“I can
interpret the
text of the
Knowledge Pre-test Group
presentations;
class
discussion
Considering
the results of
formative
work, the
Unit Test

Bill of Rights
and apply it
to real-life
scenarios.”
instructor will
review the
material the
next day to
reinforce
facts and
ideas.
7) Description of Assessment Plan Organizer Table
The assessment plan for this unit is set up so that students will be demonstrating
to the instructor and their classmates that they are meeting the unit learning objectives.
The group presentations that this unit focuses on are to include information such as the
meaning of the amendments, interpretation and use of the amendments, and why the
amendment was proposed. The discussion that should accompany the presentations
should involve students sharing their evaluation of the amendments or suggestions for
improving them. How the presentations play out and how these discussions go will allow
the instructor to monitor the progress of students towards the learning objectives, as all
will be required to participate.
As for accommodating students with special needs, there does not appear to be
many pre-established needs for any of the students in this class. The couple of students
with IEPs have established a need for extra time on exams, and that will be taken into
consideration for both pre- and post-assessment exams. Aside from that,
accommodation may be provided as needed.

Task H: Design Instructional Strategies and Activities for your Instructional
Unit
1) Context
The major factor identified in an analysis of school, community, and student
context that should have a particular bearing or considered implication on this
instructional unit is the matter of widely different student abilities and motivations. Some
students engage intensely with the material and class discussions, while others remain
distant and fade into the background or distract others. In response, since this unit will
involve group work, students will be intentionally grouped by the instructor into with
students of differing abilities and motivations. Placing some of the stronger students
with some of the less-motivated ones will hopefully inspire some engagement in the
typically disengaged students.
2) Pre-assessment1
The results of the pre-assessment over Objectives #1 and #2 were both very
clear and quite predictable. From the very start, it was quite evident that the students
did not know their Bill of Rights. The only amendments which were consistently
identified were the First, Second, and Fifth amendments, presumably because of how
commonly they are referenced in society. Aside from that, students did very poorly in
their identification of the ten amendments. Students did markedly better at answering
1
Since the objectives for this unit are tiered, meaning that Objectives #1 and #2 must be
mastered before the higher-order Objectives #3 and #4 can even be assessed, I first administered a pre-
assessment over only knowledge of the amendments and the history of the document. If these two
objectives were not already met, then assessment of application and evaluation of the amendments
would be inaccurate or impossible.

questions pertaining to historical figures attached to the document, but performance
was still largely inconsistent. The highest score was a 10/14 and the lowest score was a
2/14, with a class average of 5.6/14, or 40%. This means that the class needs to start
from the basics, solidifying understanding of the history of the Bill of Rights, and
discussing what the ten amendments even are before getting involved in any attempts
to apply or evaluate them.
3) Unit Instructional Design
Day One
Instructional Strategy/Activity & Related Objectives
 Presentation over Bill of Rights history [Objectives 2 and 4] - Instructor has
created a PowerPoint presentation over the history of the Bill of Rights to preface
any further discussion of the bill itself. Students will take notes to be included in a
semester-end notebook grade.
 Begin group presentation activity [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - The
instructor has mixed the students into ten groups. Each group will be assigned an
amendment at random. The groups will spend Days Two and Three working with
the class set of laptops to create presentations to be presented to the class on
Days Four and Five. Groups are given a checklist for evaluating presentations
(included in Appendix).
Assessment(s) Related to Objectives
 3-2 packets [Formative; Objective 1, 2, and 4] - Students will take home a
short homework packet with information about the amendment process to the
Constitution. This provides some continuity to the class, as the cooperating
teacher uses these packets regularly. They will be turned in on Day Six.
 Group presentations [Formative; Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - These are in-
depth, student-made presentations about the amendments of the Bill of Rights.
Day Two
 Continue group presentation activity [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Students
check out laptops from the instructor and use the hour working with their groups
to research and create a presentation on their assigned amendment. The
instructor manages the classroom, assists with the use of technology, and clears
up any confusion on the assignment.
 Observation [Informal Formative; Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - The instructor

will be moving about the classroom, observing student work-in-progress. This will
allow the instructor to gauge what the students are and are not understanding.
Day Three
 Continue group presentation activity [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Students
check out laptops from the instructor and use the hour working with their groups
to research and create a presentation on their assigned amendment. The
instructor manages the classroom, assists with the use of technology, and clears
up any confusion on the assignment.
 Observation [Informal Formative; Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - The instructor
will be moving about the classroom, observing student work-in-progress. This will
allow the instructor to gauge what the students are and are not understanding.
Day Four
 Group presentations [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Students begin to present
the work they have been creating for the past two class days. Using the
instructor’s computer, which is connected to an LED projector mounted on the
ceiling, students display their presentations to their classmates.
 Class discussion [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Accompanying the student
presentations, the instructor will ask questions of the rest of the class in order to
stimulate thought concerning the presentations they just observed. These
questions vary depending on the depth of the presentation, and could be about
anything from technical details and facts to prompts for evaluation.
 Note packets (included in Appendix) [Formative; Objectives 1, 2, and 4] -
Instructor-created handouts to guide student-notetaking. Students have
previously demonstrated problems structuring notes and identifying key
information. These note packets aim to alleviate that problem. These notes, like
the ones from Day One, will be assessed for completion at the end of the
semester as part of their notebook grade.
Day Five
 Group presentations [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Students begin to present
the work they have been creating for the past two class days. Using the
instructor’s computer, which is connected to an LED projector mounted on the
ceiling, students display their presentations to their classmates.
 Class discussion [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Accompanying the student
presentations, the instructor will ask questions of the rest of the class in order to

stimulate thought concerning the presentations they just observed. These
questions vary depending on the depth of the presentation, and could be about
anything from technical details and facts to prompts for evaluation.
 Note packets (included in Appendix) [Formative; Objectives 1, 2, and 4] -
Instructor-created handouts to guide student-notetaking. Students have
previously demonstrated problems structuring notes and identifying key
information. These note packets aim to alleviate that problem. These notes, like
the ones from Day One, will be assessed for completion at the end of the
semester as part of their notebook grade.
Day Six
 Synthesis lecture/discussion [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - Informed by the
quality of the previous days’ presentations and discussions, the instructor will
engage the student in a lecture/discussion over all of the big ideas covered over
the past week. There is intentionally much flexibility in this plan, so that the
instructor can cover whatever concepts were least addressed in the
presentations, as well as whatever material the students feel weakest about. This
is the instructor’s time to fill in the blanks left behind by the presentations, as well
as the students’ time to use the instructor as a resource to explore or revisit the
learning objectives.
 Discussion [Informal Formative; Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4] - As the class
progresses, the instructor, though not formally assessing the students based on
any written or performed work, can gauge the students through the discussion
and responses to questions posed to the whole class.
 3-2 packets [Formative; Objective 1, 2, and 4] - Distributed on Day One.
Collected here on Day Six.
Day Seven
 Post-Test [Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4] - The instructor will administer the
summative assessment for the unit. The instructor will remind the students how
the GradeCam answer sheets work before distributing the answer sheets
followed by the assessments. The instructor will then move about the classroom
watching for questions or concerns from the test-taking students. When students
finish their exams, they will bring them up to the instructor, who will be ready with
the GradeCam app open on an iPad in order to give immediate feedback to
students concerning their performance on the multiple-choice/matching/true-or-
false portion of the assessment.
 Post-Test [Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4]

4) Use of Technology for Instruction
This unit will heavily feature use of technology. Since technology use is not a
strength of the cooperating teacher, students may be slightly surprised by the sudden
influx of technology under the leadership of the technologically-inclined teacher
candidate, but they should adapt relatively quickly due to their experience with similar
technology in other teachers’ classrooms.
To begin with, technology will be used to design instruction for this unit. That is to
say that word processors and slideshow software will be utilized to prepare the lesson
plans and the instructor-created presentations of information. Furthermore, similar
software and a ceiling-mounted projector in the classroom will be used to present the
slideshows and other information to the students.
Students will also be using technology during the course of this unit. For the
creation of their presentations, students will have access to a classroom set of laptops
belonging to the Social Studies department through which they can access Microsoft
PowerPoint by logging into their student OneDrives through the Henry Clay High School
website. They will use PowerPoint to put together presentations on the Bill of Rights
amendments based on research performed on the Internet. Students will also use the
computer and projector in order to present their research to their classmates.
Additionally, the instructor will be using an iPad to grade and analyze the pre-
and post-tests with an app called GradeCam. This technology allows for instructors to
print off individual answer sheets for students to use during exams that can be quickly
graded by briefly holding them in front of the iPad’s camera. This only works for
questions that can be answered by filling in bubbles on a sheet, but it can also instantly

analyze the class’ answer data from those answers. This will be the first time these
students have used the GradeCam sheets in Mr. Helton’s classroom, but they have
some experience with them from other teachers’ classes, as this technology was
provided by HCHS.

Task I: Analyze, Use and Communicate Unit Learning Results
1) Pre-Instruction Assessment Analysis
As mentioned in the footnote concerning the pre-assessment in Task H, it was
determined that a pre-assessment including Objectives #3 and #4 would be appropriate
only if an assessment over Objectives #1 and #2 demonstrated at least moderate
proficiency. Objectives #3 and #4 involve higher-order thinking skills that require the
knowledge gained by addressing Objectives #1 and #2. Therefore, if students lack
proficiency in Objective #1, being able to know or identify the amendments in the Bill of
Rights, they will by definition be unable to meet Objectives #3 and #4 by applying those
amendments or evaluating their effectiveness.
That being the case, I first administered a pre-assessment that would assess
student knowledge (Objectives #1 and #2). It contained ten matching questions
assessing Objective #1, and four multiple-choice questions assessing Objective #2. In
total, the class averaged a 40% on the pre-assessment.2
2
Item Analysis charts are in the Appendix.

The only amendments which were consistently identified were the First, Second,
and Fifth amendments, presumably because of how commonly they are referenced in
common speech and news stories.
2) Formative Assessment Analysis
One such time where student response during the course of formative work led
me to modify instructional plans occurred on Day One of the unit. During the first of
three hours that I taught this lesson, when I arrived at the end of the presentation and
discussion of the historical context of the Bill of Rights, I began to explain the group
presentation project that would be forthcoming. The students quickly made it clear to me
that my explanations alone left them uncertain of my expectations for them. Therefore,
as a result, before the next Advanced Political Science class, I appended my
PowerPoint presentation on the Bill of Rights with my own brief example of a
presentation on Amendment I. This modification, modeling my expectations for their
group work to be done the next few days, appears to have worked rather well. There
were significantly fewer questions for clarification in the other two classes, and I showed
the example to the first class the next day to clear up any remaining confusion.
In a second instance, Days Four and Five included primarily student
presentations over their assigned amendments. Though the presentations were
generally aligned with expectations, they notably seldom addressed the idea of potential
“exceptions” to people’s rights. I asked the class about this trend, and it seems that,
despite my creation of an example presentation for Amendment I, there was still some
confusion concerning what was meant by “exceptions” to rights. Therefore, as a result
of this unexpected characteristic of this formative assessment, I shifted the focus of the

Day Six recap to include more discussion concerning when a person exercising their
rights might put them at conflict with the rights of others or the common good.
3) Post-Instruction Analysis
Whole Class
Overall, the class did quite well on the summative assessment. The highest
score was a 100% and a low score was a 40%, but the grade distribution was heavily
weighted in the 80%-100% range.
Students showed remarkable improvement in Objectives #1 and #2, which were
assessed in the diagnostic assessment. It is clear that their knowledge of the history of
the Bill of Rights and the contents of its amendments has been much improved as a
result of this unit. Because of that newly acquired information, students were able to
actually address Objectives #3 and #4 from a place of knowledge, something they
would not have been able to do with the poor knowledge figures obtained during the
diagnostic assessment. The data demonstrates this, showing the students achieving at
an average of 80% for Objective #3 and 90.86% for Objective #4.

Diagnostic
Assessment Summative Assessment
Student # Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4
1 20.00% 25.00% 40.00% 7.50% 42.86% 57.14%
2 10.00% 25.00% 90.00% 75.00% 28.57% 85.71%
3 50.00% 75.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
4 30.00% 50.00% 100.00% 75.00% 85.71% 85.71%
5 20.00% 0.00% 70.00% 62.50% 57.14% 100.00%
6 60.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 85.71%
7 50.00% 75.00% 100.00% 87.50% 85.71% 85.71%
8 10.00% 25.00% 100.00% 62.50% 85.71% 57.14%
9 30.00% 50.00% 100.00% 87.50% 100.00% 85.71%
10 50.00% 50.00% 100.00% 87.50% 85.71% 100.00%
11 40.00% 50.00% 80.00% 87.50% 85.71% 71.42%
12 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
13 40.00% 0.00% 100.00% 75.00% 71.43% 100.00%
14 60.00% 50.00% 100.00% 50.00% 71.43% 100.00%
15 60.00% 100.00%
16 60.00% 75.00% 100.00% 62.50% 85.71% 100.00%
17 20.00% 50.00% 70.00% 62.50% 14.29% 85.71%
18 50.00% 50.00% 100.00% 87.50% 100.00% 100.00%
19 100.00% 87.50% 71.43% 85.71%
20 0.00% 50.00% 80.00% 75.00% 71.43% 100.00%
21 60.00% 50.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
22 30.00% 50.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
23 10.00% 50.00% 100.00% 75.00% 100.00% 85.71%
24 30.00% 75.00% 70.00% 87.50% 100.00% 100.00%
25 20.00% 50.00%
26 40.00% 75.00% 100.00% 100.00% 85.71% 100.00%
27 30.00% 50.00% 80.00% 87.50% 71.43% 100.00%
Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4
Averages 35.20% 52.00% 91.20% 80.50% 80.00% 90.86%
If 74%, a C or higher, is a reasonable measure by which to judge achievement,
the class as a whole exceeded that measure in every learning objective. Individually, 21
of 25 students met that criterion for Objective #1, 19 of 25 met Objective #2, 16 of 25
met Objective #3, and 22 of 25 met Objective #4.

Gap Group
For this unit, I think the gap group of students that was performed at a
significantly different level than the rest of the class were the two English language
learners. In the chart above, they are students #1 and #17. An objective in which they
both scored particularly lowly was Objective #3, which is reasonable considering it is the
one objective that goes beyond basic knowledge and involves application of concepts.

The data suggests that, though the ELL students in the class are having difficulty
applying the class’ content knowledge. Both students made improvement in Objectives
#1 and #2, so they are learning the material. However, when it comes to applying the
knowledge to scenarios, there is some sort of misunderstanding. In the future, I should
talk to these students about this difficulty, or perhaps consider simplifying language and
scenarios for them as an accommodation.
4) One-page Report to Students and Parents
Dear Smith family,
Over the past two weeks, John and his classmates have completed a unit on the Bill of Rights to
the United States Constitution. We examined the history of the document, learned what rights
are protected by it, discussed how to apply it, and students were asked to evaluate its
effectiveness.
From the beginning of the unit, John has shown some growth, but I am concerned that he is
lagging behind his classmates. John correctly answered 3 of 14 questions on the pre-test, and
improved that to 12 of 28 on the post-test. He improved in his knowledge of the Bill of Rights
and its history, and shows some ability to apply and evaluate it, but his growth is significantly
behind that of his peers. Although John’s pre-test scores are not that different from those of his
classmates, his post-test scores are what impel me to write you.

In the chart above, John’s performance in each objective is represented by the blue bars, while
the red bars represent the class averages. Though roughly half of students necessarily score
below average, I would like to speak with you about what might be causing John to score so far
below the average, and, more importantly, how I can help him to succeed. I am sure we both
want to see John do well in my class, so if there is any sort of accommodation or assistance that
you believe John needs, I will do my best to provide it.
Please feel free to contact me. I am interested in working with you to help John grow and
succeed.
Mr. Brian Hudson

Task J: Reflect and Evaluate Teaching and Learning in Your Instructional
Unit
Overall, I am rather pleased with the way that my instructional unit played out.
This unit, though short and relatively hands-off from the instructor’s perspective,
resulted in some very clear improvement in the knowledge-based objectives,
consequently leading to high scores in the higher-order thinking objectives. Students
performed at at least 80% proficiency in all four objectives, which is remarkable
improvement in a content area where students averaged a 40% on content knowledge
alone in the pre-assessment.
Of particular note were the days that consisted mostly of student-led, technology-
infused presentation and learning. This class of students had never engaged in a
project like that in this class, many of the students had not used the involved technology
before, and it was all such a departure from the style of instruction that the class had
become used to under Mr. Helton. Therefore, I was counting on the students to be able
to adapt for me and rise to the occasion. They did, and I think it might be due in part to
the novelty of the experience. After some initial confusion with the Chromebooks on the
first of the presentation-crafting days, most students got to work, kept at it, and
produced good pieces of work which helped teach their classmates about the Bill of
Rights.
On the converse, though, is the unfortunate reality that is that group assignments
like the one contained within this unit have a tendency to be invested in
disproportionately by the groups’ constituent students. That is to say, some students put
a lot of work into their presentations, while some other students simply coasted through.

I have yet to devise a fair or effective way of regulating this. I had hoped that forming
student groups with mixed proficiencies might mean that the stronger students could
help the others meet the challenge, but my observation seems to indicate that it simply
meant that the stronger students did most of the work. This was disappointing, but
because I think that student-led instruction like the kind in this unit can be very effective
and helpful, I will continue to try to find a way to manage student group work that
encourages equitable participation by all students.
In general, the data seems to show that I was effective in guiding this class of
students to proficiency in all four of the four learning objectives I identified in Task G.
The pre-assessments indicated that students did not know the history or content of the
Bill of Rights; the post-assessments indicate that they now know that content and
history, and can also apply and evaluate the document based on that knowledge.
However, as I point out in Part 3 of Task I, I clearly did not effectively facilitate learning
for each and every student. The couple of English language learners in the class did not
fare so well in the post-assessment. I had not gotten any indication that they were
struggling with the material, so I need to learn to be more perceptive of the needs of
ELL students, even if their language skills are rather good, like the ones in this class.
Their poor performance could be related to an unmet need, or it could be a strictly
academic struggle, as one of the two ELL students did tell me he forgot to study for the
exam.
At the end of it all, I do feel like I have grown significantly from the experience of
planning, implementing, analyzing, and evaluating this instructional unit. I put into
practice some lesson ideas that I have had for a while, experimented with some new

educational technology, and manipulated assessment data in more detail than I ever
have before. This experience has also helped me identify some points for further growth
and professional development: accommodations for ELL students, preventing
inequitable group work, and a continued focus on classroom management. I will
probably use this unit again in my career as an educator. Although it has a lot of room
for growth, I think that its concepts and principles are sound, and it achieved its purpose
rather well.

Hudson Tasks G-J

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