When finishing up a unit, often students expect to have a stereotypical test – multiple choice questions, true and false, writing questions – in a quiet room that gives so much anxiety. However, I’ve found through my years of teaching social studies and English that I like to provide more creative projects to demonstrate their learning of the standards. Below are 15 alternative assessments to implement within your classroom!
1. Children’s Book
One of my favorite projects is a children’s book because students have to put information into easy to understand language for a little kid to understand, which takes some higher level thinking. A variation that I love to have students do, especially when teaching novels, is an ABC book, where they have to find important aspects or concepts for each letter A-Z!
2. Essay
This assessment is a fairly typical one, but is still different from a regular test. Essays can come in all types of styles – writing a newspaper article, writing an analysis, only one paragraph of writing to explain your reasoning, or a full five paragraph essay. You set the guidelines and you can change it however you want!
3. Escape Room
When it comes to escape rooms, students go crazy for them. However, the few times that I have done them, they require quite a bit of prep on my end. Once you get an idea of how you want them to go, you get faster and faster at prepping. High prep, high engagement alternative assessment strategy for sure!
4. Podcast
Another fun assessment for students to complete is to create a short podcast about the subject that you are wanting them to demonstrate understanding. Students should write a script and then record themselves reading the script.
5. Website
An alternative assessment that is easy to make for individuals or for groups is to create a website to educate people. Along with using technology, students get to be as creative as they want with this project while writing at the same time.
6. Skit
A skit is a great alternative assessment for those class periods that like to talk! Often times, I’ve found that these classes are able to have fun making a skit of an event or scene, along with building some classroom community as well!
7. One Pager
This creative assessment can have as much or as little as you want on it. My go-to one pager format is a poster with two images and focusing on either a character/theme/event. Then they have to have two quotes and explain how they support the main concept for the one pager. Not only is this great for students that are creative, but it also is a great way to produce some student work to hang on the walls!
8. Music Playlist
An assessment that I use often is creating a music playlist. In this case, students have to find songs that match the tone or feeling of either a book, historical event, or anything else that you want them to demonstrate. Then I always have students explain how the song fits to practice their claim, evidence, and reasoning practice as well. Yay for assessing two skills at once!
9. Infographic
Another creative alternative assessment that can use technology or be handmade is creating an infographic. I’ve often used these for character analysis, cause and effect, or how-to guides. If you create them on a computer and have access to a color printer, they make gorgeous classroom decor too!
10. Socratic Seminar
As an English teacher, I’ve found Socratic seminars as a great way to check understanding while also demonstrating their speaking and listening skills. For students that don’t like to speak out too much, I will often ask them to have a lined piece of paper and write responses to questions. Or another example is to “track” the conversation – who speaks and what do they say – like a transcript. This way I know that they are following and not just opting out on the discussion!
11. Portfolio
Portfolios are great alternative assessments if you are wanting to track change throughout a project, unit, or even the school year. For my AP classes, I’ve always liked to have students keep track of the scores they receive on essays and multiple choice tests throughout the year, so they can see the growth or changes that happen throughout the year. Then have students reflect on their learning too! This is definitely one of my favorite alternative assessments to do, especially with honors or AP classes, as they are providing their own feedback to their learning.
If you’re looking for more alternative assessments or creative lesson ideas, check out my post about the top 10 Instagram teacher accounts to follow! These teachers are always sharing what they do in class and I steal ideas ALL the time!
12. Presentation
Presentations are another assessment that allows us to assess their speaking and listening skills, while demonstrating their deeper understanding of a subject as well. My go-to guidelines are covering the basics – who, what, when, where – and why (the why being related to the deeper things I want to see), plus at least 3 images! Of course, you can make it more or less, individual or group, whatever! So much flexibility with this alternative assessment!
13. Pamphlet/brochure
Creating a pamphlet or brochure covering different information is another go-to for me – especially when teaching social studies. I love having students create a travel brochure about somewhere we are learning about, but it can easily apply to the setting of a book or short story that we’re reading as well!
14. Storyboard
A storyboard takes more time, but every time I do a storyboard or a comic, the results are phenomenal! If you have some days that just need to be work time, introduce this alternative assessment and let the students go for it. I’ve also had this be a group project as well, with everyone contributing different pieces, which is fun for them to put together!
15. Board Game
A board game is a great final assessment for the end of a unit, where students have to rethink what they’ve learned to make it apply as a game. I love having the day they’re due be a board game day, where students travel around the room and play the games!
3 Comments
Very informative post
Doing a podcast and skit are awesome ideals! I wish when I was in school, my teacher was innovative. Great post!
These are great alternatives to check learning. Amazing information.