1. ED5013: Module 2 Application 1
ED5013 Assessment Strategies for Improving
Learner Outcomes: Module Two Application
American College of Education
Stacey Zupko
April 24, 2016

2. ED5013: Module 2 Application 2
Standards and Assessment Development
To design and implement an effective and balanced assessment structure
educators need to start the development process with the standards. In this module’s
application I will unpack a standard, develop a table of test specifications, and create a
curriculum map for the second grade Science: Life Systems unit of study. For this
assignment I used a collaborative unit plan of study that I worked on with the second
grade classroom teachers, the librarian, and I provided the art portion. Students were
learning about habitats in science and integrated this standard into writing and
conducting research. I then integrated my art curriculum into lessons with the visual art
standard on creating three dimensional art.
Part 1: Unpacking a Standard
The standard that I am unpacking is for second grade Science: Living Systems.
My content area is art and I often take the opportunity to collaborate with classroom
teachers and integrate classroom curriculum. Virginia Standard of Learning, SOL, 2.5
reads that the student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a
system. Key concepts, or big ideas, are that animals live in specific areas or regions
dependent on their needs and that these areas or habitats change over time due to
environmental factors. The enduring understandings that students should remember
after they have forgotten the details are that living organisms are interdependent with
their living and nonliving surroundings; an animal’s habitat includes adequate food,
water, shelter or cover, and space; and that habitats change over time due to many
influences. Based on McTighe and Wiggins’ six facets of understanding I have

3. ED5013: Module 2 Application 3
developed six essential questions that will guide instruction, learning, and assessment
of this standard. Essential questions direct instruction and involve students in
recognizing the significant ideas most relevant when teaching a subject (Virgin, 2014).
Student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system
Facet of Understanding Essential Question to Guide Learning, Instruction, and Assessment
Explain What animals live in each habitat?
Interpret What are the influences that change habitats over time?
Application What important factors classify a habitat?
Perspective What are the different ways that each habitat meets the needs
of the plants and animals that live there?
Empathy How are plants and animals effected by changes in their
habitats made by environmental factors?
Self-Knowledge Why is important to take care of the environment and protect
the different habitats?
The learning objectives will be guided by these essential questions as well as
being measurable and standards-based. Each learning objective will include a task, a
condition and a standard of performance. The first objective is that students will be able
to identify and label the correct habitats when given a visual example with 80%
accuracy. The second learning objective is that students will be able to attribute a given
set of changes occurring in a specific habitat to the environmental factors that caused
them over time with 80% accuracy. The third standards-based learning objective is that
students will be able to classify different animals into groups according to their habitats
with 80% accuracy.

4. ED5013: Module 2 Application 4
To teach the second grade science standard of Life Systems the topic I have
chosen is animals and their habitats. Students will explore the habitats, plants, and
animals of the plains, eastern woodlands, and American southwest. Each student will
research one animal using a graphic organizer to take notes and then use that
information to write a two-paragraph description on their selected animal. Students will
then create dioramas of their animals in art class. In the library students will learn to
research a subject using magazines, books, encyclopedias, and online reference
resources; and learn how to site their references. In the classroom students will write an
informational report in paragraph form using grammatically correct sentences and
content vocabulary. In art students will learn to create three-dimensional works of art.

5. ED5013: Module 2 Application 5
Part 2: Develop a Table of Test Specifications
Standard: SOL: Science: Living Systems 2.5: Student will investigate and
understand that living things are part of a system.
Title of Unit: Animal Habitats and Classification
Grade Level: 2nd grade Content Area: Science: Living Systems
Total Points: 10 Type of Items: Multiple Choice
Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Levels
Number/Percent of Items Per Level
Objectives Multiple
Choice
Level:
Understand
Level:
Apply
Level:
Analyze
Total/Perce
nt
Given a visual example
identify and label the
correct habitat with 80%
accuracy. (Remember)
2 (20%) 2 (20%)
Given a set of changes
occurring in a specific
habitat attribute the
changes to the
environmental factors that
caused them over time
with 80% accuracy.
(Analyze)
2 (20%) 2 (20%) 4 (40%)
Given a list of different
animals classify them into
groups under the matching
habitat with 80% accuracy.
(Understand)
2 (20%) 2 (20%) 4 (40%)
Total: 2 (20%) 4 (40%) 4 (40%) 10/100%

6. ED5013: Module 2 Application 6
Part 3: Create a Curriculum Map
Standard: SOL: Science: Living Systems 2.5: Student will investigate and
understand that living things are part of a system.
Learning Objectives:
1. Given a visual example identify and label the correct habitat with 80% accuracy.
2. Given a set of changes occurring in a specific habitat attribute the changes to the
environmental factors that caused them over time with 80% accuracy.
3. Given a list of different animals classify them into groups under the matching
habitat with 80% accuracy.
Grade Level: 2nd grade Content Area: Science
Unit Title: Animal Habitats and Classification Length of Unit: Three Weeks
Description of Unit of Study Second graders will explore the animals, plants, and
habitats of the eastern woodlands, plains, and American southwest. Students will
conduct an investigation on an animal of their choice using a graphic organizer.
Students will utilize the information they have gathered by writing a two-paragraph
description on the animal. Students will create dioramas, or a three dimensional work
of art, of their animals in the correct habitat in art class.
Content
and/or
Essential
Questions
Knowledge
and Skills
Suggested
Assessments
Activities Resources
-Living organisms
are
interdependent
with their living
and nonliving
surroundings
-An animal’s
habitat includes
adequate food,
water, shelter, or
cover, and space
-Habitats change
over time due to
many influences
Living Systems
Use a Graphic
Organizer
Research a topic
-use reference
tools
-site their
references
-use technology
-organize
information
Write Simple
Explanations
-generate ideas
-beginning,
middle, end
-expand to include
descriptive writing
Create 3-D Art
Week 1:Research
-Pre-test on
animals and
habitats
- Formative
Assessment on
Research: Exit
Ticket (check for
understanding)
- Performance
task: Research
assessed with kid
friendly rubric
Week 2: Writing
-Formative
Assessment:
graphic organizer
of researched
information
-Student
Assessment with
partners during
writing block
KWL Chart about
animals and
habitats
Research stations
in the library and
graphic
organizers
Direct instruction
with SMART
board
Modeling and
Guided Practice
during whole and
small group
instruction for
science, writing,
and art portions
Nonfiction text
features
scavenger hunt
Research
Materials:
-The World Book
Encyclopedia
-National
Geographic Kids
and National
Geographic Little
Kids magazines
-National Wildlife
Federation’s My
Big Back Yard
magazine
-Ranger Rick
magazine
(etc…)
Real life objects
from each habitat
such as;
-animal pelts,
bones, antlers,
track imprints,
shells, and skins

7. ED5013: Module 2 Application 7
-Performance
task: two-
paragraph
research paper
(use kid-friendly
rubric)
Week 3: Diorama
-Student
Assessment:
Gallery walk and
exit ticket
-Performance
task: kid-friendly
rubric to assess
diorama
End of Week 3:
-Summative, end
of unit
assessment:
Multiple Choice
*Use a Plus/Delta
Chart at the end of
each week to
evaluate the
effectiveness of
the lessons and
the motivation of
the students
before research
day
Independent work
for research,
writing, and art
Read Alouds
Art Critiques on
relating to animals
in their habitats
Images/ Visuals
Art Materials:
-shoe boxes
-air-dry clay
-paint
-glue
-tissue paper
-paper
-magazines to cut
-scissors
-pipe cleaners
-sand, pebbles,
and fake plants
(anything else
students would
like to bring in)
Rationale for Assessment Choices
The assessment choices were made with student learning modalities, learning
needs, and student motivations in mind. I choose to start with a pretest to find out what
students knew and needed to know and also a pretest will give me background
knowledge to support new learning. The use of formative assessments, such as exit
tickets, will be used throughout to monitor student learning and check for understanding
so that I can modify instruction accordingly. “Effective coaching involves ongoing
assessment and needed instruction, and so does the most effective teaching”
(Richardson, 2008, p. 34). The variety of performance tasks are to be assessed using a

8. ED5013: Module 2 Application 8
rubric written in kid friendly language and presented at the beginning of each activity so
that students are aware of what is expected of them. The choice for these three specific
performance tasks; research, a written paper, and a creative 3-D work of art or diorama
was based on the diversity of ways that students learn. The topic of study will be
presented to the students in multiple forms.
I chose to involve the students in assessments in many ways. It is important for
the students to be a part of the assessment process. By working in pairs to assess the
writing and groups of three to assess the dioramas they will be reflecting on the tasks in
different ways, or through someone else’s perspective. Students are also involved in
assessment through the KWL chart which I chose to use because it shows students
how their knowledge has grown.
Conclusion
To develop an effective and balanced assessment system educators need to
start the design process with the standards. In this module’s application I unpacked a
standard, wrote standards-based measurable learning objectives for that standard, and
developed a table of test specifications. I also created a curriculum map for the second
grade Science: Life Systems unit of study that aligns assessment, curriculum, and
instruction. The topic for this unit of study was animals and habitats which allowed for a
variety of assessments and many possibilities for student involvement. Keeping the
learner outcomes in mind when developing a unit of study is an effective way of guiding
instruction.

9. ED5013: Module 2 Application 9
References
Richardson, J. (2008). Evidence of learning: A conversation with Jay McTighe. Principal
Leadership, 9(1), 30-34.
Virgin, R. (2014). Connecting Learning: How Revisiting Big Idea Questions Can Help in
History Classrooms. Social Studies, 105(4), 1-212.
doi:10.1080/00377996.2014.917065