Increase critical thinking skills and GED Test scores at the same time with engaging instructional strategies that mimic technology-enhanced item types.

1. Fun Ways to Teach
for the GED® Test

2. Meagen Farrell
Author & Teacher Trainer
@farrellink
Farrellink.com/blog

3. Rules for the Road
• Stay with the group! Don’t get distracted
by your mobile device or side
conversations.
• Questions? Yes, please! Just raise your
hand.

4. Today’s Cycle
1. Analyze a technology-enhanced GED® Test
Item Sampler.
2. View an instructional activity from
Teaching Adults: A 2014 GED® Test
Resource Book.
3. After an example, create your own in pairs
or threes.
4. End with final questions & discussion.

5. FREE Resources:
http://www.gedtestingservice.com
/educators/itemsampler

6. Activities From My Book (or Blog)
Farrellink.com/blog

7. My Subject Abbreviations
Reasoning
through Language
Arts (RLA)
Science (Sci)
Social Studies (SS)
Mathematical
Reasoning (Math)

8. What are
Technology-Enhanced Test Items?
Photo Source: Flickr User Michael Surran

9. Why? Depth of Knowledge
Measures cognitive
complexity of a task.
GED® test items:
• 20% level 1
• 80% levels 2 & 3
Similar to Bloom’s
Taxonomy.
1
• Verbatim Recall
• Paraphrasing
2
• Main point, patterns
• Identify relationships
3
• Inference & synthesis
• Prediction, elaboration
4
• Generating hypotheses
• Complex analysis
©2013 New Readers Press. Used with permission.

10. Facilitating Engaging Lessons:
Field Tested in Cleveland, Ohio

11. RLA: Drag & Drop Order of Events
Source: GED Testing Service

12. Activity 18: Sequence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Source: Cleveland Clothing Company

13. Now it’s YOUR turn!

14. Find a Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Decide who will record & report your results.
• Select a topic (Historical Event, Story).
• Choose 4-6 steps in the sequence.

15. Activity 18 (p 52)
CREATE A SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.

16. Report back!

17. RLA: Drag & Drop Character Web
Source: GED Testing Service

18. Activity 29: Traits Web
Source: GED Testing Service
Abraham
Lincoln
executiveeloquent
trendyconfused decisive

19. Activity 29: Traits Web
Source: AceShowbiz.com
Abraham
Lincoln
vampire
axe-
wielding
determinedstrategic friendly

20. Find a Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Decide who will record & report your results.
• Select a topic (Headline, Historical Event, Story).
• Choose one main character (real or fictional).
• Suggestions:
– Underground Railroad; Conductor Harriet Tubman
– Family Literacy; First Lady Barbara Bush
– Great Wall of China; Emperor Qin Shi Huang
– Trail of Tears; Choctaw Chief George W. Harkin
– Romeo and Juliet; Friar Lawrence

21. Activity 29 (p 73)
TRAITS WEB
CHARACTER

22. Report back!

23. The Return!
To Technology-Enhanced Test Items
Photo Source: Flickr User Michael Surran

24. SS: Click Three Graphs
Source: GED Testing Service

25. Activity 15: Defining Words in Context
Source: GED Testing Service

26. Activity: T Chart
Sustainability Irrelevant

27. Activity: T Chart
Sustainability Irrelevant
World Population Growth
Nonimmigrant Visa
Issuances
Tropical Area Deforested U.S. Representatives
Global Oil Consumption

28. Now it’s YOUR turn!

29. Work with Your Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Select one person to record & report your results.
• Select a topic.
• Suggestions:
– Structure and Design of U.S. Government; Branches of
Federal Government
– Borders Between People and Nations; End of USSR
– Changes of Physical State; Liquid, Solid, and Gas
– Molecular Basis for Heredity; Phenotypes and
Genotypes

30. Activity 15: Defining Words in Context
SORT INTO T CHARTIDENTIFY 5-6 WORDS/PHRASES
• Find a brief list or passage
with descriptive terms,
subheadings, or related
information that elaborates
on the concept or theme.
• Write definitions to explain
the terms to students.

31. Report back!

32. Math: Click a Graph Hot-spot
Source: GED Testing Service

33. Activity 44 (p 100): Graph a Text
Source: GED Testing Service
PARAGRAPH (X) ERRORS (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6

34. Now it’s YOUR turn!

35. Work with Your Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Select one person to record & report your
results.
• Select something to graph.
• Plot it!

36. Activity 44 (p 100): Graphing
Source: GED Testing Service
PARAGRAPH (X) ERRORS (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6

37. Report back!

38. Interdisciplinary Lesson
Eating
Fruit
Mathematics
content
Use the
Formula
Sheet
Measure and
Calculate
Write a
Word
Problem

39. Who Gets to Use the Knife?

40. • Use a ruler to measure the diameter of a half
orange.
• Use the measurement to calculate the
volume and surface area.
• Create a word problem using students’ names
and measurement.
Activity

41. Create a Chart
Name Measurement
1. Daphne 2.5 inches
Louisa 2.25 inches
Anthony 2.75 inches

42. Use the Formula Sheet

43. “Annie buys five oranges with a diameter of 2.25
inches. How much is the total surface area of
the peels?”
Create a Word Problem

44. Now it’s YOUR turn!

45. Work with Your Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Select one person to record & report your
results.
• Select something to measure and something
to calculate from it.
• Suggestions:
– Feet
– Hair
– Coffee Cups

46. Create a Chart & Word Problem
USE REAL NAMES!
Name Measurement

47. Report back!

48. Final Questions?

49. FREE Resources:
http://www.gedtestingservice.com
/educators/itemsampler

50. Thank You!
GED® is a registered trademark of the
American Council on Education and may not
be used without permission. The GED® and
GED Testing Service® brands are
administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license.