This document outlines three performance assessments for 9th grade English students. The first asks students to create a map demonstrating their comprehension of the plot of "The Most Dangerous Game" by illustrating the main character's journey. The second requires students to represent the seven stages of their own lives using symbolism from "The Masque of the Red Death." The third involves students creating a poster explaining how a hero from a movie encounters the 12 stages of the hero's journey. The assessments are designed to evaluate students' understanding of stories, symbolism, and literary concepts.

1. Meagan Harrelson
FRIT 7236
KA1
9th Grade English
Instructional Objectives
1. Identify appropriate evidence for a particular constructed response. Evidence chosen
should be brief but should support the topic sentence well.
2. Introduce a quote with a signal phrase.
3. Correctly punctuate a quotation within a constructed response.
Module 5 Multiple Choice Questions
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Assessment Plan:

2. Meagan Harrelson
FRIT 7236
Short Answer and Essay
9th Grade English
Common Core Standards:
● Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. [RL.9-10.1]
● Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme. [RL.9-10.3]
● Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. [W.9-10.4]
Objectives: Level and Type: Short Answer Questions:
Students will be able to
analyze the type of conflict
presented by a main
character and how it relates
to the plot.
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
How does internal conflict
affect Rainsford’s ability to
survive?
Students will be able to
analyze the type of conflict
presented by a main
character and how it relates
to the plot.
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
How does external conflict
affect the climax of the story?
Students will be able to
analyze why a narrator is
either reliable or unreliable.
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
How is Montresor an
unreliable narrator? Give two
reasons and explain them.
Essay Questions
Students will be able to
analyze the type of conflict
presented by a main
character and how it relates
to the plot
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
Analyze the role that internal
conflict plays in the story and
describe how it determines
the fate of the main
character. Use at least one
piece of textual evidence.
Students will be able to
analyze character
development over the course
of a story.
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
Analyze how the main
character’s role changes from
the beginning of the story to
the end. Use at least one
piece of textual evidence.
Students will be able to
analyze character
Analyze
Conceptual Knowledge
Analyze how the main
character develops into the

3. development over the course
of a story.
hero of the story. Use at least
one piece of textual evidence.
Assessment Plan:
This assessment will be given after the reading of a short story mini unit. During our reading of
this story, we will have discussed the elements presented in the objectives, such as types of
conflict and character development. This assessment will test the students’ abilities to form
their own analysis of the stories and their characters.
Improving Item Reliability:
Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Nitko & Brookhart 2014).
To improve reliability of these test items, students will be given the opportunity to practice these
analysis skills with several short stories. Some of them will be stories we discuss together, and
some will be cold readings. This will give students practice with using these skills on a variety of
short story readings with varying plots and characters.
Improving Item Validity:
Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results (Nitko
& Brookhart 2014).
While studying these stories, these objectives will be constantly posted in the classroom and
these skills will be addressed daily, so that students understand what they are expected to be
able to know and do at the end of the mini unit. This ensures that students are being assessed
on precisely the skills taught in class.
Improving Student Learning:
Because this assessment is based off short stories, which do not take long to read and teach, it
will be used as a formative assessment. This way, the teacher can see in what specific skills
students are still lacking and therefore can use further stories to reteach those skills if necessary
before the major unit test.
Improving Future Assessments:
The results of item reliability will have a direct effect on the improvement of future assessments.
The reliability will show whether it is actually the students who are struggling or if it could
perhaps be the manner in which the material is presented. After the assessment, the teacher
will be able to review the assessment with students and get an insight into their thought
processes when they were answering these questions.

5. Meagan Harrelson
FRIT 7236
Higher-Order Thinking
9th Grade English
Common Core Standards:
● Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme. [RL.9-10.3]
● Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully
when reading or listening. [L.9-10.3]
Objective 1:
Demonstrate a deep understanding of the main characters and author’s choices concerning
their roles in the story. (Analyze Conceptual Knowledge)
Question 1:
Consider the discussion that Rainsford and Whitney had at the beginning of “The Most
Dangerous Game.” How might the theme of the story be different if Whitney had been the one
stranded instead of Rainsford?
Question 2:
Rainsford struggles with an internal conflict near the climax of the story. Why is his decision
critical to the plot development? How might the climax have been different if he chose to stay?
Objective 2:Demonstrate understanding and ability to use new vocabulary in multiple contexts.
(Analyze Conceptual Knowledge)
Question 3: How might Darla differ from an avaricious person when planning her budget?
AssessmentPlan

6. This assessment will be given after the reading of a short story mini unit. During our reading of
this story, we will have discussed the elements presented in the objectives, such as tendencies
of the characters and their relation to the plot development, as well as new vocabulary. This
assessment will test the students’ abilities to demonstrate their own understanding of the
characters beyond what we’ve directly discussed, as well as their ability to apply new
vocabulary beyond memorizing the definition.
Improving Item Reliability:
Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Nitko & Brookhart 2014).
To improve reliability of these test items, students will be given the opportunity to practice these
analysis skills with several short stories. Some of them will be stories we discuss together, and
some will be cold readings. This will give students practice with using these skills on a variety of
short story readings with varying plots and characters.
Improving Item Validity:
Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results (Nitko
& Brookhart 2014).
While studying these stories, these objectives will be constantly posted in the classroom and
these skills will be addressed daily, so that students understand what they are expected to be
able to know and do at the end of the mini unit. This ensures that students are being assessed
on precisely the skills taught in class.
Differentiation of Instruction:
Students with disabilities will be given the option to explain their answers orally or record them.
Their writing skills will not be evaluated here as much as their ability to think deeper and outside
the box concerning the text, characters, and vocabulary. Advanced students might be asked to
use additional examples from the text or their general knowledge.
Improving Student Learning:
Because this assessment is based off short stories, which do not take long to read and teach, it
will be used as a formative assessment. This way, the teacher can see if students are
developing the necessary higher-ordering thinking and critical thinking skills necessary and
therefore can use further stories to continue to develop and practice those skills if necessary
before the major unit test.
Improving Future Assessments:

7. The results of item reliability will have a direct effect on the improvement of future assessments.
The reliability will show whether it is actually the students who are struggling or if it could
perhaps be the manner in which the material is presented. After the assessment, the teacher
will be able to review the assessment with students and get an insight into their thought
processes when they were answering these questions.

8. Meagan Harrelson
FRIT 7236
Performance Assessment
9th Grade English
Objective:Students will demonstrate their comprehension of the sequence of events in
“The Most Dangerous Game” as well as how the story relates to the unit theme “The
Hero’s Journey.”
1. Performance Assessment (Create, Conceptual Knowledge):
Students will create a Journey Map in which they demonstrate their comprehension of
Rainsford’s journey on Ship Trap Island in “The Most Dangerous Game.” There is a
correct order of items, but no specific placement, so each student’s map should be
unique.
For the best score, students should follow the following directions/checklist.
● Create a map of Ship-Trap Island
This map should be visually creative and colorful
In addition, be sure to illustrate the jungle and natural setting.
Remember, there are no specific location details in the story, so everyone’s map
might not look the same.
Requirements:
1. Four Island traps
2. Zaroff’s trap
3. A trail representing Rainsford’s journey throughout the story. (His 10
stops must be labeled on the map.)
4. Must be neat, presentable, & colorful
5. A legend
Objective:Students will demonstrate their understanding of the symbolism in Edgar
Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”
2. Performance Assessment (Create, Conceptual Knowledge):
Students will use the symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” and how it relates to
“The Seven Stages of Life” by creating a presentation that accurately represents the
seven stages of their own lives. For the best possible score, students should adhere to
the following requirements.
Grading Criteria for 7 Stages of Life Project:
1. Theme - A theme is clear and is well represented in each of the stages.

9. 2. 7 Stages - All 7 included and are accurate to the correct time period and color. Each
stage represents you as an individual.
3. Examples - There are 5-6 examples per stage that represent you. These can be
pictures, music, video, etc.
4. Medium - Your project is presented using a clear medium such as Prezi, poster board,
video, etc.
5. Creativity - Your project is creative and is unique to you.
6. Neat/Presentable - Your project is neat and easy to understand.
Objective:Students will demonstrate their understanding of the stages of a hero’s
journey in literature and film.
3. Performance Task (Create, Conceptual Knowledge):
Students will choose any [school appropriate] movie that involves a “hero” and create a
poster that explains how that hero encounters the 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey.
There
should be a picture that represents the movie and/or hero in the center of the poster,
with
a labeled explanation of each stage circling the picture.
Assessment Plan: