This document outlines an instructor training workshop on equipping students for critical thinking on the GED test. The workshop covers analyzing test items, viewing instructional activities, and creating activities in groups. Participants work in pairs or threes to create sequencing and traits webbing activities on various topics. They also create sorting and graphing activities using different data sets. The goal is to practice skills like ordering events, defining vocabulary in context, and interpreting graphs that are important for the GED test.

1. Fun Ways to Equip Students
for Critical Thinking on the GED® Test
The Literacy Cooperative, Cleveland, OH
October 24, 2014

2. Meagen Farrell
Author, consultant
GED® Test prep instructor trainer
@farrellink
Facebook.com/farrell.ink
Farrellink.com

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
with Examples.
3. Create Your Own Activity in Pairs or Threes.
4. Rinse, Repeat.
5. 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. 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.

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

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

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

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

13. Activity 29: Traits Web
Source: GED Testing Service
Abraham
Lincoln
eloquent executive
confused trendy decisive

14. Activity 29: Traits Web
Source: AceShowbiz.com
Abraham
Lincoln
vampire
axe-wielding
strategic determined friendly

15. Now it’s YOUR turn!

16. 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

17. In Pairs or Threes
TOPIC: CREATE A SEQUENCE
CHARACTER:
CREATE A TRAITS WEB
1.
2.
3.
4.
CHARACTER

18. Report back!

19. Questions?

20. Beyond the Textbook
• Where can I find free,
quality non-fiction
stimulus texts and
visuals as the basis for
lesson plans and
assignments?
Source: Moran, Percy. Battle of Lake Erie.
1911. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

21. 10 MINUTE BREAK

22. SS: Drag-and-Drop Sorting
Source: GED Testing Service

23. Activity: T Chart
Capitalism Communism
Profit Motive Income Redistribution
Private Ownership Classless Society
Competitive Markets
State Ownership of all
Property

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

25. SS: Click Three Graphs
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. Find a New Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Select one person to record & report your results.
• Select a topic (Science or Social Studies Concept,
Literary Theme) for sorting.
• 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. Examples
Genotype Phenotype Sustainability Irrelevant
World Population
Growth
Nonimmigrant
Visa Issuances
Tropical Area
Deforested
U.S.
Representatives
Global Oil
Consumption

31. In Pairs or Threes
CREATE YOUR ACTIVITY SORT INTO T CHART
1. Identify headings
2. Identify 5-6 words that
relate to the two headings
3. Ask students to define the
vocabulary words in
context
4. Ask students to sort words
into the two columns of
the T-Chart

32. Report back!

33. Questions?

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

35. Activity 44: Graph a Text
PARAGRAPH (X)
TRANSITIONAL
WORDS (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Source: GED Testing Service

36. Activity 44: Graph [Anything]
WEEK (X) ATTENDANCE (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Source: GED Testing Service

37. Now it’s YOUR turn!

38. Find a NEW Partner (or Two)!
Prepare for the Activity:
• Select one person to record & report your results.
• Select a data set to collect with students. What
are your students curious about?
• Suggestions:
– Number of quotes from each character
– Number of appearances of words from a vocabulary list
– Attendance in class per day
– Price of candy and number of days relative to
Halloween

39. Examples: Two Way Frequency Charts
PARAGRAPH (X)
TRANSITIONAL
WORDS (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6
WEEK (X) ATTENDANCE (Y)
1
2
3
4
5
6

40. In Pairs or Threes
CREATE YOUR ACTIVITY
1. Identify data to collect
2. Decide x and y variables
3. Ask students to organize
the data on a two-way
frequency chart
4. Ask students to plot the
points on a coordinate
plane

41. Report back!

42. Reflection
• Which critical thinking skills are developed by
these activities?
• How do you currently use graphic organizers
in the classroom? How could you use them?
• What questions might students have in order
to complete these activities?

43. Final Questions?

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

45. Thank You!
• Please complete the evaluation!
• This workshop was developed with the support
of The Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland.
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.

46. Thank You!
NewReadersPress.com
Ohio Sales Representative:
Elaine Pardieck
Ph: 812.498.2277
elaine@elainepardeck.com