Foundational Resources

Classroom Resources

Performance Assessments

In the spring of 2008 teachers from around the zone came together to develop assessment tasks.  Working in small grade level groups, participants spent three days learning important principles of assessment practices and had an opportunity to develop materials in keeping with those principles.

NOTE: All outcomes referenced in the tasks are from the Alberta Social Studies Program of Studies, http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/socialstudies/programs.aspx. The outcome numbering has been modified by CARC for convenience.

The rubrics were created using:
Bennett, S. & Mulgrew, A. (2009), Building Better Rubrics. Edmonton: Alberta Assessment Consortium. (see www.aac.ab.ca)

 

  • Grade 5
  • Grade 6
  • Grade 7
  • Grade 8
  • Grade 9
  • Grade 10
  • Grade 11

General Outcome 5.3

The Great Depression

Overview: Students take on the role of a junior writer to contribute to an article about the impact of the Great Depression on ways of life in Canada.  As part of their assignment, students select images and create captions that describe how the Great Depression affected ways of life.

This task was developed though a partnership between the Alberta Assessment Consortium (AAC) and the Central Alberta Regional Consortium (CARC) as a result of a grant from Alberta Education to support implementation.

 

  

General Outcome 6.2

Democracy or Not . . . You Be the Judge

Overview: Students will take on the role of a Spartan spy and gather information to answer the question, "To what extent was the form of democracy practiced in ancient Athens fair and equitable?"

This task was developed though a partnership between the Alberta Assessment Consortium (AAC) and the Central Alberta Regional Consortium (CARC) as a result of a grant from Alberta Education to support implementation.

 

  

General Outcome 7.2

Louis Riel Day
by Collette Groenen, Deb Kwasny, andSharon Richter

Overview:  Manitoba’s February holiday is named in honour of the Métis leader Louis Riel, who led the Red River and Northwest rebellions. The Manitoba government has since heard dissent among its constituents about honouring Riel in this way and has asked for input.

General Outcome 7.2

Expanding a Nation

Overview: Students, as interpretive guides, take on the role of a resident in one of three provinces (British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland) and develop and support a position about whether or not to join Confederation.

This task was developed though a partnership between the Alberta Assessment Consortium (AAC) and the Central Alberta Regional Consortium (CARC) as a result of a grant from Alberta Education to support implementation.

 

General Outcome 8.3

A Window to the Past
by Connie Visser, Edith Dening, and Sharon Richter

Overview:  Perspectives within a culture contribute to its society’s worldview, and can shape events in that society.  In this task, students will analyse the worldview of individuals in different classes in the Aztec and 16th century Spanish societies to determine their effect on the domination of one culture over the other.

General Outcome 8.1, 8.2, 8.3

Whose School Rules?
by Tara Billingsley, Harriet Liddle, and Sharon Richter

Overview:  This final culminating project causes students to consider the effects of intercultural contact of previously somewhat isolated societies and the change it causes in a real life situation.  Students make a decision of a proposed school amalgamation using examples from the Renaissance, Japan, and Aztec curricular case studies.

 

General Outcome 9.1

Youth Criminal Justice Act
by Karol Warner, Suzanne Williamson, and Sharon Richter

Overview:  This culminating activity incorporates an understanding and application of the Youth Criminal Justice Act through researching a current event involving young offenders.  Students will make a recommendation for sentencing based on consideration of the perspectives of the stake-holders involved.

General Outcome 9.2

It Could Happen to Us

Overview: Students take on the role of author for a Canadian financial magazine and write an opinion article exploring whether or not Canada could experience a global economic crisis to the same extent as the United States.

This task was developed though a partnership between the Alberta Assessment Consortium (AAC) and the Central Alberta Regional Consortium (CARC) as a result of a grant from Alberta Education to support implementation.

 

 

10-1
Related Issue 2

Legacies of Historical Globalization
by Alanna Cellini and Sharon Richter

Overview: In this Performance Assessment, students will analyse an historical, imperialistic situation from varying perspectives to determine the extent to which the actions of the imperialistic power were justified.

10-2
Related Issue 2

Legacies of Historical Globalization
by Alanna Cellini and Sharon Richter

Overview: In this Performance Assessment, students will analyse an historical, imperialistic situation from Canada and one other nation from varying perspectives to determine the extent to which the actions of the imperialistic power were justified. 

 

20-1
Related Issue 2

Ultranationalism
by Alanna Cellini and Sharon Richter

Overview: In this inquiry activity, students will analyse an historical situation from varying perspectives to determine the extent to which the ultranationalistic actions of the government/leaders were justified. 

20-2
Related Issue 2

Ultranationalism
by Alanna Cellini and Sharon Richter

Overview: In this inquiry activity, students will analyse an historical situation from varying perspectives to determine the extent to which the ultranationalistic actions of the government/leaders were justified. 

20-1
Related Issue 2

The Case of Conscription
by Theresa Armstrong

Overview: In this task, students investigate the perspective of an English Canadian, a French Canadian or a European Canadian in 1939 to debate, from that perspective, whether conscription is a nationalistic or an ultranationalistic policy.