SOCIAL STUDIES ACTION

RESEARCH 2008

Created by Brian Magnuson

and Laura Kraft

DEPARTMENT GOAL AND PERSONAL GOAL

To improve our students MEAP writing scores.- our students are not performing well with the Social Studies constructed response.- The students are not connecting a core democratic value to themselves in their writing.

HOW DID WE DO THIS?

1. We introduced the CDV and definition.

2. Students did a lesson/worksheet on the CDV.

3.Then daily 3-5 minute review of the CDV.

4. Approximately 2 weeks later students plan for their writing piece for 5 minutes then have 20 minutes to write.

SOCIAL STUDIES ACTION RESEARCH SCHEDULE 9/28/07 Nov. 5th Intro of Patriotism CDV Nov. 15th Writing day Nov. 20th Intro of Common Good CDV Nov. 29th Writing Day Dec. 4th Intro of Justice CDV Dec. 13th Writing Day Jan. 7th Intro of Individual Rights CDV Jan. 17th Writing Day Jan. 21st Intro of Truth CDV Jan. 31st Writing Day Feb. 4th Intro of Diversity CDV Feb. 14th Writing Day Feb. 18th Intro of Equality CDV Feb. 28th Writing Day March 3rd Intro of Popular Sovereignty CDV March 13th Writing Day

OUR EVALUATION PROCEDURES On the first constructed response we graded

what the students wrote using the District Writing Rubric.

When that is completed we did a teacher lead review of a 4 (great) and 2(not passing) constructed response on the overhead.

Students were given a copy to review and mark up to better understand editing, and what was good and not good about the papers.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE LOST A TEACHER AND

CLASSES WERE MESSED UP

REORGANIZATION OCCURRED

AND WE HAVE SIXTH GRADE DATA TO COMPARE

CHARTING THE DATA

paper 1 Patriotism paper 2 Common Good

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Score 1Score 2Score 3score 4

CONCLUSION When the core democratic value is one

that the students take to heart and understand, they are able to focus and write a clear constructed response.