You are teaching in a third grade classroom, where students are studying various American Indian nations, their cultures, traditions, and interactions with others. The standards you are teaching are outlined below:
3.2 Students describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent past.
1. Describe national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions.
2. Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food, clothing, tools).
3. Describe the economy and systems of government, particularly those with tribal constitutions, and their relationship to federal and state governments.
4. Discuss the interaction of new settlers with the already established Indians of the region.
You have completed a guided reading of a chapter of text as a class. In collaborative groups, students have been assigned a specific American Indian tribe and will become "experts" in this tribe by researching facts which address the four standards above. Students are working in groups of 3-4, rereading their designated sections, discussing their findings, and taking notes on important facts and ideas in preparation for sharing with the class as a whole.
How could you use formative assessment to gauge students' knowledge of their assigned tribe? Which two activities from Table 6.1 of your text might you use and how would the results of these activities drive your future instruction? Why is formative assessment also called "assessment for learning"?
Describe two options for performance-based (authentic) assessment. How will students demonstrate their knowledge about their designated tribe to the rest of the class? How does each assessment option meet the five specific "Criteria for Effective Assessment" as described in Chapter 6 of your text? Refer to Chapter 6, other scholarly sources, and your own insights/experiences, as well as other resources to guide your thinking.