The Dynamic Duo --
The Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos on the
Texas High Plains Brazos River Watershed
PRETEST
It's very important that we find out what we know and where we've been in order to get to our destination.There are things that learners do not know. How can we predict WHAT learners know? There are numerous ways to do this. Teams of learners develop understanding through each other or the teacher as a facilitator.
Give learners a short motivational reading. Have them brainstorm together what is known and what is unknown. The need to know will be developed within that short reading.
Are you concerned about state regulated learner testing? Most activities will build upon those learner required concepts tested. You can build your motivational strategy on those concepts that are tested.
Edelson has found that learners have at least 4 influences in their decisions -- representative, based on similar experiences; anchoring, based on recent events in their life that they have heard; availability, based on what is understood rather than learning something new; and framing, where the information is presented makes the decision seem the best thing to do. (Edelson in Investigations in Environmental Science Unit 1: Land Use, page 53)
Pretest instruments can be as simple; such as, completing a map with what the learner already knows and comparing it to what is known. Pretesting should be simple not complex. Online test banks in different topics can be completed as learners use interactive testing which demonstrates knowledge or a lack of it. *Suggested pretest instruments follows:
- Given a map of Texas with unlabeled rivers, have learners label rivers, streams, and lakes that they already know OR think they know. This can begin as an individual activity and end with a group activity as learners pool their knowledge.
- While learners are working in a group, they can assemble a chart of what they already know about water, watersheds, etc. Mind mapping, concept maps, flow charts, drawings, etc. can be used as tools to represent current knowledge and understanding.
- Learners can take the pretest in the Major Rivers Curriculum. The pretest in that packet includes 5 questions on the Water Cycle (multiple choice), 5 questions on Texas Water Supply (multiple choice), labeling of the key features of a watershed, a short matching exercise on Water Treatment and Distribution, and a checklist of Using Water Efficiently activities).
- Example online pretesting can be found at:
* Pretest instruments should be at the teacher's discretion. A pretest was not developed specifically for this project at this time.
ACTIVITIES
Mapping from previous knowledge
Online testing
Collaborative understanding
This material may be used for educational purposes. Please contact Marcia Talkmitt with any intent to use or revise.