As this year’s final days approach, you may be thinking about test prep – and not much else! With the big standardized tests rapidly approaching, end of year test prep may be all you have time for. Use assessments and test prep activities to wrap up the semester with as little stress as possible. Prepare your students for final exams by reinforcing content and boosting confidence. Preparation for the end of the year doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you start early and work smart!
Tying it All Together for End of Year Assessments
To test prep with ease, try using different activities to bring it all together in your Social Studies classroom. Use activities that show cause and effect from past to present or compare from one era to another. Analyze change over time by utilizing timelining activities that help students understand how social movements create political change, and visa versa.
Try Annotated End of the Year Review Analysis to encourage deeper understanding.
Let’s Get Visual, Visual
Of course, you don’t need a dad joke in the title to realize that using illustrations and annotations in the classroom can help cater to different learning styles. Using visuals can make it easier to examine the whole semester or year as a whole, drawing comparisons and making generalizations about important historical events and topics. Further, explore current events to allow students to relate to today.
Try Current Event Timeline Activities to help tie the information together.
Though EOC (end-of-course) exams may be looming on the horizon, it doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. Find engaging ways to present your students with new and exciting information while also reinforcing prior knowledge. Activate prior knowledge while embracing different learning styles. And most importantly, don’t teach only to the test. This will cause students to stress about its importance, while forgetting to find the fun in learning! You may be nearing the end of the semester, but you are not nearing the end of your teaching career. Help students find ways to engage with the information and encourage a deeper dive into topics of interest. This year, use ready-made resources that take the guess work out of test prep, and let the learning begin!
Happy Teaching!
