Sometimes the most interesting and relatable
performance task are the hardest to explain. Most Americans spend time in high
school studying Reconstruction, but few understand it well or can express why
it failed to realize its full reform potential.In a moment of creative risk-taking I found a great comparison to help
students relate to Reconstruction. I described Reconstruction as a “makeover”
for the nation. In the 1870s if America was a car, then Reconstruction was the
Radical Republican effort to “pimp” our ride (nation). Once my students stopped
giggling over their teacher saying, “pimp my ride” they dug into the material.
Their ultimate task was to make a presentation with
a visual that demonstrated how Reconstruction was like a national makeover anddescribe how successful the makeover or
“pimping”was at achieving its expressed
goals. This was a risk that paid off in my class. Students took initiative in
organizing their projects and selecting their tools. It was during this process
that my students introduced me to comic creators online like Toondo or Comix.
These webtools are great tools for students to use
when completing a performance assessment. Both of these tools allow student to
create comics that students can be used to show their understanding of the
topic being studied. My students used tools like this to create the “before”
and “after” pictures of a nation that had experienced Reconstruction. As you plan for the semester to come follow your
creative instincts.Simple plans and unique
comparisons can lead to better student engagement and understanding. I did with
Reconstruction and it worked. Their images were great and the commentary the
students provided about the impact of Reconstruction left me feeling like we
had better met the challenge of learning this topic than ever before.