Cross-Curricular Assessment

How do you implement effective cross-curricular assessment within language and literacy and other subjects?

Language & Cross Curricular

The easiest skill and subject to add, is language/writing! Why? If you really want to know how much a student understands, have them explain in writing how they got to a specific answer. Cross- curricular assessment occurs when students are being assessed over skills taught in multiple subject areas. Here are provided examples of how to include multiple subjects and how they can be assessed:

Grade 1 Language Lesson:

As an example, students with difficulty writing their understanding at a grade 1 level will use other methods to communicate their knowledge. If the student is unable to fully articulate in sentences what they have learned, they are able to draw what they may not be able to write. This would both language and art; you would assess both subjects using the curriculum expectations.  

Language Curriculum Expectations Grade 1

Analysing Texts, 1.7

Identify the main idea and a few elements of text, initially with support and direction (e.g., narrative: characters, setting, problem/solution)

Art Curriculum Expectations Grade 1

Visual Arts, Creating and Presenting, D1.3

Use elements of design in art works to communicate ideas, messages, and personal understandings

Assessment:

In order to get a complete assessment of the student’s understanding, you can use apps such as SeeSaw. SeeSaw is a student digital portfolio that has subjects divided for you, once you have completed recording their understanding you place the file under the subject. You are able to take voice recordings, videos, and images and, add text with an electronic device. For this assignment it would be most beneficial because you can ask the student to explain their thought process and understanding from their completed work.

Grade 4 Social Studies Lesson:

Creating a lesson that involves multiple subjects can make the learning experience more enriching. As an example, you can create a writing piece on a subject that needs research with a text. In grade 4 the students are expected to learn about the daily lives of different groups in an early society. As a project they can create a diagram of the early society life with a writing piece that explains their work. This kind of project would include learning expectations from the visual arts, language and social studies curriculum.

Language Curriculum Expectations Grade 4:

Forms 2.1

Write more complex texts using a variety of forms (e.g., a summary of the role of a medieval person…)

Art Curriculum Expectations Grade 4:

Creating and Presenting D1.2

Demonstrate an understanding of composition, using selected principles of design to create narrative art works, or art works on a theme or topic.

Social Studies Curriculum Expectations Grade 4:

Application: Past and Present Societies A1.4

Compare two or more early societies in terms of their relationship with the environment (e.g., with reference to seasonal rhythms, use of land and resources, differences between urban and rural communities…)

Assessment:

A way for you to assess this assignment and all the different subject expectations would be to create a check-bric. The check-bric should follow the learning goals for this lesson and the curriculum expectations for each subject.

Grade 2 Science Lesson:

As a science and language lesson, you can create a lesson that integrates the science curriculum expectations which is on animals and characteristics that help them survive. You can ask the students to choose and animal and find out an interesting fact on how they live, for a writing piece have them write a short story about their chosen animal.

Science & Technology Grade 2 Expectations:

Life Systems Growth and Changes in Animals 3.2

Describe an adaptation as a characteristic body part, shape, or behaviour that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment (e.g., some birds migrate to a warmer climate for the winter; the design of a whale’s flipper allows the whale to turn, steer, and balance)

Language Grade 2 Expectations:

Form, 2,1

Write short texts using several simple forms (e.g., a friendly letter; a factual recount of a scientific or mathematical investigations, a paragraph describing the physical characteristics of an animal; an original story)

Assessment:

For the assessment you can create a checklist that includes both subject expectations, you should include the learning goals and success criteria in the checklist. The students should be aware of what is expected from them and understand what is included in both the learning goals and success criteria.