A Better Unit Assessment

Students go "hands-on" with clay animation to conceptualize physics and science curriculum.

Last year I attended a technology conference where I was introduced to clay animation. At this conference, I won a clay animation kit to use in my classroom. I was extremely excited to implement it into my 8th grade science class. I thought of numerous ways I could use the kit and I finally decided to use it as an assessment tool after their Physics unit. I thought it would be a fun way to close the unit and students could really apply their knowledge in a fun and creative way.

They were assigned to illustrate any physics concept that they learned during the unit. They chose who they wanted to work with and decided on their topic. I was not sure how to manage this project, but everything fell into place. I teach 150 students and I worked with each group to make sure they were satisfied with their final product. The students were so actively engaged in the project, there were no management issues. This project was new to the students and it was new to me. I learned the software with them as we edited their work. I have learned so much about clay animation and I know I will learn more every year with a new group of students.

Engage students using using portfolios for assessment.

I knew that I was incredibly enthusiastic about the project, but I had no idea how the students would respond. It was to my surprise that I received 100% positive feedback from the students. This is a fun way to teach any subject and it is a great way to differentiate and work with all levels. Some of the comments I received from the students included: “It was amazing!”, “It was a good hands on project that can really help you visualize science.”, “It was a large step away from text books which was nice.