Reflection - Mayan Group Dramatization

3/4/2010
Today was the first day of presentations for the Mayan Group Dramatization. This chapter was taught with a jig-saw teaching method that included all of the students to work in groups (of 4-5 students) and teach different sections from the chapter (Indigenous Peoples: The Highland Mayans). Since it was a Red day we saw three blocks perform.

Red 1 groups recorded grades of 80, 92, 97, 81, and 98 (89.6 average).
Red 2 groups recorded grades of 82, 88, 94, 83, 84, and 88 (86.5 average).
Red 3 groups recorded grades of 92, 94, 85, 76, 85, and 85 (86.2 average).

One variable to be noted that changed through out the day is that Mrs. Westerfield graded Red 1 (since she is still teaching the class), but I graded the following two blocks. I was surprised (and pleased) after calculating the scores for all the blocks that they were as close in average as they were, specifically the two blocks I graded since the products they produced were comparable. I also was pleased since Red 3 includes several students that have been identified by former teachers (and schools) of at academic risk for one reason or another. These students had the basically the same average of Red 2 which is the highest class that we have. I was also very pleased that several groups included the term “indigenous peoples” and discussed the essential question, something that their script did not require them to do. I did give extra credit for these key terms and explanations of the essential question. I felt that this was in direct response to how I have covered this term and the essential question every day immediately after the bell ringer and directly before instruction. I have done this with the goal of keeping the students focused on the “Big Idea” and I feel this was measureable in their inclusion of the same type of discussion with the class.