A Teacher s Guide: Getting Acquainted with the 2014 GED Test The Eight-Week Program

• For each week, you’ll find the following components:

–

Focus

: the content area you’ll be concentrating on

–

Read

: the required reading assignment and (if you can

devote extra time) bonus reading

–

Engage

: Webinars and/or other multi-media content

–

Discuss

: questions to prompt conversations about the

material

–

Practice

: practical (and occasionally immediate)

applications for your growing knowledge

–

Reflect

: time to integrate your learning

Component

• Focus

• Read

• Engage Part I

• Engage Part II

• Discuss

• Practice

• Reflect

Time Commitment

• < 5 minutes

• 15-30 minutes

• 60 minutes (webinars)

• 60-90 minutes (Samplers)

• 30-60 minutes (or more)

• 90-120 minutes

• Take as much time as you

think you need

Timing

• 7 Hours of testing time

– Reasoning through Language Arts: 150 minutes

(including 10 minute break)

– Mathematical reasoning: 115 minutes

– Science: 90 minutes

– Social Studies: 90 minutes

• Standardized delivery on computer, in a secure testing

center

The new content areas & focus

• Applying social studies reasoning

skills to content drawn from the four

domains of Civics and Government,

United States History, Economics,

and Geography and the World.

• Analyzing source documents and

interpreting data represented in a

variety of social-studies-relevant

• Applying scientific reasoning skills to

content drawn from the three domains

of Life Science, Physical Science, and

Earth and Space Science.

• Understanding scientific content

pertaining to two focusing themes:

“health and the human body” and

“energy.”

• Executing and applying core

computations with precision and

fluency.

• Applying both quantitative and

algebraic reasoning skills to a broad

range of real-life, workplace, and

academic contexts.

• Reading closely and to critically

understanding a range of increasingly

complex texts taken from the

workplace and literary contexts, with

an emphasis on non-fiction.

• Marshaling evidence and analyzing

arguments while also expressing

oneself clearly and fluently in writing.

• Correctly applying basic grammar and

usage conventions

and also determining meanings

of unfamiliar words from context.

Reasoning

Through

Language

Arts

Mathematical

Reasoning

Social

Studies

Science

Program Overview

Reasoning

Through

Language

Arts,

Weeks 1&2

Mathematical

Reasoning,

Weeks 3&4

Science,

Weeks 5&6

Social

Studies,

Weeks 7&8

• You’ll start with your first two content areas

– Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA)

– Mathematical Reasoning

• Expect to spend about two weeks on each content

area

• Keep your learning objectives in mind as you progress

through the material

• Take extra time if (or when) you need it

Reasoning through Language Arts

• An integrated approach

• Reading closely

• Writing about what is being read

• Demonstrating command of English language

conventions

Reasoning through Language Arts

Focus:

• 75% informational texts, 25% literature;

• A range of text complexity, including texts at the

career-and-college readiness level;

• Text length of 450 to 900 words

• Vocabulary, with emphasis on words that appear

frequently in a wide variety of disciplines

(e.g.,

relative

,

vary

,

formulate

,

specificity

,

accumulate, calibrate

,

Reading

• Draw specific comparisons

between two texts

• Distinguish between valid

arguments and faulty

reasoning

• Distinguish between

supported and unsupported

claims

• Make inferences based on

assumptions made by the

author

Writing

• Draw relevant and sufficient

evidence from the text(s)

• Produce a response that

– Includes

specific

evidence

– Uses an effective

organizational structure

– Uses appropriate

vocabulary

– Applies standard

conventions of English

Reasoning through Language Arts – Reading

• Read closely text that is

– more complex than in the 2002 Series

– greater in length than in the 2002 Series

• Determine what is explicitly stated

• Make logical inferences based on evidence

• Make inferences about characters

Reasoning through Language Arts - Language

• Demonstrate command of conventions of standard

English

• Recognize the errors in the responses that are not

correct

• Identify option that is grammatically correct

• Edit to eliminate run-on sentences, fused sentences, or

sentence fragments

Reasoning through Language Arts – Writing

• Provides real-world opportunity for test-takers to

develop an argument and support ideas with

text-based evidence

• Integrates reading and writing skills

• Responses are scored using a new multi-dimensional

rubric

•

Argument

– Creation of argument

– Evidence – use of text citations to support created

argument of source text(s)

•

Validity

– Assessment of the argument in source text(s)

– Analysis of the issue

•

Integration

– Integration of claims, explanations and textual evidence

– Connection of purpose to prompt

•

Ideas

– Development (reasoning)

– Elaboration of ideas

•

Progression

– Progression (flow) of ideas

– Connection of details to main ideas

•

Organization

– Structured to convey message

– Transitional devices

•

Words

– Appropriate word choice

– Advanced vocabulary application

•

Awareness

– Demonstrated to audience and purpose

•

Conventions

– Application of standard English (e.g.,

homonyms/contractions, subject-verb agreement, pronoun

usage, placement of modifiers, capitalization, punctuation)

•

Sentence Structure

– Variety

– Clarity

– Fluency (e.g., correct subordination, avoidance of

wordiness, run-on sentences, awkwardness, usage of

transition words, appropriate usage for formal structure

•

Errors

– Mechanics and conventions

– Comprehension based on errors

Trait 3 Rubric Overview

• Required reading: “The GED

®

_{Test: A Content Comparison}

Between 2002 and 2014,” (Appendix D of

The Assessment

Guide for Educators

, November 2012 release, pages

2.67-2.73 [available as a separate document at

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/2487f6e1ca

5659684cbe1f8b16f564d0.pdf

]

• Bonus: “What is Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model?”

Chapter 2, pages 2.3-2.6 [link to Chapter 2:

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a5080ec2

29f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• View "Webb's Depth of Knowledge" webinar

(December 5, 2012)

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

• Watch "Exploring Reasoning Through Language Arts

(RLA) Module of the 2014 GED

®

_{Test" webinar}

(January 15, 2013)

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

• What conclusions did you reach after reviewing the

Reasoning through Language Arts Content

Specifications comparing the 2002 and 2014 GED

®

test?

• Were the similarities or differences those you were

expecting?

• What implications could the similarities and differences

have for how you think about preparing students?

Instructions

1. Review all of the Reading Content Specifications.

2. Select up to seven that challenge or interest you.

3. Create a table like the one on the next slide that lists

of the content specifications you’ve selected. You’ll

notice that there is a column to record what strategies

you use now in the classroom and potential strategies

you might use in the future.

4. Fill in the table for your selected Reading Content

Specifications.

Week 1: Practice

2002 Reading

Content

Specifications

Current

Instructional

Strategies

2014 Reading

Content

Specifications

Potential

Instructional

Strategies

Restate or paraphrase

information

Comprehend explicit

details & main ideas in

a text

Summarize main ideas

Summarize ideas and

details in text

Explain the primary

implications of the text

Infer implied main

ideas in paragraphs or

whole texts

Transfer concepts and

principles from reading

to a new context

Make evidence-based

generalizations or

hypotheses based on

details in text including

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Were you able to meet any of your learning

objectives?

• What enhanced your learning?

• What obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 2, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome—it’s Week 2!

• This week, you’ll continue working with content from

Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA) by reading

about the RLA Assessment Targets.

• You’ll have an opportunity to interact with the RLA Item

Sampler which includes a range of item types.

• Required reading: “Reasoning through Language Arts

Assessment Targets,” Chapter 2,

The Assessment Guide

for Educators,

November 2012 release, pages 2.11-2.20

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a5080ec2

29f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• Bonus: “Item Types Across Content Areas,” Chapter 1,

The

Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012 release,

pages 1.4-1.6

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/8e4e6907a5

c28f750a55a092e2e1190b.pdf

• Now, it’s time to put your knowledge to work and get

some practice with RLA items.

• Access the RLA Item Sampler from

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/itemsamplerrla/

or

the copy that you downloaded and saved to your

desktop.

• Use the interactive version to get a sense of the

test-taker experience and how items display.

• Ask yourself

– What cognitive skills (listing, organizing, inferring)

will test-takers be using?

• “The most valuable thing I learned in the last two

weeks was…”

• “The easiest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “The hardest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “Now, I would like to know more about…”

Instructions

1. Review all of the

Language Content Specifications

.

2. Select three to five that challenge or interest you.

3. Create a table like the one on the next slide that lists

of the content specifications you’ve selected. You’ll

notice that there is a column to record what strategies

you use now and potential strategies you could use.

4. Fill in the table for your selected Language Content

Specifications.

Week 2: Practice (the template)

2002 Language

Content

Specifications

Current

Instructional

Strategies

2014 Language

Content

Specifications

Potential

Instructional

Strategies

• Create effective text

divisions (between or

among paragraphs

• Combine paragraphs

to form a more

effective document

• Form new

paragraphs within

multi-paragraph

documents

• Create topic

sentences

• Edit to ensure

effective use of

transitional words,

conjunctive adverbs,

and other words and

phrases that support

logic and clarity

• Note that paragraph

development and

organizational skills

are measured

through the Extended

Response Scoring

Rubric

• Assessment items that ask students

to apply knowledge, skills, and

critical thinking abilities

• Requires students to “construct”

answers without the benefit of any

suggestions or choices.

• Requires students to generate and intertwine

ideas into a response that is directly related to the

text(s)

• Short or extended

1. Read

the passage and question

2. Unpack

the prompt (identify key words)

3. Rewrite

the question in your own words and

turn the question into a topic sentence/ thesis

statement

4. Collect

relevant details from passage

5. Organize

details into a logical order

6. Draft

your answer

7. Re-read

and

edit/revise

your answer making

sure all parts of the question are answered

Steps for Drafting Constructed

Responses

Extended Response Structure

Beginning

• The introduction states the main idea or position. It begins with a topic

sentence/thesis statement. The beginning restates the question and sets the

stage to answer the prompt.

Middle

• Answer the question first.

• Provide important information the author stated and meant. This is where you

go to the text(s) and provide examples/evidence and important details to

support the answer.

• Sample phrases to introduce each text reference include: … stated; in the

text …; for example . . .

• Include background information as required through the prompt.

Ending

• Write a closing that summarizes the position taken or restates the thesis

statement in a different way.

Use a step-by-step approach, including

how to:

• unpack a prompt

• set up a claim (thesis statement)

• identify evidence in the to support

the claim

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 3, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome to Week 3!

• It’s time to introduce a new content area—

Mathematical Reasoning.

• Your study plan for the next two weeks will follow the

same structure as the first two weeks.

• You’ll begin by focusing on the comparison between

the 2002 and 2014 GED

®

test content specifications—

both the similarities and differences.

Mathematical Reasoning

• Executing and applying core computations with

precision and fluency.

• Applying both quantitative and algebraic reasoning

skills to a broad range of real-life, workplace, and

academic contexts.

The new GED



test of

mathematical reasoning

Focus:

Quantitative problem solving (45%) and

algebraic problem solving (55%)

What’s tested:

Some procedural skills and fluency as

well as problem solving

• Use of an embedded calculator for most items

(TI-30XS Multiview on-screen scientific calculator)

Mathematical Reasoning

• Calculate measures of central tendency

• Distinguish between median and mode

• Complete a line plot given

– summary statistics

– a partial data set

Mathematical Reasoning – Algebraic Problem

Solving

• Read and locate information within a table

• Distinguish between x-axis and y-axis of a coordinate

plane

• Recognize order of coordinates, i.e., x-coordinate and

y-coordinate (1, 2)

• Locate points in the coordinate plane

• Required reading: “The GED

®

_{Test: A Content}

Comparison Between 2002 and 2014,” (Appendix D of

The Assessment Guide for Educators

, November 2012

release, pages 2.74-2.80

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/2487f6

e1ca5659684cbe1f8b16f564d0.pdf

• Bonus: “What is Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model?”

Chapter 2, page 2.72

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a508

0ec229f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• View the "Exploring the Mathematical Reasoning

Module of the 2014 GED

®

Test” webinar (February 5,

2013)

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

• What conclusions did you reach after reviewing the

Mathematical Reasoning Content Specifications

comparing the 2002 and 2014 GED

®

_test?

• Were the similarities or differences those you were

expecting?

• What implications could the similarities and differences

have for how you think about preparing students?

Instructions

1. Review the Mathematical Reasoning Content

Specifications.

2. Create a table for yourself like the one on the next

slide that lists each of the content specifications.

You’ll notice that there is a column to record what

practices you use now and potential practices.

3. Fill in the table for all of the Mathematical Reasoning

Content Specifications.

Week 3: Practice (the template)

2002 Mathematical

Reasoning Content

Specifications

Current

Instructional

Strategies

2014 Mathematical

Reasoning Content

Specifications

Potential

Instructional

Strategies

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 4, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome to Week 4!

• This week, you’ll continue working with content from

Mathematical Reasoning.

• By the end of this week, you will have reached the

halfway point in your work with the 2014 GED

®

_content

areas.

• Required reading: “Mathematical Reasoning Assessment

Targets,” Chapter 2,

The Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012 release, pp. 2.21-2.30

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a5080ec2

29f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• Bonus: “Item Types Across Content Areas,” Chapter 1,

The

Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012 release,

pp. 1.6-1.8

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/8e4e6907a5

c28f750a55a092e2e1190b.pdf

• Now, it’s time to put your knowledge to work and get some

practice with Mathematical Reasoning items.

• Access the Mathematical Reasoning Item Sampler from

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/itemsamplermath/

or the

copy that you downloaded and saved to your desktop.

• Use the interactive version to get a sense of the test-taker

experience and how items display.

• Ask yourself

– What cognitive skills (listing, organizing, inferring) will

test-takers be using?

• “The most valuable thing I learned in the last two

weeks was…”

• “The easiest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “The hardest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “Now, I would like to know more about…”

• Use the template on the next slide to create a table

that includes all of the new for 2014 Mathematical

Reasoning Content Specifications (see pp. 2.79-2.80).

• Consider both your current and potential portfolio of

practices. What can you use, adapt, or create?

• As you do this work, you will find learning strategies

that you’re already using that will apply to the new

specifications and learning strategies that you may

have to add.

Week 4: Practice (the template)

2014 Mathematical Reasoning Content

Specifications: What’s New

Learning strategies that you already use or

may need to develop

• Identify the absolute value of a rational

number as its distance from 0 on the number

line and determine the distance between two

rational numbers on the number line,

including using the absolute value of their

difference

• Determine when a numerical expression is

undefined

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 5, do you need to make any

adjustments?

Program Overview

Reasoning

Through

Language

Arts,

Weeks 1&2

Mathematical

Reasoning,

Weeks 3&4

Science,

Weeks 5&6

Social

Studies,

Weeks 7&8

In the last four weeks of the program, you’ll

concentrate on the last two content areas

– Science

– Social Studies

• Welcome to Week 5!

• This week, you’ll begin your work with content from

Science.

Science

• Applying scientific reasoning skills to content drawn

from the three domains of Life Science, Physical

Science, and Earth and Space Science.

• Understanding scientific content that pertains to two

focusing themes: “health and the human body” and

“energy.”

The new GED



test of science

A focus on:

• Life science (40%), physical science (40%), and

Earth and space science (20%)

• Items will test textual analysis and understanding,

data representation and inference skills, as well as

problem solving with science content, 50% in

scenarios

• Each item aligned to both one Science Practice

and one Content Topic

• Read complex text

• Identify precise details

• Determine cause and effect

• Identify evidence within the text that

– Supports inferences

– Enables them to draw conclusions

• Understand science content

– Disruption of ecosystems and extinction

• Produce a response that provides an explanation

supported by evidence

Short Answers in Science

Science Test MC Item

Science Test SA Item

Identify which step (out of four

listed) would produce a particular

outcome in a scientific process?

Design an experiment to test the

hypothesis (given in the stimulus).

Be sure to include descriptions of

your data collection process and

data analysis in your response.

Advantages: SA items allow assessment of a higher level of cognitive

complexity because they require test-takers to express a response in

their own words.

Tasks that appear in short answer items more like problems test-takers

encounter in their daily lives.

• Required reading: “The GED

®

_{Test: A Content}

Comparison Between 2002 and 2014,” (Appendix D of

The Assessment Guide for Educators

, November 2012

release, pages 2.81-2.85

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/2487f6

e1ca5659684cbe1f8b16f564d0.pdf

• Bonus: “What is Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model?”

Chapter 2, page 2.8

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a508

0ec229f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• View the "Exploring the Science Module of the 2014

GED

®

Test” webinar (January 30, 2013)

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

• What conclusions did you reach after reviewing the

Science Content Specifications comparing the 2002

and 2014 GED

®

_test?

• Were the similarities or differences those you were

expecting?

• What implications could the similarities and differences

have for how you think about preparing students?

Instructions

1. Review the Science Practices (pages 2.81-2.82) as

well as the Science Topics (pages 2.83-2.85).

2. Select three to five that challenge or interest you.

3. Create a table like the one on the next slide that lists

of the content specifications you’ve selected. You’ll

notice that there is a column to record current and

potential strategies.

4. Fill in the table for your selected Science Practices or

Content Topics.

Week 5: Practice

2002 Science

Practices or Content

Topics

Current

Instructional

Strategies

2014 Science

Practices or Content

Topics

Potential

Instructional

Strategies

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 6, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome to Week 6!

• This week, you’ll continue working with Science

content.

• You have reached the three-quarter mark with your

work with the 2014 GED

®

_{content areas.}

• Required reading: “Science Assessment Targets,”

Chapter 2,

The Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012 release, pages 2.31-2.39

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a508

0ec229f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• Bonus: “Item Types Across Content Areas,” Chapter 1,

The Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012

release, pages 1.8-1.10

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/8e4e69

07a5c28f750a55a092e2e1190b.pdf

• There is one extended response in the Social Studies

module.

• A rubric has been developed for the Social Studies

Extended Response as well.

• However, the traits are still:

• Trait 1: Analysis of arguments and use of evidence

• Trait 2: Development of ideas and structure

• Trait 3: Clarity and command of standard English

conventions

• On the Social Studies Extended Response

– Trait 1 is scored from 0 – 2

– Trait 2 is scored 0 – 1 and

– Trait 3 is scored 0 – 1

• Four (4) raw score points are possible for an extended

response the Social Studies test.

• The Social Studies Extended Response item is also

weighted

in determining the final test score.

• Now, it’s time to put your knowledge to work and get

some practice with Science items.

• Access the Science Item Sampler from

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/itemsamplerscience/

or the copy that you downloaded and saved to your

desktop.

• Use the interactive version to get a sense of the

test-taker experience and how items display.

• Ask yourself

– What cognitive skills (listing, organizing, inferring)

will test-takers be using?

• “The most valuable thing I learned in the last two

weeks was…”

• “The easiest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “The hardest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “Now, I would like to know more about…”

• Use the template on the next slide to create a table

that includes all the new for 2014 Science Practices

and Content Topics (see page 2.84).

• Consider both your current and potential portfolio of

practices. What can you use, adapt, or create?

• As you do this work, you will find learning strategies

that you’re already using that will apply to the new

specifications and learning strategies that you may

have to add.

Week 6: Practice (the template)

2014 Science Practices and Content Topics:

What’s New

Learning strategies that you already use or

may need to develop

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 7, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome to Week 7!

• This week, you’ll begin working with content from

Social Studies.

Social Studies

• Applying social studies reasoning skills to content

drawn from the four domains of Civics and

Government, United States History, Economics, and

Geography and the World.

• Analyzing source documents and interpreting data

represented in a variety of social-studies-relevant

ways, including maps, graphs and tables.

The new GED



test of social

studies

Focus:

Civics and government (50%); US history

(20%); economics (15%); and geography and the

world (15%)

What’s tested:

Textual analysis and understanding;

data representation and inference skills; as well as

problem solving with social studies content; 50% in

scenarios

Social Studies

• Read complex text

• Use prior knowledge about the concept in the text, i.e.,

sustainability

• Interpret multiple graphs

• Understand how qualitative data in text related to

quantitative data in chart

• Determine which graphs illustrate concepts from the

text

• Required reading: “The GED

®

_{Test: A Content}

Comparison Between 2002 and 2014,” (Appendix D of

The Assessment Guide for Educators

, November 2012

release, pages 2.86-2.91

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/2487f6

e1ca5659684cbe1f8b16f564d0.pdf

• Bonus: “What is Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model?”

Chapter 2, pages 1.10-1.12

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a508

0ec229f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• View "Exploring the Social Studies Module of the 2014

GED

®

Test” webinar (January 22, 2013)

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

• What conclusions did you reach after reviewing the

Social Studies Practices and Content Topics

comparing the 2002 and 2014 GED

®

_test?

• Were the similarities or differences those you were

expecting?

• What implications could the similarities and differences

have for how you think about preparing students?

Instructions

1. Review the Social Studies Practices (pages

2.86-2.87) as well as the Social Studies Content Topics

(pages 2.88-2.89).

2. Select three to five that challenge or interest you.

3. Create a table like the one on the next slide that lists

of the practices and content topics you’ve selected.

You’ll notice that there is a column to record current

and potential strategies.

4. Fill in the table for your selected Social Studies

Practices or Social Studies Content Topics.

Week 7: Practice (the template)

2002 Social Studies

Practices or Content

Topics

Current

Instructional

Strategies

2014 Social Studies

Practices or Content

Topics

Potential

Instructional

Strategies

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you move into Week 8, do you need to make any

adjustments?

• Welcome to Week 8—the final week in the program!

• This week, you’ll continue working with content from

Social Studies.

• By the end of this week, you will have completed an

important phase of your work with the 2014 GED

®

content areas.

• Required reading: “Social Studies Assessment

Targets,” Chapter 2,

The Assessment Guide for

Educators,

November 2012 release, pages 2.31-2.32

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/01a508

0ec229f44607e92ecbf01cc26f.pdf

• Bonus: “Item Types Across Content Areas,” Chapter 1,

The Assessment Guide for Educators,

November 2012

release, pages 1.10-1.12.

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/8e4e69

07a5c28f750a55a092e2e1190b.pdf

• Now, it’s time to put your knowledge to work and get

some practice with Social Studies items.

• Access the Social Studies Item Sampler from

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/itemsamplerss/

or

the copy that you downloaded and saved to your

desktop.

• Use the interactive version to get a sense of the

test-taker experience and how items display.

• Ask yourself

– What cognitive skills (listing, organizing, inferring)

will test-takers be using?

• “The most valuable thing I learned in the last two

weeks was…”

• “The easiest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “The hardest thing for me to grasp was…”

• “Now, I would like to know more about…”

• Use the template on the next slide to create a table

that includes all the new for 2014 Social Studies

Practices and Content Topics (see page 2.84).

• Consider both your current and potential portfolio of

practices. What can you use, adapt, or create?

• As you do this work, you will find learning strategies

that you’re already using that will apply to the new

specifications and learning strategies that you may

have to add.

Week 8: Practice (the template)

2014 Social Studies Practices and Content

Topics: What’s New

Learning strategies that you already use or

may need to develop

• Take stock of this week’s work.

• Did you achieve your learning objectives?

• What activities enhanced your learning?

• What if any obstacles did you encounter?

• As you complete Week 8, how comfortable to you feel

with the content area information? How can you

continue your self-directed learning?

QUESTIONS? EMAIL

[email protected]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

PARTICIPATION!