“Here they come around the turn…” One week before the Final Exam

We are closing out strong. The Social Studies final exam starts on Monday, 2/25 and lasts until Friday, 2/29. For this week’s blog, I thought I would focus on 10 things that can be done this week for all students to enhance their chances of doing well on this important exam and help strengthen their status in the class for second trimester. All of these items should be integrated into student academic habits not merely this week, but throughout their remaining time in this class.


* Focus this week’s in class and on nightly assignments- With one week to go, students should pay attention to all the nightly tasks this week. Our discussion will address the Civil Rights amendments and final points that need to be made on the Constitution. I believe that while students are studying all that will be present on the Final Exam, there might be a tendency to forget the items discussed this week. This would be a mistake, so being mindful of this week’s content might prevent such a miscalculation from happening.

* Work on the study guide each night- Students were given a two page study guide which addressed all pertinent items on the final exam on Friday, 2/15 (Extra copies can be found on this blog under the hyperlink of “Handouts.”) It is strongly advised that students make nightly progress on this packet, one section at a time. Students should use their notes, any work they have created, as well as their textbook in addressing what each concept is and why it is important. Naturally, since the format of the test is multiple choice, students should be able to state specific facts relating to each concept as well as its overall general importance or significance. The study guide is comprehensive, so time should be devoted to it on a nightly and incremental basis.

* Generate questions about study guide and compose them on a separate list, segmented out by chapter/ concept- As students work on their study guides, any areas of question or wonderment should be noted in a separate list. My hope is that they understand much of the study guide, as it is review of material that we have discussed throughout the trimester. Yet, areas that require further analysis should be noted on a separate list, and as these areas are addressed, there should be a stronger sense of confidence developed about these topics.

* Attend study sessions with questions that need to be answered- There will be lunchtime study sessions held this week, as well as a Friday morning study session. This puts the number of study sessions at 5. Students can attend any and all of these, as all study sessions will be generated by student questions which make them all uniquely distinctive and different. The study sessions could be excellent opportunities where student questions can be answered. While these are informal question and answer sessions, where there will be no formalized reteaching of concepts, attendance will be taken. Students who are having challenges with the format of the exam, or the concepts presented should use these sessions as opportunities to open the dialogue and minimize confusion about what is being presented. Passes will be made available on the table outside of my room. It will require a sacrifice from students, as they will have to make a choice between the opportunity to socialize with colleagues and gain further understanding about the exam and what is expected form students on it. This is a choice they will have to make. The opportunities to maximize student success are there, and the hope is that students will seize it.

* Examine the blog- Complete some of the extra credit offered this week. As we are taking stock of where students are and what is laid in front of them, the reality is that at the time of composing this blog, there are over 1300 points for this trimester. In addition to this, there have been over 100 points of extra credit offered. Perhaps, this week would be one week where students might seek to bolster their standing in the class before the final exam by completing some of the extra credit offered on this blog. The “Wacky Metaphoric Analysis” could yield up to nine points of extra credit for well composed written answers, and identifying the speaker of the quotations has proven to be quite lucrative for a handful of 7-1 students. Finally, if we generate 100 votes on this week’s poll question, every student on the team will receive 10 points for exercising their democratic sensibilities. All of these could be dismissed as “easy points,” but the looming storm of a 500 point exam might require students to secure their grade before it hits. I see little wrong with building up some “rainy day” points, in the event it pours next week. (There's one more piece of advice similar to this one soon enough.)

* Extra credit- As long as there have been teachers and students, there has been the question of extra credit. I think there is little doubt as to where I stand. Extra credit is an opportunity for all students, made available to all students, and designed in order to assist all students. At this point in their academic careers, I believe students must understand that academic success can take different forms. Students can be proficient at taking tests, demonstrate strength in their writing, and excel at assembling projects. I also believe that students should strive to go beyond the content in acquiring as many points as possible. Perhaps this means dong more work, or opening a dialogue with parents/ guardians about what is transpiring in the classroom via obtaining signatures. Last week, students were given a series of extra credit tasks offered on the Constitution and the current political climate. Exploring one or more of these options could prove to be both academically lucrative and intellectually enlightening for all students. The due date for completed tasks to be submitted is Thursday, March 6, 2008. While these reside in the long term, students can get this week’s syllabus and progress report signed for extra credit. Again, this opportunity is made available to all students in the hope of helping all students.

* Completing the daily points questions- Another opportunity open to all has come in the form of daily points. Over the last two weeks, students have been greeted with their entrance into class with “Daily Points.” These are random questions on the Constitution and serve as an excellent source of test question material on the Constitution. Each student receives one random question and a successful answer yields fifteen points. If a student wanted to test their knowledge base on the Constitution, these questions are posted on the blog (under the handouts link) and can be printed out, completed, and submitted for extra credit points. In a larger sense, completing these questions helps to gauge student understanding on a concept that will be prevalent on the Final Exam.

* Examine the blog, part 2- As long as I have taught, I have always featured a “Final Exam.” I think there is something quite powerful about demonstrating what is known in one setting, displaying focused energy throughout. This week, I will be posting previous Final Exam questions from the last couple of years on the blog (under the handouts link.) Former final exam questions will be on the exam. These questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night. I will have the answer keys posted in the Team 7-1 Team area, so students can check how they fared with these and any questions can start a discussion. While the questions will be different on this year’s final exam, I think it might help to serve as a good guide to familiarize students with topics covered. Exam questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night.

* Pay attention to the guide on how to study- Students were given a handout on Friday, 2/15, which outlines a method on “how to study” for this Final Exam. I realize that all of our students have their own methodology for exam studying. Yet, in giving students some of my personal advice on how to prepare for this comprehensive assessment, I believe that it might help students engage in a worthy internal discussion of metacognition; How do I know what I know? I believe that some professionals simply “assume” students “know” how to study, and while this might be true for some, I believe that other students simply have been told to “study.” This document might offer some strategies on how to proceed with this element of being told to “study.”

* Make the commitment and keep the commitment to doing well- As students focus on wanting to do well on the final exam, the reality is that students will have to work as hard as they can to do so. I have told students to assume or take as a fact that this exam will be the hardest exam they have ever taken. I sense that a tendency of 7th grade students is to demonstrate a sense of pride, sometimes hubris, that indicates that little can surprise them. My hope is that we can seek to minimize this. Students who anticipate challenge and embrace its reality are lifelong learners and true scholars. 7th grade students who choose not to study because they believe that they “know it all” demonstrate arrogance. One need only examine literature such as Sophocles or Shakespeare or examine the narratives of American History to see what happens when one demonstrates hubris when modesty should be displayed. I sense that if students want to do well, they must make a commitment to doing their best in preparing and ensuring comprehension of the components on the final exam. If they do and are willing to uphold their commitments in the face of those who might not possess the same sense of zeal, they will find success.

When I envisioned all the goals for this year’s Social Studies classes, taking this final exam was one of the benchmarks that would serve to measure our journey. We continue our voyage this week with final preparations and execution next week.

The nightingales are waiting to sing their songs. In the silence of preparation, one can hear emerging notes whose harmonies remind us of the promises and possibilities of what we do and to what idylls we commit ourselves.

Happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan