The Blind Men and the Elephant

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The Blind Men and the Elephant

• And so those men of Indostan
• Disputed loud and long
• Each in his own opinion
• Exceedingly stiff and strong
• Though each was partly in the right
• And all of them were wrong.
• John Godfrey Saxe (1816 - 1887)
• Use multiple means of assessment.

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Post Card Assignment

• Your Final ProductA post card for place,
  process, animal, plant, or system we have studied
  in this unit.
• Grade based on
• Clarity
• Accuracy
• Reasonableness
• Completeness

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Male adult monarch butterfly

Male specialized scales
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Satellite Image of Erosion in Death Valley
Alluvial fans formed by deposition of eroded
materials
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Post card
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Devils Claw Seed Pod
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Immature Devils Claw
Maturing Ovary
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Finding Commonalities

• What did all the post cards have in common?
• Commonalities become requirements

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Requirements

• Picture and text on the front of the card, giving
  the answer.
• To whom
• Mailing address
• A stamp
• A greeting
• Give clear and accurate information
• Be prepared to read your postcard
• Be prepared to give your reasons for different
  things on your post card
• Optional return address, zip code

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Requirements - continued

• Give clear and accurate information
• Be prepared to read your postcard
• Be prepared to give your reasons for different
  things on your post card
• Optional return address, zip code

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Your Turn

• Identify a recent unit you covered. (any subject
  area)
• Identify 5 places, processes, objects or persons
  that might be able to write a postcard.
• Brainstorm some ideas.
• Develop your postcard.

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Post Card Assignment

• Your Final ProductA post card from a place,
  process, animal, plant, or system we have studied
  in this unit.
• Grade based on
• Clear and accurate information.
• Reasonableness
• Completing all requirements

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Requirements

• Picture and text on the front of the card, giving
  the answer.
• An address
• A stamp
• A greeting
• Clear and accurate information
• Be prepared to read your postcard
• Be prepared to give your reasons for different
  things on your post card
• Optional return address, zip code

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Use of Post Cards

• Students read their post cards and have the class
  guess who or what wrote the card.
• 1. Increases oral presentation skills.
• 2. Acts as review for other students
• 3. Students can be questioned by other students
  or teacher.
• (provides insights into student thinking)
• 4. The work is scored during presentation.
  (teacher time saver)

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Practical Exam Set Up

• Tape one card to each desk before students enter
  the room.
• Number each card starting at the front of the
  room and weaving through the room in some logical
  fashion. The last number should end close to the
  number 1 card.
• Put arrows on each card showing direction of
  movement.
• Have students number a piece of paper to the
  highest number of cards you have taped down.

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Practical Exam-Student Directions

• 1. Enter the room and find a card. (one
  student/card)
• 2. Put a star by the number on the card you are
  standing next to. Only one student will start
  with the number one.
• 3. This is the pathway you will follow.
• You may look at the arrows if you do not
  remember the path

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Student Directions - continued

• 4. Read the card
• 5. Answer who or what wrote the card.
• Be sure you write your answer on the correct
  line.
• 6. As soon as you have answered the question
  turn your paper face down.

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Student Directions - continued

• 7. I will say, move to the next card when
  everyone is through. Do NOT move until I say to
  move.
• 8. Look at the arrow on the card. This will
  tell you in what direction you will move.
• 9. Now, move to the next card.
• 10. Remember to write your answer next to the
  correct number on your paper.
• Repeat this until every student has been to every
  station.

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Teacher Check

• On your own numbered paper write the answer to
  each card
• Doing this after the students have taken the
  test insures that the cards have not become
  mixed or students have written on the cards
• Score the papers using this answer key

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Other Uses

• Display the cards at back to school night.
• Display the cards at local businesses.
• Display the cards in the library.
• Have a contest, to see who can correctly identify
  all of the writers. Drawing for ties.

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Reflections For Improvement

• What did I do first? Second? Etc.?
• Why was this activity successful? Not successful?
• How could the activity be improved?

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Steps to Activity

• 1 Showed examples
• 2 Reviewed postcards to find common components
• 3 Compiled a master list of common components.
• 4 Reviewed description of product.

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• 5. Identified some places, processes, objects or
  persons that might be able to write a postcard.
• 6. Brainstormed some ideas.
• 7. Provided research and development time.

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• 8. Provided uses.
• 9. Scored

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• I hear, I forget.
• I see, I question.
• I do, I learn.
• I teach, I understand.
• I reflect, I improve.
• Adapted from
  Chinese Proverb
• by Virginia Malone

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The Road to Success Is Always Under Construction.