Generative Topic: People in Colonial History Unit-level Understanding Goals addressed by this performance: Sentence Form (Question Form): Students will understand the strengths and limitations of biography as a genre for comparing and contrasting the lives and values of their chosen figures with the founding fathers, colonial culture generally, and our current values. (What can biographies tell us about history?) Understanding Performances: [Assignment: Students choose a colonial figure not previously studied, carry out research on that person's life, and document it in a "Life Album."] Students produce a Study Guide for their Life Album that allows readers of the album to check their understanding of its intended main points. Students write an evaluative essay about the sources they used, describing the degree to which the available sources allowed them to present a complete and accurate portrait of the person's life. Students give an oral presentation of the research that enables others to understand the person that they researched. Students keep a process journal of reflections on their work. Ongoing Assessment: Feedback: Informal and oral by peers and teacher Written reflections by student Formal, written evaluation by student and teacher Criteria: Used as a performance guide during research and production process by students, peers, and teacher Used to evaluate final product

Pictures of Practice Contents Introduction The Colonial Biography Unit (7th Grade History) A Year of Seventh Grade English A Year of Eighth Grade Science The Jazz Unit Snapshot Using the CCDT to Develop Generative Topics