Summative Assessment: Agency and Action in the World Today

How do I empower myself to take action on behalf of myself and others?

What individual or group inspires you to use your own power, agency, and voice to take action?

• Make real-world connections that explore historical and contemporary contexts in literature.
• Recognize the power that comes with telling their own story and engaging with the stories of others.

Start by modeling the assignment with a Think Aloud in which you share your own example of someone who inspires you to use your agency, power, and voice to take action. Then explain why they inspire you. Make sure you provide specific examples to model the kind of response that students should try to develop.

As a class, make a list on the board of individuals and groups students might choose from—a relative, friend, mentor, coach, or someone more well known. Have them choose one from the list or their own idea to write about in a journal response and then share ideas with a partner. Have them choose one from the list or their own idea to write about in a journal response and then share ideas with a partner.

Next, pass out the Agency and Action in the World Today handout and choose one of the options below.

•  Homework Assignment: Students respond to the questions on the handout, supporting their ideas with evidence from their lives or information they research about the individual or group that inspires them. It is important that you communicate the criteria for their responses if you plan to grade their work. 
• Two-Day Assignment: Students gather ideas by responding to the questions on the Agency and Action in the World Today handout. Then they engage in a peer-review activity to help identify the strengths of their response and areas that could use further attention. The reviewer should first say something positive about the response and then pose two or three questions to help the writer explore an idea in more depth by adding specific examples or background information. 

Have students use the information on their handouts and from the peer review to craft a short piece of writing that responds to the question: Which individual or group in the world today inspires you to use your own power, agency, and voice to take action on your behalf or on behalf of others?