Summative Assessment: Agency and Action in the World Today

About This Assessment

Having agency—the power and ability to make decisions and take action on your own behalf—doesn’t always have to include participation in movements or lead to sweeping social change. As students have learned from the resources and learning experiences in this text set, speaking up or standing up for oneself can be a powerful demonstration of agency.

This assessment invites students to draw connections between the concepts they have explored in this text set and the world around them. They will first identify an example of individual or collective agency in the world today that inspires them and then reflect on its significance. If time allows, this assessment could be the initial step of a larger research project.

Essential Question

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

Guiding Question

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

Facing History Learning Outcomes

• 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.

Activities

Activity 1: Model the Assignment 

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.

Activity 2: Prepare with a Journal Reflection

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.

Activity 3: Complete “Agency and Action in the World Today” Assignment

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?