Appendix D - Assessment and Evaluation

Sample 5: Grade 6

Topic: Developing Work Portfolios

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

Career Development

It is expected that students will:

• modify and extend their inventories of personal attributes, skills and successes
• identify transferable skills that are developed through school, cultural, and recreational activities

Overview

The unit involved students in a series of activities that explored their personal attributes, skills and successes and related these to various career opportunities. Evaluation was based on a Work Portfolio that included a research report.

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

• In groups, students discussed their personal attributes, skills, and successes and then completed personal journal entries noting how these had changed from the previous year and the year before. They used web diagrams to link their current skills, abilities, and interests to those they planned or hoped to have in the future.
• The class discussed the skills and abilities one needs in today’s working world and how those skills may be acquired. Students worked in groups to create charts categorizing the skills and identifying potential ways to acquire them (e.g., school, recreation, home, extra-curricular activities, sports, volunteer work).
• The teacher and students brainstormed occupations and recorded them on an Occupation Families diagram (e.g., health, criminal justice, scientific research, computers, construction, education, resource industry).
• Each student selected an occupation of personal interest and made a mind-map of what her or she already knew about the occupation. They then listed questions they had about the occupation. The class discussed possible sources of answers to the questions (e.g., university, a government agency, people employed in the area).
• Students located answers to their questions about the occupations of personal interest and prepared research reports on their findings. The report outlined the requirements of the occupation: skills and abilities, working conditions, things people like or dislike about the occupation, and potential opportunities for employment.
• Each student then completed a Work Portfolio. The Work Portfolio included a list of personal skills, abilities, and talents; plans to continue to build and refine these skills and abilities; a potential occupation or career choice; and the above-described research report.

Defining the Criteria

The teacher reviewed with students the prescribed learning outcomes for these activities and explained the requirements of each task. The teacher and students decided that the following key criteria should be demonstrated in the assigned tasks.

The Research Report

• presents comprehensive information about the qualifications needed for the occupation of personal interest
• accurately and realistically describes the working conditions and advantages and disadvantages of the occupation
• shows evidence that multiple sources of information were consulted

The Portfolio

• identifies a wide variety of personal skills, abilities, and talents
• recognizes individual skills and abilities as potential workplace skills
• includes reasonable plans to build and refine skills
• identifies occupations or careers that match personal skills and abilities
• effectively presents portfolio elements (e.g., clear, appropriate layout, unique characteristics)

Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

The teacher used the following rating scale to assess student performance.

Work Portfolio

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