Alternative Assessments for Novel Units

Multiple choice, short answer, or essay? Traditionally, those have been the most common assessment options used at the completion of a novel unit. Although these types of tests can provide feedback on how much a child recalls about a novel, alternative forms of assessments can determine what a child understands, applies, evaluates, and synthesizes.

Throughout a novel unit, teachers delve into all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, as well as the various multiple intelligences and learning styles. Higher-level questioning, graphic organizers, discussion groups, and literature centers are used to provide opportunities for critical thinking. If students are provided with differentiation throughout the unit, why not provide differentiation in the way the novel is assessed?

Offering a choice and/or varying the form of assessment allows learners the chance to create true representation of their understanding of the novel. If a group of fourth graders read James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, the teacher could provide them with several choices to assess their understanding of the story. Pupils could create a newspaper or magazine article about James' exploration while on the giant piece of fruit. Another form of assessment is to create a collage that represents James from the point of view of one of the main characters. Learners could design a graphic organizer that compares James, or one of the situations in the story to something that they have personally experienced, a topic in history, or a current event.

Alternative testing opens the door to taking assessment beyond recall. Teachers will be able to determine the depth of understanding by how the student connects the text to him or herself, other texts, or the world. Alternative assessments take testing to the highest level, and provide the most valuable feedback.

Alternative Assessment Lesson Plans For Novels:

Henry Huggins: After reading Henry Huggins, pupils will be given a variety of assessment choices, including creating advertisements, designing an aquarium, and creating a collage. Discover a great example of how to use alternative assessments. It includes several options that accommodate different learning modalities. It also shows a perfect balance between traditional assessments and performance assessments.

Charlotte's Web: At the end, learners create a poster that includes pictures and sentences that demonstrate how the book relates to their everyday lives. Assessing pupils on how they connect the text to themselves provides an in-depth look at how well they understood and internalized what was read. There is also a follow-up activity to the assessment. Pupils write a story called "Supername" based on the experiences that are included in the poster. 

Analyze a Character: After reading a novel, learners create a life-size model of a character and include descriptive information about the character's traits. Adapt this resource to other novels and grades 3 and up. It provides a great way to assess whether pupils can identify character traits. 

Literature E-Circles: Teachers collaborate with other schools to read Holes and hold online literature circles for cross-school discussions. Learners are assessed according to their participation in a discussion based on the Socratic Seminar model. This not only offers an alternative assessment, but also incorporates technology into the entire unit and the culminating activity.