Grade+3+Preparing+for+the+SBAs

Lesson Title: SBA Challenges

Submitted by: Linnet` Moser

Grade Level: done with 3rd grade but would be appropriate 3rd – 6th grade

Standard: 1B (Demonstrates awareness of personal traits.) “I am aware of what I like and dislike, as well as my strengths and challenges.”

Materials: Handout

Time: 15 – 20 minutes

Objective/Goals: To get students to identify aspects of tasks or activities that might be challenging and begin to think about how they would address those challenges in a positive and productive way.

Lesson Description: In order to help prepare my third graders for their first experience with the SBA test, I asked them to think about things that they might find challenging or difficult and how we can cope / adapt with challenging situations in advance. We discussed other challenging situations and brainstormed how to meet that challenge (left lunch at home, being teased, going to a new school, being shown a new or difficult skill to learn / master etc.) Then I showed the students an example of how I would identify a challenge in my own life and how I would identify what I needed to do to meet the challenge.

The students were asked to think for 1 minute about what might make the SBA tests challenging for them and how they could meet that challenge. They were given the handout and asked to complete it independently.

Assessment: Obtrusive – review of completed papers

The students wrote:

__On the SBA test, some questions might be hard, so I will go back and look at the story.__

__On the SBA test, if I get frustrated, I will take a deep breath and stay calm.__

__On the SBA test, some questions might be hard, so I will say “we can do this” and “Do your best”__

__I am used to talking, so I will try my best not to talk on the SBA test.__

A follow-up could be to make a display of the student response and share them with the class, as well as posting the display in the school.

Additional follow-up would be to review their work after the SBA test and continue the discussion about what was challenging for them and how they coped with that.