As teachers prepare for end-of-year assessments, there have been ongoing conversations among English teachers to determine the format for the American Literature final. In previous years, this course did not include a final, making such a change a relatively new concept for both teachers and students.
Although no decision has been made regarding the format of a potential final, possible assessment styles include a traditional exam or a project-style evaluation. While exams are regarded as standard, a project-based final would better capture the core skills emphasized in the American Literature curriculum, such as creativity and literary interpretation.
“I would prefer a project. American Lit has a lot of interesting units in which the reader’s interpretation or connection to the literature is central. This wouldn’t be captured in an exam format, and I think students would produce richer and more meaningful work with a project,” Parnika Mysore, a junior at LHS, said.
Other core English classes, such as Literature and Composition I, have already implemented a project-based final called the Capstone project. This final gives students the creative freedom to explore several books of their choice throughout the year and formalize their analysis of such texts through stop-motion videos, visual art, and other creative interpretations of literary themes.
“I liked the creative freedom of the freshman Capstone project, because it helped me investigate ideas that I would not have otherwise thought about with a traditional exam,” Tejas Teneti, an LHS junior, said.
A project similar to the Capstone project would allow juniors in American Literature to synthesize their learning and engage with texts in a meaningful and personal manner. Rather than testing memorization, as traditional exam formats may do, a project would encourage analysis and thoughtful connection. For instance, a junior Capstone Project may involve analyzing texts including The Crucible, My Ántonia, The Great Gatsby, and Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” to expand on a central question or theme explored throughout the year.
“I would prefer a Capstone-like project because it better reflects a student’s overall comprehension of a certain subject, as opposed to a test-based final, and a project would provide for more creative freedom,” Teneti said.
Nonetheless, for students who feel more confident in writing, opting for a project-based final could be less compelling. Some may find more comfort in expressing complex claims, nuanced analysis, or detailed themes through writing, such as in a cumulative essay.
However, a project-based final would not need to be entirely art-focused. Instead, to ensure students also showcase analytical writing skills, teachers could require a written component along with the creative aspect. Examples could include an artist statement, reflective essay, or literary analysis, which would help display students’ writing skills and support their interpretations with evidence.
Therefore, pairing creativity and analytical writing through a project-based final will better reflect students’ learning from the American Literature curriculum.