Creating Standards-Based Lessons in the Social Studies Using Pre-Assessment as a Tool When states prepare their curricula to meet their standards, they usually include input and review from teachers and different grade levels. As in other disciplines, social studies standards assume that student understandings and skills will develop incrementally. The same objectives may be repeated across grade levels, but student expectations increase each year. At each grade level incoming students from middle school through high school demonstrate vastly different levels of ability and understanding. At the beginning of the school term, as well as at the beginning of each unit of instruction, the teacher may not know what students have been taught and what they have retained. Pre-assessment is a useful tool that can help determine what needs to be reviewed, emphasized, or introduced for the first time. Building Pre-Assessment Tools Because states provide detailed standards at each level, teachers have a resource from which to build pre-assessment tools. These tools may include oral or written feedback, formal or informal methods, a broad or narrow focus. Here we will discuss the creation and use of a specific formal pre-test for social studies. Such a test, using a broad range of questions, may be used at the beginning of the school term. A more specific body of knowledge may be pre-tested at the beginning of a new unit or chapter. Pre-Testing Comprehension of Chronology Students often learn social studies content in compartmentalized units. This is a natural process because of the advantage of focusing on narrow and specific topics. While some students may at times make connections across these units of knowledge, all can benefit from an occasional presentation of a broader view. Pre-testing provides direction for preparing a lesson that attempts to put events in a broader context. Follow these steps to build a successful pre-test of students' knowledge of chronology: Refer to state standards for two previous grades. Make a list of the specific references to dates, order of events, and eras. Construct 10-20 multiple choice questions from the list. Choose 10 major events; include them on the pre-test in random order; have students arrange them in chronological order. Assessing the Pre-Test After students have taken the pre-test, the teacher can determine both the range of students' knowledge and the average ability of the class to answer specific questions. Test scores will provide some insight into the range of knowledge. A graphic curve may make this easier to visualize and also provide a reference for comparison with other pre-tests. Count the number of correct and/or incorrect responses to each question. This will provide clues to the average ability of the class on specific questions and give the teacher direction for correcting deficiencies in future lessons. Tools for Teaching a Chronological View Scoring a pre-test of students' understanding of the relation of chronological events can be very discouraging. After the initial shock, however, a teacher may want to address the deficiencies. Here are some useful tools: Cause/effect comparisons. Provide a set of written related events either on paper or on the board. Have students place them in order explaining what the cause and effect were for each development. Time lines. Have students create a time line of events in a chapter or unit to be studied. This is a more interesting assignment if the time line is illustrated with art, cartoons, and so on. Post students' time lines on the bulletin board or wall. Historic world map. Hand out to each student a blank map of the world. Choose a certain date or period, for example the A.D. 1500s. Have students place the names of civilizations that existed at the time on the map and/or events that happened in that century. Allow students to use their texts for this assignment. This article was contributed by David Glunt, social studies teacher at Tree of Life Christian High School in Columbus, Ohio. He also teaches American Civilization at Columbus State Community College.