Creating Connections: Tips for Writing Effective Test Questions 

Tests are a learning experience for the test-taker. Tests are not only a way to find out how much students know, but they are also a way to guide the test taker as to what is most important about what they are learning. Whether it is for a chapter test, a semester exam, or a test bank, I write questions that focus on details and the big picture.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts:” Teaching Intro American Government in an Election Year

William T. Bianco is professor of political science at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research focuses on congressional institutions, representation, and inequality. He is the co-author (with David Canon) of a Norton textbook, American Politics Today, as well as numerous journal articles and books.    William T. BiancoImage Credit: Paul B. One of the priorities in the …

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From Spectators to Participants: Using Videos to Promote Engagement in the History Classroom

Malia McAndrew is an educator based in Cleveland, Ohio. She has taught introductory history material to a range of audiences, including middle and high school students, undergraduates, medical students, and incarcerated women. Malia believes that studying the American past can help us to think about the future we want to co-create together. Malia McAndrewImage Credit: …

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Social Studies: Four Big Questions to Connect Then and Now

This post is adapted from a chapter in Laurel Schmidt’s book Social Studies That Sticks: How to Bring Content and Concepts to Life. Laurel Schmidt is also the author of Classroom Confidential: The 12 Secrets of Great Teachers, Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators, and Seven Times Smarter: How to Develop the Seven Intelligences in …

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Incorporating the United States into your AP® Comparative Government Course

Ryan DeMarco is an AP® Comparative Government teacher at North Cross School in Roanoke, Virginia. He is also the Global Studies Director and History Department Chair, and additionally teaches AP® U.S. History. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh, with a focus on Russian foreign policy. What an exciting …

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