Assessment Preview
Unit 1 · Lesson 1.11 · Last updated May 20, 2026
A 45-minute lesson preparing students for the Unit 1 summative assessment through rubric review, sample scoring practice, and an optional Econo-Word vocabulary game.
Overview
In this lesson students prepare for the upcoming summative assessment. Students get a preview of the Unit 1 summative assessment, familiarize themselves with the rubric, and apply the rubric to two sample responses.
Learning Objectives
- Identify requirements for Principles of Economic Thinking in the News.
- Explain how the summative assessment will be evaluated.
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Materials
- Instruction Slides (display during class period)
- Principles of Economic Thinking in the News pp. 4–5 (class set — 1 copy per student; consider plastic sheet protectors to discourage writing on the document)
- Sample Article pp. 6–7 (1 copy per pair of students)
- Practice Scoring pp. 8–9 (1 copy per student)
- Suggested Responses pp. 10–11 (1 copy for educator reference)
- Optional (for classes longer than 45 minutes): Econo-Word Cards pp. 12–14 (class set — 1 set of 20 cards per group of 4, cut apart; consider cardstock for longevity), Econo-Word Instructions p. 15, and a timing device (1 per group)
Lesson Sequence
Slides 2–3
- Display Slide 2 and tell students to discuss the prompt on the slide with a peer.
- Proceed to Slide 3 and introduce the learning objectives for the lesson. Additional educator tips and suggested answers are in the notes section throughout Instruction Slides.
Slides 4–12
- Display Slide 4. Instruct students to get out their course notebook or a blank sheet of paper. Explain that students will be introduced to the assessment Principles of Economic Thinking in the News and will have time to review the requirements and rubric. Students will complete the assessment in the next class period.
- Proceed to Slide 5. Distribute 1 copy of Principles of Economic Thinking in the News to each student and remind them not to write on the class set.
- Instruct students to read the "Task" and "Criteria for Success" sections. Encourage students to note any questions that arise.
- Progress through Slides 6–10. Review and clarify assessment expectations using the no-stakes true/false quiz to assess students' understanding of the assessment components.
- Proceed to Slide 11. Remind students the rubric is their roadmap to success. Instruct students to read the rubric on Principles of Economic Thinking in the News. Clarify student questions related to the rubric.
- Display Slide 12. Instruct students to discuss the questions on the slide with a peer. Pause to clarify any questions about the rubric or the assessment. Remind students that questions often arise once work begins — there will be an opportunity to ask questions later in the lesson and in the next class.
Slides 13–19
- Progress through Slides 13–14. Tell students they will practice applying the rubric to two samples. Distribute 1 copy of Practice Scoring to each student and 1 copy of Sample Article to each pair. Allow pairs approximately 15 minutes to complete the task outlined on Slide 14. Circulate to answer questions. Collect the class set of Principles of Economic Thinking in the News as students work.
- Proceed to Slide 15. Poll the class on how each sample was scored. Discuss scoring and rationale as a class. Use Slides 16–17 and Suggested Responses to support discussion as needed.
- Proceed through Slide 18 and ask students to recall their confidence ranking from the activator.
- Advance to Slide 19. Explain what students need to complete before the next lesson to maximize their writing time.
Slides 20–21
- Progress through Slides 20–21. Direct students to get out a piece of scratch paper (a quarter sheet will suffice) and follow the instructions on Slide 21.
- Collect summarizers and review for common areas of confusion to address at the start of the assessment workday.
Optional — Econo-Word (15 min, Slides 22–25): For classes longer than 45 minutes, place students into groups of 4 and play Econo-Word using the Econo-Word Cards and Econo-Word Instructions. Allow approximately 8 minutes of play, then debrief using Slides 24–25. Pro Tip: Make it a competition by tracking which group won the most cards.
Aligned Standards
Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics
What Educators Are Saying
I found this to be a great way for students to learn how these concepts manifest themselves in every day life. I had students doing articles on sports, clothing, politics, and even pop culture and all were successful in their explanations.
Connecting economic concepts to current events and requiring the students to do their own research really added value to this summative assessment.
The true/false slides for checking for understanding about the summative seem below level (and yet students ask these questions!).