Assessment Project. 1. Given the text as a reference, students will be able to describe four roles of political parties in national elections.

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1 Matt Barrow Assessment Project Civics and Economics Standards of Learning: CE.5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the political process at the local, state, and national levels of government by a) describing the functions of political parties; b) comparing the similarities and differences of political parties; c) analyzing campaigns for elective office, with emphasis on the role of the media; d) examining the role of campaign contributions and costs; e) describing voter registration and participation; f) describing the role of the Electoral College in the election of the President and Vice President. Learning Objectives: 1. Given the text as a reference, students will be able to describe four roles of political parties in national elections. 2. Given descriptions of different political parties, students will be able to recognize three similarities and three differences between the various organizations. 3. Given a newspaper article and a recorded campaign speech, students will be able to differentiate fact from candidates opinion, identifying two instances of each. 4. Given a list of current presidential campaign expenditures, students will be able to analyze three ways in which rising campaign costs effect campaigning for public office. 5. Given the text as a reference, students will be able to indicate three qualifications necessary to vote in Virginia as well as two ways to register to vote in Virginia. 6. Given a population map of the United States, students will be able to identify the ten states that receive the most electoral votes. 7. Given an electoral map of the United States, students will be able to predict three states in which candidates spend disproportionately large amounts of money on advertising.

2 8. Given a class lecture, students will be able to identify two roles of mass media in elections and three examples of how mass media emphasizes issues, drawn from the following: a. Roles i. Identifying Candidates ii. Provide differing viewpoints iii. Distribute information about candidates to wide audience iv. Attract voters by highlighting candidates strategies b. Examples i. Writing editorials ii. Political cartoons iii. Op-ed pieces iv. Broadcasting expository pieces v. Publishing fact-checks Justification: A multiple-choice exam format is useful for an assessment of knowledge of social studies because it provides an opportunity to measure a variety of learning outcomes, not just simple memorization or other low taxonomy levels of learning. It also allows for a broad sample of achievement to be assessed, with incorrect answers providing diagnostic feedback to the teacher. Finally, student guessing influences their scores less, and they are also unable to bluff their answers. The shortcomings of this format, however, are that it is an ineffective means for students to be able to organize and express their ideas, thus potentially masking their true level of comprehension. A student s reading ability can also affect their score if they are unable to comprehend the meaning of the questions asked. The use of a short essay at the end of this assessment is advantageous because it allows the teacher to directly observe a student s writing skills, which in turn provides the student the opportunity to apply what they have learned and to integrate their thinking and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, it contributes to student learning by requiring them to organize information constructively in order to recall information to supply an answer, not simply guess. The disadvantages of the essay are that it only samples one small part of the learning objectives used and it is can be tricky for the student to relate to the intended learning outcomes because they can choose how to answer the question. They can also artificially inflate their scores by exceptional writing skills and bluffing.

3 Part I: Multiple Choice. Write the letter of the correct answer on the line provided (3 points each). 1. One essential function of a political party in national elections is A. writing legislation. B. nominating a candidate. C. interpreting the constitution. D. appointing cabinet members. 2. Political parties choose a person to run for office by holding preliminary statewide elections called A. referendums. B. vetoes. C. inaugurations. D. primaries. 3. The stated ideals and goals of a political party is know as it s A. caucus. B. electorate. C. platform. D. campaign. 4. According to the text, third parties differ from the two major political parties because third parties A. use negative campaign advertisements. B. are often concerned with one issue. C. nominate two candidates for president. D. tend to have more official membership. 5. According to the text, one common goal of all political parties is to A. influence public policy. B. make war with other countries. C. appoint diplomatic officials. D. protect former presidents. 6. In a recent campaign speech, a presidential candidate stated that government should work for us, not against us. This is an example of the candidate s use of A. fact. B. propaganda. C. media bias. D. opinion.

4 7. In a recent televised debate, a presidential candidate stated that we spend over $500 billion on defense each year. This is an example of the candidate s use of A. propaganda. B. opinion. C. fact. D. media bias. 8. The rising costs of campaigns require candidates to A. conduct extensive fundraising activities. B. advertise less on television. C. travel to fewer places to give speeches. D. raise taxes to pay for their campaigns. 9. According to lecture, one negative aspect of increasing campaign costs is that A. more tax breaks are given to the middle class. B. special interest groups no longer donate to candidates. C. some people push for campaign finance reform. D. wealthy individuals have a greater advantage. 10. According to current state law, a requirement to vote in Virginia is that a person must be A. 18 years of age. B. employed. C. a landowner. D. able to read. 11. According to the text, in Virginia, a common place where a person may register to vote is A. a federal credit union branch. B. the station of their local law enforcement agency. C. any Department of Motor Vehicles location. D. their local public library

5 Use the following map to answer questions Of the states labeled, which one has the most electoral votes? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D Of the states labeled, which one has the fewest electoral votes? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D According to the text, states in which neither candidate has a significant lead in preliminary election polls are known as states. A. primary B. caucus C. swing D. electoral

6 15. According to lecture, in a state with a relatively large population that is considered to be up for grabs in an election, both candidates are likely to A. spend much more money on advertising. B. make unrealistic campaign promises. C. give fewer speeches to large audiences. D. attend a greater number of church services. Part II: Short Essay (5 points). During class lecture, we identified various roles of mass media such as television and newspapers in elections. In a brief paragraph, list three roles that mass media play in elections and identify two specific examples of how mass media can emphasize a particular issue. Limit your response to one half-page. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar will not be counted in your grade.

7 Answer Key: 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. D 7. C 8. A 9. D 10. A 11. C 12. D 13. B 14. C 15. A Scoring criteria for essay: 1 point for each of the four roles named, up to a maximum of 3 points 1 point for each appropriate example used, up to a maximum of 2 points No penalty for spelling, punctuation, or grammar No extra credit for providing more than 3 roles or 2 examples