David Sherrin is a Social Studies teacher at Scarsdale High School. Previously, he was a department chair and a New York City Master Teacher at Harvest Collegiate in New York City. He is the author of The Classes They Remember: Using Role-Plays to Bring Social Studies and English to Life and Judging for Themselves: Using Mock Trials to Bring Social Studies and English to Life. In 2014, David was the recipient of the 2014 Robert H Jackson Center National Award for Teaching Justice.

This engaging book will show you how to move beyond tests and essay writing to implement authentic assessments in your middle or high school social studies classroom. Award-winning teacher David Sherrin explains the value of authentic assessments and offers practical ways to get started and dive deeper in your own practice. You'll be encouraged and inspired by the real-life stories of classroom successes and failures that illustrate the points throughout the book. The chapters cover a range of categories, including different types of written, creative, and civic action assessments. The book includes:

• planning charts and rubrics showing how to use, grade, and give feedback on assessments so they truly aid student learning and progress


• specific examples, useful tips, and ready-to-go instructions that you can use immediately with your class


• open-ended assessments encourage scaffolding or adaptation for individual or group work to fit your classroom needs

You will learn how to personalize instruction and provide students with avenues for creativity and the types of learning experiences they need to be prepared for a complex world.

Introduction Part 1: Authentic Assessment 1. Authentic Assessment Q&A Part 2: Written Assessments 2. Formal Essay 3. Research Papers 4. Creative Writing Part 3: Creative and Artistic Assessments 5. Oral Communication 6. Art 7. Digital History Part 4: Civic Action Assessments 8. Civic Action Conclusion