Reviewing for Tests and Exams the Metacognitive Thematic Way!
Exam time is coming around and students and teachers are revving up for review weeks. Every year when review week comes around, I feel frustrated about my exam review packet. It never quite meets my own standards. I want a packet that makes kids organize what they have learned, demonstrate they know how to do what they have learned, provides a structure, is organized by thematic unit, and is very active (as opposed to fill in the blank, multiple choice etc.)
Finally, this year I took the time to make my own exam packet that met all of those needs. I am really happy with the results and for the first time ever, I had students tell me that they like the exam review packet!
Each page corresponds to a thematic unit that we covered throughout the year or last two years in the case of my eight graders. On each page students have a place to organize vocabulary, grammatical structures, and "proof" that they can do the overall unit task, i.e. describe people, talk about likes or dislikes, etc. Lastly, at the bottom of each page, they have an extra space to write down questions, additional info, or concerns. I am so pleased with this thematic review that nurtures metacognition.
