IDM: Summative Performance Tasks; Arguments, Extensions, Taking Informed Action

 4th Grade Social Studies Lesson

        Summative performance tasks are directly aligned to an inquiries compelling question and 

require students to construct an evidence-based argument in response to it (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017).

An argument is a collection of claims that are built upon evidence from a researchable question (Grant, 

Lee, Swan, 2015). As mentioned in my prior post, the 4th grade social studies lesson in Mrs. Crowe's

class did not provide the framework for students to investigate an inquiry and develop an evidence-based

argument. In the Inquiry Design Model, students have multiple options when presenting their argument 

such as creating a bullet-point outline, writing an essay, or designing a poster. The students in Mrs.

Crowe's class had an Exit Ticket that consisted of answering the question, "Why is culture so important

to a particular people or nation?". Although similar to the initial essential question at the beginning of the

lesson, "Why is dance so important to the Native American culture?", the lesson in no way prepared the 

students to answer this exit ticket effectively. Furthermore, the students were not provided with options

as to how they could respond to the questions. Posters, and outline, or an essay were not offered as 

possibilities for students responses. The exit ticket demanded correct answers.

        Two more aspects of the summative performance task are offered in the Inquiry Design Model;

Extensions and Taking Informed Action (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017). Extensions offer teachers the 

opportunity to expand their students understanding through creative and expressive methods such as 

multiple forms of art (painting, drawing, acting, music, dance), video creation (documentary or newscast), 

website design, or having a debate in the classroom (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017). Whereas the summative 

performance task is a convergent assessment relating back to the compelling question, the extension is a

divergent task or assessment that enables teachers to expand their students' understandings (Grant, Lee, 

Swan, 2015). Extensions provide an additional opportunity for students to engage and interact with the 

ideas and information that are fundamental to the inquiry (Grant, Lee, Swan, 2015).

        The IDM provides ample opportunity for students to struggle and engage with the information that

is central to the inquiry. My students time struggling and engaging with key information was extremely 

brief, the information they were engaging with was superfluous and did not require necessary social study 

skills or strategic thinking on their part. Additionally, other than the dance and craft activity within the 

lesson, the students were not provided with further opportunity to use creative or expressive modalities 

to impart their understanding of the lesson. Nothing was offered beyond the exit ticket. Although 

well-meaning, the dance and craft activities within the instructional sequence of my lesson plan

were really misguided, misplaced tasks that truly did not benefit the students in their study on 

Native American culture. Those activities were merely accoutrements that perhaps added a bit of fun for 

the students, but did not offer an extended engagement to deep inquiry. The children merely had a 

"moment" of an experience that was maybe slightly similar to what Native Americans did as part of their 

daily lives. 

        Taking informed action is an exciting aspect of IDM that enables the students to take the learning

from the classroom and empowers them to become engaged, civically responsible citizens (Grant, Swan, 

Lee, 2017). In this portion of IDM, students take informed action in 3 stages; understand, assess, act

(Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017). In the understand stage, students exhibit that they can think about the ideas 

and issues within the inquiry and apply them in a different setting or context (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017). 

In the assess stage, students consider whether the actions they want to take make sense as they look at 

multiple perspectives, possibilities, and schemes (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017). In the act stage, students 

decide if, when, and/or how they will implement the plans they have created (Grant, Swan, Lee, 2017).

This is where students learning comes alive and helps them to realize that there is a very real and

 important purpose to them learning social studies. It emboldens and excites them to learn more and 

be active participants in the world around. 

        Reflecting on my practice and preparation for my social studies lesson, informed action was

not even a thought within my preparation. Even if it were possible to take the students to a Native

American museum or a Native American reservation to provide a more in-depth experience, that 

still would not have incorporated informed action as a part of the lesson. With all that has to be completed

within the children's school day, my mind is focused on getting the information from the text across 

to them in a creative way that may incorporate different learning styles. However, although I know it's

 crucial to link students learning to their everyday lives, my lesson does not incorporate nor discuss any 

current, difficult issues that Native Americans are facing today. How much more engaging would it have 

been for the students to learn and realize that many Native Americans are faced with the threat of fracking

on their land? This would not only inform students about what is currently going on in the world around 

them, it tears down any bias that may exist and inspires action, and perhaps further inquiry and 

investigation due to interest. In a 40-50 minute lesson, the IDM not only provides students with a deep

dive into social studies content, it also equips and emboldens them as intelligent, responsible, active, 

and engaged citizens in an increasingly challenging, complex, and ever-changing world. IDM ultimately

provides and increases self-efficacy for our students, something that all of us as educators strive to instill

in the children within our classrooms.