The following blog post references an assessment titled Ancient Realms: The Podcast. Links for quick access to documents can be found here:
The design for my 6th-grade ELA end-of-unit assessment began with the core belief: If you do not know what you are assessing, then you do not know what you are teaching. Anchoring my unit with a final assessment forced me to ask a critical question: What do I want my 6th graders to know and be able to do by the end of this? Using a backward design approach (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) ensures that every lesson, from our first read of Hatshepsut: His Majesty, Herself to our analysis of Greek myths, was purposefully building the skills my students would need.
Further, I asked myself: Is my assessment measuring the right thing? Are my lessons building the skills my students need? A podcast format allows me to measure more than recall; it assesses my students’ ability to synthesize, analyze, and communicate. Assessment should be continuous and cyclical to support teaching and learning (Shepard, 2000). This project is a culmination of that cycle.
Fairness and Authentic Engagement
My decision to use a podcast was also focused on fairness. Fairness is not about everyone getting the same thing; it is about learners receiving what they need. My classroom includes struggling readers, and a spoken assessment allows students to showcase their comprehension and analytical skills through oral communication. Some students are often unable to show their strengths when assessments are limited to traditional writing. This approach is designed to be equitable and provide each learner with what they need to succeed.
To ensure this, the assessment process does not end with a final submission. Once podcasts are submitted, students will receive peer feedback through an informal Google Classroom Stream post. I will also provide groups with detailed feedback through a single-column rubric (Hashem, 2017).
Then, I will have a collaborative conversation with the group about their work to ensure that groups have a clear understanding of their progress. This is a move away from the single, summative number that Kohn (2011) argues can shut down creativity and authentic engagement. While this project will receive a grade, the focus remains on the process of learning and doing, not just a final score.
Designing Ancient Realms: The Podcast
In groups of three, students will produce a 15-minute podcast titled “Ancient Realms.” Each student will take on the role of an expert on one of three key characters from our Unit 2 texts: Hatshepsut, Percy Jackson, or Perseus.
The podcast will follow a structured format:
- Introduction (1-2 minutes): The group introduces the podcast and its purpose.
- Expert Interviews (3-4 minutes each): Each expert is interviewed by their group members, providing a summary of their character, discussing at least three character traits with explicit textual evidence, and referencing the specific text.
- Thematic Connection & Conclusion (1-2 minutes): The group collectively discusses how their characters and their stories connect to the unit essential question: “How does history inform and inspire us?” Students must also integrate at least three unit vocabulary words during this segment.
Supporting Student Success
The assessment is structured to ensure students are well-prepared for success. Some features are:
- Brainstorming with T-Charts: Students will individually use t-charts to brainstorm character traits and gather supporting textual evidence for their chosen expert character. This pre-recording phase is important for organizing their thoughts and ensuring that we are all on the same page from the start.
- Clear Guidelines: The detailed handout outlines all project requirements, the podcast structure, character options, and the grading rubric. This ensures clear criteria for success.
- Vocaroo for Recording: We will use Vocaroo, a free and user-friendly online recording tool, making the technology accessible to all students.
- Submission via Google Classroom Stream: One group member will post the Vocaroo link to the Google Classroom stream for easy sharing to facilitate peer-to-peer feedback.
Alignment with Standards
This assessment is intentionally aligned with several key 6th-grade ELA standards, including:
- Reading Literature (RL.6.1, RL.6.4, RL.6.9): Citing textual evidence, analyzing word choice and meaning, and comparing characters across texts.
- Reading Informational Text (RI.6.1): Citing textual evidence from informational texts (in the case of Hatshepsut).
- Writing (W.6.8, W.6.9): Gathering information and drawing evidence to support analysis (through the preparation phase).
- Speaking & Listening (SL.6.1): Engaging in collaborative discussions, asking and answering questions, and presenting information clearly.
- Language (L.6.4, L.6.6): Determining word meanings and acquiring/using academic vocabulary.
Visualizing the Project: The Slide Deck
To further support student understanding, I have created a slide deck that visually breaks down the project into manageable steps. This will be presented in class to guide students through the expectations and structure of the assessment.
Accessing the Handout
For a complete overview of the Ancient Realms: The Podcast, including detailed instructions and the grading rubric, please see the PDF handout below:
Conclusion
I am excited for the 2025-2026 school year to implement the Ancient Realms: The Podcast assessment in my classroom. This project offers a meaningful and engaging way for students to demonstrate their understanding of our unit while developing key skills. I hope this project inspires other educators to think beyond traditional assessments and to consider how a focus on fairness and student-centered design can engage and empower their students.
I developed this unit plan with the assistance of Google Gemini. This blog post was polished using Grammarly generative AI.
References
Gemini. (2025). Gemini (2.5 Flash) [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com
Grammarly. (2025). Generative AI Assistance. https://app.grammarly.com
Hashem, D. (2017, October 24). 6 reasons to try a single-point rubric. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-reasons-try-single-point-rubric/
Kohn, A. (2011). The case against grades. Alfie Kohn. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, (2nd Ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.