GED 2014 Orientation
Steve Schmidt, ABSPD, abspd.appstate.edu,
GED 2014 Overview
- About half of all test items are multiple choice with four answer options
- Other test items will be technology related and include drop down menus, hot sports, drag and drop,
and fill in the blank with a number
Subject / Time / # of ?’s / Content / OtherMathematics / 1 Hour
30 Minutes / 46 / Quantitative problem solvingwith
- rational numbers 25%
- measurement 20%
Algebraic problem solving with
- expressions/equations 30%
- graphs/functions 25% / - TI 30 XS on screen
calculator
- First 5 questions are
calculator inactive
- New formula sheet
- Webb’s DOK 1 – 20%
Level 2 – 50%
Level 3 – 30%
Reasoning
Through Language Arts / 2 Hours
30 Minutes
(with one 10 minute break) / 51 / Reading
- Close reading of 400 to 900 word passages, each with 6 to 8 questions
- 75 % informational (science, social studies, workplace contexts )
- 25 % literature
Writing
- 45 minute separately timed extended response
Language
- Grammar, usage, capitalization, and punctuation in context / - The extended response focuses on evaluating arguments, creating arguments, and backing them with evidence
- The extended response is 18.5% of the total score
-Webb’s DOK 1 – 20%
Levels 2/3 – 80%
Science / 1 Hour
30 Minutes / 34 / Life science – 40%
Physical science – 40%
Earth and space science – 20% / - Two 10 minute short answers are 15% of total score
-Webb’s DOK 1 – 20%
Levels 2/3 – 80%
Social Studies / 1 Hour
30 Minutes / 35 / Civics and Government – 50%
US History – 20%
Economics – 15%
Geography – 15% / - 25 minute separately timed extended response (18% of the total score)
-Webb’s DOK 1 – 20%
Levels 2/3 – 80%
The Really Big Reason Not to Worry about GED 2014 is ______!
“The passing standard for high school equivalency was normed on graduating high school seniors, and the pass rate on the individual content area tests is comparable to what it was for the 2002 series.”
- Martin Kehe, VP Product Development, GED Testing Service
Name These State Capitals:
Alabama: Florida: Kentucky: Nebraska:
Colorado: Georgia: Michigan: Confusion:
Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Level Descriptors for Social StudiesLevel 1
Recall of Information / Level 2
Basic Reasoning / Level 3
Complex Reasoning
- Recall or recognition of: fact, term, concept, trend, generalization, event, or document
- Identify or describe features of places or people
- Identify key figures in a particular context meaning of words
- Describe or explain: who, what, where, when
- Identify specific information contained in maps, charts, tables, graphs, or drawings
- Describe cause-effect of particular events
- Describe or explain: how (relationships or results), why, points of view, processes, significance, or impact
- Identify patterns in events or behavior
- Categorize events or figures in history into meaningful groups
- Identify and summarize the major events, problem, solution, conflicts
- Explain, generalize, or connect ideas, using supporting evidence from a text/source
- Apply a concept in other contexts
- Make and support inferences about implied causes and effects
- Draw conclusions or form alternative conclusions
- Analyze how changes have affected people or places
- Use concepts to solve problems
Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
Webb’s is about ______, not difficulty.
Comparing GED 2002 and 2014: Social Studies
GED 2002: Webb’s DOK Level _____
The question below refers to the following timeline:
100,000 Homo sapiens neanderthalensis: Neanderthal
35,000 Homo sapiens sapiens: Cro-Magnon
32,000 Flute: the first known musical instrument
29,000 Cave art
27,000 Figurines
23,000 Sewing needle
17,000 Spear-thrower
12,000 Bow and arrow
7,000 Ice Age ends: glaciers retreat
When Ice Age hunters invented the spear-thrower, they were able to hurl weapons faster and more accurately than they could barehanded. How long ago is this innovation believed to have taken place?
A) 7,000 years ago
B) 17,000 years ago
C) 27,000 years ago
D) 10,000 years after the development of the sewing needle
E) 10,000 years before the development of the sewing needle
GED 2014: Webb’s DOK Level _____
The excerpt below is from a 1947 speech by President Harry Truman.
I am fully aware of the broad implications involved if the United States extends assistance to Greece and Turkey . . . One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This was a fundamental issue in the war with Germany and Japan. Our victory was won over countries which sought to impose their will, and their way of life, upon other nations.
To ensure the peaceful development of nations, free from coercion, the United States has taken a leading part in establishing the United Nations. The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members. We shall not realize our objectives, however, unless we are willing to help free peoples to maintain their free institutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements that seek to impose upon them totalitarian regimes . . .
Based on the excerpt, why did the United States provide financial assistance to Greece and Turkey?
A) to eliminate public protests
B) to prevent government corruption
C) to uphold international agreements
D) to shape their foreign policy
Teaching for Increased Cognitive Rigor
Tier 2 Vocabulary Instruction
Teachers can begin by choosing academic (Tier 2) words that their students will encounter frequently across a variety of content areas such as those below:
accelerate / pertinent / distinct / tradition / perspectivecontribute / species / inhibit / concentrate / sophisticated
fluctuate / arbitrary / prime / equate / approximate
notion / demonstrate / sum / magnetic / definite
sequence / ignore / compensate / region / identify
achieve / phase / distort / transmit / external
convert / specify / initial / concept / modify
focus / assert / principle / equivalent / contrast
obtain / denote / summary / magnitude / dimension
series / illustrate / complex / require / individual
adjacent / phenomena / element / ultimate / presume
create / stable / innovation / conclude / suffice
formulate / assess / proceed / establish / chapter
obvious / derive / technique / major / segment
shift / impact / complicate / respective / verify
affect / portion / emphasize / undergo / trace
criterion / statistic / intense / consequent / conceive
function / assign / publish / evaluate / environment
occur / design / technology / manipulate / isolate
slightly / implicit / comply / restrict / react
alternative / potential / empirical / usage / context
crucial / status / interpret / consist / feasible
generate / assume / pursue / evident / minimum
passive / devise / tense / mathematics / section
similar / imply / component / reverse / verbal
analyze / precede / ensure / valid / consultant
data / structure / intuitive / constant / negative
guarantee / authorize / random / expand / select
period / devote / theory / method / vertical
simultaneous / indicate / comprehend / role / hypothesis
approach / precise / entity / vary / automatic
define / subsequent / involve / construct / range
expose
Teach Tier 2 Vocabulary Using Direct and Explicit Instruction
- Gaps in our readers’ knowledge about word meanings can make learning acquiring vocabulary from
reading inefficient and ineffective
- Research shows that teaching Tier 2 vocabulary to ABE students using dictionaries is not very
effective
- To develop vocabulary knowledge, direct and explicit instruction will usually be the best route
- Most ABE students can learn about 5 new vocabulary words per week.
Visit the ABSPD website for Tier 2 Vocabulary Lessons:
Google: abspd
Teaching Resources
ABE Reading
Vocabulary Lessons
Text Dependent Questions
- A recent study found that 80% of questions students were asked about texts they were reading
could be answered without looking at the text itself!
- Do the materials you use with students feature text dependent questions?
The Soccer War!
Soccer is an extremely popular sport through most of the world. However, as with anything that people feel intensely about, emotions sometimes get out of hand. English fans have been known for brawling in the stands. A riot in a game between Argentina and Chile in 1964 resulted in the deaths of 309 people. But up until now at least, there has only been one out-and-out soccer war.
That war took place between El Salvador and Honduras, two Central American countries. The year was 1969, and for many years the Salvadoran economy had been in a dire condition: too many people with too little land and too few jobs created a situation of severe poverty. As a result, many desperate Salvadorans had been illegally crossing into Honduras looking for work, and they harbored a strong sense that they were mistreated there. So tensions were already very high at the beginning of a World Cup qualifying match between the two countries.
The first game of the three-game play-off was held in Honduras, and the home team eked out a 1 – 0 win in the last minute of play. Fighting broke out afterward in the streets, and the stadium was set on fire. The second game was played in El Salvador, and the El Salvador team won. More rioting and fires followed. By the time the third game was played, in Mexico City, an actual military encounter appeared inevitable. And that is exactly what happened. Immediately after El Salvador’s close victory, armies began skirmishing along the border of the two countries; then El Salvador invaded Honduras and bombed its airfields. The war was over in less than a week, but ill feelings between the two countries persisted for years afterward.
(From Six-Way Paragraphs, Middle Level, Third Edition, Pauk)
Which of these questions are text dependent?
1. Think about a time you played soccer. What emotions did you feel?
2. Why would a soccer game cause a riot?
3. Why did many Salvadorans feel resentment toward Honduras?
4. Explain how the war started between El Salvador and Honduras.
5. Could a soccer war start today? Explain why or why not.
With a partner, create a text dependent question for this passage:
A Close Reading Strategy
1.Introduction
Provide some context (background) for the text. The instructor reads the text aloud. The students
read the text independently.
2. Number the paragraphs
Number each paragraph in the left hand margin. This will help locate information.
3. Chunk: 1–3 / 4 / 5-6 / 7-8
Chunking breaks a large, overwhelming text into manageable sections. Look where
natural breaks are where the author shifts focus. Tell students where to group at first
(as in the example above) and then allow them to group on their own over time.
4. Circle key terms
Have students circle key words in the text. Key words could be:
Words that are repeated throughout the text - if you only circle 5 key words in a
text, you should have a good idea what the reading is about.
5. Underline the claims
Instead of asking students to underline “the important stuff,” have them underline the
author’s claims, the specific belief statements the author makes. Authorsusually make several
belief statements in a paper.
6. Left Margin: Summarize
In the left margin, have students summarize each chunk (step 3) in 10 words or less.
7. Right Margin: Text Marking
In the right margin, have students do some text marking such as:
✔- I knew this before
! – This is new to me
? – Not sure what this means
Close Reading Strategy Practice
1. Number the paragraphs / 4. Underline claims2. Chunkparagraphs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 5. Left margin: Summarize
3. Circle key words / 6. Right margin: Text marking
Video Used for Context: Truman’s Ultimatum Regarding Hiroshima (Youtube)
The Atomic Bombing of Japan in August 1945
It was very necessary to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to end World War II. During the Pacific island hopping military campaigns leading up to August 1945, the Japanese demonstrated time and again near fanatical resistance. They typically fought until the last man and refused to surrender. On Saipan the Japanese committed mass suicide instead of giving up. During the battle for Okinawa they unleashed kamikaze attacks, suicide missions where planes loaded with fuel attempted to crash into American ships. In defending their home islands, their resistance would even be greater. Japan’s military leadership was planning an all-out fight against the invasion of their home islands including 3500 kamikaze attacks and 5000 suicide boats. While the Japanese lacked supplies, they still had an army of 2.3 million troops prepared to defend to defend their homeland. The government was also arming civilians; even young children were given sharpened bamboo sticks and being trained in how to kill.Some argue that it would have been better to offer a demonstration of the atomic bomb’s power to Japanese officials instead of dropping it on civilians. At the time, the United States had only two atomic bombs ready with a third scheduled for completion in late August. Using one on a test was risky. What if the test failed? What if the Japanese walked away from the test more determined to fight on than ever? Developing additional atomic weapons would take months more of effort prolonging the long and bloody war and leading to many more people being killed.
While there were over 200,000 casualties in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, continuing the war would have brought many more. Military leaders estimated that at least 250,000 to 1 million American soldiers would have been killed and tens of millions of Japanese during an invasion. Five hundred thousand Purple Heart medals, those given to wounded soldiers, were manufactured in advance of the invasion.
Bottom Line: Students must read like a ______
GED 2014 Technology Skills
Keyboarding
Can your students:
☐Type approximately 25 words per minute, fast enough to complete a 500 word constructed
response in 45 minutes?
☐Use the keys: space bar, return/enter, shift, arrows, delete, backspace, tab?
☐Use the numbers and punctuation keys?
Using a Mouse
Can your students use a mouse to:
☐Point to an area or word on screen?
☐Left click, right click, double click?
☐Highlight and select text?
☐Cut, copy, and paste text?
☐Select an object or window by clicking on it?
☐Drag an object to a new location?
☐Open/close a pop-up window?
☐Select one or more radio and/or check buttons?
☐Scroll horizontally and vertically?
Navigation
Can your students:
☐Use the screen navigation commands previous/next?
☐Navigate multiple windows?
☐Navigate toolbars and drop-down menus?
☐Navigate screen tabs?
☐Use the undo and redo operations?
☐Mark a section/question as a “Flag for Review” and return to section/question as needed?
Free Technology Resources
GCF Learn Free
This free site guides students in learning how to use a mouse and computer basics as well as helping
students learn Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel.
Google: gcf learn free or
Typing Web
This free site helps students learn keyboarding. Instructors can register students to monitor their
progress
Google: typing web or
GED 2014 Extended Response/Short Answer Overview
The extended responses ask students to unpack a prompt, read source material, plan their response, type it, and then edit/revise. Students should be able tokeyboard about 25 words per minute.
Test / Time Given / Where Found / Other InfoReasoning through
Language Arts / 45 minutes / End of first half of test / - Separately timed
- 18.5% of total test score
Social Studies / 25 minutes / Last item / - Separately timed
- 18% of total test score
Science / 2 different 10 minute
responses / Distributed throughout
the test / - Not separately timed,
students must keep track!
- 15% of total test score
On the GED 2002 Writing test, a student who failed the essay failed the test. On GED 2014, students can score 0 points on the extended response/short answers and still pass Reasoning through Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science (although it is close to 20% of the test score!).
Reasoning through Language Arts
Extended responses are graded on a rubric that emphasizes how well students analyze and create an argument, back it with evidence, develop ideas, have an organizational structure, and use Standard English.
Students can score up to 6 points. Their total score is then doubled and added to the number of correct answers on the rest of the test to get their raw score. The raw score is then converted to a scale score that runs from 100 to 200.
Social Studies
The grading rubric is very similar to Reasoning through Language Arts except in trait 1 students must show the connection between an enduring issue and another text and provide some historical context.
Students can score up to 4 points. Their total score is then doubled and added to the number of correct answers on the rest of the test to get their raw score. The raw score is then converted to a scale score that runs from 100 to 200.
Short Answers
Science
Students can score up to 3 points on each of the 2 short answer questions. Instead of a rubric, responses are scored based on the content that should be in the answer. There are three kinds of short-answer questions: summaries, drawing and supporting a conclusion, and creating an experimental design.
Quick Writes
A Quick Write helps students think about a topic before, during, and after reading. Students are asked to respond to a question or prompt related to a text and should write down whatever comes to their mind without worrying about grammar or organization.
The writing topics are related to a text and may be:
- Summaries of learning
- An explanation of a concept or vocabulary
- A prediction, inference, or hypothesis
Give students from 2 to 10 minutes to write and be sure you as the instructor write too. Quick Writes can be used as part of instruction, assessment, or discussion. They help bring out the writer in students, build their writing confidence, and help their reading skills too!
Prompt: What information did you learn about GED 2014 from reading this passage?
Big changes are coming to the world of adult basic skills education with the coming of the new high school equivalency test, GED 2014! It will have four tests: Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. GED 2014 will still be primarily multiple choice, but each multiple choice question will havefour answer choices instead of five as on GED 2002. There will also be fill in the blank, drag and drop, hot spot , and pull down menu items. To be successful with the technology demands of GED 2014, students will have to be comfortable using a mouse and navigating a Windows type environment.