Ben & Amanda’s Lincoln-Douglas Campaign Posters

This item is an example of work performed by 7th grades pertaining to the Lincoln-Douglas
Senate Debates of 1858. Students (in pairs) were tasked with creating campaign posters for
both candidates, listing important information and key facts.

How this work shows growth in student learning:

This particular work shows that students are growing in their understanding of particular
political figures from the Civil Era, political systems, the nature of elections, and the adaptation
of historic material into a physical product.

Why the sample was chosen:

This sample was chosen because it is a standard representation of the assignment given. This
assignment challenged students to gather information about Lincoln and Douglas from their
notes and other reference materials, and then apply that information to the creation of
campaign posters. The value of this sample is that these students were able to learn
cooperatively and determine which information was important. The assignment also gave
students an opportunity to create something, which most students enjoy and excel at.

How this work has an impact on student learning:

This work impacts students learning because it allows students to gain in-depth knowledge of
subject material using many different forms of intelligence. Students must not only use their
artistic skills and creativity, but their interpersonal skills and reading ability to successfully
navigate the large amount of information provided about Lincoln, Douglas, and elections. This
assignment challenges students on multiple levels of content, while testing their literacy as
well.

How this work enhances my ability to understand and assess student work:

The sample from Ben and Amanda allows me to assess many things about my students
including the reading capability of students, how well students have grasped basic content
knowledge, how well students work with others, and the level engagement of the students
with particular activities. The poster activity is a valuable assessment for many reasons
(including the ones listed above), while also being a fun activity that students can enjoy
completing.