LESSON CYCLE ASSESSMENT - RUBRIC

For all strengths to retain and areas for improvement, provide detailed evidence. It as
helpful to know what you did well as areas for improvement.
1=Excellent
2=Very Good
3=Satisfactory
4=Needs Works
5=not present
TEACHER (name): Allison Koch
MAIN TOPIC(S) COVERED: Hominid evolution/Early homo
INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction engaged audience in some way.
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2. Gave clear introduction to anthropology: Big picture ideas.
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3. Provided a tour of the lesson. 1
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4. Strengths to retain (at least 2):
Your review of the relevant course material from previous lesson (earlier Hominid species, in this
case) is a really useful way to set the foundation for new material. It was detailed enough to really
jog their memories/fill in any remaining gaps, but not so detailed as to be repetitive.
The friendly, informal style of discussion you used when beginning the class (references to the
weekend etc.) is a nice way to get students feeling comfortable in your classroom.
5. Possible areas of improvement (at least 2):
It may be helpful to outline the days lesson, explicitly stating goals/objectives so that students
can know going in what they will be expected to get out of the lesson. This will also allow you to
keep track of whether or not you are meeting the days goals/objectives.
You could try opening class with a discussion format rather than lecture, in which you allow the
students to review the course material from before. This would get them talking/engaged as well
as allow you to assess their understanding of the earlier material before moving on.
CONTENT and EXPLANATION
1. Told a compelling "story" - explained the concepts with a narrative flow and clear organization.
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2. Explained difficult concepts well.
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3. Used appropriate evidence/support for main point.
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4. Used clear transitions when moving from one point to the next. Periodically summarized important
points.
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5. Strengths to retain (at least 2):
The use of bone clones as teaching materials helps to illustrate morphological differences that can
be difficult to visualize. It also allows students to do something hands on, which piques their
interest in the topic and gets them more engaged. You also did a really great job of setting up the
activity, explaining to them what you want them to do very specifically, as well as what they are
intended to get out of it. Also, great illustration of important terms.
The clear transitions you provided between topics (species, in this case) made the structure of the
lecture easy to follow and keep up with, which is very useful to keep students (and yourself)
organized. *This is reflected in #4 above, as transitions were clear, but points were not
periodically summarized.

6. Possible areas of improvement (at least 2):

When going through these species, I think that it is helpful to pay extra attention to morphological
changes, and focus less on dates. As long as they can place them in order, I think it is more
important to emphasize these changes, as they gradually become more human-like. That
progression is also a little bit more logical to follow, as students can see the changes taking place
through time. For example, you could identify which traits are more human like or chimp like etc.
and point out how many of these traits each species has (as was discussed in the Nat Geo video).
That component of the lecture would then be reinforced by the Bone Clone activity.
After the video, you asked the class What did you guys think about that? I think it may be more
useful to have more specific questions that target the topics you wanted them to get out of the
video. This way you can be sure they are getting the intended takeaway (which you discuss after
you address the class, rather than in your discussion).
DELIVERY
1. Conveyed enthusiasm for the topic. 1
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2. Pace of the talk was appropriate.
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3. Spent enough time on each topic/slide for students to take all notes. 1
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4. Used appropriate voice, gestures, and eye contact (looked around "room").
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5. Stood with good, comfortable posture, ie, posture wasn't distracting.
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6. Conveys confidence in the material. 1
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7. Strengths to retain (at least 2):
You frequently looked up from the podium and looked around the room, which helps to make
you appear more confident while also making the lecture more engaging for students (as it makes
it feel like you are talking to them rather than at them).
The amount of attention paid to each topic was appropriate, as it did not belabor any of your
points but also did not feel rushed or over simplified. This seems to me to be particularly
important for a topic such as Hominid evolution, where you have to cover a huge amount of
information in a relatively small span of time without glossing over complex ideas/topics.
Your posture and stance were very confident, and you didnt move around too much (which is a
nervous tick that I struggle with!)
8. Possible areas of improvement (at least 2):
Try to fill the time when you are collecting your thoughts/thinking with something other than
saying umeven just a quick second of silence is not a bad thing!
You sound a little uncomfortable with some of the species names/pronunciations. This made you
seem a little unsure when introducing them, despite the fact that you clearly do know what you
are talking about. Maybe practicing the words ahead of time (or just not doubting yourself!)
would help.
SLIDES (if appropriate)
1. Slide was titled with a meaningful heading. 1
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2. One point was presented on each slide.
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3. Where possible, visuals were used to illustrate complex concepts, methods, or data. 1
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4. Visuals were cleaned up to illustrate the main point, and appropriately labeled. 1
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5. Slides were not distracting (animations, busy or unnecessary visuals, jarring colors, too many words on
a slide). 1
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6. Strengths to retain (at least 2):

The images you provided to illustrate the measurements the students will be taking for the skull
cast activity are very helpful. It shows them clearly what they are meant to do, and by providing
an image, it is something they can refer back to during the activity if they get confused.
Your slides were minimalistic and not over crowded with text, which makes them easy to digest
and understand.
7. Possible areas of improvement (at least 2):
I think it would be useful to separate the different species onto their own slides, with relevant
dates/morphological info. This makes it easier for students to separate them mentally and for note
taking purposes. It will also allow you to show pictures of each species individually, so students
can get a feel for the differences between them before they move on to the skull cast lab.
Overall, it may be better to dedicate more slides to the initial part of the class lesson, where you
are lecturing. This will allow students to follow along a bit better with what you are discussing,
and can be used to better illustrate your points.
MULTIMEDIA
1. Multimedia types (in addition to ppt slides):

National Geographic video clip discussing discovery of Homo naledi

2. Use of multimedia was effective

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3. Two other possible multimedia options for this lesson plan:
While the topic of bipedalism may have been discussed in the previous class period that you
referenced, it would be applicable here as well, and could be illustrated using multimedia. There
are a number of neat 3D renderings and other videos of these various species walking which
describe the morphological adaptations for bipedalism. For example:
https://youtu.be/CrebQed8b2Q this does not have the 3D model walking, but does show
morphological changes specifically with comparative images.
When discussing the migration of Homo sapiens leaving Africa and spreading across the world,
you could use an animated map that shows some of the major movements and locations, as well
as other species along the way (such as neanderthalensis). For example:
https://youtu.be/CJdT6QcSbQ0
o Or, you could even broaden the scope to all the early Homo and use this cool interactive
timeline from the Smithsonian: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolutiontimeline-interactive
ACTIVE LEARNING
1. Number of active learning activities utilized:

Class discussion following film viewing

Bone Clone/skull cast lab activity

2. How could each one be streamlined or improved (must suggest at least 1 thing for each activity)?
Re: film viewing: As I mentioned above, I think it would be useful for your discussion question to
be more specific and targeted towards what you want the students to get out of the video. This
will lead/guide them in the right direction, rather than explaining to them after your discussion
what you wanted them to know.
Re: skull cast activity: I dont have much to improve here, as I thought it was really well done.
Maybe you could use some of the cool digital tools (the text or write in surverys/quizzes) we have
discussed in class to have students input their data in real time and have it appear on the screen,
rather than writing it on the board yourself. This seems like a fun thing for students that would
continue to keep them engaged, rather than them waiting as you and other students are writing. It
will also allow them to make comparisons and draw conclusions in real time as the data is filled

in. Also, it would probably take less time than waiting for students to decide on a representative,
having them walk up, write it out etc. which is more time you can use for discussion.
OVERALL STRENGTHS (at least four)
1. Even though I know that this is not your strongest topic area (one because I know you and your
research interests personally and two because that was one of the requirements of the assignment), you do
not come off that way in this lesson. You have a command of the subject matter that I think students will
respond to. I think that this comes from that fact that your lesson was clearly well researched, as well as
from the fact that you maintained a confident stance/voice throughout.
2. The amount of content presented in this lesson cycle seemed very appropriate for a single class period.
By breaking the broader topic of Hominin evolution into multiple class periods, it allowed you to hone in
on a more specific stretch in time and give greater detail to each species. Thus, it was not too much
information packed into an inadequate amount of time. Similarly, though, it was not too little, as I felt that
you gave significant enough detail on each topic that students would be able to understand it well.
3. Your use of the Homo naledi case was really useful for a couple of reasons. One, it illustrates that the
study of our ancestry is constantly changing, as new data comes to light. This makes things more exciting
and keeps the topic relevant, while also potentially sparking a desire for learning and exploration. Two, it
illustrates that these histories are somewhat debatable (NOT that they are false or didnt happen) in that
even the scientists studying these fossils disagree on things such as the naming of new species. These
types of discussions would be easy segues into critical thinking exercises (especially as pertains to the
cultural contingency of Western science, typologies etc.).
4. Your overall lesson plan had a good flow to it that was logical and easy to follow. In this same vein, the
multimedia component and the activity fit well within the lesson plan and really reinforced your points,
rather than feeling like something added on as an afterthought. All in all, it was a well-integrated and
well-rounded lesson.
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS (at least four)
1. As I mentioned briefly above, I think you need to be more explicit in your initial goals and objectives,
as this seems to be a really good way to get students oriented for the class and let them know what is
expected of them. This also helps you to asses yourself, as it forces you to be cognizant of what you
wanted them to take away from the lesson, and whether or not you really achieved that.
2. In the same vein, I think at the end of the class it is important to kind of sum up what was learned by
circling back around to those initial goals and objectives. This will help to summarize the lesson which
will reinforce student understanding, and will also provide you an opportunity to clarify anything that
may have been unclear (by asking students whether or not objectives were met). You can also assess
yourself in hindsight and see what may not have been as deeply explained as you had initially thought,
which will help you prepare for your next lesson.
3. In general, I think it would be useful to implement more class and student discussion into the lesson.
This will keep students engaged and allow you to constantly assess student learning and understanding. It
will also make students feel like they are a more active part of their own learning process, which I think
encourages preparation and taking responsibility for their work. When you are lecturing, it is hard to
gauge whether or not students are keeping up unless you implement at least an informal form of
discussion (Is this making sense? Any questions? etc.)
4. While your posture and stance exude confidence, your use of um and nervous laughter as a space
filler kind of undermines that authority. You are well prepared and know what you are saying, so dont
doubt yourself! Continue to work on ways in which your public speaking does not show your nerves
(something I am desperately working on myself).