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I鈥檓 not a fun teacher. It鈥檚 embarrassing to admit, but making my class engaging does not come naturally. Many of my middle school colleagues fit right in with our quirky middle school students, but I don鈥檛. So I need to work extra hard at being engaging.

In my second year of teaching, I realized I could make my assessments something my students looked forward to doing by switching to a strategy called a one-pager.

Assessing Learning With One-Pagers

With a one-pager, a student mixes art with parameters related to course content on a single sheet of white 8.5 x 11 printer paper to show what they understand about the content. A teacher can make the assessment formative or summative by modifying the parameters and increasing or decreasing the rigor.

The most powerful part of using art this way is that it makes the one-pager less about finding the single correct answer and more about crafting a response to the criteria the teacher presents. Students get to be creative, and since there are many different ways for them to answer the prompt, their thinking is challenged in new ways. They鈥檙e not trying to find the solution鈥攖hey鈥檙e trying to find a solution they can stand behind.

While one-pagers have criteria, there aren鈥檛 rules. This point is critical because it means students have freedom to lay out their one-pager in any way they want. I鈥檝e seen incredibly creative one-pagers, and grading them is fun. I know that doesn鈥檛 sound possible, but one-pagers are often so unique that seeing how students document their learning can be really enjoyable.

The most crucial element is that students have freedom in the evidence they select, the answers they create, and the placement of different elements on the page.

I鈥檓 an English teacher, but after I shared a short presentation on one-pagers with the math department, two math teachers sought me out to let me know they had tried this strategy with their students and found it really effective. I realized that this assessment tool might be useful in other areas as well.

Next I鈥檒l explain how to structure a one-pager on a nonfiction text鈥攊n English language arts or any other subject鈥攁nd how to structure one in math. I鈥檝e discussed this strategy .

Using a One-Pager With a聽Nonfiction Text

If you want to assess students鈥� understanding of a nonfiction text, you can start by having them write the title and author somewhere on page. Next, they should add a quote from the text鈥攖heir favorite line, or the one they see as most important鈥攁nd explain in writing why they chose it.

Next they should explain the main idea or ideas of the piece in their own words, and write down two questions they have about the text鈥擨 often give sentence starters for this.

Then they get to the art, drawing a picture that relates to the main idea or ideas. Students have a lot of fun with this. It鈥檚 important to emphasize that you鈥檙e not assessing the one-pager based on appearances鈥攚hat matters is that they show their understanding.

I also ask them to list a couple of key terms鈥攖hey decide what those are鈥攁nd supply their own definitions, and to list a couple of interesting or fun facts they learned and a couple of personal connections to the text.

Finally, they can add images or icons to their key terms, and write captions for their images, to make the one-pager understandable to someone who hasn鈥檛 read the text.

Using a One-Pager聽in Math Class

To use a one-pager in a math class, students write what type of problem they鈥檙e explaining. They also create two real-life examples鈥攍ittle stories like, 鈥淲e had 10 apples after the party, and we know Sarah took 5, but we aren't sure how many we had to begin with. How many was it?鈥� Then they draw a real-life example. Coming up with the real-life examples often takes as much creativity as the artwork.

Next they show different ways to solve the problem, if there are multiple ways. They also write their own sample problem modeled on the teacher鈥檚 example. They should list and explain key terms, and think of a question they have about the process or application鈥攐nce again, giving them sentence starters can help here.

Finally, they should describe the step that鈥檚 trickiest to remember, and come up with a strategy for remembering it.

Some Additional Tips

If students don鈥檛 like to draw, they can find an image on the internet, print it, and either cut it out or trace it. Few of my students have done this, but it鈥檚 an option. I tell students that icons and stick figures are fine鈥攖he idea is not to create a masterpiece but to display deep understanding.

I make coloring the images optional because sometimes students get too caught up in making the art perfect.

When making an exemplar, I always show students one that鈥檚 based on a different text from the one they鈥檙e working with鈥攁nd it鈥檚 purposefully an exemplar where the art is not outstanding. I tell students I made it and explain what I was thinking for each of the elements. I tell them I could have done better with my drawings, but was more focused on the ideas. And I let them know it鈥檚 fine for them to focus on both the ideas and the art.

There are many ways to use one-pagers aside from assessment鈥攁s posters, for example. But starting off using them to assess learning will help your students see themselves as creators of their own knowledge.