LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify issues related to test anxiety; understand how to manage test anxiety through self-discipline and test-taking strategies.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 6: Use goal-setting skills to enhance health.

CASEL: Self-management, responsible decision-making

Lesson Plan: Tricks of the Test

Do your nerves get the better of you when you take an exam? Here are some tips to help you do your best.

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the article “Tricks of the Test,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

How can you effectively manage test anxiety?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the article “Tricks of the Test”; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Comprehension Quiz

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following writing activity:

In LET’S TALK TEST ANXIETY, have students work in pairs to write a two- to three-page script for a podcast episode about teens and the stress that tests can cause. The script should contain a few anecdotes or questions about teen experiences with test anxiety and give practical advice to teens on how to deal with this anxiety—before, during, and after the test. Have the students use the ideas in the skill sheet to get them started. If there is time, ask students to perform the podcasts live in class, or record and share their episodes with one another to make the activity as interactive as possible.

Note: Students do not have to share their own personal experiences with test anxiety unless they feel comfortable doing so. They can make up anecdotes or create a “listener mail” segment where they give advice to other teens based on specific issues related to the topic.

Print the Lesson Plan

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