Think about this: every day, we engage in tasks that require the use of key 21st century skills—or the four Cs—critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Whether it’s developing a delicious recipe, writing a persuasive letter to a city council member, building a presentation with a colleague, or mapping out our career path through building a resume, these tasks show the kind of thinking and doing needed to be successful in the world. They also incorporate meaningful skills that we hope our students develop as they grow into active members of society.
Keeping that in mind, imagine this: you are a social studies educator planning a lesson. You have the topic, relevant standards, and strategies to engage students in reading and discussion. Although you know what skills you want students to be able to employ (this is where the four Cs come in) what you haven’t figured out how students will “show what they know” in a meaningful way.
The solution: a processing assignment that connects real-world skills and tasks to student learning!
What Are Processing Assignments?
Processing assignments are structured learning tasks that go beyond basic recall or summarization. They ask students to internalize, reinterpret, and apply their knowledge to create something new. These assignments can be authentic, formal, and informal, often ending with students developing a product, performance, or creative demonstration that shows deeper understanding and personal connection to the content presented. Through processing assignments, students take the content they have learned and do something meaningful with it.
The STAMP Method
To help you, the educator, develop rich, purposeful processing assignments, consider employing the STAMP method:
- Standards: Start with your learning standards—specifically asking yourself “What core content and skills do students need to master?” The answer to these questions will help ensure that the processing assignment you create is grounded in the essential understandings of your curriculum.
- Task: Design an engaging, real-world task that encourages students to think beyond the classroom. This could be a formal writing, informal writing, or even an authentic writing task or product.
- Alignment: Ensure the task aligns directly to the standards, unit goals, and assessment expectations. There should be a clear and intentional bridge between what students should know and be able to do.
- Must Haves: Give students clear expectations. What elements must be included in their product? What content must be demonstrated? How many points will each element weigh? In this instance, rubrics, checklists, and product guides help students create exemplary products.
- Product Exemplar or Mentor Text: Be sure to model success. Provide an exemplar and/or mentor text, consuming and critiquing the model with students before they are given time to create on their own.
Examples of Processing Assignments
Here are just a few examples of processing assignments:
- You are a culinary historian. Create a “Recipe for Success” using key ingredients (terms, concepts, or events) learned in the lesson. Your recipe must include a title, a list of “ingredients” (ideas), and step-by-step instructions that explain how these ideas work together.
- You are a world-renowned historian and cartographer. Develop an annotated map detailing the travels of a famous explorer. Your map must include key geographic features and annotations explaining the explorer’s motivations and challenges faced during their journey across the globe.
- You are an environmental policy advocate. Using your understanding of environmental conservation, write a persuasive letter to your local government proposing a new sustainability initiative. Be sure to include supporting evidence, anticipated outcomes, and visual aids.
These assignments aren’t just about “finishing” a lesson—they are about students processing content in a way that activates understanding and truly allows them to show what they know in different ways.
Bringing Life and Learning Together
When done well, processing assignments challenges students academically while inviting them to step into new situations, explore new ideas, and connect learning to the world beyond the classroom. It also helps students build and refine vital skills needed in our global world.
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LaChardra “Chardra” McBride is a native Houstonian residing in Atascocita, Texas. She served as a social studies educator in grades 6-8 for a combined eight years, a district-level teacher development specialist for four years, and two years as a curriculum specialist – all within the Houston Independent School District. Chardra is currently pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership at Abilene Christian University and is one of three Partnership and Instruction Coordinators with Social Studies School Service.