iCivics’ New Gerrymandering Video
And How AI Can Help Teachers Assess Student Understanding of the Video and Related iCivics Resources
Earlier today, I received an email from iCivics titled “New Gerrymandering Video! Explore the Impacts on Districts.” Before even reading the email, I found myself wondering if AI could be used to help a teacher assess student knowledge of the video’s content and any related resources iCivics might have provided.
To find out, the first thing I did was copy and paste the content of the entire email into ChatGPT.
Next, I copied and pasted the content of the page on which the video was found into ChatGPT. This page, which can be found here, included an overview and three learning objectives for the video, along with links to two essential PDFs:
Then, I copied and pasted the content from each of these PDFs into ChatGPT. I also copied and pasted into ChatGPT the related Mini-Lesson: Gerrymandering (HS) page, which included an overview, four learning objectives, and the links to two additional PDFs:
I then copied and pasted the content from these PDFs into ChatGPT as well.
After gathering all the content, which took less than three minutes, I prompted ChatGPT to do the following
Help me assess student understanding of the material. pecifically, I need 10 MCQs and three SAQs
Assume that my students have not only watched the iCivics “Gerrymandering” video but have also worked through the related mini-lesson and each of the PDFs.
Within seconds, ChatGPT generated a thoughtful set of the requested MCQs and SAQs, all aligning well with the lesson’s objectives, along with a detailed rubric for grading the short-answer responses.
The Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1
What is the primary goal of gerrymandering?
A) To create equal representation for all political parties
B) To draw district boundaries that give an advantage to a specific political party
C) To ensure fair voting practices
D) To increase voter turnout
The correct answer is B: “To draw district boundaries that give an advantage to a specific political party.” Gerrymandering is a strategic method used by political parties to manipulate district lines, thereby influencing election outcomes in their favor. This practice is not about creating equal representation, ensuring fair voting, or increasing turnout but rather gaining a political advantage.
Q2
Which of the following best describes the concept of “packing” in gerrymandering?
A) Spreading like-minded voters across multiple districts
B) Concentrating like-minded voters into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts
C) Dividing rural and urban voters evenly
D) Creating districts with equal populations
The correct answer is B: “Concentrating like-minded voters into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts.” Packing is a gerrymandering strategy used to confine voters of one party into a small number of districts, minimizing their impact elsewhere.
Q3
The term “gerrymandering” originated when:
A) A politician named Gerry advocated for fair districts
B) A Massachusetts district was drawn to resemble a salamander
C) The first Congressional districts were established
D) The Supreme Court ruled on election boundaries
The correct answer is B: “A Massachusetts district was drawn to resemble a salamander.” The term combines Governor Elbridge Gerry’s name with “salamander,” describing the oddly shaped district designed to favor his party.
Q4
Which role of the media is most directly related to exposing gerrymandering practices?
A) Gatekeeper
B) Agenda setter
C) Watchdog
D) Entertainer
The correct answer is C: “Watchdog.” The media acts as a watchdog by investigating and exposing gerrymandering practices, holding those in power accountable for manipulating district boundaries.
Q5
What is the primary difference between “packing” and “cracking”?
A) Packing involves combining voters into one district, while cracking spreads them across districts to dilute their influence.
B) Cracking involves combining voters into one district, while packing spreads them across districts.
C) Packing reduces the number of districts, while cracking increases the number of districts.
D) They are the same concept with different names.
The correct answer is A: “Packing involves combining voters into one district, while cracking spreads them across districts to dilute their influence.” Both are tactics used to manipulate district boundaries to gain a political advantage.
Q6
How often does redistricting typically occur in the United States?
A) Every 4 years
B) Every 10 years
C) Every 20 years
D) Every 50 years
The correct answer is B: “Every 10 years.” Redistricting happens after the decennial census to reflect population changes.
Q7
Which body usually has the power to draw district boundaries in most states?
A) The federal government
B) State legislatures
C) The Supreme Court
D) Independent commissions
The correct answer is B: “State legislatures.” In most states, the power to draw district lines lies with the state legislature, though some states use independent commissions.
Q8
“Cracking” in gerrymandering refers to:
A) Combining like-minded voters into a single district
B) Spreading like-minded voters across multiple districts to dilute their voting power
C) Drawing district lines based on geographical features
D) Excluding certain voters from the electoral process
The correct answer is B: “Spreading like-minded voters across multiple districts to dilute their voting power.” Cracking is a tactic used to minimize the voting strength of the opposing party.
Q9
Why might gerrymandering be seen as problematic in a democratic society?
A) It makes elections more expensive
B) It allows politicians to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians
C) It ensures equal representation of all political parties
D) It increases voter participation
The correct answer is B: “It allows politicians to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians.” Gerrymandering undermines the democratic process by manipulating electoral boundaries to benefit a specific party.
Q10
Which of the following strategies can be used to fight against gerrymandering?
A) Increasing voter turnout
B) Using independent commissions to draw district boundaries
C) Reducing the number of districts
D) Limiting media coverage of elections
The correct answer is B: “Using independent commissions to draw district boundaries.” Independent commissions can help create fairer districts by removing direct political influence from the redistricting process.Short-Answer Questions (SAQs)
The Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
SAQ #1
Explain the difference between “packing” and “cracking” in the context of gerrymandering.
Scoring Rubric:
- 3 Points: Clearly explains both “packing” and “cracking” with relevant examples.
- 2 Points: Explains both terms but lacks detail or examples.
- 1 Point: Mentions one or both terms with minimal explanation.
SAQ #2
How can gerrymandering impact the principle of “one person, one vot
Scoring Rubric:
- 3 Points: Provides a detailed explanation of how gerrymandering affects equal representation, using specific examples or scenarios.
- 2 Points: Explains the impact but with limited detail or clarity.
- 1 Point: Gives a vague or incomplete response.
SAQ #3
What role does the media play in informing the public about gerrymandering, and why is this important in a democratic society?
Scoring Rubric:
- 3 Points: Thoroughly discusses the media’s role as a watchdog, gatekeeper, and agenda setter, with clear examples of how it informs the public.
- 2 Points: Identifies the media’s role but provides limited detail or examples.
- 1 Point: Mentions the media’s role with little to no explanation.
To Kick it Up a Notch
For those teachers looking to take it up a notch, I suggest uploading the MCQs and SAQs to Class Companion. Class Companion is a free online AI tool designed to help teachers generate assignments and provide instant feedback on students’ SAQ, LEQ, DBQ, and MCQ responses.
In a nutshell, here’s how it works:
- The teacher selects or creates an assignment.
- The teacher assigns the selected assignment to students.
- Students complete the assignment and receive instant feedback (and a score, if desired).
- The teacher then reviews the responses, AI feedback, and detailed insights, including strengths, areas for improvement, and student engagement levels.
Here are the Class Companion features highlighted in the video and added since:
- AI-Assignment Library Feature: Provides a large collection of AP Social Studies-style MCQs, SAQs, LEQs, and DBQs, some created by the folks at Class Companion and others contributed by various teachers. These assignments are tailored to match the expectations of the following AP course offerings: AP US History, AP World History, AP European History, AP Human Geography, AP Government and Politics, AP Psychology, and AP African American Studies.
- Create Your Own Assignment Feature: Enables AP Social Studies teachers to design their own AP style MCQs, SAQs, LEQs, and DBQs.
- Rubric Library Feature: Offers several Class Companion-built rubrics aligned with AP standards. Additionally, it includes rubrics created by APUSH teachers.
- Create Your Own Rubric Feature: Allows teachers to create custom rubrics tailored to specific assignments or projects, ensuring assessments meet their unique criteria and objectives.
- Dispute Feature: Provides students with the ability to dispute or challenge a grade or feedback they received. This feature allows for constructive dialogue between the teacher and student, ensuring fairness and transparency in the assessment process.
- Targeted Skill Practice Feature: Focuses on developing specific skills, such as thesis writing or contextualization. For instance, one assignment offers ten prompts covering Units 1–3 in APUSH, where students focus solely on earning the contextualization point. After each attempt, they receive instant feedback, helping them improve with each try.
- Data Insights Feature: Provides AP Social Studies teachers and students with detailed analytics on performance, highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and engagement metrics. This data helps in making informed decisions about instruction and support.
- Multiple Attempt Feature: Offers students the opportunity to attempt assignments multiple times, refining their responses based on feedback.
- Assignment Timing Controls Feature: Enables teachers to set timers on assignments or specific tasks, helping students manage their time effectively and simulating the timed conditions of AP exams.
- Prompt Simplification Feature: Allows students to request Class Companion’s AI to reword the prompts they’ve been assigned, simplifying complex language and enhancing accessibility for all learners.
- Hint Request Feature: Allows students to ask for hints while working on assignments, providing guided support that helps them overcome challenges without giving away the answers.
- Handwritten Response Feature: This feature is great for teachers who prefer to have their students respond to FRQs using pen and paper, yet still want to leverage AI for providing feedback. Students simply need to submit a photo or scan of their handwritten work, which the AI can then analyze and provide feedback on.
- Pasting Detection Feature: Monitors and detects when students paste text into assignments, helping to maintain academic integrity by discouraging plagiarism.
- Typing Speed Monitoring Feature: Tracks the speed at which students type their responses, identifying anomalies that may indicate cheating or other issues.
- Tab Activity Tracking Feature: Detects when students switch tabs or leave the assignment window during a test, helping to ensure that they remain focused on their work and preventing academic dishonesty.
- Text-to-Speech Feature: Allows students to listen to text content, supporting those with reading difficulties or auditory learning preferences by making content more accessible.
- Speech-to-Text Feature: Enables students to dictate their responses, which can be particularly useful for those with disabilities or who are more comfortable speaking their ideas rather than typing them.
- Feedback Delay Feature: Allows teachers to delay the release of feedback until after an assignment is completed, encouraging students to focus on their work without immediate correction, which can be useful for formative assessments.
- Reading Level Feature: Adjusts the reading level of text content to match the student’s proficiency, ensuring that all students can access the material in a way that is appropriately challenging.
- Co-Teacher Feature: Facilitates collaboration between multiple teachers on the same assignment or course, allowing for shared responsibilities and combined expertise in supporting student learning.
- Ditto Support Feature: Gives students real-time support when you can’t be there, whether in class or at home. It helps them complete assignments without giving away the answers and iterates on feedback. You can turn it on or off for any assignment.
- Premium Support Feature: Provides access to dedicated support services, offering personalized assistance and resources to help teachers maximize the use of Class Companion in their classrooms.
As the features make clear, Class Companion also possesses the ability to provide teachers with AI tools to create SAQs and rubrics. This raises the question of why I didn’t just copy and paste all the iCivics material directly into Class Companion. It’s a good question, and one I don’t have a good answer for — other than that I’ve always first created my MCQs and SAQs using ChatGPT. So, it’s mostly out of habit, I suppose. I’m also not entirely sure if Class Companion can handle the large chunks of content that I pasted into ChatGPT. I’ll look into it, and if it can, I’ll be sure to update this paragraph with that information.
In any event, I’m a big fan of Class Companion and, as a big fan, now want to point out that Class Companion, despite how I described it earlier in this blog post, is more than just a tool that students and teachers love to use; it’s also backed by a team of hardworking professionals who truly listen to teachers.
In other words, if you have suggestions on how to improve the platform to better suit your needs, email hello@classcompanion.com.
Chances are, they’ll make it happen — even if it means working around the clock. That’s how committed they are to providing teachers with the tools they and their students need to succeed.
Bottom line, I’m convinced that by leveraging AI, (using ChatGPT and/or Class Companion), teachers can streamline the assessment process, provide timely feedback, and gain a deeper understanding of student learning, all while fostering a more dynamic and supportive classroom environment.
