History of Iran (HOS) Sample Test - Re-Imagining History of Iran (HOS)

History of Iran (HOS) Sample Test - Re-Imagining History of Iran (HOS)There are many instances in which I have heard students say they would love to take a History of Iran (HOS) sample test. I think this comes from the school history textbooks. I remember reading that you could use those books for the HOS. Now, if this is true, then why do we have to be learning it?In my time as an AP English Language student, I have taken a number of English course tests with my own teacher in addition to the AP tests that are offered. We always seem to get the same HOS samples in every test. It just seems like there are too many of them.The essays used in these tests are obviously rather simplistic. This is a way to get students to write an essay rather than trying to teach the student how to compose an essay. This is where I tend to get stuck.I am struggling to come up with ways to organize my lesson plan around these exams. I know the idea is to get students to use the real writing skills, but th e essays seem to use the same techniques. I have even been asked to rewrite these essays from scratch.Another problem is that students seem to fall into two groups, those who likely lack the ability to write and those who excel in the writing and composition skills. These are the two groups, the samples are drawn from. If students do not learn how to construct a well-written essay, then the entire semester is a waste of time. It's like trying to teach geometry using a drawing book and crayons.What can be done about this problem? First, the first thing I would do is give everyone a History of Iran (HOS) sample test. This is not like having a group of high school students taking a standardized test. Students are allowed to take the test as a unit of instruction, with individual homework assignments to help students prepare for the HOS exam.I think this will give students a better sense of the real writing process. They will see some problems, and they will have a better idea of what t o expect when they do the real test. The real test will be a bit more difficult, but it will also be more fun.Although the samples are used to help students with the practice they need to pass the essay test, it still leaves a lot of room for improvement. Allowing students to create their own essays will also increase their motivation to work on their own writing skills. This means more of a payoff for students, which is a good thing.