INTRODUCTION TO GED

This curriculum supplement has a dual purpose: one is to provide a resource for teachers to help students prepare for the tests of General Education Development (GED). Its other purpose is to assist teachers in creating an educational program which fosters development of students' knowledge and skills so that they may become independent learners.

In keeping with the demands of the GED tests, this curriculum supplement is made up of the following components:

WRITING

The Writing component of the GED tests contains two parts:

  1. The first is essentially a proofreading and editing test that requires students to demonstrate a basic mastery of the conventions of standard written English, using a multiple choice format within the context of one or more passages of extended discourse.

  2. The second is the composing section of the exam that requires students to write a 200-word essay on an assigned topic.

The emphasis here is on the students engaging in the writing process to produce an essay which will be holistically scored. The criteria for passing the essay is based on understanding of task, content, organization, support for ideas, vivid and precise language, and conventions of standard written English.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The Social Studies test, in addition to measuring integrated and comprehensive skills, is primarily a reading test. All written items follow the format of having the examinee read a paragraph and then answer questions relating to the content of that paragraph. While the test does not demand that the examinee have a knowledge of specific facts such as dates and specific events in history, it does demand that the examinee have a vocabulary and understanding of concepts in American and world history, a working knowledge of geography, and an understanding of key concepts and vocabulary in economics and the behavioral sciences. In addition to the ability to read and comprehend information, the student will be required to respond to questions using charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, maps, and political cartoons.
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