Communication Demonstrate knowledge and reasoning through oral, written, visual, dramatic, or mixed media presentations To be useful, a student's knowledge and reasoning must be communicated to a wider audience. Effective communication requires focus and organization. For example, in history, a student must have a clearly defined thesis and an organized narrative that tells what happened in an interesting and informed way. In the other social sciences, a student must be able to identify issues and concepts clearly, explain the various parts of a problem, and present possible resolutions. The most important aspect of communication is the student's ability to express clearly his or her ideas.
Clarity depends upon organization.
A well-organized presentation includes a focus statement, supplies relevant examples to support main ideas, and offers conclusions based on evidence. Furthermore, an effective presentation, regardless of its type, provides evidence of a student's knowledge and reasoning processes. A student can select a variety of techniques to communicate his or her knowledge and reasoning skills. Each communication technique has its own conventions which teachers should take into account. For example, assessing an oral report may include such conventions as effective use of voice, gestures, eye contact, and use of visual aids.