Catherine Cowan's The Nose is a children's retelling of a classic story by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1836. That makes it a natural centerpiece for a unit on adaptations, in which students consider how a story changes when it is retold for a new audience. A good unit needs a good assessment plan, and the best plans are built before instruction begins. Starting with the end in mind keeps daily lessons focused and grading manageable.

An adaptation unit can address reading, writing, and speaking skills, but it should not try to assess everything. Choose a few outcomes that matter most, such as summarizing the story accurately, explaining how the retelling might be shaped for young readers, and writing a well-supported response. Every task in the unit should connect to one or more of these outcomes. That coherence makes the final grade meaningful.

Consider the time you have and the students you teach. A two-week unit cannot support the same amount of writing as a six-week unit. Be realistic about how many tasks to assign and how much feedback you can give. It is better to assess fewer things well than many things poorly.

Begin With the Goal

Write the learning goals in student-friendly language and post them where students can see them. A goal such as being able to explain how a retelling for children might differ from an original story is specific and measurable. From there, decide what evidence would show that a student has met it. This backward planning keeps assessments aligned with instruction.

• Opening check: a short quick write to see what students already know about retold stories
• Midpoint task: a paragraph summarizing the events of The Nose with supporting details
• Analysis task: a short essay explaining a choice the retelling makes and its effect
• Creative or oral task: a retelling of a scene in the student's own words
• Reflection: a brief written note on what the student learned and how their writing improved

Mix Formats Within the Unit

Using several formats gives a fuller picture of student learning. Short quick writes provide daily information, a mid-unit paragraph checks progress, and a final essay or project shows synthesis. Including an oral or creative option can help students who express themselves better outside traditional essays. Just be sure each format is scored against clear criteria.

Space out the higher-stakes tasks so that students have time to apply feedback. If the analysis paragraph comes back before the final essay, students can revise their approach. Feedback that arrives after the last assignment does little for learning. Sequence tasks so that each one builds on the last.

Build Scoring Tools Before Teaching

Draft the rubrics for each major task before the unit starts. This forces you to think about what quality looks like and helps you design lessons that develop those qualities. Share the rubrics with students early so they know the target. A rubric revealed only after the assignment is due loses much of its instructional value.

Collect sample responses from previous years, or write your own, and use them to test the rubrics. If you cannot distinguish clearly between score levels, revise the language. Have a colleague try the rubric too, since a second reader quickly finds ambiguities. Investing time here makes grading faster and fairer later.

Review and Revise After the Unit

When the unit ends, look at the results across the whole class. Identify which outcomes students met and which ones need more attention. Note any assessments that produced confusing results, which may point to unclear prompts or rubrics. Write down what you would change while it is still fresh.

If you use digital tools for scoring, export the data by rubric row and compare it across tasks. Patterns such as strong summaries but weak analysis point to what to emphasize next time. Share findings with colleagues so the whole team can benefit. A unit that improves a little each year eventually becomes something the department can be proud of.