This assignment is for higher level students about to transition to mainstream courses. I created this assignment to encourage students that they could actually attend classes and be successful. The assignment is assign towards the beginning of the semester (multiple reasons for this: scheduling observations, vocabulary [usually the classes are more advanced as the semester rolls out], and reflection).
Before doing this assignment, I present lectures from real classes for them to practice the skills of notetaking and listening to lectures. After watching these lectures, we would discuss the possible difficulties of listening. Then the students would complete the assignment. The final part of the assignment is a share-out presentation where they discuss the class they observed: what was it about, how difficult was comprehension, and what did they learn.
Rubric and Observation Instructions:
Sample Letter for Students to Edit and Send
I like the idea of having students observe content classes, especially as they are getting close to starting to take college classes.