A New Test for Taking Finals : Education: Visual presentations are used to supplant examinations for some courses at Oak Park High School.

As she was getting dressed for school Tuesday, Allyson Allen, a junior at Oak Park High School, found herself entertaining an outlandish thought: She longed to take a final exam.

Instead, she prepared for an alternative that seemed much more daunting. Allyson had to present a 15- to 20-minute speech on patriotism, illustrated by videos, photographs, music or original poetry, and accompanied by a written paper. Even worse, her presentation would count as her final exam for not one but two classes, English and U.S. history.

Allyson was one of 130 students at Oak Park who this year were required to perform the exercises in lieu of taking final exams in some courses. The presentations began Monday and will end today.

Allyson had trouble keeping a tremor out of her voice when she stepped up to a podium at a crowded conference room and switched on a recording of Aaron Copland’s solemn “Fanfare for the Common Man.”

Addressing both teachers, other students, and her father, Allyson handled her theme--profiles of famous American generals from World War II--with aplomb.

And when it was all over, she decided the presentation was a better idea after all.

“For a test you can say, I’m not going to study for it and I’ll just take the F. This is more scary, but I like it better because I don’t take tests very well,” Allyson said. “This morning when I woke up, I said I’d rather take a test. But now I’m glad I did this.”

History teacher Jim Johnson and English teacher Judy Forman said the presentations are a better incentive to learning than traditional tests. The school next year will require students to do more in-depth presentations.

“Every year I get more and more discouraged with the number of kids that do not do well on traditional finals,” Johnson said.

Instead of the standard grades, the students were rated either exemplary, acceptable or not acceptable. Those who were judged not acceptable will have to redo their presentations, Johnson said.

As a theme, the juniors were asked to give their interpretations of patriotism and the role it plays in American culture and history.

And while some of the presentations would have fit in at an American Legion speech convention, others took a more skeptical view.

Among the former was Paul Hasenfus Jr., who delved into rules governing the display of the American flag. His presentation incorporated the Battle Hymn of the Republic and a stirring speech by former President George Bush--whom Paul, in his nervousness, misidentified as Ronald Reagan.

“I think it is sad that there has to be a law against flag-burning, because people should morally know that burning the American flag is wrong,” Paul said.

At the end of the presentation, Johnson commented: “Paul, that’s the most I’ve heard you talk all year.”

Chris Brahmer took an opposite approach, finding patriotism in the acts of those who had the courage to stand up for their views despite oppression.

“A nonviolent protest is very patriotic. When you put your reputation aside and you speak up, that’s patriotic,” he said, showing documentary film clips contrasting Gandhi’s approach of nonviolence with the more fiery speeches of black leader Malcolm X.

Kristi Weaver had one of the most artistic performances. She talked about “My American Heroes,” and slowly filled out a map of the United States with their photographs: an eclectic mixture of such people as Bob Hope, Norman Rockwell, children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walt Disney, Elvis Presley, and Kristi’s “hero of heroes,” Magic Johnson.

Teachers said they were most impressed by several students who had been mostly silent in class the rest of the year.

Karen Johnson, whom Forman described as “very quiet and shy” in class, gave a spirited defense of gays in the military and related them to the integration of blacks and the introduction of women in the armed forces.

The students said their presentations were more valuable than final exams.

“It’s a lot more work, but I’m sure I’ll remember this a lot longer than I’ll remember the French test that I’m going to take in a few minutes,” Kevan Lewis said.