Example Technology Performance Assessment
Task
|
Task #3 |
A Newsletter |
|
Grade |
3 |
|
Content Area(s) |
Writing (A) and Science (I) |
|
Unit Title/Theme |
I’ve Lost My Marbles! |
|
Task Developer/Author |
Barbara Lacy |
1.
Setting the Context
Students will be writing a newsletter using report writing techniques. The content of this newsletter will be based on research on a famous scientist, Sir Isaac Newton as well as the results of scientific investigation of force and motion. This is a task on both the concept of effects of force on objects in motion and the inquiry process in Science.
Note: This task will be an introduction to the Science concept of force and motion. Therefore, the Science portion of this task will not be assessed.
2. Grade Expectations
Technology
IT1 - Basic Operations & Concepts
IT2 - Social,
Ethical & Human Issues
IT3 - Productivity
Tools
IT4 - Communication
· Sending an email message to another local user.
·
Sending an email message to a remote user (i.e.,
using address with @).
IT5 - Research,
Problem Solving & Decision Making
·
Accessing
information from a workstation, LAN or Internet-based electronic encyclopedia.
· Preparing a search off-line using a teacher-prepared form/strategy.
· Using a search engine predetermined by the teacher, implementing the search strategy developed and locating pertinent information.
· Identifying decisions made, (e.g. representing data, formatting, criteria for search, visual organizer)
Example: What key words did you use in your internet
search?
Content
The
following Science concepts are included for introductory purposes only. They will not be assessed in this
Task.
S3-4:1
Scientific Questioning
Students
demonstrate their understanding of SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONING by…
S3-4:2
Predicting and Hypothesizing
Students
demonstrate their understanding of PREDICTING AND HYPOTHESIZING by…
S3-4:21
Force
Students
demonstrate their understanding of Force by…
W3:8 Informational
Writing: Reports
In reports, students
organize information by…
W3:9
Informational
Writing: Reports
In
reports, students effectively convey a perspective on a subject by…
W3:
In reports, students demonstrate use of a range of elaboration
10
strategies by…
3. The Performance Task
Through research on Sir Isaac Newton and scientific investigation of force and motion,
students will demonstrate their
understanding of the concepts of force and
motion as well as variables in scientific inquiry. They will communicate their findings through
an electronically created newsletter which they will email to a “Sister” school
who has been conducting the same research and investigation.
Goal(s): Through research, experimentation and creation of a newsletter, students will demonstrate their understanding of the concepts of force and motion.
Role: Researcher,
Scientist, Author
Audience: Third Grade students from another school
Situation: The classroom teacher attended a Science conference during the summer vacation. She and a teacher from another school have decided to have their classes conduct similar research and experiments on the topic of Force and Motion. They want their classes to share their results with one another via email.
Product/Performance: A Newsletter about Sir Isaac Newton and His Concepts of Force and Motion.
4.
Activities
Ongoing Activity
1. Students will begin each session in the Computer Lab with a minimum of 10 minutes of a keyboarding program. The teacher will use the assessment built into the keyboarding software as well as a teacher generated checklist to assess posture, techniques and attitude.
2. Students will launch necessary software (desktop publishing, etc.) from the desktop using a shortcut or alias.
Assessment Activity 1
Teacher will introduce the famous scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. Students will then fill in the teacher
generated offline search strategy form (T-chart) to locate resources about Sir
Isaac Newton. The T-chart will contain
a place for keywords on one side and a justification for the choice of those
keywords on the other.
Assessment Activity 2
Using a search
engine pre-determined by the teacher, students will implement their search
criteria and identify pertinent sites. Once the sites have been approved
by their teacher, they will gather information.
Assessment Activity 3
Students will incorporate
information gathered through their Internet research and an onsite or online
electronic encyclopedia into a newsletter.
At the end of each session, students should save their work on to a
removable media (floppy disk, CD, DVD)
Assessment Activity 4
On their newsletter page, students will incorporate meaningful pictures with their text (inserting clip art).
Assessment Activity 5
Students will then appropriately cite information gathered by noting it at the bottom of their newsletter page.
Assessment Activity 6
Students will then conduct the “Movement” investigation (see Appendix). Students will note their observations and summarize the results. They will incorporate this summary as an article within their newsletter.
Assessment Activity 7
Students will use a digital camera to document their investigation while it is in process. These pictures will be incorporated into their newsletter as illustrations.
Assessment Activity 8
Students will compose an email message which contains the results of the investigation. The email will be sent to their teacher as well as to a student in the “Sister” school.
5.
Materials and Resources
4. Internet Connection
5. Email Software
6. Digital Camera
7. Printer
8. Teacher generated offline search form
9. Materials for investigation (see appendix)
10. Teacher generated checklist for effective keyboarding
6.
Criteria/Rubric
|
Grade Expectation |
Introduced |
With Assistance |
Met the Standard |
|
Basic Operations |
|||
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Using removable media (e.g., floppy disk, CD, DVD) |
|
|
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Launching a program from the desktop using a shortcut or
alias. |
|
|
|
|
Using effective keyboarding: ·
posture
(i.e., back straight, body leaning slightly forward, etc. ·
techniques
(e.g., eyes on monitor or copy-not the keyboard, etc) ·
attitudes
(e.g., willingness to change habits, persistence and diligence) |
|
|
|
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Using digital tools to capture images
(e.g., scanner, digital camera) |
|
|
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Social, Ethical & Human Issues |
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Documenting sources of
information obtained through electronic resources (e.g., identifying author
and URL). |
|
|
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|
Productivity Tools |
|||
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Combining
text with pictures on a single page (e.g., inserting clipart). |
|
|
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|
Communication |
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Sending an email message to another local user. |
|
|
|
|
Sending an email message to
a remote user (i.e., using address with @). |
|
|
|
|
Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making |
|||
|
Accessing information from a workstation, LAN or
Internet-based electronic encyclopedia. |
|
|
|
|
Preparing a search off-line using a teacher-prepared
form/strategy. |
|
|
|
|
Using
a search engine predetermined by the teacher, implementing the search
strategy developed and locating pertinent information. |
|
|
|
|
Identifying
decisions made, (e.g. representing data, formatting, criteria for search,
visual organizer) |
|
|
|
Content - Writing
Writing to Inform
K – 4
|
Dimensions
of Writing Standard
1.5 Criteria
|
Exceeds
the Standard Accomplished
Writing |
Meets the Standard Accomplished Writing |
K – 3
Below the Standard |
|
|
Grade 4 Intermediate Writing |
Grade 4 Basic and Limited Writing |
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|
Purpose • Context • Focus/Controlling Idea • Evidence of gathered information • Audience |
Includes relevant background information
(context) Focus is clear Report stays on focus |
Includes relevant background information
(context) Focus is clear Report stays on focus |
Little context Has topic and attempts a focus. |
No context Topic and/ or focus may be unclear
and/or shift |
|
Organization • Overall coherence • Appropriate organizational patterns |
Has clear, consistent coherence and
organization Has compelling introduction and/or
conclusion that supports focus Uses transitions |
Has clear, consistent coherence and
organization Has introduction, body, and conclusion that
support focus Uses some transitions |
May have some organizational structure |
May have little or no organization |
|
Details/Elaboration
• Naming • Describing • Explaining • Comparing |
Has a depth of information Details are relevant to topic, purpose,
and audience Uses a variety of elaboration strategies
|
Has some supporting information. Details support the focus Ideas are elaborated appropriate to
grade level |
May have random and/or irrelevant
details. Ideas are not elaborated or details are
insufficient to support focus |
|
|
Voice and
Tone • Vocabulary • Sentence structure • Sentence variety |
Voice of a knowledgeable person Uses effective vocabulary, sentence
structure and/or variety |
Voice is of a person who desires to
convey gathered information Uses appropriate vocabulary, sentence
structure and/or variety |
Uses confusing language (sentence
structure and vocabulary). Uses pale vocabulary and basic sentence
structure |
|
Experiment
TITLE: MOVEMENT AUTHOR: DEBORAH HERNDON, IXL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARKANSAS CITY , KS GRADE LEVEL: 3-4 OVERVIEW: Students from the middle grades are ready to begin experimentation as a method for solving problems. This activity will have them identify variables, andtest a variable for its effect on moving a marble. PURPOSE: To involve students in identifying variables and planning experiments to test the effect of a variable. OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity, the students will:1. OBSERVE marbles rolling down a ramp.2. IDENTIFY VARIABLES that could be causing the marble to roll faster or farther.3. TEST changing one variable to see what results it will have.4. RECORD appropriate data.5. ANALYZE the data to make a concluding statement about the changed variable. ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:1. Introduction This activity could be introduced at the beginning of a unit on movement or as a part of an ongoing unit on how technology advances. Demonstrate a marble rolling down a ramp. Ask the students to make observations. Discuss what could make the marble roll faster? farther? List all possible variables. Decide on one variable to test, and make a prediction as to the results of that one change. Discuss what measurement would be appropriate for the situation and tools available. In an elementary classroom and considering the small amount of time it takes a marble to roll down a ramp, measuring how far the marble goes is more appropriate. 2. Small group experiment --The following form can be generated by the students or given to them with any or all parts as places to "fill-in", depending on your emphasis. RAISE THE RAMP!! PLAN: We want to see how far a marble will roll after coming down a ramp. We will try to change the height if the ramp to make it roll faster. CONSTANTS VARIABLE -------------------------------------- size of marble weight of marble height of ramp same ramp surface RESOURCES/MATERIALS: 10 books (each about 1 cm. thick), meterstick, marble, ramp (made of a cardboard tube form wrapping paper. (Materials for the experiment as listed, with enough for each small group.) PROCEDURE:1. Set up the ramp with 4 books on a flat surface.2. Hold the marble at the top of the ramp and let it roll.3. Use the meterstick to measure how far the marble rolls from the end of the ramp.
4. Record your results.5. Raise the ramp to 7 books and repeat steps #2-#4.6. Raise the ramp to 10 books and repeat steps #2-#4. RESULTS: _ramp______l_trial# 1__l_trial #2__l__trial #3_l _4 books___l___________l___________l___________l _7 books __l___________l___________l___________l _10 books__l___________l___________l___________l CONCLUSION: __( The greater incline of the higher will cause the marble to roll faster, unless the incline becomes so steep that the smooth roll of the marble is interrupted) ____________________________ TYING IT ALL TOGETHER This provides a good basis of understanding for further studies of motion. Interaction is a basic science concept. Students should become aware of interactions and the causes/ effects of those interactions.