Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

Task #	1
Grade	3
Content Area(s)	Science
Unit Title/Themes	Solar System
Task Developer/Author	Ellen Ferro

1. Setting the Context

Students will be learning about the Solar System and where their place is within it. They have prior knowledge about the moon, stars, and the sun and some planet study. Students will have already physically acted out the movements of planets around the sun to understand rotation and revolution. They have books and posters around them for reinforcement of general information. Students will then be given a randomly chosen planet for a more intense study and project. They will make a model of the planet, do a research project about their planet and finally create a post card and learn to send that post card, electronically.

2. Grade Expectations

IT1 - Basic Operations & Concepts

· Launching a program from the desktop

IT4 - Communication

· Creating a slide presentation including title slide, graphics, text, voice, sound related to topic and documentation of sources.

IT5 - Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making

· Using multiple resources including:

o Library catalog

o Electronic resources

o Internet web pages

· Navigating to various websites by typing a URL into a browser or using a list of links identified by the teacher.

· Navigating using forward, back, home, and refresh.

· Using hyperlinks to navigate the world wide web.

Science S3-4:44

Students demonstrate their understanding of Characteristics of the Solar System by...

Creating a model of the planets and their correct order from the sun.

AND

Drawing or building and then explaining a model of the earth rotating on its axis in relation to the sun and moon (i.e., day and night).

Science Concepts:

· The earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and the moon orbits the earth.

· Like all planets and stars, the earth is approximately spherical in shape.

· The rotation of the earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the night and day cycle.

3. The Performance Task

Students will research a planet in our Solar System and create a multimedia post card slide.

Goal(s): Students will be able to put the planets in their order from the sun and will have obtained five facts about one planet. They will also be able to make a comparison to Earth from their planet of study.

Role: Students are astronauts who will be reporting back to their commander.

Audience: Teacher, classmates, school or class web page

Situation: Students are astronauts traveling to different planets. Their job is to research their planet and send a post card home to their commander and chief (teacher). A final presentation of the planet information will then be placed in a multimedia slide show that will demonstrate or model the planetary order from the sun as well as a comparison to Earth.

Urgent: NASA has just informed us that a lost probe has been radioing signals back to earth. The messages are incomplete and we must locate the probe within 24 hours. Your mission is to gather as much information as possible about your specific planet and make a report using the electronic generating Post Card machine. (The Great Solar System Rescue – Tom Snyder Productions)

Product/Performance:

Students will research both in books and electronically a planet. Students will design and create three multimedia slides. One is a title slide for a final presentation of planetary order. A second slide will be a post card of one planet including facts learned and picture. A third slide will be a Venn Diagram with Earth and the Other Planet.

4. Activities

Overall this project should be spread over about six - 45 minute classes.

Give the scenario that the students will be traveling to a planet and need to send their commander (teacher) a post card about their planet. They should also know ahead of time that they will be asked to place the planets in correct order from the sun.

Class 1—(not assessed) A full class time should be spent reviewing the uses of the different software being used. (Powerpoint, Kidpix, etc.) Expectations need to be clear about what the post card and title slide need to have. The teacher can post this information for the students to use as a guide. Review of Venn Diagrams should also take place here.

Title Slide—include the name of the planet and a picture

Post Card Slide—include five facts about the planet, a photo or picture of the planet. (One fact should give some information about where it is from the sun)

Venn Diagram Slide—include information in all three parts of the Venn Diagram.

Class 2 –(Assessment Begins) Begin the research process. Provide the students with books and have posters available about the planets. Previous web searches would be beneficial to find appropriate to grade level sites on the planets. (Teacher created web pages could be very beneficial) Note cards are useful to keep track of information found.

Remind students to record their sources—books, internet sites, etc. At the time this class ends, students should have note cards with information and sites from at least 2 locations.

Class 3—Continue the research process and encourage finding interesting facts that others will not know about your planet. Begin thinking about what your post card will look like. Some students may want to storyboard or draw what they’re thinking about. (Optional—not assessed)

Class 4—Using computers to begin the post card and title slide. The title slide is first to be created. No specific template is used. Children should create their own. Included is the name of the planet and the astronaut (child’s name). A computer drawn picture of the planet is on the title slide. This needs to be colored as well as saved. The second slide or post card can begin as well.

Class 5—Post card is created, including sounds, transitions, text, and voice. Students can record their voice onto the slide reading its text or can chose to say a message to the commander, (teacher). Slides need a picture of their planet too. This can be drawn, copied and pasted (work cited). Text should be checked for spelling and grammar.

Class 6—Teacher will print the post card slides. Students view each other’s slides (cards) and then place them in their proper planetary order. This is done individually. The students and/or teacher can do this electronically in a final slide show, with each child’s title slide and post card. (not assessed-Optional) The teacher needs to place the slides in a shared environment to do this. The students could also send these post cards via email to the commander (teacher) if the capability exists. (not assessed-Optional)

5. Materials and Resources

Samples of post cards, various books about planets, posters and web sites should be available. Multimedia software to create slides. Optional - Email capabilities (not assessed)

6. Criteria/Rubric

Grade Expectation	Introduced	With Assistance	Met the Standard
Basic Operations
Launching a program from the desktop
Communication
Creating a slide presentation including title slide, graphics, text, voice, sound related to topic and documentation of sources.
Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making
Using multiple resources including: · Library catalog · Electronic resources · Internet web pages
Navigating to various websites by typing a URL into a browser or using a list of links identified by the teacher.
Navigating using forward, back, home, and refresh.
Using hyperlinks to navigate the world wide web.

Post Card Rubric

Criteria	Got It	Almost	Not Yet
Gathered information about my planet	Found 5 facts	Found 3-4 facts	Found 1-2
Recorded and cited my sources-(title-author or web URL)	Recorded and sited all my sources	Recorded sites for only 3-4 facts	Recorded only one source
Created the title slide	Title, Author (astronaut) and picture is drawn and colored	One piece of the title slide is missing	Two or more pieces of the title slide is missing
Post Card Slide picture	Picture was properly copied/pasted/cited or drawn	Picture not accurately colored or not independently copied and pasted	Wrong planet or no detail showing that it is the correct planet
Transitions, Voice, Sounds in Slides	All transitions, sounds and voice overs done correctly	Only transitioned one part of the slide and voice doesn’t match.	No voice or sounds. Transitions only.
Ordering of Planets	Correctly ordered all 9 planets	Ordered planets correctly except for 2	Missed the order of planets by more than 2
Planet Knowledge from Post Card	Can name one fact learned from 5 other post cards.	Can name one fact learned from 3 other post cards.	Cannot name any new facts learned from the post cards.

Planet Venn Diagram

	My Planet
		Earth