Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

 

Task #4

A Electronic Graph Made from Survey Results

Grade

4

Content Area(s)

Social Studies

Unit Title/Theme

Population of the Thirteen Colonies

Task Developer/Author

Dayle R. Wright

 

 

 

 

1.                 Setting the Context

 

This 8-week unit will be taught at the beginning of the fourth grade.  During this time students will be learning about the colonization period in American history (e.g. Jamestown, Plymouth colony).  Students working in assigned groups will research reasons why people came to the new world by reading books, viewing Internet sites about the this time period, constructing models, watching historical videos and taking notes from both teacher instruction, guest speakers, and text.  Each group will be asked to answer the overriding questions below and present their finds.

 

·        What were the reasons settlers came to this country?

·        As a means of support what did each colony produce in the new world?

·        Why did the thirteen colonies grow?

 

 

 

 

2. Grade Expectations/Standards

 

Technology

 

IT1 - Basic Operations & Concepts

-         Navigating between open windows

-         Locating files and folders using the Find command.

IT3 - Productivity Tools

-         Entering data into and manipulating an existing data base by browsing, sorting and searching/ finding/querying.

-         Entering data into a spreadsheet template.

-         Explaining the relationship between data and visual representation (graph).

-         Creating a graphical representation of numerical data (e.g., bar line, and pie).

 

 

Content

 

History and Social Studies Grade Expectations - Grades 3-4

 

Social and Historical Questioning

H&SS3-4:1

Students initiate an inquiry by…

· Asking relevant and focusing questions based on what they

have seen, what they have read, what they have listened to,

and/or what they have researched (e.g., Why was the soda

machine taken out of the school? Why is the number of family

farms in Vermont growing smaller?).

 

Research Plan

H&SS3-4:3

Students design research by…

· Identifying resources for finding answers to their questions

(e.g., books, videos, people, and the Internet).

· Identifying tasks and how they will be completed, including a

plan for citing sources (e.g., I will interview the principal

about why the soda machine was taken out of the school).

· Planning how to organize information so it can be shared.

 

 

3. The Performance Task

 

 

Students will understand the reasons why settlers came to the new world.

 

Goal: Using databases and spreadsheets software, students will gain a greater depth of understanding of the reasons settlers came to this country.

 

Role:  Researcher

Audience:  Students, parents & teacher.

Situation:  Students will use the classroom computer(s) or computer lab, the Internet, Spreadsheet software, Databases software, and the World Almanac.

 

Product/Performance: A Electronic Graph Made from Survey Results - Students will have entered their findings into a teacher-constructed database.  Once the class has completed this first part, students will now go between open windows and place the population of their colony into a spreadsheet.  Using the spreadsheet the student will construct a visual representation (graph) about their states population for each year listed.

 

 

4. Activities

Students will be assigned a colony to research the reasons why settlers came to the new world (e.g. Victims of religious persecution, did not like the government, the new world would provide wealth) and using the World Almanac find the population of the student assigned colony for 1600, 1700, 1740, 1780.

Each student will take their research and place it into a teacher-created database.  The teacher will construct a drop-down menu for the colony names and label the fields in the database with the following headings:

·        Who founded the colony?

·        Reason why colonists came to the New World.

·        Year colony was established.

·        Etc.

·        Population for years listed. (1600, 1700, 1740 & 1780)

 

Once all students have placed their information into the teacher-created database, students will then search and sort the information based on examples of questions below:

 

·        Which colonies came to the new world for religious freedom?

·        Which colonies wanted to forming a new government?

·        Which colonies came looking for wealth?

·        Which colonies grew “cash crops” for export?

·        Which colonies produce textile for export?

·        Etc.

Spreadsheet field names e.g.

Colony Name

Pop. 1600

Pop. 1700

Pop. 1740

Pop. 1780

Each student will take their data of population for each year and, navigating between open windows, place the information into a spreadsheet.  Students will then use the spreadsheet to construct a bar graph for their colony’s population over time to display in class.

5. Materials and Resources

·        Computer (either in the classroom or lab setting)

·        Internet access

·        Digital encyclopedias

·        Specialized CDs

·        Spreadsheet software

·        Databases software

·        Visual software

·        World Almanac

6. Criteria/Rubric

Grade Expectation

Introduced

With Assistance

Met the Standard

Basic Operations

Navigating between open windows

 

 

 

Locating files and folders using the Find command.

 

 

 

Social, Ethical & Human Issues

Not Assessed

 

 

 

Productivity Tools

Entering data into and manipulating an existing data base by browsing, sorting and searching/ finding/querying.

 

 

 

Entering data into a spreadsheet template.

 

 

 

Explaining the relationship between data and visual representation (graph).

 

 

 

Creating a graphical representation of numerical data (e.g., bar line, and pie).

 

 

 

Communication

Not Assessed

 

 

 

Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making

Not Assessed

 

 

 

 

CATEGORY

4

3

2

1

Plan for Organizing Information

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered and in the final research product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the research findings.

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information in the final research product. All students can independently explain this plan.

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan.

Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan.

Ideas/Research Questions

Researchers independently identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful, creative ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research.

Researchers independently identify at least 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research.

Researchers identify, with some adult help, at least 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research.

Researchers identify, with considerable adult help, 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research.

Quality of Sources

Researchers independently locate at least 2 reliable, interesting information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions.

Researchers independently locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions.

Researchers, with some adult help, locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions.

Researchers, with extensive adult help, locate at least 2 reliable information sources for EACH of their ideas or questions.

7. Checklist

“Check-in” check list located by computer for each student. This sheet would list all of the requirements needed for this task (e.g., Who founded the colony?

Reason why colonists came to the New World. Year colony was established.

Population for years listed.)

 

Scoring check list (This could be the same as above.).  Student used …..