Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

 

Task #3

Desktop Publishing, Online Research, Email

Grade

4

Content Area(s)

Social Studies

Unit Title/Theme

Vermont County Newsletter

Task Developer/Author

Donna Sullivan-Macdonald

 

 

 

 

1.                 Setting the Context

The context of this Performance Assessment Task is a sixteen-week study of Vermont.  One of the activities included in the unit will be a Vermont County Newsletter, in which students will share their learning of content and technology skills. 

This Vermont unit may also include:

·        Reading historical fiction books such as Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, Cave of Falling Water by Janice Ovecka and Green Mountain Hero by Edgar N. Jackson.

·        Writing poetry about Vermont.

·        Learning about notable people and events from Vermont’s past.

·        Researching Vermont’s state symbols and other facts about the state.

·        Reviewing map skills. Students may use Vermont maps to review locating keys, direction, borders, landscape, and other physical features. Maps of Vermont lakes, rivers, and counties may be used.

·        Experiencing various field trips throughout this unit. During each trip, students may bring digital video or still cameras to capture their experiences.

 

 

2.                 Grade Expectations/Standards

 

Technology

 

IT1 – Basic Operations & Concepts

·         Using removable media (e.g., floppy disk, CD, DVD)

·         Launching a program from the desktop using a shortcut or alias.

·         Using effective keyboarding:

o        posture (i.e., back straight, body leaning slightly forward, etc.

o        techniques (e.g., eyes on monitor or copy-not the keyboard, etc)

o        attitudes (e.g., willingness to change habits, persistence and diligence)

·         Using digital tools to capture images (e.g., scanner, digital camera)

IT2 - Social, Ethical & Human Issues

·         Documenting sources of information obtained through electronic resources (e.g., identifying author and URL).

IT3 - Productivity Tools

·         Combining text with pictures on a single page (e.g., inserting clipart).

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

 

History and Social Studies Grade Expectations - Grades 3-4
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

 

Planning how to organize information so it can be shared.

 

Conducting Research
H&SS3-4:11
Students interpret geography and solve geographic problems by…

Locating the physical and political regions of Vermont (e.g.,six regions, towns, counties)

 

 

 

3. The Performance Task

Students will understand how to use online research and email to create a newsletter for a Vermont county.

 

Goal: Students will produce an electronic newsletter that demonstrates understanding of a Vermont county.

 

Role: Students will take on the role of president of the Chamber of Commerce for their Vermont county.  Their mission will be to produce a newsletter that will attract visitors to their county.

 

Audience: The Vermont County Newsletters will be shared via email with another fourth grade class in the school district.  The students in this class will decide which county they would like to visit and report back to the original group, stating the reasons for their choice(s).

 

Situation: Students will need access to their own computer, be it through use of a mobile lab or many computers located in one space (i.e. library/media center or lab).

 

Product/Performance:  A newsletter the gives information about a Vermont county will be the final product.  The teacher will define which categories (listed below) should be researched.  This newsletter will include images from the Internet, electronic encyclopedias, as well images that have been e-mailed or snail mailed from a source within the county.  If brochures are sent from the county, images may be scanned.  Sources will be cited.

4. Activities

Students will research a Vermont county and publish a newsletter that contains text and graphics.  Students will gain information and images of their county through e-mail correspondence with a group living within the county (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, school, business).  Students will also gain information through on-line or on-site electronic encyclopedias, as well as resources gathered through Internet research.

The following county information will be researched and included in the newsletter:

            Population of county
            10 cities or towns in the county
            Physical features (lakes, mountain, rivers in county)
            Historical information about county (key places and/or events)
            Recreation available in county
            At least two popular attractions in county
            At least one interesting fact about the county
            Map of Vermont showing location of county and map of county alone
            Evidence of email correspondence with person or group living within                              the county

 

Students will use a word processing program to create their newsletter.  Text will be combined with pictures on a single page newsletter that may be printed to share with family and other classes.  The final newsletters will be emailed to another fourth grade class within the school district.  All sources of information must be cited within the newsletter.

 

 

5. Materials and Resources

Computer with Internet access to locate information on Vermont county.
Email capability for correspondence with person/group living within student’s county
Word processing/desktop publishing software
Printer
Scanner
Electronic encyclopedia (optional)

The following web sites will be useful for students researching counties in Vermont:

Vermont Counties from U.S. Census Bureau
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/vermont_map.html

Baughan’s NorthEast Guide
http://www.neguide.com/vt/counties.htm

Counties in Vermont from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vermont_counties

Vermont Counties and Regions from Yahoo
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Vermont/Counties_and_Regions

 

6. Criteria/Rubric

 

Grade Expectation

Introduced

With Assistance

Met the Standard

Basic Operations

Using removable media (e.g., floppy disk, CD, DVD)

 

 

 

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)

 

 

 

Using digital tools to capture images (e.g., scanner, digital camera)

 

 

 

Social, Ethical & Human Issues

Documenting sources of information obtained through electronic resources (e.g., identifying author and URL).

 

 

 

Productivity Tools

Combining text with pictures on a single page (e.g., inserting clipart).

 

 

 

Communication

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)

 

 

 

 

 

History and Social Studies Grade Expectations - Grades 3-4

Getting Started

Almost There

Got It!

WOW!

Research Plan
H&SS3-4:3

Identifying resources for finding answers to their questions (e.g., books, videos, people, and the Internet).

I was able to find resources for 0-3 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

I was able to find resources for 4-6 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

I was able to find resources for 7-8 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

I was able to find resources for all of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

Conducting Research
H&SS3-4:11

 

Locating the physical and political regions of Vermont (e.g.,six regions, towns, counties)

I was able to describe my Vermont county both physically and politically by demonstrating knowledge of 0-4 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

I was able to describe my Vermont county both physically and politically by demonstrating knowledge of 3-5 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter

I was able to describe my Vermont county both physically and politically by demonstrating knowledge of 6 of the 9 categories required for the newsletter.

I was able to demonstrate knowledge of our county both physically and politically in all 9 categories required for the newsletter.

 

7. Checklist

Pre-Assessment Checklist

Grade Expectation

Introduced

Practiced

Using removable media (e.g., floppy disk, CD, DVD)

 

 

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)

 

 

Using digital tools to capture images (e.g., scanner, digital camera)

 

 

Documenting sources of information obtained through electronic resources (e.g., identifying author and URL).

 

 

Combining text with pictures on a single page (e.g., inserting clipart).

 

 

Sending an email message to another local user.

 

 

Sending an email message to a remote user (i.e., using address with @).

 

 

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)

 

 

Student Checklist for Vermont County Research

 

 

Researched

Included in Newsletter

Population of county

 

 

10 cities or towns in the county

 

 

Physical features (lakes, mountains, rivers in county)

 

 

Historical information about county (key places and/or events)

 

 

Recreation available in county

 

 

At least two popular attractions in county

 

 

At least one interesting fact about the county

 

 

Map of Vermont showing location of county and map of county alone

 

 

Evidence of email correspondence with person or group living within the county