Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

Task #2	A Presentation based on an Individual Research Project
Grade	5
Content Area(s)	Social Studies
Unit Title/Theme	Battles of the Civil War
Task Developer/Author	Dayle R. Wright

1. Setting the Context

This 6-week unit will be taught at the end of the fifth grade. During this time students will be working in assigned groups researching event surrounding the Civil War, reading books 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 in a multimedia presentation along with documenting their sources.

What did the South want?

What did the North want?

Describe the advantages of the North.

Describe the advantages of the South.

2. Grade Expectations/Standards

Technology

IT2 - Social, Ethical & Human Issues

· Demonstrating an understanding of copyright and fair use guidelines for educational purposes.

· Articulating and providing examples of relevant, reliable and unreliable Internet resources.

IT3 - Productivity Tools

· Illustrating a concept with topic and sub-topics, selecting different shapes and colors to differentiate various levels or processes ( e.g., concept map, web, bubble, flow chart).

IT4 – Communication

· Creating a linear or non-linear presentation including title slide, graphics, text, voice, sound related to topic, scanned or digital photo, animation, bibliography and table of contents.

IT5 - Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making

· Locating information that is accurate, relevant and appropriate, using a variety of electronic resources including digital encyclopedias, specialized CDs and the Internet.

· Preparing a search off-line without using a teacher-prepared form/strategy.

· Implementing a search strategy using Boolean logic (e.g., and, or, not).

· Bookmarking sites relevant to their research and organizing sites into categories.

· Identifying and justifying decisions made, (e.g. representing data, formatting, setting up formula, selecting criteria for search, visual organizer)

Content

History and Social Studies Grade Expectations - Grades 5-6

Conducting Research

H&SS5-6:4

Students conduct research by…

· Referring to and following a plan for an inquiry.

· Locating relevant materials such as print, electronic, and

human resources.

· Applying criteria from the research plan to analyze the

quality (e.g., credibility of a web site) and quantity (e.g.,

minimum number of sources) of information gathered.

· Describing evidence and recording observations using

notecards, videotape, tape recorders, journals, or databases.

· (e.g., recording relevant details of a historical or

geographical landmark).

· Citing sources.

3. The Performance Task

Students will understand the role of a Union / Confederate soldier by researching a battle from the Civil War.

Goal: Students will develop an understanding of the importance of battles in the Civil War.

Role: You are a soldier in the Civil War.

Audience: Students, parents & teacher.

Situation: Students will use the classroom computer(s) or computer lab, the Internet, digital camera(s), scanner(s), multimedia software, digital encyclopedias, specialized CDs and Visual organizer software.

Product/Performance: A Presentation based on an Individual Research Project

4. Activities

Using research based on their own offline search strategy using Boolean logic, students will be assigned a battle from the Civil War to research and create a multimedia presentation communicating their research and findings. Students will organize these sites using the categories below. Each presentation should include.

a. Battle Name 
b. Dates and Duration
c. Location
d. Commanding Officer Confederate
e. Commanding Officer Union

f. At least two interesting facts about your battle
g. Results (The outcome)
h. Estimated Casualties.

i. A letter home about the battle and their feelings about their life in the army, missing their family, friends dying, treatment (lack of food, clothing, shelter, e.g.)

The student, dressed for the role, will narrate the multimedia presentation from the viewpoint of either a Union or Confederate soldier. Presenters will speak in first person when presenting their information not only about facts listed above but their own participation in the battle. This could be the slide with the letter home.

A citation page will be needed for all information in the presentation. This page will need to include information from digital encyclopedias, specialized CDs and the Internet. This page should follow correct documentation format (Noodletools.com example)

Throughout students presentations the class will take notes and construct Venn diagrams, flow charts, concept map, web, bubble, e.g. based on one of the categories above. These graphic organizers will be printed out and displayed in the school.

5. Materials and Resources

· Computer (either in the classroom or lab setting)

· Internet access

· Digital encyclopedias

· Specialized CDs

· Multimedia program software

· Graphic organizer program software

· Scanner

· Digital camera

· Projector system

6. Criteria/Rubric

Performance Task # 2

Rubric

Grade Expectation	Introduced	With Assistance	Met the Standard
Basic Operations
Not Assessed
Social, Ethical & Human Issues
Demonstrating an understanding of copyright and fair use guidelines for educational purposes.
Articulating and providing examples of relevant, reliable and unreliable Internet resources.
Productivity Tools
Illustrating a concept with topic and sub-topics, selecting different shapes and colors to differentiate various levels or processes ( e.g., concept map, web, bubble, flow chart).
Modifying a digital image using flip; rotate, resize, crop
Communication
Creating a linear or non-linear presentation including title slide, graphics, text, voice, sound related to topic, scanned or digital photo, animation, bibliography and table of contents.
Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making
Locating information that is accurate, relevant and appropriate, using a variety of electronic resources including digital encyclopedias, specialized CDs and the Internet.
Preparing a search off-line without using a teacher-prepared form/strategy.
Implementing a search strategy using Boolean logic (e.g., and, or, not).
Bookmarking sites relevant to their research and organizing sites into categories.
Identifying and justifying decisions made, (e.g. representing data, formatting, setting up formula, selecting criteria for search, visual organizer)

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Vocabulary	Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Extends audience vocabulary by defining words that might be new to most of the audience.	Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Includes 1-2 words that might be new to most of the audience, but does not define them.	Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Does not include any vocabulary that might be new to the audience.	Uses several (5 or more) words or phrases that are not understood by the audience.
Stays on Topic	Stays on topic all (100%) of the time.	Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the time.	Stays on topic some (89%-75%) of the time.	It was hard to tell what the topic was.
Speaks Clearly	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word.	Speaks clearly and distinctly most ( 94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word.	Often mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.

7. Checklist

“Check-in” check list located by computer for each student. This sheet would list all of the below requirements needed for this task (e.g., battle information, citations, bookmarked sites, tech being used).

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