Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

 

Task #2

Presentation of Individual Research

Grade

5

Content Area(s)

Science and Health

Unit Title/Theme

Human Body: Keeping the Systems Healthy

Task Developer/Author

Laura Grant

 

 

1.                 Setting the Context

 

The health of our nation’s children is declining due to poor eating habits and the sedentary nature of our current culture.  Students will become involved in designing informational presentations to halt the trend toward obesity and diabetes.  This task will be as a culminating project for the last two weeks of a six week Human Body unit. Students will have been participating in learning activities such as experiments, content reading and discussion, interviewing guest speakers, etc.  Forty minute Science classes and one hour Writing classes daily will be devoted to this work and students will then present to peers from another team as well as their parents during an open house. 

 

2.                 Grade Expectations/Standards

Technology

IT1 - Basic Operations & Concepts

Not assessed in this task

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)

Example:  What key words did you make and why?  Are there other words that might have worked better? 


Health

HE5-6:4 Students demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products by …..

·b. Identifying resources from school and community that provide valid health information and services for individuals, families, and communities.

Science - Body Systems

S5-6:41 Students demonstrate their understanding of Human Body Systems by…

·Investigating circumstances that affect more than one body system and explaining the interconnected relationship between the body systems (e.g., the effects of exercise on several interdependent body systems, such as respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous, skeletal systems).

Science Concepts:

b. A change in one system can have an effect on other systems. (e.g., exercise changing heart rate and breathing rate).

 3. The Performance Task

 

Students will research two body systems and create a multimedia presentation that demonstrates their understanding of those systems and how exercise impacts them

 

Goal:   By learning about the functioning of body systems through hands-on experiments and then researching the interdependence of two body systems, students will design informational presentations to halt the trend toward obesity and diabetes.

 

Role: The student is a special reporter

 

Audience: Classmates, peers from other classrooms, teacher, and parents, could also be published on the web.

 

Situation: The student is a special reporter for a major news network and must “sell” the story to the producer (teacher).  After initial approval the student must then conduct the research and present the multimedia show to various audiences.

 

Product/Performance: Oral presentation with supporting concept map of offline search strategy and multimedia presentation


 

  1. Activities

To build background knowledge students keep a Science notebook throughout the unit where notes from the guest speakers and general information about each body system are recorded.  For the performance task, students develop an off-line search strategy to research the functions and roles of two of the seven body systems studied and research how diet or exercise impacts the two systems.  After storyboarding their research for a 6-8 card multimedia presentation, students will create the presentation and then present it to their classmates, to peers from another team, and to parents at an open house.

 

One class period: Select two body systems with teacher approval, Develop researchable questions, for example: What are the organs of the immune system? How does the Immune System work?  How does the Immune System work with the Respiratory System?  How does exercise keep both systems healthy?

 

One class period: Design an off-line search strategy on paper or using concept mapping software, see the checklist that guides students through this process

Two to Four class periods: Research the two body systems, their functions, and the impact exercise and/or diet has on them

One class period: Use provided checklist to check that all requirements and editing have been completed

One class period:  Present to classmates and complete editing

One class period:  Present to peers and revise contents based on feedback

One class period:  Present to parents at open house

5. Materials and Resources

Information found on-line as well as gained through interviewing guest speakers

Other print resources available in library

Paper concept mapping software for creating off-line search strategy or

Access to computers with word processing software with spell check, thesaurus, grammar check

 


6. Criteria/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)

 

 

 


 

7. Checklist

Offline Search Strategy Checklist

o       Does my concept map show my topic clearly?

o       Does my concept map show my questions and subtopics?

o       Does my concept map show the steps I will use to do my research (because I have arrows and lines)?

o       Does my concept map use colors or shapes to organize categories?

o       Can I explain why I think this search strategy will answer my questions?

o       Can I explain what I will do if my strategy doesn’t work?

o       Can I explain copyright and fair use?

o       Can I explain which Internet resources are reliable for this project and why?

Sources Checklist

Did I:

o       use Boolean logic to narrow my search? (“and”, “or”, “not”)

o       use digital encyclopedias?

o       use Internet Sites?

o       use CDs?

o       list all the books and sources I used?

o       keep bookmarks of sites I used?

o       organize my bookmarks into categories?

Multimedia Presentation Checklist

Did I:

o       Make a title slide?

o       Include a Table of Contents?

o       Include a digital or scanned image

o       Change a digital image using flip, rotate, resize, or crop?

o       Include graphics?

o       Include text?

o       Include voice recordings?

o       Include a sound related to my topic?

o       Include animation?

o       Include a bibliography of all of my sources(books, digital encyclopedias, and web sites)?