Example Technology Performance Assessment Task

Task #5	Visual Representation of Data, Database, Paint/Draw, Calculator
Grade	6
Content Area(s)	Math
Unit Title/Theme	Central Tendency, “Ice Cream Preferences”
Task Developer/Author	Laura Botte

1. Setting the Context

By sixth grade most students can calculate Mean, Median, Mode and Range, however; they don’t really understand what these measures of central tendency are. They also do not have a realistic view of what this new vocabulary means, or where this math falls into their world. This activity will be an assessment of students’ technology skills along with an opportunity to make the measures of central tendency more applicable to students’ lives.

This lesson should take two forty-five minute class periods. Students will collect data on their classmates’ favorite flavor of ice cream. They will create a database and enter their collected data. Using calculators, they will determine percentages and consider the trends relative to the information collected. They will use paint and draw programs to illustrate their data and save it in a variety of formats.

When grouping students for this activity, teachers may want to pair students with stronger computer literacy skills with those students who have less computer confidence. Gifted learners can do internet research where other measures of central tendency can be found (batting averages, etc.) In doing this they can apply the measures of central tendency to higher levels of usage.

2. Grade Expectations/Standards

Technology

IT1 - Basic Operations & Concepts

• Identifying and saving documents in multiple formats (e.g.,.doc, .jpg, .pdf, .rtf).

IT2 - Social, Ethical & Human Issues

Not assessed in this task

IT3 - Productivity Tools

• Creating, entering and manipulating a data base using ascending and descending sorting, and

searching/finding/ querying, using single criterion.

• Creating original illustrations using paint and draw applications

• Comparing and contrasting the uses of a paint and a draw application

• Saving graphic images in multiple formats (e.g., .jpg, tif, gif)

• Using grade appropriate calculator and applications/functions (e.g., basic operations, fraction-decimal

conversion, percentage).

IT4 - Communication

Not assessed in this task

IT5 - Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making

Not assessed in this task

Content

M6:24 Analyzes patterns, trends or distributions in data in a variety

of contexts by determining or using measures of central

tendency (mean, median, or mode) or dispersion (range) to analyze

situations, or to solve problems.

M6:28 In response to a teacher- or student-generated question,

makes a hypothesis, collects appropriate data, organizes the data,

appropriately displays/represents numerical and/or categorical

data, analyzes the data to draw conclusions about the questions or

hypothesis being tested, and when appropriate makes predictions,

asks new questions, or makes connection to real-world situations.

3. The Performance Task

Students will publish a visual representation of their classroom data collection and analysis.

Goal: A comprehensive analysis of ice cream preferences in a 6^th grade classroom.

Audience: Ice cream vendors in the community.

Situation: Ice cream sales in the community have steadily dropped. Ice cream vendors’ believe that the cause of the drop is that they may not be stocking flavors favored by youth in the community. Not wanting to see their ice cream options limited, the 6^th grade is evaluating student preferences in ice cream so that they may inform local vendors of what flavors it would be in their best interest to stock.

Product/Performance: A publication that visually represents ice cream preferences in the 6^th grade that is saved in formats compatible with the web and local applications.

4. Activities

This assessment has been developed with the assumption that it will take place in a computer lab where each student has access to a computer.

Day 1 – 45 minutes

Using an overhead projector, the teacher will take a survey of students’ favorite ice cream flavors. This information can be kept as a list on the overhead and can be copied down by students on their data collection sheets.

Students will transfer the data of which student likes which ice cream into a database. They will manipulate the database in ascending and descending order of favorite flavors. Using one criterion, (i.e. which students like chocolate ice cream best) students will search data using querying/finding skills.

Students will use calculators to determine what fraction/decimal/ percentage of students preferred which flavors.

Day 2 – 45 minutes

Students will use their data to determine the mode, median, mean and range of their classmate’s ice cream preferences.

Students will create original images representing their data using painting and drawing software. For example, they may use a drawing program to create representations of ice cream cones. The drawing program will allow students to move and resize images easily. The number of scoops they put on each cone could represent the percentage or fraction of students who liked that flavor best. Or, they could create representations of the range of ice cream preferences. Students will save their images in a .jpg format. Next students will open their .jpg image in a paint program which will allow them to embellish their images and offer more detail. They will save this final image in a .pdf, tif, or gif format. These images will now be in formats compatible with web or local applications.

The representations of their data can be printed and used for many future activities using measures of central tendency.

5. Materials and Resources

Data collection worksheet

Computers with database and drawing and painting software

Overhead projector

Calculators

6. Criteria/Rubric

CATEGORY	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Almost Meets Expectations	Does not Meet Expectations
Working with Others	Student was an engaged partner, listening to suggestions of others and working cooperatively throughout lesson.	Student was an engaged partner but had trouble listening to others and/or working cooperatively.	Student cooperated with others, but needed prompting to stay on-task.	Student did not work effectively with others.
Mathematical Concepts	Explanation shows complete understanding of the mathematical concepts used to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows substantial understanding of the mathematical concepts used to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows some understanding of the mathematical concepts needed to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows very limited understanding of the underlying concepts needed to solve the problem(s) OR is not written.
Diagrams and Sketches	Diagrams and/or sketches are clear and greatly add to the reader's understanding of the procedure(s).	Diagrams and/or sketches are clear and easy to understand.	Diagrams and/or sketches are somewhat difficult to understand.	Diagrams and/or sketches are difficult to understand or are not used.
Mathematical Terminology and Notation	Correct terminology and notation are always used, making it easy to understand what was done.	Correct terminology and notation are usually used, making it fairly easy to understand what was done.	Correct terminology and notation are used, but it is sometimes not easy to understand what was done.	There is little use, or a lot of inappropriate use, of terminology and notation.

Grade Expectation	Introduced	With Assistance	Met the Standard
Basic Operations Rubric
Identifying and saving documents in multiple formats (e.g.,.doc, .jpg, .pdf, .rtf).
Social, Ethical & Human Issues
Not Assessed
Productivity Tools
Creating, entering and manipulating a data base using ascending and descending sorting, and searching/finding/ querying, using single criterion.
Creating original illustrations using paint and draw applications
Comparing and contrasting the uses of a paint and a draw application
Saving graphic images in multiple formats (e.g., .jpg, tif, gif)
Using grade appropriate calculator and applications/functions (e.g., basic operations, fraction-decimal conversion, percentage).
Communication
Not Assessed
Research, Problem Solving & Decision Making
Not Assessed

7. Checklist

	Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream
Student Name