Please note that many tasks were constructed prior to Common Core and the task alignments to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were not identified in the task materials. To search for the performance tasks explicitly aligned to the CCSS, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), or College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, please go to CCSS, NGSS, and C3 tabs.
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Flowing Electricity The Flowing Electricity task allows students to explore what materials electricity can and cannot flow through. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task include a battery and bulb board (continuity tester) and one square each of the following: aluminum, brass, plastic, wood, and cardboard. This task is a part of the Physical World task series from 1995 by NEMP. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Flowing Electricity The Flowing Electricity task allows students to explore knowledge about the electrical conductivity of different materials, and skills in using a simple electrical circuit to check conductivity. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task include a conductivity checker (a circuit board, a bulb, a battery, and cords), a spoon, a key, an ice block stick, a foil muffin dish, a foil paper, a plastic car, and a plastic ruler. This task is a part of the Physical World task series from 1999 by NEMP. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Garden Grubs In the Garden Grubs task, students will construct a food web. The computer program will present students with the start of a garden food web and the students will grab and drop animals into their correct place. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task include a computer program on a laptop computer. The Garden Grubs task is a part of the Living World task series from 2007. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Growing in the Mighty Forest The Growing in the Mighty Forest task allows students to gain an understanding the life cycle functions and parts of a forest tree (roots, leaves, trunk and bark). In this task students will look at three pictures depicting different phases or parts of a tree and answer seven questions about them. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task are three pictures: a young tree in the native bush, a mature tree, and a transverse slice of tree trunk. This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Guess What! The Guess What! task encourages students to ask good questions. Students will be given a chart with pictures of various animals and objects on it. The teacher will have 3 cards that each depict an animal or object on the chart. Students will try to determine which things are on the teacher's cards using as few yes and no questions as possible. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task include a chart, rules card, 3 cards, question counter with clothes pegs, and counters. The Guess What! task is a part of the Living World task series from 2007. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
How does it Work: Thermometer The How does it Work: Thermometer task allows students to explain the operation of measuring instrument and predict the effects of alterations of its components. Students will answer five questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. The resource required for this task is a thermometer. This task is a part of the Physical World task series from 1999. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Inside Outside Skeletons The Inside Outside Skeletons task focuses on animal adaptations and their skeletons. Students will look at pictures of animals with different types of skeletons and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having each type. This task includes six questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task are three pictures of animals with skeletons on the outside, skeletons on the inside, and no skeletons. This task is a part of the Living World task series from 2003. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Jelly Crystals The Jelly Crystals task allows students to design a fair test experiment on the dissolving This task is a part of the Material World task series from 2007. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Kai Moana The Kai Moana task allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the identification and specific coastal habitat of 10 seafoods. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task are a picture of a coastal scene and stickers with the names of seafoods. This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Kiwi and Kea The Kiwi and Kea task allows students to investigate the adaption differences between two New Zealand birds: the kiwi and the kea. This task includes eight follow up questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task include a picture of a kiwi and a kea. The Kiwi and Kea task is a part of the Living World task series from 2007. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments. |
If you would like to recommend additional open-sourced performance task banks to be included in the database, or if you would like to report a broken link, please email Pai-rou Chen.
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