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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Seven Years' War This task assesses whether students can source and contextualize a document. Students must first examine an 1870s image of French General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and then determine which fact can help them evaluate the reliability of the drawing as evidence of what happened at Fort William Henry. Strong students will be able to explain how prevailing attitudes about Native Americans (Fact 1) could affect how an artist depicts the past. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment as well as the Rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
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Seville Quran This task assesses students' knowledge of the time period of Muslim presence in Europe (1200’s)—but rather than measure rote recall of decontextualized facts, this assessment requires students to make connections across time and construct an argument about how events are connected. Students with a strong understanding of the past will explain that the fact the featured source—the Quran—was made in Seville, points to the Islamic presence in the city in 1226. As an Islamic city in Iberia, it was the target of the Reconquista, which was raging at the time this Quran was completed. A strong response to the second question in this task might explain that in the 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate expanded to Seville and beyond, establishing Islam as the dominant religion in Seville for centuries to come. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment with source materials, as well as the Rubric containing benchmark descriptors. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Significance of the Battle of Detroit In this task, students will use role-playing to explore the circumstances that led to the Battle of Detroit. This task includes: |
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Significance of the War of 1812 In this task, students will gather context on the War of 1812 by reviewing other historical events in Canadian history. This task includes: |
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Signing of the Mayflower Compact This task measures students’ ability to source a document. When historians interpret a document, they first look to find out who wrote it and when. This information presents important clues about whether the document provides reliable evidence about the past. This assessment gauges whether students understand an important aspect of sourcing: the time elapsed between when a document was produced and the event that it depicts. Students who understand the importance of when a document was produced will see that this painting offers limited evidence to historians who wish to understand the signing of the Mayflower Compact because it was produced over 200 years after the event. The task includes a range of supplementary materials, all accessible and available for download with the creation of a free account through the site:
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Singing Grams In this task, students will collaborate on a music greeting to be performed at a local nursery home. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Sixth Grade Common Core Assessment The Sixth Grade Common Core Assessment includes three tasks. In Task 1, students will watch a short video clip twice and fill out the outline in their booklet. They will then read an article and gather information for their essay. In Task 2, students will read another article and gather information for their essay. In Task 3, students will write an essay, using the information they gathered in Tasks 1 and 2, to write a convincing argument. This task includes a rubric and an alternate text with a task. |
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Sixth Grade Standards 4 and 8 The Sixth Grade Standards 4 and 8 includes two tasks and uses Julius Caesar Chapter X . In Task 1, students will write an essay in which they answer a question about how the author convinces the readers that Caesar was both ruthless and inspired loyalty. In Task 2, students will explain the meaning of words in context of the reading and explain how it relates to the authors message. This assessment includes a rubric. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Slave Quarters This task reveals students' ability to source a document, in order to see both its values and limitations. Students will be able to explain how a photograph of former slave quarters provides some evidence of the living conditions of slaves. They will also observe how the fact that the photograph was taken decades after the abolition of slavery limits its usefulness as evidence of antebellum living conditions. The task includes a range of supplementary materials, many available for download with the creation of a free account:
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Smiling World The Smiling World task is a global collaboration to promote happiness throughout the world by bringing international smiles to students. Students will create posters and photos promoting smiles, handmade toys with smiles, murals and poetry to bridge the cultural gaps through smiles. There will be an international exhibition that includes all the photos and posters and will be made public with the help of Mass Media and Internet resources. |
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