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.
| Source | Task |
|---|---|
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
The Teddy Bear Project The The Teddy Bear Project task aims to foster tolerance and understanding of cultures other than your own. After teachers register, the facilitator matches each class with a partner class. the classes send each other a Teddy Bear or other soft toy by airmail through the normal postal system. The "bears" will send back diary messages by email or through the iEARN Teddy Bear Forum at least once a week. The students will write the diary messages from the "bears", pretending they are the visiting bears describing their experiences in the new culture. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
The Underground Railroad In this task, students will participate in an online simulation of the Underground Railroad in order to better understand the historical context of the time. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
The Virginia Company This task assesses whether students can source and contextualize a document. Students must first examine a report on the progress of the Virginia Company, then determine which fact can help them evaluate the report's reliability. Strong students will be able to explain how the Company's desire to attract new investors (Fact 2) may have led the authors to put a positive spin on life in Virginia. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment as well as the Rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
The War of 1812 This task assesses students' knowledge of the past—but rather than measure rote recall of decontextualized facts, the task requires students to make connections across time and construct an argument about how events are connected. Students with a strong sense of the past will be able to explain that President Madison's proclamation of war on Britain was in part due to trade restrictions enforced by the British during the Napoleonic Wars between France and Britain. Students will also explain that Britain's support for Native American tribes resisting US expansion into the Northwest Territory contributed to the declaration of war on Britain. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment with source materials, as well as the Rubric containing benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Timber: History of BC's Logging Industry In this task, students will use pictures and timelines to determine changes in the logging industry throughout the last couple centuries. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Together With Birds In the Together With Birds task, students will research information about the birds of their community through birdwatching, organizing activities, and sharing information with each other. They will share information with each other through pictures they have taken and essays. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Traders in the West This task assesses whether students can source and contextualize a document. Students must first examine an account of the interactions between American traders and Native Americans, then determine which facts can help them evaluate the account's reliability. Strong students will be able to explain how Farnham's vested interest in the event (Fact 2) and in gaining territory for the American flag (Fact 3) may have shaped his telling of the incident. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment as well as the Rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Tupac Amaru II This task assesses students' knowledge of the time period of native resistance to Spanish exploration (1700’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 sense of the time period will explain that Túpac Amaru II led a rebellion against the Spanish, who conquered the Inca Empire under the direction of Francisco Pizarro. A strong response to the second question may explain that Amaru’s rebellion destabilized Spanish control over Peru, partially leading to Spain's defeat in the Peruvian War of Independence. Alternatively, students may identify the call for independence enunciated by Amaru during the rebellion as the inspiration and precursor to the Peruvian War of Independence. Resources available for this task include downloadable PDF versions of both the assessment with source materials, as well as the Rubric containing benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Two Accounts of the Fall of New France In this task, students will interpret two accounts of how the fall of New France in order to learn about competing narratives. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites In the UNESCO World Heritage Sites task, students will explore and research the heritage of their country. In the forum, they will present their country and Unesco heritage sites, it's history, the tales about the place, and its meaning in their country's and the world's history. |
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.
© Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305