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 |
Balls and Ramp This task focuses on the Position and Motion of Objects. Students must become familiar with the concept that energy can be tranferred between objects by measuring the distances a cup is pushed by a rolling ball. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Classifying Candy I This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the knowledge of properties of objects and materials. Students must separate the given candy based on observation and explain their classifications. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Classifying Candy III This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the knowledge of properties of objects and materials. Students must separate the given candy, creating a classification tree based on properties. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Containers This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the knowedge of Physical Proprties of Matter and Heat Transfer. Students must first determine which container, each with a different insulator, will keep a hot drink warm for the longest. After, students practice hands-on skills by observing and recording the temperatures of hot water over a ten minute interval. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Floating Pencil This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the knowledge of Matter and Its Tranformations. Students must record the length of the pencil suspended in both fresh water and salt water that is unsubmerged, and determine if the unmarked sample is salt water or fresh water. Lastly, students will predict the outcome of adding salt to the salt water sample. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Identifying Creatures This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Understandings of Scientific Inquiry. Students must use a classification key about facial properties to identify three creatures. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Keep Cool This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Properties of Objects and Materials. Students must test cups of various materials to determine which would be best suited to keep a cold drink cool on a hot day. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Swingers This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Position and Motion of Objects. Students must epapnd on the previous task and experiment to determine why pendulums swing at different speeds throughout their course. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Swings This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Positition and Motion of Objects. Students must determine what variables will affect a swing. To aid in understanding the idea of a pendulum, students must then examine their observations and answer questions. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Tree Study This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on Tools, Trends, and Bias. Students must measure leaves and record and analyze their data in order to formulate questions that could aid in understanding the trends, patterns, and inaccuracies in their measurements. This task includes: |
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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