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 |
Louis XVI This task requires students to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of a document as historical evidence. Students with a sophisticated understanding of how to source a document will be able to explain that Jefferson's memoir is useful as evidence of Jefferson's thoughts on Louis XVI's leadership and his observations while in France. They will also observe that Jefferson's memoir was written many years after his time in France, making it less useful as specific evidence about Louis XVI's leadership. Resources include PDF downloads of the assessment with source materials, and a rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Lynching Controversy This task assesses students’ ability to reason how evidence supports a historical argument. Students must explain how an anti-lynching pamphlet written by activist Ida B. Wells, and an excerpt from the front page of a Florida newspaper article justifying lynching, both support the conclusion that many Americans opposed the practice. Resources include PDF downloads of the assessment with source materials, and a rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Magic Sum Puzzle In this task, students must solve a numeric puzzle. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Magnets In this task, students will design an experiment to explore magnet strengths. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Measuring Melons In Measuring Melons students will use algebra to determine how much a melon weighs. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Meeting Needs and Wants (G6) In this task students will analyze the methods that societies use to meet the economic needs and wants of citizens. They will then write a paper or make a presentation. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Migrant Mother This task requires students to consider the values and limitations of a document as historical evidence. Students with a sophisticated understanding of how to source a document will be able to explain that Lange's iconic photograph is useful in that it depicts migrant workers at the time. However, they will also point out that the fact that Lange was paid by Roosevelt's Resettlement Administration to take the photograph; potentially lessening its usefulness as evidence of the living conditions facing migrant workers. Resources include PDF downloads of the assessment with source materials, and a rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Mobile Phones In this task, students must calculate which mobile plan is cheaper. This task includes: |
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
Morale after Fredericksburg This is a two-part task asking students to source and corroborate a primary source letter from a Union soldier describing low morale among Union soldiers after the Battle of Fredericksburg during the Civil War. Question 1 asks students to evaluate whether the source provides sufficient evidence to demonstrate the morale of the entire Union Army. To answer this question, students must source the document to determine whether the author represents all Union troops. Question 2 asks students to evaluate whether additional documents would corroborate the letter. The task includes a range of supplementary materials, all accessible and available for download with the creation of a free account through the site:
|
|
Source Subject Grade Level |
More Power To You In this task, students will use a machine to detect the presence and strength of an electric current. 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.
© Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305