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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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: |
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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. |
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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. |
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Unions in Paterson, New Jersey This task gauges students' ability to source and contextualize a document. Students first listen to an excerpt from an interview with Marianna Costa, a union leader from Paterson, New Jersey. Students then analyze four historical facts and determine which ones can help discern whether Costa’s account of union accomplishments is historically reliable. 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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Unknown Liquids In this task, students will design and carry out an experiment to decide which of the two given solutions is more dense. This task includes: |
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Urban Ecology In this task, students will explore the urban ecosystem and how people are able to interact with nature. This will culminate in students creating a magazine to be presented at exhibition. This task includes: |
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Velocity This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on Motions and Forces. Students must determine the average speed, by using the averages, that a toy car travels for three different distances. This task includes: |
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Washington Crosses Delaware 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 source 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 the painting shown in this task is of little use to historians who wish to understand the Battle of Trenton, because it was produced 100 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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Water Pollution In this task, students will determine the pH of four samples of water and then neutralize them. This task includes: |
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Water-holding capacity of Earth Materials In this task, students will design and conduct an experiment to test the water holding capacity of various materials. 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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