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Source Task

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Animal Adaptation - Spider

In the Animal Adaptation - Spider task, students will look at a picture of a spider and describe the parts of the spider that help it to survive. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task are a picture of a spider and a recording book.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 2003. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments.

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Animal Adaptations - Praying Mantis

The Animal Adaptations - Praying Mantis task allows students to observe and describe the structural features of a praying mantis that are considered to be adaptive features with survival value. Students will complete this task working in stations. The resource required for this task is a picture of a praying mantis.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Animal Adaptations - Snail

The Animal Adaptations - Snail task allows students to observe and describe the structural features of a snail that are considered to be adaptive features with survival value. Students will complete this task working in stations. The resource required for this task is a picture of a snail.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3

Animal Families

The Animal Families task allows students to recognize common characteristics of mammals. Students will revise, apply and justify a simple classification for a small sample of animals. Students will complete this task working in teams. Resources required for this task are three sets of cards: SET 1— dog, horse, baby; SET 2— birds and insects (eight cards); SET 3— mouse, spider, seal, weta.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3

Balancing Balloons

The Balancing Balloons task allows students to understanding that air has mass, takes up space, and is more dense when compressed. Students will watch a video and answer seven questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. The resource required for this task is a video showing steps of the experiment.

This task is a part of the Material World task series from 1999 by NEMP.

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Banjo Boxes

The Banjo Boxes task allows students to investigate sound generation and transmission. In this task students students will experiment with a simple, teacher made "banjo box" and answer seven questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator.  Resources required for this task include a “Banjo box”, colored and brown rubber bands, two pieces of dowel, and a picture.

This task is a part of the Physical World task series from 2003. This task is classified as a trend task by NEMP. Trend tasks are used to examine trends in student performance: whether they have improved, stayed constant or declined over the four-year period since the previous assessments.

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Batteries

The Batteries task allows students to explore circuits and electricity flow through the correct arrangement of batteries in a flashlight. Students also show problem solving skills by determining and testing which batteries are charged and which are flat. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task include a flashlight, two good batteries labelled A and D, and two flat batteries labelled B and C.

This task is a part of the Physical World task series from 1995 by NEMP.
 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Bees

The Bees task allows students to explore bees' adaptations for habitat.  Students will examine two pictures of bees and answer five follow up questions. Students will complete this task working one on one with a teacher-administrator. Resources required for this task include two pictures of bees and a recording book.

The Bees task is a part of the Living World task series by NEMP in 2007. 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Bird Beaks

The Bird Beaks task focuses on bird beak adaptations. In this task students will use a computer program to select which food items are appropriate for a bird based on its beak. Students will do this food selection for six different birds. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task are a computer program and a laptop computer.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 2003 by NEMP. 

Source
National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA, New Zealand)

Subject
Science

Grade Level
3, 7

Birds

The Birds task allows students to recognize from prior knowledge a selection of birds, define the term "native bird," and identify those that fit in this category. Students will complete this task working in stations. Resources required for this task are eight pictures of birds.

This task is a part of the Living World task series from 1999 by NEMP. 

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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.