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 |
1877 Railroad Strike This task assesses students’ ability to to source and corroborate a document. Drawing on knowledge gained from sourcing an excerpt from an 1877 newspaper article about railroad strikes in Columbus, Ohio, students then evaluate it in several ways; Question 1 asks students to evaluate whether the excerpt provides enough evidence to draw conclusions about the broader railroad strike as a whole. To answer this question, students must source the document to determine whether the account can be regarded as conclusive evidence. Question 2 asks students to identify and evaluate whether additional documents or perspectives could be used to corroborate the account. Resources include PDF downloads of the assessment with source materials, and a rubric with benchmark descriptors. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
6th Grade Ancient History End-of-Year History Writing Task In the 6th Grade Ancient History End-of-Year History Writing Task students will address the questions "Athens or Sparta: Which was the fairer city-state?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources, graphs, images, and photographic evidence to support their argument. This task includes resources to help students write their introduction, evaluate sources and evidence, plan their essay, develop their claim, and an argumentative writing checklist. This task also includes:
The Oakland Unified School Districted has designed this history assessment to support the literacy goals of the Common Core State Standards. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
7th Grade Medieval History Crusades Assessment In the 7th Grade Medieval History Crusades Assessment from 2007-2008, students will address the questions "Did the Crusades have a positive or negative impact on World History?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as evidence. The task includes sources with comprehension questions, an essay outline, and a fill in the blank introduction paragraph. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
7th Grade Medieval History End-of-Year History Writing Task In the 7th Grade Medieval History Enf-of-Year History Writing Task students will respond to the question "which two reasons best explain the fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec Empire, to the Spanish?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as evidence to support their argument. This task includes resources to help students write their introduction, learn vocabulary, evaluate sources and evidence, plan their essay, develop their claim, and an argumentative writing checklist. This task also includes:
The Oakland Unified School Districted has designed this history assessment to support the literacy goals of the Common Core State Standards. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
7th Grade Medieval History Mid-Year History Writing Task In the 7th Grade Medieval History Mid-Year History Writing Task students will respond to the question "was the Examination System during the Song Dynasty in China an effective way for the emperor to select high quality government official?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources and photographic evidence to support their argument. This task includes resources to help students write their introduction, evaluate sources and evidence, plan their essay, develop their claim, and an argumentative writing checklist. This task also includes:
The Oakland Unified School Districted has designed this history assessment to support the literacy goals of the Common Core State Standards. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
7th Grade Medieval History West African Empires Assessment In the 7th Grade Medieval History West African Empires Assessment from 2007-2008, students will address the question "Which factor, geography or Islam, contributed more to the development of states, towns, and trade in the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai between the 10th and 15th centuries?”. The will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as their evidence. This task includes sources with comprehension questions, a geography lesson, a drawing conclusions activity, an essay outline, and a fill in the black introduction paragraph. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
8th Grade U.S. Boston Massacre History Assessment In the 8th Grade U.S. Boston Massacre History Assessment from 2012-2013, students will address the question "Were the British soldiers guilty of murder, or were they innocent, acting in self-defense?". They will write an essay using eyewitness statements, accounts, and speeches about the Boston Massacre as evidence for their argument. This task includes:
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Source Subject Grade Level |
8th Grade U.S. Emancipation Proclamation History Assessment In the 8th Grade U.S. Emancipation Proclamation History Assessment from 2011-2012, students will address the question "Did President Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 primarily for humanitarian reasons or primarily for military necessity?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as their evidence. The task includes an introduction activity, sources with comprehension questions, and an activity to evaluate their sources and evidence. This task also includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
8th Grade U.S. History Constitution Assessment In the 8th Grade U.S. History Constitution Assessment from 2008-2009, students will respond to the questions, "was the creation of the U.S. Constitution good for the people of theUnited States?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as evidence. This task includes sources, primary and secondary source analysis activities, tools to help students plan their essay and develop their position, and a writing checklist. |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
8th Grade U.S. History Constitution Ratification Debate Assessment In the 8th Grade U.S. History Constitution Ratification Debate Assessment from 2007-2008, students will respond to the question, "in 1787 there was a huge debate across the new nation: should a new constitution be ratified? People took three different positions on this question. One group, the Federalists, said yes, 'ratify the constitution.' A second group, Anti-Federalists said, 'Ratify the Constitution, but only after a Bill of Rights is added.' A third group, also Anti-federalists, said no, 'Do not ratify the Constitution.' Which of these three positions do you most agree with? Why?". They will write an essay using primary and secondary sources as evidence. This task includes sources, primary and secondary source analysis activities, charts comparing the Articles of Confederation vs. the Constitution, important vocabulary terms, "Point of View" study guide, and tools to help students plan their essay and develop their position. This task also includes a memo to teachers. |
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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