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 |
Snell's Law This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Transfer of Energy. Students must carry out an experiment to help them determine if Corn Syrup refraction meets Federal standards by using the Snell's Law equation. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Soap, Wood, and Water This task focuses on the Properties of Matter. Students must decide if two types of soap and wood will float in water by calculating their densities. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Speed Racer In Speed Racer students will investigate factors that affect speed and apply technology to solve a problem in a racing competition. This task includes:
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Staff Class to the Past: Time Travel Through US History In this task, students will participate in a Socratic seminar to determine 16 of the most influential and important U.S. historical events. Once chosen, students will create a "wormhole" to experience these events and create a visual representation about what they went through. 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 |
Temperature School This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on Heat and Temperature. Students must measure, record, and graph temperatures from three water samples and then grasp the concepts of cooling and warming in order to relate to the outside world. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
The Blizzard of 1993 This task (in PALM and in PALS) focuses on the Structure of the Earth System. Students must analyze a barograph from a winter storm in 1993. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
The New Americans Project In this task, students will be partnered with a new American, or someone who has immigrated, and learn about their lives through interviews and research. This task includes: |
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Source Subject Grade Level |
Toy Story In this task, students will roleplay as engineers, advertising executives, and authors at a small toy campany. After researching the toy market, students will conduct field studies to help them in creating and marketing a new line of toys. This project will culminate in an exhibition presentation in which the the 8th grade classrooms are converted into toy factories. 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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