Performance Tasks

Performance Tasks

Performance tasks are learning activities that are scored according to specified criteria. These may vary from brief, on-demand tasks to long term, complex projects.

• Use performance tasks to assess students' ability to demonstrate and apply skills and concepts.
• They simultaneously enhance and evaluate students' ability to use appropriate mathematical and science representations.
• Performance tasks may involve explaining one's work or the process used, formulating hypotheses, explaining mathematical or scientific situations, writing procedures, creating new related problems, making generalizations, describing patterns or solutions, and so on.
• Scoring is often accomplished through performance task cards, analytical trait scales, checklists, or holistic scales.

Samples:

Level 1: Grades K-2 Sample Performance Task Your teacher has announced that you will be having a new desk buddy - a student from Florida. You hear she is sad about moving to Maine because it is winter and she feels there will be nothing to do outside. Using The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and your experiences with winter, come up with some ways you can help your new friend understand about possible winter fun. Be sure to provide reasons why winter is fun besides those provided in the book. While rereading the book, you remember how Peter has a dream. Why do you think he dreamt as he did? Have you had similar dreams? Tell what happened and why. You will be assessed on your ability to understand the story, your ability to reread for details, your ability to come up with ideas for winter fun, your ability to make conclusions and your ability to communicate effectivley in a variety of ways.

Level 3: Grades 6-8 Sample Performance Task Your community has allocated a sum of money to be used to purchase books for the library. Not all in the community are in agreement on how the funds will be spent. Speculate on what the various interest groups might be in the community and what their respective points of view may be. Using your knowledge of literature, write letters to various interest groups, the school board and a letter to the editor advocating for a list of books you have developed and why they should be purchased. Be sure to compose your letters to the audience in such a way to elicit their support. You will be assessed on your ability to create a listing of books to be considered for purchase, your ability to develop letters for various audiences and purposes, your ability to analyze the perspectives of others, your ability to construct support for your point of view using the literature books as references and your ability to communicate effectively in a variety of ways.

I believe that it is important to relate lessons being taught in the classroom with daily living outside in the real world. I would use this in my classroom as often as possible, to help my students see that education really is very useful to them.

If I was to rate this, I would give it a 4/5.

Here is a sample made by me:

3rd Grade History/Social Studies Students are to talk with their family to find out where their ancestors came from. Then they are to research those cultures and share with the class. Then, we will all make poster boards to be shown in the classroom to show the diversity of our own lineage.