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For each performance assessment in the PALM
library, information on the task is shown on the Administration
Procedures page and on the Task with Student Directions page. When
adapting a performance task, you will need to examine the content
on both of these pages. The text below shows a sample adaptation
of the Administration Procedures for the "Containers" performance
task. The second page shows a sample adaptation of the Task with
Student Directions.
notes explain the changes and
Velocity
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This task is designed to take students approximately
40 - 50
50 - 65 minutes to complete.
Students will be working in groups of 4-6 for the
experiment/activity part of this exercise.
Students work together for up to 20 minutes. They are instructed
to notify you when finished with the group work, and then to go
on to the individual work beginning with question #1. If students
are still working together 20 minutes after the testing begins,
instruct them to cease their group work and begin individual work.
At this point, they may no longer talk. Whether or not they are
just beginning their individual work, remind students that they
now have about 25 minutes to complete the individual activity.
Students should be ready to work as soon as the period begins. Group
assignments should be made in advance. The materials should be set
out at each lab station, if possible. A central supply area, if
needed, should be easily accessible. All supplies should be clearly
labeled.
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Materials for "Velocity":
At this station students should have:
• self-propelled toy car
• masking tape
• 1 meter stick
• stopwatch or clock with second hand
• 1 pen or pencil per student
• graph paper (2 sheets per student)
Advance Preparation:
Care should be taken to use toy cars that are durable and roll along
a straight line when released.
The students should work on a clean, flat surface (preferably the floor). If the room is carpeted the experiment will still work, but the tape may not stick as well. The tape will only be used to mark out distances.
Safety:
• Be careful.
• Teachers and students should always exercise appropriate
safety precautions and utilize appropriate laboratory safety procedures
and equipment when working on science performance tasks.
Velocity
Student Directions
TO THE STUDENT
Welcome to this experimental science exercise. We hope that you will find it interesting and worthwhile. Carefully read through these directions and the directions on the next page before you begin to work.
You may be part of a group for the first part of this exercise.
Each group should carry out the experiment and collect the data
together, but each student must record the data in his or her own
booklet. Be sure to record the data exactly as you observe them.
After the data have been collected, each student should answer the
questions independently.
After you have finished your experiment and have recorded all of
the data, you will be asked to answer some questions about the experiment
and the data you recorded. Your answers must be written in this
test booklet in the space provided. Make sure that you understand
each question before you begin to write. At any time while you are
writing your answers, you may look back to the directions for the
experiment and the data you collected. Be sure that your answers
are written as clearly and neatly as possible.
Before you turn the page, read the list of materials given below
and check to make sure that your group has everything listed.
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Materials:
• self-propelled toy car
• meter stick
• masking tape
• stopwatch or watch with a second hand
• pen or pencil
• graph paper (2 sheets)
AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE DIRECTIONS, TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE
AND BEGIN.
Speeding in a School Zone
The speed limit sign in front of your school reads "25 miles per hour" (or 42 km/hour). Your local paper reports that cars frequently exceed the speed limit in the school zone. You want to design an experiment to examine the problem, but you need practice before you actually test cars driving by the school.
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You will be working in a group of four students to collect data
and share ideas. You will write the conclusions and answer questions
on your own.
You are going to determine the average speed of cars as they travel
along the floor.
Average speed is equal to distance traveled divided by time (or
speed = distance/time).
that the longest distance must be at least
3 times longer than the shortest distance.
2. Determine how long, in seconds, it takes for the car to travel
that distance. The same person should release the car and start
the stopwatch. Each student should record both the time and the
distance on his or her own data sheet.
3. Repeat the process in Step 1 2 three times for each of the six
different distances. Be sure that the longest distance is at least
three times longer than the shortest distance.
4. Calculate the average speed of the car in cm/sec for each of
the three trials at the six distances. Show your work below the
data sheet.
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6. Use your graph paper to graph the average speed (cm/sec) for each distance traveled by car. Be sure to label your graph. (What variable goes on the x-axis? on the y-axis?)
Questions:
Please answer the following questions by yourself.
1. Do you think your data is more accurate for long distances or
for short distances? Why?
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2. Based on the data you collected, describe
the relationship between the distance traveled by your car and time
it takes to travel that distance. Explain why are time and distance
are related in this way.
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3. Describe in detail an experiment to determine if cars that pass
by your school are speeding.
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Click here to see another example of how to adapt the task
continue on to adapting rubrics and scoring, or learn more about it before you go on.
