Grades 5-8 Performance Task
Contributed by: Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
General Teacher Instructions:
Students will be working in groups of 4 - 6 for the experiment/activity
part of this exercise. The following suggestions are offered to facilitate
administration of the exercise.
- Students need to 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.
- The supply area should have any supplies from the kit that
were prepared by the teacher as well as all of the school-supplied
materials necessary for the experiment.
- All the supplies should be clearly labeled.
National Science Education Standards:
8 A SI 1: Abilities Necessary to do Scientific Inquiry:
Grades 5-8
1.4 Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions
and models using evidence. Student should base their explanation
on what they observed, and as they develop cognitive skills, they
should be able to differentiate explanation from description- providing
causes for effects and establishing relationships based on evidence
and logical argument. This standard requires a subject matter knowledge
base so the students can effectively conduct investigations, because
developing explanations establishes connections between the content
of science and the contexts within which students develop new knowledge.
1.8 Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
Mathematics is essential to asking and answering questions about
the natural world. Mathematics can be used to ask questions; to
gather, organize, and present data; and to structure convincing
explanations.
8 DE SS 3: Earth in the Solar System: Grades 5-8
3.1 The earth is the third planet from the sun
in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets
and their moons, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets.
The sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the
solar system.
3.2 Most objects in the solar system are in regular and
predictable motion. Those motions explain such phenomena as the
day, the year, phases of the moon, and eclipses.
(Use the "hot" link on the PALS home page
to check the full text of related National Science Education Standards,
if desired.)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics:
NO1: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers,
relationships among numbers, and number systems:
Grades 6-8 q. understand and use ratios and proportions to
represent quantitative relationships
NO3: Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates:
Grades 6-8 m. develop, analyze, and explain methods for
solving problems involving proportions, such as scaling and finding
equivalent ratios.
AL1: Understand patterns, relations and functions:
Grades 6-8 f. represent, analyze, and generalize a variety
of patterns with tables, graphs, words, and, when possible, symbolic
rules
AL3: Use mathematical models to represent and understand
quantitative relationships:
Grades 6-8 c. model and solve contextualized problems using
various representations, such as graphs, tables, and equations
GEO4: Use visualization, spatial
reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems:
Grades 6-8 o. recognize
and apply geometric ideas and relationships in areas outside the
mathematics classroom, such as art, science, and everyday life
PS2: Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in
other contexts:
Grades 6-8
COM4: Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical
ideas precisely:
Grades 6-8
REP3: Use representations to model and interpret physical,
social, and mathematical phenomena:
Grades 6-8
Materials in Kits:
Materials Supplied by School or Students:
- 1 pen or pencil per student
Special Directions for Teacher Setup:
The teacher should verify that students can make measurements in
metric units. Figure 1 on page 5 of the test booklet is a representation
of a metric ruler.
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.
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