Rate for Assessment Standards

 

The tasks described below were culminating student tasks for interdisciplinary units created by three of the pilot teams.  The tasks were meant to involve students in use of technology as they pulled together concepts covered in all content areas to answer the focus question for the unit.  The product was the means by which students communicated the results of their investigations.

 

First, look at the Assessment Standards Evaluation Chart.  You may want to print two copies for the team to use as you review the tasks.  If you do not already have a copy printed, you may also want to print a copy of the Assessment Standards.  

 

Should Rivers be Dammed?

You have learned about rivers from a wide variety of viewpoints:  hydrologist, fisheries biologist, power company employee, industry representative, sportsman, people in China destined to move from the Yangtze River floodplain, and the U.S. Forest Service Wild and Scenic Rivers program.  You have studied the Whitefish River, the principle river in the county.  You have gone through the Decisions, Decisions software to understand how one might weigh pros and cons when making a controversial decision.

 

In groups of four, you will assume one of the roles listed above and prepare a HyperStudio presentation for the class which examines the question, “Should rivers be dammed?” from your assumed point of view.  The rubric for the assignment will give you guidelines about the quality expected.

 

 

How did the experience of different wars shape the patriotism of Americans from diverse backgrounds?  (This was the task  given to students in the World History class; the task for students in the Applying Technology class focused on technical aspects of filmmaking.)

As a class, design an investigation to answer the question above.  You will need to consider the results of the class discussion about the definition of patriotism, the facts you have studied about U.S. wars of the 20th century, and the technical aspects of the documentary we watched interviewing veterans from World War I.  The class will make a documentary interviewing local veterans, but it must be designed to answer the question.  You will need to consider details about the questions to be asked, who to interview, how to direct the Applying Technology class in the making of the documentary, how to conduct and film the interviews, and how to analyze and present the results. The resulting documentary will be entered in the spring Video Fair competition.

 

You will be working in assigned groups of various sizes to complete various tasks.  You will be graded on participation and commitment to the project, according to the rubric posted on the bulletin board.  When the project is completed, each student will write a two page essay about the experience of doing this investigation.

 

What can we learn from people in other northern climates about reducing the impacts of winter for citizens of our city?  (This was the portion of the culminating task assigned to students in their science class.  They had similar tasks stemming from content in social studies, English, and mathematics.)

 

We have designed and conducted a number of investigations to find out why winter occurs and how the design of Athabascan snow shelters can regulate temperatures.  Working in groups of four, you will prepare a one page summary of one of these investigations that will become part of the webpage for this unit.  (You will be preparing other things for the webpage in your other core classes.)  Your summary must include the following:  1) the purpose and plan of the investigation, 2) data you collected in chart form, 3)a discussion of your results, and 4)photographs from the experiment.  It must be composed on the computer and presented in an interesting way, with the visitors to the webpage in mind. 

 

See the list on the bulletin board to sign up for your investigation today!