Lesson 3

Authentic Performance
Tasks

An Overview
What are Performance Assessments?
“A collection of several standards-based tasks that progressively
develop and reveal student understanding of the standards.”
Why are Performance Assessments valuable?

Inquiry
Based Learning

Authentic Purpose
Big
Ideas
Real World
Purpose
Why are Performance Assessments valuable?

Learning Progressions

Bloom’s Taxonomy
Why are Performance Assessments valuable?

Aligned to
Curriculum
& Standards
Why are Performance Assessments valuable?

Assessment
How do I create Performance Assessments?

1. Write an Engaging Scenario

2. Design 3 – 4 Performance Tasks

3. Create a Scoring Guide for each

Performance Tasks
 1. Write an Engaging Scenario
• Set a relevant, real-world context for learning unwrapped
standards (a current Situation)
• Offer the students a Challenge to meet
• Define the Role(s) the student will assume
• Identify the Audience (preferably external)
• Specify the Product/Performance that will be demonstrated
or created
 During dinner last night, your mom announces

S ituation
that her company is expanding and has offered
her a significant salary increase to move and
work in the offices located in China. Knowing
how much you love studying social studies, your

C hallenge
mom asks you to investigate the benefits and
drawbacks of the two governments (American
democracy and Chinese communism). She would

R ole
like you to determine whether the family should
relocate to China or remain in the United States,
then write a formal paper stating your point of

Audience
view supported with a counter-argument,
reasoning, evidence, and citations. Your mom
wants to reference your paper in her meeting

Product
with her boss as she provides her decision.
 Police Officer
ROLE Examples Reporter
Researcher
Advertising
Set Designer
Applicant
Software Developer
Architect
Inventor Speech Writer
Artist
Journalist Stock Broker
Athlete
Judge Textbook Publisher
Autobiographer
Jury Member Tour Guide
Biographer
Lawyer Travel Agent
Business Person
Chef Musician
Campaign Worker
Citizen Newscaster
Cartographer
Collector Parent
Cartoonist
Consumer Photographer
Book/Movie Charac.
Contractor Photojournalist
Detective Playwright
Editor Poet
Engineer
Executive
Famous Person
Food Critic
PRODUCT & PERFORMANCE Examples
Advertising Campaign
Anthem
Anthologies Judge’s Decision
Autobiography Lab Report
Brochure Lawyer’s Argument
Business Letter Maps
Debate Observation Log PowerPoint Presentation
Designs for Experiments Panel Discussion Prequel
Diorama Personal Narrative Proposal
Ecosystem Persuasive Letter Puppet Show
Eulogy Models Quilt
Fable Movie or Short Film Reaction Paper
Fashion Show Museum Exhibit Scrapbook
Film Review Newspaper Sculpture
Food Critique Short Story
Friendly Letter Symphony
Graphs Technical Manual
Inventions Travel Journals
Journals Website
Physical Education/Health Scenario Example

• You have just been hired as one of the athletic

trainers from the United States Olympic Training
Center. You specialize in educating young athletes
about the proper training of specific muscles and
the proper techniques for the prevention of injury.
You’re job is to produce a video that would be
shown to all Olympic Athletes on a yearly basis to
raise awareness about muscle injury and how to
prevent it.
 Physical Education Scenario: Teamwork
• You are a general manager of a NBA, MLB, or NFL team
working to select your team of players. You will make a
presentation to the owner of your team that validates the
players drafted and a detailed rationale explaining why
each player would give you the best opportunity to win a
championship. The owner will evaluate the players you
have assessed and either accept or deny your suggestion.
 Music Engaging Scenario
The director of a computer company has developed a new computer
game called “Roller Coaster Fanatic.” The director has selected you to
create and compose an original theme song about the feelings a
person would have while riding a roller coaster.
After creating the theme song, you will perform it for the director and
his colleagues. They will be looking to see that it demonstrates your
understanding of how melodic line, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo are
used create feeling. The director will evaluate your work and decide if
it will be used in the computer game.
 Music Engaging Scenario

You are a composer who works on commission. A local car

dealership has decided to produce a commercial for a new
line of sports cars. The owner of the dealership is considering
hiring you to create the music for this commercial.

You will create an original melody for individual voice or the

instrument of your choice. As you compose your melody,
you must include a melodic line, a variety of rhythms, form,
and expressive qualities. In order to be hired, you must
perform your composition for the owner of the dealership.
 Art Engaging Scenario
• A publishing company wants to hire you as an illustrator to create a
realistic drawing or painting for the front cover of a new vegetarian
cookbook. As an artist, you are interested in being hired for this job. In
order to be considered, you must create a still life illustration from
observation using the following guidelines.

• Using the elements of form, color, value, space, and implied line you will
create a still life illustration of an arrangement of at least three fruits
and/or vegetables. Your still life illustration will also be evaluated on your
use of the principles of organization: contrast, emphasis and proportion.
The editor has asked that you not use any text with or on your drawing or
painting.

• The art editor of the publishing company will review and evaluate your
still life illustration and make a decision if it will be used on the cover of
the magazine.
 2. Design 3-4 Performance Tasks
• Reflect priority/supporting standards
and essential questions/big ideas
• Directly align to “unwrapped skills”
and level of rigor
• Describe in detail, explicit,
step-by-step directions
• Relate in a cohesive manner to the
task before and after it
• Progress to a higher level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy as student understanding of
concepts and skills are revealed
Task 1 Examples Task 2 Examples
(recognize, list, describe) (interpret, summarize, compare)
Find
Draw Infer
Record
Identify Estimate
State
Locate Match
Confirm
Select Relate
Explain
Label Categorize
Describe
Outline Compare
Discuss
List Examine
Highlight
Outline Sort
Discuss Combine
Predict
Establish
Paraphrase
Outline
 Task 3 Examples Task 4 Examples
(apply, analyze, model) (evaluate, justify, create)

Devise
Apply
Generate
Analyze
Formulate
Model
Critique
Sketch
Criticize
Investigate
Appraise
Plan
Compose
Hypothesize
Use Design
Illustrate Appraise Invent
Classify Distinguish Originate
Arrange Advertise Justify
Modify Experiment Construct
Differentiate Evaluate
Recommend
 3. Create a Scoring Guide for each Task
• Use specific, observable, and measurable criteria in a
the language that is easily understood by all
• Match criteria directly to what the task requires and reflect
on the students’ degree of proficiency relative to the priority/
supporting standards
• Can use either qualitative or quantitative rubrics
• Begin by defining criteria for Proficient first, then Advanced,
Progressing and Beginning
Qualitative VS. Quantitative Criteria
 Qualitative Criteria
Task 1: After reading the three articles, create
a chart listing the benefits and drawbacks of
American Democracy and Chinese
Communism. Be sure to examine the social,
political and economic aspects for both.
Advanced (4) - Can differentiate between social, political and economic aspects of
government; Identifies benefits and drawbacks for all three
aspects
of both governments; Can distinguish between opinion and fact
Proficient (3) – Can accurately differentiate between social, political AND economic
aspects of government; Identifies benefits and drawbacks for all
three aspects of both governments
Progressing (2) – Can accurately differentiate between two of the three aspects of
government; Identifies benefits and drawbacks for two of the three
aspects of both governments
Beginning (1) – Can accurately differentiate between one of the three aspects of
government; Identifies benefits and drawbacks for one of the three
aspects of both governments
Quantitative Criteria
Task 3: Devise an effective opening paragraph that contains a
thesis statement, background information about your topic and
asserts your point of view.
Write a paragraph identifying a potential counter-argument to
your decision. Support your counter-argument with reasoning.
Write two paragraphs (one for social, political, and/or economic) to develop your
point of view and make a convincing case for that style of government.
Write a concluding paragraph to summarize your points that is grounded in
logic and not emotion.
Opening paragraph contains a thesis statement and background info
Concluding paragraph summarizes points and is grounded in logic
Spells all words correctly
Uses grammar, punctuation, and capitalization correctly
Uses appropriate and precise vocabulary to best support argument.

Advanced (4) – Meets all five requirements above

Proficient (3) – Meets four of the requirements above
Progressing (2) – Meets at least three of the requirements above
Beginning (1) – Meets at least two of the requirements above
How Do Performance Tasks Differ From
Traditional Projects?
• Performance Tasks:
• Build on earlier learning
• Student directed learning and inquiry based
• Real world based
• Completed throughout the unit
• Used as a formative assessment
• Allow for data teaming and instruction adjustment
• Traditional Projects:
• Used as a summative assessment
• Completed at the end of a unit
• No real world context
• Unable to check for student understanding until
project is completed
Questions?
Comments?
Concerns?