Requirements:
· Every performance task must have at least five unique items/questions.
· Task may include five items that require the student to identify:
o quotes relevant to a topic
o information relevant to a topic
o or a combination of both
· Students must be given access to several different information sources.
· In a multiple-choice item, a minimum of three answer choices must be provided.
Restrictions: None
Items/Questions
*This example demonstrates scaffolding of this performance task inclusive of multiple items. This example does not fully meet the requirements as it only uses one information source. Teachers could supplement the provided text with visiting the Yellowstone website: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wildlife.htmTeacher direction: Suppose you are doing a report about animals called the Animals in Yellowstone. You are using this article to find information about the animals in Yellowstone National Park. [Point to the article.] Follow along as I read the article to you. As I read, think about the information you should include in your report.
Yellowstone Animals
There are many animals in Yellowstone National Park. Great horned owls are one species of owl found in Yellowstone. They are the heaviest American owl, weighing up to six pounds. They have a wingspan of 34 to 60 inches. Big horn sheep also live in Yellowstone National Park. They are brown with white noses and rumps. Both males and females have horns, but the males’ are larger and more curved. The males are called “rams”. Another bird that lives in Yellowstone National Park is the Sandhill cranes. They are tall, gray and brown birds with red foreheads and a white patch on their cheeks. They have long legs similar to an ostrich and a long, pointy beak. They give loud trumpeting calls that can be heard a long way off, sometimes calling in unison.
Teacher direction: Here is a highlighter. [Provide the student with a highlighter.] Highlight information from the section that you want to include in your report on the animals of Yellowstone National Park.
Teacher direction: Suppose you want to include information in your report about grizzly bears. You are using this part of the text to find information about the grizzly bear. [Point to the section.] Follow along as I read the section to you. As I read, think about the information you should include in your report.
Yellowstone badgers can be seen in the sagebrush of the northern lower elevations. They can be fierce if they feel threatened. Badgers’ thick, coarse hair is usually gray and black with distinctive white stripes on their elongated faces. Black bears are not always black. They can also be brown or blonde. They are smaller than grizzly bears and have smaller, more curved claws. Because of these differences, black bears can climb trees more easily. Moose are often brown with large, partially flat antlers. They shed their antlers every year. They have long, thick muzzles. They eat tree bark, needles, and leaves as well as grasses.
Teacher direction: Here is a highlighter. [Provide the student with a highlighter.] Highlight information from the article that you want to include in your report about grizzly bears.
Teacher direction: Suppose you now want to include information about elk in your report. You are using this part of the text to find information about the elk. [Point to the section.] Follow along as I read the section to you. As I read, think about the information you should include in your report.
Elk are golden brown with darker hair on their heads and necks and often have white tails. They live 13 to 18 years. Elk diets include grasses, herbs shrubs and bark. Red foxes are the largest of the “true foxes.” They are a type of dog. They are reddish-brown or gray with light brown tails, dark brown legs and white chests and tail tips. They have a “mask” of black on their faces. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America and can run up to 30 miles per hour. They are usually dark brown with thick, darker “beards” that go just past their front shoulders.
Teacher direction: Here is a highlighter. [Provide the student with a highlighter.] Highlight information from the section that you want to include in your report about elk.
Teacher direction: Finally, suppose you want to include information about mule deer. You are using this part of the text to find information about mule deer. [Point to the section.] Follow along as I read the section to you. As I read, think about the information you should include in your report.
Wolves are large, wild dogs. They can be black, brown, white or gray with variations of color in their fur. They are 41 to 63 inches long and weigh up to 79 pounds. In Yellowstone, grizzly bears are seen in open areas such as meadows and around forests. They are often a cinnamon brown color with white tips on their fur. They have thick, almost straight claws which are good for digging up roots and insects for food but not for climbing trees. Mule deer are the most abundant deer in Yellowstone. They are named for their large, mule-like ears. They mostly eat woody vegetation like shrubs. They also eat grass, berries, acorns and apples.
Teacher direction: Here is a highlighter. [Provide the student with a highlighter.] Highlight information from the section that you want to include in your report about mule deer.