New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2012
What led to the United States Civil War? Interested historians consider a variety of political, social, and economic factors using primary sources and an essay prompt in an authentic high-stakes test. Primary sources include political...
Thoughtful Education Press
Personal Narratives: Learning from Lessons Life Teaches Us
"First Appearance," Mark Twain's tale about overcoming stage fright, serves as a model of a personal narrative and gets young writers thinking about milestones in their own lives. After examining student models and considering the...
Mathematics Assessment Project
A Golden Crown?
In this assessment task, learners determine whether a crown with given information is composed of pure gold. The task expects algebraic and numerical solution methods, so unlike Archimedes, no bathtub is necessary.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Middle School Mathematics Test 4
Raise expectations in your classroom and assess learners through the provided performance tasks. Class members must apply concepts learned throughout the year, providing a good measurement of how well they understand the...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Sale!
Let's save some money! High schoolers investigate different options for price reductions. They then determine the best and worst sale from a list of options.
Curated OER
How Big is the Playground: Creating a Map
Students create a topographical map of an area outside of the school. In this mapping lesson, students compile data on angles, distances, and key landmarks for a predetermined area on the school grounds to create a map using Geometer's...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Middle School Mathematics Test 3
Real-life mathematics is not as simple as repeating a set of steps; pupils must mentally go through a process to come to their conclusions. Teach learners to read, analyze, and create a plan for solving a problem situation. The...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Sorting Functions
There's no sorting hat here. A high school assessment task prompts learners to analyze different types of functions. They investigate graphs, equations, tables, and verbal rules for four different functions.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Multiplying Cells
Powers of two: it's a matter of doubling. A short summative assessment task asks pupils to determine a process to calculate the number of cells at given time intervals. They use powers of two in order to calculate the number of...
Jordan-Granite Consortium
Scatter Diagram
You aced the first test, so your score on the second one shouldn't matter, right? Young pupils first draw a best fit line on a provided scatter plot showing test scores for two different tests. They then evaluate five...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Functions
Studying function means more than simply learning a formula. Learners must use functions to think through four problems and find solutions. Each task utilizes a different concept from a study of functions. Class members might...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Bestsize Cans
Traditional calculus problem made simple. In the high school assessment task, learners determine the minimum surface area for a can of a given volume using algebraic and numerical methods to solve the problem. No calculus...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Best Buy Tickets
Everyone wants the best price when shopping — no matter what they are trying to buy. Given pricing information, pupils must solve a system of equations to determine the best option for printing tickets.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Funsize Cans
Designing fun-size cans ... what fun! Class members use the provided questions to determine the dimensions of a can with a minimum surface area for a given volume. The task allows learners to use graphs or algebraic manipulation to...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Functions
After identifying which of the given coordinate points fall on the graph of a line and which fall on the graph of a parabola, pupils write equations for each function.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Fencing
Nail this assessment task to your list of resources. Learners must set up equations to model the cost of fencing that includes posts and panels. They then determine the cost of a fence with a specific number of posts and panels.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Suzi's Company
Don't use an average resource ... use this one. As a middle school assessment task, learners first determine mean, median, and mode of salaries given in a frequency table. They then investigate how a change in one value changes the...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Fruit Boxes
Perfect for visual and hands-on learners, an engaging lesson prompts pupils to consider the different-sized boxes they can create from a piece of cardboard. They develop a model to determine the size of the box with the greatest...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Bird’s Eggs
Are the length and width of birds' eggs related? Young ornathologists use a scatter plot to investigate the relationship between the length and width of eggs for Mallard ducks. They then determine the egg with the greatest...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Buying Chips and Candy
As a middle school assessment task, learners first two write equations representing their purchase of chips and candy bars. They then solve the system of equations to find the price of each item.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Bike Ride
As a middle school assessment task, learners interpret the graph of distance versus time for a bike ride. Pupils then determine distance of the trip, length of the trip, and speeds.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Memory Game
Middle schoolers must determine probabilities for a memory game in which winning requires matching two of the same cards. They then must determine what happens when more cards are added to the pile.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Ice Cream
I scream, you scream, we all determine the amount of ice cream! Pupils calculate the amount of ice cream flavors needed based on survey results in a short summative assessment. They determine the number of tubs and cost of ice...
Curated OER
Mapping Community Values
Young scholars discuss the origin of various maps focusing on the values behind them. Students also explore how human needs and geography influence community settlement patterns. Young scholars extend learning by creating and mapping...