Short Performance Assessments

Classroom or external assessments (20-40 minutes)

Short Performance Assessments (SPAs) are designed to be taken individually at the end of a lesson sequence that addresses the NGSS Performance Expectation (PE). The SPAs provide information about students' progress with integrating the three dimensions of a single PE.

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This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Diego Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Earth Science (2nd Grade)

PE: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land (2-ESS2-1).

• Rebuilding a Boardwalk Post-Hurricane Cover Page
• Rebuilding a Boardwalk Post-Hurricane SPA
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics for Rebuilding a Boardwalk Post-Hurricane SPA

Physical Science & Engineering (3rd grade)

PE: Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. (3-PS2-3)

• Using the Oil Spill Cleanup assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

Life Science & Engineering (3rd grade)

PEs:

1. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.* (3-LS4-4)
2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. (3-5-ETS1-2)

• Using the Planning the Park assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

Life Science (5th grade)

PE: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. (5-LS2-1)

• Using the Movement of Matter assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Diego Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Earth Science (5th Grade)

PE: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact (5-ESS2-1).

• The Hottest, Driest, National Park SPA Cover Page
• The Hottest, Driest, National Park SPA
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubric for The Hottest, Driest, National Park SPA

Earth Science (5th grade)

PE: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the earth’s resources and environment. (5-ESS3-1)

• Using the Warning! Air Pollution assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses
• Resource Sheet

Earth Science (MS)

PE: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects. (MS-ESS3-2)

• Using the Natural Hazards assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

Earth Science (MS)

PE: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. (MS-ESS2-1)

• Using the New York: A View From Below assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

Life Science (MS)

PE: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem (LS2-1)

• Using the Deer Population assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

Physical Science (MS)

PE: Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave. (MS-PS4-1)

• Using the Ocean Sounds assessment? Read this first!
• Get the assessment
• Get the scoring rubric with sample student responses

This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Francisco Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Physical Science (MS)

PE: Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects (MS-PS2-1).

• Protect Your Head! Cover Page
• Protect Your Head! SPA
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubric for the Protect Your Head! SPA

This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Francisco Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Physical Science (MS)

PE: Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object (MS-PS3-5).

• Cover sheet for the Cooling Soup Task
• Cooling Soup Task
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubric for Cooling Soup Task

This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Francisco Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Physical Science (HS)

PE: Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known (HS-PS3-1).

• Plant-Based or Animal-Based Diet? Cover Page
• Plant-Based or Animal-Based Diet? Task
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubric for Plant-Based/Animal-Based Diet Task

This task was adapted from an assessment designed by San Francisco Unified School District teachers using the SNAP online courses and feedback from SCALE. See SNAP Course 4 for training in using the SNAP Multidimensional Rubrics to embed assessments into instruction.

Life Science (HS)

PE: Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem (HS-LS2-6).

• Isle Royale Task Cover Page
• Isle Royale Task
• SNAP Multidimensional Rubric for Isle Royale Task