Chris Johnston Performance-based Assessment Plan 1

Standard and anchors

In exact words the assessment asks to describe how the development of civilization affects the
use of natural resources. Compare and contrast how people use natural resources in sustainable
and non-sustainable ways throughout the world. I broke down the standard to give me two
overarching questions. The first is how has the development of civilization affected the use of
natural resources? The second question is how do different people use natural resources in
sustainable and non-sustainable ways throughout the world? So with that idea I wanted the
student to come away with an understanding of the answer to these questions and developed the
assignment below. The Standard aligned system lists the standards as:
Subject Area 4: Environment and Ecology
Standard Area 4.5: Humans and the Environment
Grade Level 4.5.7: Grade 7
Standard 4.5.7.A: Describe how the development of civilization affects the use of natural
resources. Compare and contrast how people use natural resources in sustainable and nonsustainable ways throughout the world.
Assessment Anchor S7.B.3: Ecological Behavior and Systems
Performance assignment

As we begin to study Humans and the environment you will be expected to complete a
presentation, oral report, poster or display, or a video on the natural resources that humans use.
This assignment will be completed over the course of the marking period. You will be given
time after each unit to gather information you just learned that will help with the assignment.
Your team has been placed in a biome and you must come up with a list of resources and what
human needs they fill. Remember these first needs are simple survival needs. You can imagine
this biome as a survivor competition, be creative with your ideas. Your team is still in that
biome today but your modern needs are to be addressed this time. Are you using renewable
resources or non-renewable or both? How have modern inventions changed the resources you
use? You are to think of yourselves as explorers explaining your findings to people that have
never seen your biome (classmates). You are able to choose how you want to complete the

Chris Johnston Performance-based Assessment Plan 2

assignment. Whatever form of presentation or display you choose it should list the natural
resources found in the biome, it should also state what the resource is or was used for and
whether they are renewable and non-renewable. A computer presentation should include eleven
slides including a title slide. Images must have accompanying information. The oral report
should be five minutes long and everyone in the group should contribute. The poster or display
should be on standard size poster board or a science fair trifold. It should have pictures or the
resources and biome and short paragraphs explaining each image. The written report should be
two pages and including all the information mentioned above. All group members must
contribute to a section of the paper. After the presentations you will work individually and hand
in a one or two page paper comparing the ways resources are used around the world. Make sure
to list the ways people use sustainable or non-sustainable resources. A two or three sentence
reflection of the assignment will finish the paper; this reflection should include insights from the
other groups work. At the end of the presentation the students should have an understanding of
how humans have used their environments for their needs. They should also understand the
impact humans have had on the environment and how they can control that impact by the choices
of resources to use for our needs today.
Detailed scoring rubric

Explanation

Meaningful

Explanation
that is a
thorough list
of the
resources
from the past
to the way
they are used.
The resources
used today
and what they
are used for.
There is a
connection
drawn
between
modern and

Meaningful
evaluation of
the resources
used today
and in the past
explaining
why they are
used or not
used anymore
and examines
the way
resources have
been replaced.

Effective
Effective
presentation
clearly
conveys the
information
learned about
humans and
natural
resources. It
draws
conclusions
about how
humans have
used natural
resources and
how they may
use them in

Perspective

Reflection

Perspective
the
presentation
and written
report are
insightful and
examine
resource use
that is
inventive and
plausible.
The
presentation
explains
resources and
uses that are
credible.

Reflection of
the
assignment
should be
thoughtful and
understanding.
The reflection
exhibits a
clear
understanding
of other
presentations
and uses
information
from those
presentations.

Chris Johnston Performance-based Assessment Plan 3

past uses.
Explanation
that is a
thorough list
of the
resources
from the past
to the way
they are used.
Explanation
of resources
and reason
they are used.

the future.
Meaningful
Effective
evaluation of
presentation
the resources
clearly
used today
conveys the
and in the past information
explaining
learned about
why they are
humans and
used or not
natural
used anymore. resources.
Meaningful
Effective
evaluation of
presentation
resources used discusses
in the past and humans and
today.
natural
resources.

Explanation
of natural
resources and
their uses is
incomplete.

Meaningful
evaluation has
enough
information to
convey
understanding.

No
assignment
turned in.

No
assignment
turned in.

Effective
presentation
does not
clearly
explain the
information
about humans
and
resources.
No
assignment
turned in.

Perspective
the
presentation
and written
report explain
resources and
uses that are
credible.

Reflection of
the
assignment
should be
thoughtful and
understanding.

Perspective of
presentation
and written
report is
credible.

Reflection on
assignment
completed and
includes
statements
about other
work.
Perspective of Reflection is
the
present but is
presentation
incomplete or
and written
does not
report are just contain all
plausible.
elements
required.

No
assignment
turned in.

No
assignment
turned in.

Total
/20

/4

/4

/4

/4

/4

Concluding Section

As I examined the standard I was thinking about how to get the students to understand the big
idea. It was not until I looked at the eligible content that I saw an authentic performance
assessment. There are three areas of eligible content under this standard. The first content is
biomes and their biotic and abiotic systems. The second is variables that may cause changes in
the human and natural made systems. The third is the way renewable and non-renewable
resources used to fill human needs. By building an overarching assessment the students should
be able to understand how these three lessons relate to the larger picture of humans and the

Chris Johnston Performance-based Assessment Plan 4

environment. The assessment is built using the GRASPS framework. I developed a goal, role
and an audience and matched to the standards I wanted the students to understand. The rubric I
developed is based on the six facets and I scaled it so 4 points are obtained by asking questions
beyond the instruction of the class. 2 and 3 are given if the assignment fills the requirements
well or just barely. A 1 is awarded by meeting the minimum asked and a 0 is for no work. The
assignment will be worked on throughout the course as the three lessons are presented the
students should be able to fill in charts that can be used to complete the final presentation. I will
provide class time so the teams can discuss things they have discovered and I will evaluate teams
individually on their progress being mindful to dispel any misconceptions about their biome or
its resources. There is overlap between biomes and their resources and I will explain this to each
team. The teams will be made up of as diverse group as can be made and the students will be
required to contribute something to the group project. It has been shown that diverse learners
can benefit from hands on, inquiry based interventions (Zheng, Warschauer, Hwang, & Collins,
2014) the students gain a better understanding of scientific work. Giving students a chance to

explore scientific ideas and understandings for themselves can promote an interest in science as a
career for at risk students that do not think they can become scientists. The choice of how to
present will be decided by the group but I will intervene if the group choses something a member
cannot complete. Interacting with the groups will enable me to suggest a way for all members to
participate. The lessons themselves will include handouts and pictures the students can use as
sources of information. By making an assessment that requires the students understand different
areas about humans and the environment it will give the students insights into others standards.
Other topics to be addressed are pests, pollution, environmental health and waste management.
The assignment crosses courses with an analysis of how humans used resources in the past and
by writing an evaluation and synthesis paper.
Bibliography

Zheng, B., Warschauer, M., Hwang, J., & Collins, P. (2014). Laptop Use, Interactive Science
Software, and Science Learning Among At-Risk Students. Journal of Science Education and
Technology, 23(4), 591603. doi:10.1007/s10956-014-9489-5