K-12 performance tasks in 

Following regular study of a current issue over 10-12 weeks, students work independently to develop a news-based podcast that identifies their chosen issue including background if necessary, explains its evolution over the time they studied it, includes different perspectives, and acknowledges who is affected most. The podcast should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. It may include interviews, conversations, and storytelling. Students may use non copyrighted sound effects or music. Once podcasts are complete, students may listen to the podcasts of their peers, listening for the elements intended to be featured.

Students work in groups as an advertising agency team in order to create an advertising campaign for either an existing product or a realistic one that the group develops. The end product is a pitch to the product owner (Google Slides presentation delivered live to the class) that positions their advertising agency as worthy of hiring for the advertising campaign. Elements of the pitch include market research, mock-ups of creative content to show the process of creation, proposed visual advertising (print or digital), a logo, a slogan, a 30-second commercial, and a rationale for how the agency will service the owner best. An emphasis on rhetorical strategies is key.

A small group works together to research a problem in the local community, brainstorm a solution, and deliver a presentation to a perceived body of people (planning board, school committee, department of conservation, council on aging, health department, library, recreation, affordable housing committee, climate action committee, energy management committee, etc.) with the power to enact that plan. The assignment includes interacting with real people in the community during the research stage. Ideally this includes in-person interviews, but working together on Zoom or corresponding via email is acceptable. The product is composed of a Google Slides presentation delivered live with a strong focus on crafting rhetorical strategies and appropriate language that would convince the perceived audience to adopt the solution.

After completing their unit lessons about creating the learning environment, including safety, ratios, set-up, and material choice, students will work as part of a team to create and design an early childhood classroom. The classroom will include appropriate square footage for the age group chosen. Labels will help identify developmentally appropriate learning centers, a space for meeting as a large group, a space for meeting with small groups, resting/sleeping area, furniture, flooring, storage for hazardous materials, sinks, and toilets. Individually, students will stock their classroom with developmentally appropriate materials in each learning center. At the end, they will meet with their supervisor to justify their room set up and materials based on their knowledge of the early childhood environment.

After learning and practicing how to identify the Line of Reasoning in an argumentative piece of writing, identify rhetorical devices and moves in an argument, search for arguments on both sides of an issue, and evaluate the credibility of sources students will: - Identify a topic of interest and research specific, published argument they want to rebut - Trace the original argument and identify its weaknesses and fallacies - Plan and write a script for a video counterargument rebutting the original source utilising rhetorical devices and credible sources - Create a video presenting their counterclaim and directly rebutting the original source's argument - Evaluate their own and each other's arguments in terms of what they "add to the conversation" around the issue

Students will make up a story about a time they wanted to spend an allowance of money on a particular item that is sold by different stores, some of which have a membership fee and some do not. In their story, they must include: - Details about the items and stores from their research - The equations that would help them solve the problem of where to shop - An illustration of the problem in the form of a graph using y=mx+b - A resolution in which they choose where to shop and explain why they chose that location.

Students will create a children's book about holidays around the world (outside of the United States), comparing holidays to those celebrated in the United States and to each other. If possible, students will then read their books to preschool students or host a holiday festival to share information about one of the holidays in their story.

Students engage in one of three activities in order to show their understanding of the standard. The three activities include planning a procedure to: remove contaminants from a rock sample, separate recycled materials in a dump truck, or show that a mixture of their choice can be separated into its component pure substances. Once planning out their procedure, students make a video, write 1-2 paragraphs, or create google slides to explain their experiment including the procedure, results, what they learned about mixtures and pure substances, as well as real world application.

The student has inherited France and is now the ruler. France is too large to rule all at once, so dividing the kingdom into smaller territories among any 4 people they know will make ruling it easier. After deciding on how to divide the kingdom, they will need to write one paragraph to explain why they divided the kingdom in that way, compute the perimeter and area of each of the smaller territories as well as the population density, and justify mathematically that the smallest territory is at least one-third the size of the largest territory.

In this task, students will study an event related to indigenous peoples in the US of choice. They will study to find out what happened during their chosen event and the effects of their event. In order to do this, students will analyze a photograph or painting that depicts their event as well as read about their event and watch a video that describes their event. After completing their research and learning about their chosen event, students will write an Op-Ed piece to the public or a letter to either DESE, their Superintendent, their school principal, or their department head that argues why the event they studied should be added to the Massachusetts DESE Social Studies standards and what their audience should do about it. Students will be learning about why multiple perspectives are important in the study of history and so this will be included in their writing piece.