Nanuet Union Free School District
101 Church Street
Nanuet, New York  10954

PERFORMANCE TASK

Area of Study:  Science

Grade Level/Course:  Grade 2
Matter

developed by:  M. Stokes and M. DeMont

Nanuet Learner Standard(s): 

Respectful/Responsible Citizen and Principled Person

New York State Learning Standard(s): 

MST Standard 4:  Science  (Elementary)

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Physical Setting:  Key Idea 3:  Matter is made up of particles whose properties determine the observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity

MST Standard 3:  Mathematics  (Elementary)

Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.

Key Idea 5:  Measurement:   Students use measurement in both metric and English measure to provide a major link between the abstractions of mathematics and the real world in order to describe and compare objects and data.

MST Standard 2:  Information Systems   (Elementary)

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Key Idea 1:  Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

Nanuet Content Standard(s): 

Science Standard 3  (Elementary Level)

Students know the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with their environment.

Mathematics Standard 5  (Elementary Level)

Students will communicate mathematical ideas in a variety of ways.

Instructional Technology Standard 1:  Communication  (Elementary Level)

Students will use technology to communicate effectively and creatively.

Benchmarks (New York State/Nanuet):      

Science:

• Observe and describe properties of materials using appropriate tools.

Mathematics:

•  
• Collect and display data.
• Collects, organizes, and analyzes data and presents it in a logical fashion.

Instructional Technology:

• Use a variety of equipment and soft-ware packages to enter, process, display, and communicate information in different forms using text, tables, pictures, and sound.
• Uses word processing, database and other applications to facilitate the writing and learning process in all curriculum areas.

Concepts: 

The student will understand the three forms of matter (Solid, Liquid, and a Gas).
The student will understand terms for measurement (Cup, Tsp., Tbs., etc.)
The student will understand that technology can be used to process information.
The student will understand that two technologies can be combined.

Skills:

• Observation
• Gathering Information
• Sequencing

Instructional Technology Skills and Competencies:

• Word Processing
  • Creates a new document and names a file.
  • Enters and edits text. (Positions cursor, inserts, deletes, centers, and aligns text.)
  • Opens closes and saves documents and prints text.
  • Copy, cut, paste, and move text, search and replace text.
  • Formats text, modifies styles (bold, italic, underline, etc.) fonts, sizes of text.
  • Incorporates graphics into documents
• Drawing/Paint Programs
  • Create graphic element using paintbrushes, pallets and tables. (Drawing objects, shapes, etc.)
  • Modify graphics. (Resize. Move, reshape, re-color, rotate, fill, flip, group, smooth, etc.)

Context for the Task:

As part of the second grade curriculum the students study matter. Within the context of the math curriculum the students learn different forms of measurement. This project will allow students to study matter while also reinforcing the skills they learned in math. Second grade students are also developing technology skills and competencies with word processing and drawing/painting programs. This project will include a technology component which involves using Word to type a description of their group project on Matter Day.

Task: 

"For the last few weeks we have been studying matter. After Matter Day you will use the program Word to type up information about the task you completed on Matter Day. You will describe in a paragraph what your group did. To help you, remember to include the steps you followed, and the forms of matter you observed.

After you have completed your description, you will create a picture to show the steps and forms of matter. After you create your picture you will insert it into word. When you are finished your document can be saved and then printed."

Time and Materials Required to Complete the Task: 

Time:  This project will require time for the teacher to review matter. It will also require one day for Matter Day. Then students will need three times on the computer to complete the task -- One time to input information, another to draw the picture, and another to insert the picture into the document.

Materials:  Word and Paintbrush

Teaching Tips: 

Students should have previous lessons in keyboarding. They should also have a demonstration on Word and Paintbrush.

Possible Solutions:

Rubrics:

Respectful/Responsible Citizen and Principled Person