Description of the Final Project

Nitko and Brookhart emphasize the difference between performance activities and performance assessments. They say, "Assessment is not just the activity. Good assessment requires that criteria and scoring rubrics be well defined. An assessment must describe how well a student has achieved (259)". Therefore, my unit consists of performance activities that are assessed with different checklists, a rating scale and a writing rubric. At this point, my ideas are still developing. Here are my thoughts so far...

Learning Target 1: Students will identify the parts of a plant.
Learning Target 2: Students will identify the function of each plant part.

Performance activity for these LTs: Students will cut out part names and label the parts. Then students will draw lines to match the plant part with a description of its function. These activities will be assessed with a checklist.


Learning Target 3: Students will determine what characteristics make plants living things.

Performance activity for this LT: Students will list the characteristics of all living things: All plants grow, take in nutrients, breathe, and die. This will be assessed with a checklist.


Learning Target 4: Students will find parallels between their needs as humans and the needs of other forms of life.

Performance activity for this LT: Students will complete a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the needs of plants and humans. This will be assessed with a checklist. (Perhaps a product checklist)


Learning Target 5: Students will describe what will happen if a living plant is deprived of its needs.

Performance activity for this LT: Students will write about what would happen if a living plant is deprived of air, water, or light. The writing piece will be assessed with a rubric or a rating scale to assess the degree to which students have attained the information.


Learning Target 6: Students will display a plant’s life cycle.

Performance activity for this LT: Students will design a plant's life cycle by drawing the stages of the plant. This will be assessed with a product checklist to focus on the quality of the constructed model/drawings.


Learning Target 7: Students will successfully grow a plant providing its common needs.

Performance activity for this LT: Students will perform the steps in order to keep a plant living by planting, watering and taking care of the plant. The student will not be assessed on whether the plant grows or is healthy but rather the steps taken in order to grow a plant. This will be assessed with either a procedure checklist or a graphic rating scale. A graphic rating scale may show how often the student waters and monitors the plant.

Final Learning Targets

First Grade Science Unit: Plants

Brief Description of Unit: Students will build upon their prior knowledge of plants. They will learn parts of a plant, functions of the parts, if plants are living vs. nonliving, plant needs, life cycle, and grow a plant.

Learning Targets:

Learning Target 1: Students will identify the parts of a plant.
Mastery Learning Target
Verbs: label, match, choose, name and select (Bloom)

Learning Target 2: Students will describe the function of each plant part.
Mastery Learning Target
Verbs: explain, identify, describe, tell, and write (Bloom)

Learning Target 3: Students will determine what characteristics make plants living things.
Mastery Learning Target
Verbs: compare, contrast, explain, justify, and summarize (Bloom) describe, justify (Krathwohl)

Learning Target 4: Students will find parallels between their needs as humans and the needs of other forms of life.
Developmental Learning Target
Verbs: diagram, design, compare, contrast (Bloom) generalize, differentiate, discriminate, explain (Krathwohl)

Learning Target 5: Students will describe what will happen if a living plant is deprived of its needs.
Mastery Learning Target
Verbs: explain, predict, summarize, demonstrate, show (Bloom) describe, explain (Krathwohl)

Learning Target 6: Students will display a plant’s life cycle.
Mastery Learning Target
Verbs: label, diagram, design, create, construct (Bloom)

Learning Target 7: Students will successfully grow a plant providing its common needs.
Developmental Learning Target
Verbs: produce, show, perform, display (Bloom) grow