Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: Crop Evolution and Selection: The Future of Farming
Grade: 10th Grade
Date: 2024-05-24
SEP: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Analyzing and Interpreting Data
DCI: LS4.C: Adaptation; LS4.B: Natural Selection
CCC: Cause and Effect
Task Purpose: To evaluate students’ ability to use computational models (simulations) to collect evidence and construct explanations for how different selection mechanisms (natural, artificial, genetic modification) drive population-level changes and adaptation in crops facing environmental pressures (pests).
Instructions
- Before you begin: Complete the task as a student would. Then, consider any support materials provided to teachers or students, such as contextual information about the task and answer keys/rubrics.
- Prescreen: Answer the following high-level questions to identify any major red flags (🚩) in your task. If you find one or more red flags, consider the purpose of the task and the evidence gathered to determine whether the task warrants a deeper dive.
Prescreen Questionnaire
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Is there a phenomenon or problem driving the task? | [x] | [ ] 🚩 |
| 2. Can the majority of the task be answered without using information provided by the task scenario? | [ ] 🚩 | [x] |
| 3. Can significant portions of the task be answered successfully by using rote knowledge (e.g., definitions, prescriptive or memorized procedure)? | [ ] 🚩 | [x] |
| 4. Does the majority of the task require students to use reasoning to successfully complete the task? | [x] | [ ] 🚩 |
| 5. Does the task require students to use some understanding of disciplinary core ideas to successfully complete the task? | [x] | [ ] 🚩 |
| 6. Do students have to use at least one science and engineering practice to successfully complete the task? | [x] | [ ] 🚩 |
| 7. Are the dimensions assessed separately in the majority of the task? | [ ] 🚩 | [x] |
| 8. Is the task coherent and comprehensible from the student perspective? | [x] | [ ] 🚩 |
Recommendation
Based on your assessment needs and the task purpose recorded above, make a recommendation about this task moving forward (choose one):
- Warrants further review.
- Should not be used.
Summary
Summarize your evidence and reasoning:
The task effectively anchors student learning in a real-world, compelling problem: global food security in the face of climate change and evolving agricultural pests. This scenario is highly relevant (Criterion 1: Cultural and Personal Relevance). To successfully complete the task, rote memorization of definitions (like “natural selection”) is insufficient; students must actively interact with the CropEvolution.html simulation, gather specific data points across multiple generations, and use that evidence to construct an argument.
The task integrates the three dimensions seamlessly. Students must use the SEP of Analyzing Data to interpret the graphical outputs of the simulation and the SEP of Constructing Explanations to justify their final recommendations. They rely heavily on the DCI of Adaptation (LS4.C) to explain how traits shift in response to the selective pressure of pests, and the CCC of Cause and Effect to link the different selection methods (natural vs. artificial vs. CRISPR) to the speed and magnitude of those trait shifts. The task structure guides students coherently through the three methods, building towards a final synthesis argument that requires deep reasoning about the trade-offs of each approach regarding genetic diversity and long-term population survival. Therefore, the task presents no red flags and strongly warrants further review using the full Task Screener.