Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: DNA to Protein Structure and Function: The Mutation Challenge
Grade: 10th
Date: [Current Date]
SEP: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
DCI: LS1.A: Structure and Function
CCC: Structure and Function
Task Purpose: To assess students’ ability to construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, and how that structure carries out essential functions in specialized cells (HS-LS1-1).
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 uses a simulation as a phenomenon (the effect of mutations on cell function) to drive the activity. The students must use the simulation to generate specific data (evidence) and then use reasoning to link the DNA sequence changes to the structural changes and functional outcomes. It cannot be answered purely through rote memorization; the student must interpret the interactive results. The dimensions (SEP: Constructing Explanations, DCI: Structure/Function, CCC: Structure and Function) are integrated into the final explanation prompt. It passes the prescreening criteria.