Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: Earth Systems Interactions Simulator Task
Grade: High School
Date: [Current Date]
SEP: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
DCI: ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
CCC: Systems and System Models
Task Purpose: The purpose of this task is to evaluate students’ ability to use a computational model to investigate the relationships between Earth’s systems (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere) and how human activities (fossil fuel emissions, deforestation) modify these interactions over time.
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):
- [x] Warrants further review.
- [ ] Should not be used.
Summary
Summarize your evidence and reasoning:
The task uses an interactive computational model to drive student inquiry into how human activities modify Earth’s systems over time. Students cannot answer the questions using rote memorization; they must actively manipulate the simulation variables (Fossil Emissions and Deforestation Rate) and analyze the resulting data (Atmospheric CO2, Ocean pH, and Biomass). This requires them to use computational thinking (SEP), apply their understanding of global climate change (DCI), and analyze the interacting components as a complete system (CCC). The dimensions are integrated, and the task directly supports the requirements of HS-ESS3-6 without any major red flags.