Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: Alkali Metals: Patterns in Reactivity
Grade: High School
Date: [Current Date]
SEP: Developing and Using Models
DCI: PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
CCC: Patterns
Task Purpose: Determining whether students can apply their knowledge of periodic table patterns to predict the relative reactivity and atomic structures of unknown elements, using macroscopic observations and microscopic atomic models.
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 simulation phenomena (alkali metals reacting in water) to drive inquiry. Students must use the information provided in the scenario (macroscopic reaction observations, sensor readings, and atomic models within the simulation) to answer the questions. The task requires reasoning to connect the microscopic structure (valence electrons, energy shells) to the macroscopic reactivity patterns observed. Students apply DCIs about matter structure and use models (SEP) to identify patterns (CCC) and predict the nature of a mystery metal. There are no red flags, and dimensions are integrated to make sense of the reactions. Therefore, it warrants further review using the full task screener.