Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: Electromagnetism & Induction Task
Grade: High School
Date: 2026-04-24
SEP: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
DCI: PS2.B: Types of Interactions, PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
CCC: Cause and Effect
Task Purpose: To investigate and provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current, addressing NGSS HS-PS2-5.
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:
This task effectively engages students with an anchoring phenomenon about a compass reacting to a lightning strike. The task requires students to actively engage in planning and carrying out an investigation (SEP) to collect data on the relationship between electricity and magnetism. By adjusting variables such as battery voltage, number of loops, and the speed of a moving magnet, students generate the necessary evidence to explain how an electric current produces a magnetic field and vice versa (DCI). The task integrates these dimensions by asking students to analyze their data to establish cause and effect (CCC) and write a final scientific argument based on their empirical findings. As a result, the task avoids assessing dimensions in isolation and avoids relying on rote memorization, making it highly aligned with NGSS expectations and warranting further review and use.