Science Task Prescreen
Task Title: Rollercoaster Energy Computational Model
Grade: High School (9-12)
Date: 2026-04-25
SEP: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
DCI: PS3.A: Definitions of Energy; PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
CCC: Systems and System Models
Task Purpose: Formative assessment designed to evaluate students’ ability to use a computational model to track energy flows and calculate thermal energy loss in a rollercoaster system.
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 is anchored in the observable phenomenon of a rollercoaster losing kinetic energy over time, which challenges the simplified ‘frictionless’ model often taught. To complete the task, students must actively engage with the Rollercoaster Energy Computational Model simulation to gather data (SEP: Computational Thinking) and apply algebraic reasoning to calculate thermal energy loss, thus applying the principles of energy conservation (DCI: PS3.A, PS3.B). They must define system boundaries and identify the limitations of the computational model’s assumptions (CCC: Systems and Models). The task requires sense-making and multidimensional reasoning rather than rote memorization, earning a recommendation for further review.