Teachers should aim to do 1-2 performance tasks a semester.
K-2 content was designed for whole class or group work that is led by the teacher. (i.e., most of the product descriptions read more like directions or lesson/unit plan for teachers)
Most of the task can be discussed at group time- going over it on a smart board then choosing one product to do at a time.
The teacher should begin each task with an illustration to tap into the students’ prior knowledge about the content matter
Teachers should use the product videos to introduce and EXCITE students about each product. This can be done as a whole group, done individually, or in pairs at centers.
Chunk the work with the products. For example, work in groups for 5-7 minutes with the focus on one area (or one research/video question) then back to whole group.
Products can be done orally with the teacher, or if the student is capable they can write the product themselves.
Products can be done as homework-you can share the link via email with the parents
Every performance task has 1-2 constructed responses that align with the task so you can organically integrate reading and writing standards. These have audio so the students can also listen and follow along.
Learning Objects can be used independently of tasks or within tasks as a station activity with a headset.
Research at the K-2 level can be using the classroom library to look for pictures, reading a big book together on the carpet, participating in a lab, or use of their Site Word Walls. If students have technology, they can use apps such as PebbleGo or Animal Planet, etc.
The teacher can culminate each task with a journal prompt which can serve as an assessment piece for the teacher as well as a literacy component for the task.
Remember that teachers can edit anything, so feel free to delete some of the introduction or GRAS to only include their needed site words or vocabulary words associated with the task and topic, etc.
Ideas from other Primary Teachers
“We have a routine with all DS tasks: everyone does the illustration as a pre-assessment, then pick ONE product to do as a class (like a brochure or create a book or plan an event), which is heavily supported by the teacher. We then pick ONE product as an extension for advanced students to do during center time, then the entire class does the journal prompt independently for a grade. We found that creating a “routine” made DS more approachable for all (teachers as well as students).”
“DS ia a teacher planning tool at our level – we do not assign the task to young students and have them login. We use the GRAS to create excitement for the task, then we “deploy” in a variety of ways- a letter to the students on chart paper, a video introduction, PowerPoint slides, a guest speaker, etc.”
“We are experimenting with dividing the kids up by level/interest across classes, so each teacher “hosts” a task and the kids are mixed between classes. This way each teacher focuses on fewer tasks and has the time to plan it in-depth.”
