Students conduct a whole class activity to get ready for the performance assessment by reviewing what plants need to survive and thrive. Students brainstorm a list for plants and for themselves. Then they compare the two lists for similarities and differences. Next, students conduct an individual performance assessment in which they plan and carry out an investigation to answer the question: “Do plants need water and sunlight to grow and be healthy?” They set up a fair test, gather data over a two-week period, and use evidence from their observations to support claims and explanations. This performance assessment is designed for use after lessons or a unit on plant needs have been taught. The performance assessment can be used in student portfolios as evidence of mastery of the NGSS performance expectation LS2-1, Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics. 2-LS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to testing one variable at a time.] Included in this packet: Background for the teacher, teaching procedure, student recording pages, student Science Notes for reading, a rubric for scoring and an open ended investigation foldable.
