Assignment 6: Designing a Performance Assessment

EDUC3750: Educational Assessment

Due: Wednesday, November 22, 2017

By: Emma Gordon

ID: 214751788
 Table of Specifications

Learning Goal Category Time Performance Task Marking

(Mins) Criteria
6. SWBAT evaluate the Thinking and 40 Students have to 10%
effectiveness of current Inquiry determine whether the
government initiatives in Government of Canada
regards to protecting and has intervened and
sustaining our evaluate the
ecosystems effectiveness of the
initiative or determine
the correct course of
action if the government
has not intervened.
7. SWBAT plan an Application 75 Students need to plan a 10%
investigation into how course of action for
human activity affects critical, insightful
water quality research into the water
quality of their chosen
First Nations body of
water.
8. SWBAT conduct an Application 75 Students need to 30%
investigation into how conduct critical research
human activities impacts to gather reliable data
water quality into how human
activities have impacted
the water quality in
Indigenous
communities.
9. SWBAT explain the Knowledge and 30 Using the research 30%
impact human activity Understanding students have gathered,
has on water quality they must explain how
using the information human activity has
gathered from their impacted the water
investigation (See quality and how this
Learning Goals 7, and 8) effects the aquatic
ecosystem and
Indigenous Peoples.
11. SWBAT Communication 75 Students have to 20%
communicate clearly and communicate their
concisely in report research findings into a
writing 3-page, double-spaced
document that is clear,
concise and without
grammatical errors.
 Performance Assessment – Draft
“In fall 2016, 151 drinking water advisories were in effect in First Nations across Canada. More
than 100 water advisories are routinely in effect, with some First Nations living under advisories
for nearly 20 years.” (David Suzuki Foundation, 2017)

“Most DWAs in First Nations are boil water advisories. However, a handful of First Nations are
under do not consume orders, including: Potlotek (NS), Kitigan Zibi (Quebec), Bear Skin (ON),
Wahta Mohawk (ON), Grassy Narrows (ON), Northwest Angle No. 33 (ON), God’s Lake First
Nation (Manitoba), Pinaymootang First Nation (Manitoba) and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
(Saskatchewan).” (David Suzuki Foundation, 2017)

Your task is to plan, and conduct a scientific investigation on one of the 151 drinking water
advisories in First Nations communities in Canada and write a 3-page report on the information
you find. Examples include but are not limited to: Bear Skin, Grassy Narrows or Northwest
Angle No. 33. (Needs more clarification, a better layout)

In your plan you will include:

Title What is the name of the body of water that is under a drinking
water advisory?

What is the name of the First Nations community effected by

this?

Drinking Water Advisory What type of drinking water advisory is this body of water
(DWA) under? (i.e. boil, do not consume, do not use)

How long the DWA has been in effect?

List of critical resources Title and information provided by each resource

Resource #1

Resource #2

Resource #3
 Performance Assessment – Revised
“In fall 2016, 151 drinking water advisories were in effect in First Nations across Canada. More
than 100 water advisories are routinely in effect, with some First Nations living under advisories
for nearly 20 years.” (David Suzuki Foundation, 2017)

“Most DWAs in First Nations are boil water advisories. However, a handful of First Nations are
under do not consume orders, including: Potlotek (NS), Kitigan Zibi (Quebec), Bear Skin (ON),
Wahta Mohawk (ON), Grassy Narrows (ON), Northwest Angle No. 33 (ON), God’s Lake First
Nation (Manitoba), Pinaymootang First Nation (Manitoba) and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
(Saskatchewan).” (Lukawiecki, 2017)

Your task is to choose one body of water that has a Drinking Water Advisory in a First Nations
community. Once chosen, you will plan and conduct an investigation and write your findings in
a three-page, double-spaced report.

Your investigation should answer and/or include the following:

- Learning Goals 7, 8, and 9
o The name of the body of water that is under a Drinking Water Advisory
o The name of the Indigenous community effected by the Drinking Water Advisory
o The type of Drinking Water Advisory
 i.e. boil, do not consume, or do not use
o How long has the Drinking Water Advisory been in effect?
o Why is there a Drinking Water Advisory?
 How has the water been polluted? What human activity caused the water
to be polluted?
 How has the pollution negatively impacted the aquatic ecosystem?
 How has the pollution negatively impacted the Indigenous community?
- Learning Goal 6
o Has the Government of Canada intervened?
 If yes – How? Has there been any improvements to the water quality?
 If no – Why? What can the government do to help improve the water
quality?

Additional Information:
- Learning Goal 11
o In your report:
 Must be at least three-pages and double-spaced
 Must include a title page, planning template, and reference page
 Need to have at least three credible and reliable resources to compile
information from
o Be sure to write full and complete sentences – grammar and spelling will be
marked
o This will be due in two weeks – one week for planning and conducting research,
and one week to write the report
Below is an example of a planning template that you may use to plan and conduct your research.

Planning Template – Learning Goals 7 and 8

Body of Water to Research and First Nations

Community

Drinking Water Advisory in Effect

Resources and Information Found Resource #1

- Pollution

- Impacts Resource #2

- Government involvement Resource #3

Marking Scheme:
You will be marked in knowledge and understanding, thinking and inquiry, application and
communication for this assignment. Knowledge and understanding will be worth 30% towards
the final grade. Thinking and inquiry will be worth 10% towards the final grade. Application will
be worth 40% of the final grade (this includes your plan and research). Finally, communication
will be worth 20% of the final grade of this report, for a total of a 100%.

Category Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding
Knowledge of content Demonstrates thorough
knowledge of content
Understanding of content Demonstrates thorough
understanding of content
Thinking and Inquiry
Use of critical/creative Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills thinking process, skills, and
and strategies strategies with a high degree
of effectiveness
Application
Application of knowledge Applies knowledge and
and skills skills in familiar contexts
with a high degree of
effectiveness
Transfer of knowledge Transfers knowledge and
and skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar contexts
contexts with a high degree of
effectiveness
Making connections Makes connections between
between science, science, technology, society,
technology, society and and the environment with a
the environment high degree of effectiveness
Communication
Expression and Expresses and organizes
organization of ideas and ideas and information with a
information high degree of effectiveness
Use of conventions, Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and vocabulary, and terminology
terminology of the of the discipline with a high
discipline degree of effectiveness
Use of references 3 or more references used
 Accommodated Performance Assessment for ELLs
Definitions:
Drinking Water Advisory – a safety ban on drinking or using water
First Nations – an Indigenous community
Indigenous – the First Peoples in Canada
Aquatic – water
Ecosystem – a biological community

In Canada, there are places that cannot drink their water this is called a “Drinking Water
Advisory”. These places are known as First Nations communities.

Your task is to choose 1 of the lakes listed below ():

Lake Place (First Nations Province (In Canada)
Community)
Wabigoon River Grassy Narrows First Nation Ontario
Angle Inlet Northwest Angle No. 33 First Ontario
Nation
Shoal Lake Shoal Lake 40 First Nation Ontario
Nibinamik Lake Nibinamik First Nation Ontario

Map of Canada:

Ontario

Plan and find information about the lake you chose.

Information you need to find:

- Learning Goals 7, 8, and 9
o Do the communities need to boil their water? Or are they not allowed to boil their
water?
o How many days, weeks or years have the communities not been able to drink
their water?
o How was the water made unclean? What did humans do to make the water
unclean?
o How has the dirty water effected the aquatic ecosystem?
o How has the dirty water effected the Indigenous community?
 - Learning Goal 6
o Has the Government of Canada come and clean up the lake?
 If yes – How was the lake cleaned? Is the lake completely cleaned?
 If no – Why has the lake not been cleaned? What can the Government of
Canada do to help clean the lake?

Use this Planning Template to help you plan your research. This has to be attached to your paper
that you hand in to me.

Planning Template – Learning Goals 7 and 8

Body of Water to Research and First Nations

Community

Drinking Water Advisory in Effect

Resources and Information Found Resource #1

- How is the water dirty?

- How has the dirty water effected the

aquatic ecosystem and the community?

Resource #2

- Has the Government of Canada cleaned

the lake or not?

After you find this information about your lake, you have to write a 1 or 2-page paper with at
least 2 reliable (good) resources (books, news reports, science journals).
More information:
- Learning Goal 11
o In your paper:
 Must be at least 1 or 2 page(s) in length and double-spaced
 Must include a title page, planning template, and page with a list of your
resources
 Need to have at least 2 good resources to get information from
o Be sure to write full and complete sentences
o This will be due in 3 weeks – 1 week to research, and 2 weeks to write the report

Marking Scheme:
You will be marked in knowledge and understanding, thinking and inquiry, application and
communication for this assignment.
Knowledge and understanding = 30%, Thinking and inquiry = 10%,
Application = 40% (this includes your plan and research), Communication = 20%.
Total grade of paper = 100%.

Category Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding
Knowledge of content Demonstrates thorough knowledge of content
Understanding of content Demonstrates thorough understanding of
content
Thinking and Inquiry
Use of critical/creative Uses critical/creative thinking process, skills,
thinking processes, skills and and strategies with a high degree of
strategies effectiveness
Application
Application of knowledge and Applies knowledge and skills in familiar
skills contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Transfer of knowledge and Transfers knowledge and skills to unfamiliar
skills to unfamiliar contexts contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Making connections between Makes connections between science,
science, technology, society technology, society, and the environment
and the environment with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication
Expression and organization Expresses and organizes ideas and
of ideas and information information with a high degree of
effectiveness
Use of conventions, Uses conventions, vocabulary, and
vocabulary, and terminology terminology of the discipline with a high
of the discipline degree of effectiveness
Use of references 2 or more references used
 Rubrics

General Rubric
Categories Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding 30%
Knowledge of Demonstrates Demonstrates some Demonstrates Demonstrates
content limited knowledge knowledge of considerable thorough knowledge
of content content knowledge of of content
content
Understanding of Demonstrates Demonstrates some Demonstrates Demonstrates
content limited understanding of considerable thorough
understanding of content understanding of understanding of
content content content
Thinking and Inquiry 10%
Use of Uses Uses Uses Uses
critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative
thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking process,
skills and skills, and strategies skills, and strategies skills, and strategies skills, and strategies
strategies with limited with some with considerable with a high degree
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness of effectiveness
Application 40%
Application of Applies knowledge Applies knowledge Applies knowledge Applies knowledge
knowledge and and skills in familiar and skills in familiar and skills in familiar and skills in familiar
skills contexts with contexts with come contexts with contexts with a high
limited effectiveness considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Transfer of Transfers Transfers Transfers Transfers
knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and
skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar
contexts contexts with contexts with some contexts with contexts with a high
limited effectiveness considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Making Makes connections Makes connections Makes connections Makes connections
connections between science, between science, between science, between science,
between science, technology, society, technology, society, technology, society, technology, society,
technology, society and the environment and the environment and the environment and the environment
and the with limited with some with considerable with a high degree
environment effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness of effectiveness
Communication 20%
Expression and Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and
organization of organizes ideas and organizes ideas and organizes ideas and organizes ideas and
ideas and information with information with information with information with a
information limited some effectiveness considerable high degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Use of conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and
terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the
discipline discipline with discipline with discipline with discipline with a
limited some effectiveness considerable high degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Use of references No references used 1 reference used 2 references used 3 or more references
used
(Growing Success, 2010)
General Rubric for ELLs
Categories Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding 30%
Knowledge of Demonstrates Demonstrates some Demonstrates Demonstrates
content limited knowledge knowledge of considerable thorough knowledge
of content content knowledge of of content
content
Understanding of Demonstrates Demonstrates some Demonstrates Demonstrates
content limited understanding of considerable thorough
understanding of content understanding of understanding of
content content content
Thinking and Inquiry 10%
Use of Uses Uses Uses Uses
critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative critical/creative
thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking processes, thinking process,
skills and skills, and strategies skills, and strategies skills, and strategies skills, and strategies
strategies with limited with some with considerable with a high degree
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness of effectiveness
Application 40%
Application of Applies knowledge Applies knowledge Applies knowledge Applies knowledge
knowledge and and skills in familiar and skills in familiar and skills in familiar and skills in familiar
skills contexts with contexts with come contexts with contexts with a high
limited effectiveness considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Transfer of Transfers Transfers Transfers Transfers
knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and
skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar skills to unfamiliar
contexts contexts with contexts with some contexts with contexts with a high
limited effectiveness considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Making Makes connections Makes connections Makes connections Makes connections
connections between science, between science, between science, between science,
between science, technology, society, technology, society, technology, society, technology, society,
technology, society and the environment and the environment and the environment and the environment
and the with limited with some with considerable with a high degree
environment effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness of effectiveness
Communication 20%
Expression and Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and
organization of organizes ideas and organizes ideas and organizes ideas and organizes ideas and
ideas and information with information with information with information with a
information limited some effectiveness considerable high degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Use of conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions, Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and
terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the terminology of the
discipline discipline with discipline with discipline with discipline with a
limited some effectiveness considerable high degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
Use of references No references used 1 unreliable 1 reference used 2 or more references
reference used used
(Growing Success, 2010)
 Discussion
Context:

This performance assessment was developed for a Grade 9 Academic Science classroom,

specifically for the Biology Unit: Sustainable Ecosystems. This was created to be used as the

culminating assignment of the Sustainable Ecosystems unit. Its main purpose is to see if students

are able to take the knowledge learned throughout the unit and apply it to a real-life situation.

Students would have already completed the Sustainable Ecosystems unit and the Scientific

Investigation Skills unit. Therefore, students would have the necessary skills and ability to

critically think about how to plan and research for a scientific investigation. Meaning, they

would be able to decide what is a reliable/ credible resource, process which information is useful,

and which is not for their task. Also, they would have a basic understanding of aquatic

ecosystems, and water pollution.

Description and Justification of Task, Criteria and Results:

In 2016, there were 151 Drinking Water Advisories (DWA) in Canada effecting

Indigenous communities – these bodies of water are too polluted for human consumption or use,

and it is only seen in Indigenous communities. Their task is to plan and conduct an investigation

into one of the lakes or rivers that is under a DWA – find out how and why was it polluted, and

how this pollution has impacted not only the aquatic ecosystem but the community as well. This

aligns with Learning Goals 7, 8 and 9. Their plan (Learning Goal 7) will be worth 10% of their

total application mark, and the information they have gathered through conducting their research

will be worth 30% of the overall application mark (for a total of 40% of their overall grade on

this task). This is because I believe that the depth and reliability of their information is more

essential than their overall plan. Their knowledge and understanding of how the lake or river
became polluted and how it is impacting the aquatic ecosystem and the Indigenous community

will be worth 30% of their overall grade on this task. This is because this knowledge will make

up for most of the information gathered from their investigation. Students have to take their

assignment a step further by researching whether or not the Government of Canada has

intervened. Also, they have to evaluate either how much the government initiative has done, or

why the government has not intervened and decide the course of action the government should

do. This aligns with Learning Goal 6 which is thinking and inquiry and worth 10% of their final

grade for this assignment. Lastly, the students will be graded on how well they communicated

their information through their written report of 3-pages, double-spaced. This is aligned with

Learning Goal 11 and will be a communication mark worth 20% of their overall grade on this

assignment.

All students (except for ELLs) will be marked with the general rubric under the Rubrics

section. This is where their knowledge and understanding, thinking and inquiry, application and

communication will be graded. On the tasks instructions, the weight of each category is

communicated before the Level 4 Rubric is presented. As part of the introduction to this

assignment, the learning goals will be described in full and any questions that arise will be

answered. Each student will have a conference with the teacher to check in on progress and

alleviate any misconceptions. Marks will be assigned to students after every student has handed

in their report, and every report is marked. They will be given their report with the rubric

attached to see their overall mark, with comments and suggestions to help enhance their learning.

Feedback:

The main issue raised in my draft of the assignment was the structure of the task. It was not

clear what the students had to accomplish, the knowledge students had to use, the timeline for
completion or the criteria of the task (Chappius & al, 2012). To make it clear what the students

had to do, I wrote questions that needed to be answered through research and included in the

report. I listed the learning Goals that went with specific questions or tasks for students to know

what learning they have to use. I added a timeline for completion in the revised draft to help

students stay on schedule, and a rubric for them to know how they will be graded on this

assignment. I learned that I have to be very clear and specific in instructions of what I want

students to do, and list clear expectations through criteria so students know what I am expecting

from them.

Evidence For and Against:

The performance assessment is clear as to what students have to do, and produce to get a

significant grade. It provides a timeline for students to stay on schedule to complete this

assignment and criteria, so students know how they will be marked. This assignment is also

authentic, because it makes them investigate a real issue in Canada – which is the lack of access

to clean water in Indigenous communities.

However, this assessment can be improved upon. To make the assignment more open

ended, students could choose to investigate a polluted body of water not connected to Canada (in

an Indigenous community. This may lead to limitations in available research, as there may not

be available nor reliable information regarding some populations. To ensure that information is

available, I could create a list of possible lakes or rivers for the students to choose from that I

have already investigated. Another limitation might be a generalized rubric. Creating a very

specific rubric might enhance the student’s quality of work.

Further Information about the Assessment Quality:

This assessment is appropriate, fair and practical for Grade 9 Academic Science students.

Grade 9 Science has a large academic jump from Grade 8 Science. This assignment is designed

to ease students into higher order planning, researching and critical thinking. I give them the

topic, and guiding questions that they must research and investigate using reliable, and credible

resources. This is a learned skill that will be improved upon throughout their high school

education. Since this is their first scientific report of high school, I gave them step-by-step

direction into how to complete this assignment correctly without giving them too much

information, to allow them to develop the skills of researching, finding and compiling relevant

data and explain it in a clear and structured report. This will promote student learning and

engagement because this will build student confidence in researching scientific questions, and

writing scientific reports. Building student confidence is so important because it is linked to

student engagement – if students are confident in what they are doing, they will enjoy it, and

learn more from it. It promotes student learning because they are able to see their progress and

achievement of specific learning goals of the Sustainable Ecosystems unit. This information

about student progress provides meaningful information for the teacher (me) and the students. It

allows me to see where students are struggling and under what Learning Goal. This gives me the

ability to go back and reteach a concept that many students didn’t grasp or provide information

to the student and/or their guardians about what area they need to improve upon.

The performance assessment that I created is valid based on content-related and construct-

related evidence. It is valid through content-related evidence because I believe that it is

representative sample of Learning Goals 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 of the Sustainable Ecosystem unit.

The assignment was created to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge about the unit and
I believe, that this performance assessment adequately does this for the specific Learning Goals

listed. The task is valid based on construct-related evidence because it is a meaningful measure

of unobservable characteristics (McMillan & al, 2011) such as, organization, critical thinking,

and research skills. Both of these types of evidence effect the validity of my interpretation of

student learning/work. Therefore, the assessment is valid due to content-related and construct-

related evidence.

Accommodations for ELLs:

The accommodations made for ELLs aimed to change the instructions of the assignment

without changing the overall learning goals of the assignment. Wording was changed for easier

comprehension for example, changing one to 1, or body of water to lake, or Drinking Water

Advisory to cannot drink water. Definitions of other terms were put at the top of the document

for ELLs learning such as, First Nations, Indigenous, and ecosystem. Graphic organizers were

also used as an accommodation. One organizer listed possible lakes or rivers to choose from with

the matching First Nations community and province (which a map of Canada was provided to

show where Ontario is). Another organizer was the planning template that was very similar to the

one given in the general assignment but had some differences such as the wording of titles and

the number of references. Instead of three references, ELL students only need to find 2, and were

given more time (3 weeks), to complete their research and report. Another accommodation is that

ELL students only have to write a 1 or 2-page report instead of 3. I would much rather have less

words with better quality of writing, than more words with poor quality. The goal was to make

the assignment more understandable for ELL students without changing the overall expectations.
Summative to Formative:

This performance assessment was made for summative use, or an assessment of learning.

However, it can be modified to be used for formative use. One change might be done by using

the rubric as a tool for me to provide sufficient feedback on student’s strengths, weaknesses, and

areas of improvement. The rubric could also be used by students to judge their own work to offer

an opportunity for them to become autonomous in their learning. An example of autonomy is

students could self-assess their assignment for quality and revise as needed (Chappuis et al,

2012).

Another example of making this a formative assessment is to have the task become a

classroom activity that would be done in groups. A lot of changes would have to be made to

make this a possibility. First, I would put them into groups and give each group a lake or a river

and three or four reliable resources that they can gather information from. Then I would provide

a list of questions for them to answer using the resources I gave them on the board. Students

would have the whole period to research and write out their answers on chart paper that they

would present to the class. Throughout this process I would move around the room to assist if

needed, and to note who is on task and participating. As they were presenting I would record the

information that is presented to see if students understood the task and applied it to what we have

been learning in the Sustainable Ecosystems unit. These examples are just some of the ways that

could have made this summative assessment into a formative one.

 References

Chappuis, J., Stiggins, R., Chappuis, S., & Arter, J. (2012). Classroom assessment for student

learning: Doing it right, using it well. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Lukawiecki, J. (2017). Glass half empty: Year 1 progress toward resolving drinking water

advisories in nine First Nations in Ontario. David Suzuki Foundation.

McMillian, J. H., Hellsten, L. M., & Klinger, D. A. (2011). Classroom assessment: Principles

and practice for effective standards-based instruction. Toronto: Pearson.

Ministry of Education. (2008). The Ontario curriculum grades 9 and 10: Science. Biology:

Sustainable ecosystems. Grade 9 Academic. Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing success: Assessment, evaluation, and reporting

in Ontario schools. Toronto: Author.