Youth Contact Sports: Yes or No?

Overview

In this performance assessment, students will watch video clips about youth contact sports and generate a question about the safety of these youth sports. They will read several informational texts to help them generate their own conclusions and develop a claim about whether contact sports are safe for young people.

Specifically, students will be asked to create an advertisement for their community and peers summarizing their claim/opinion. They will include evidence such as facts, examples, and definitions to support their claim. Students will write a ”script“ for their advertisements in which they state their claim and support the claim with textual evidence such as summaries, quotations, paraphrasing, and examples from the texts they read. They will cite their sources using MLA documentation (or a format the teacher has chosen).

Students can create the final presentation in any appropriate way, including, but not limited to, PowerPoint or Google Slides (or another slideshow tool), Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

This assessment should be given to students who are familiar with the structure of a persuasive essay, finding textual evidence, and MLA citations (or teacher-chosen format). They should have an understanding of tone, audience, and how to find textual evidence. It is helpful if students have had some introduction to propaganda and how persuasive advertising works. I have provided examples of persuasive advertisements.

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Details

8th
Five 50 minute class period
Big Ideas & Competencies View Section Below

Big Ideas & Competencies

Big Ideas	Competencies
C. Writing Students can effectively communicate purpose to an intended audience through written language, using a variety of media.	C2 Students can write informational texts using facts, definitions, details, quotations, and examples to examine a topic.
E. Research and Inquiry Students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics, evaluate and analyze the validity of sources, and synthesize information to communicate findings.	E1 Students can quote or paraphrase relevant data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. E2 Students can gather relevant research from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively, and assessing the credibility and accuracy of sources, to answer a self-generated question and generate new questions that allow multiple avenues of exploration.

Big Ideas

Competencies

C. Writing

Students can effectively communicate purpose to an intended audience through written language, using a variety of media.

C2

Students can write informational texts using facts, definitions, details, quotations, and examples to examine a topic.

E. Research and Inquiry

Students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics, evaluate and analyze the validity of sources, and synthesize information to communicate findings.

E1

Students can quote or paraphrase relevant data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

E2

Students can gather relevant research from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively, and assessing the credibility and accuracy of sources, to answer a self-generated question and generate new questions that allow multiple avenues of exploration.

NOTE ABOUT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Below are analytic teacher rubrics. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

Teacher Rubric

Dimensions	Not Yet Meeting Expectations	Meeting Expectations	Exceeding Expectations
Focus/Organization	Partially addresses the expectations of the prompt. Introduces a claim, but evidence does not connect to the claim. Uses a basic or ineffective body structure to organize or group the reasons, and/or evidence. A basic conclusion or a general summary of the information is used, or the conclusion does not support the claim and/or reasons. No exemplars at this time.	Addresses the expectations of the prompt. Introduces a claim and maintains the claim throughout the essay using textual evidence. Uses a logical body structure to organize and group related reasons and evidence that support the claim. Provides a concluding statement or section that follows the claim and reasons and supports the argument presented. No exemplars at this time.	Fully and thoroughly addresses the expectations of the prompt. Clearly establishes a credible claim and maintains the claim in a coherent, insightful manner throughout the essay. Uses a coherent and sophisticated body structure to organize and group related reasons and evidence that support the claim. Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from and clearly supports the claim, reasons and key points in a fresh way. No exemplars at this time.
Development/Comprehension	Supports a claim with unfounded reasons and/or evidence from questionable sources. Provides a weak explanation of the evidence demonstrating minimal understanding of the topic or text(s). No exemplars at this time.	Supports a claim with logical reasons and relevant evidence from credible and accurate sources. Provides an explanation of the evidence to demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text. No exemplars at this time.	Supports a claim with logical and insightful reasoning and relevant and precise evidence from credible and accurate sources. Provides a clear and insightful explanation of the evidence demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic or texts. No exemplars at this time.
Style/Conventions	Uses generic vocabulary to identify and explain the topic and/or supporting information. Uses basic or ineffective transitions to clarify the relationship between the claim, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Uses inconsistent grammar and conventions which detract from the quality of the essay. Uses ineffective sentence structures creating an informal style and tone. No exemplars at this time.	Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to identify and explain the topic and supporting information. Uses transitional words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationship among the claim, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Uses grade-appropriate grammar and conventions; errors are minor and do not interfere with meaning and readability. Use correct and varied sentence structures and precise vocabulary to establish a formal style and tone. No exemplars at this time.	Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to identify and explain the topic, ideas, and concepts, and supporting information. Uses sophisticated and varied transitional words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationship among the claim, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Uses advanced grammar and convention; errors are minor and do not impact the clarity and quality of the essay. Uses advanced and varied sentence structures to establish a formal style and tone. No exemplars at this time.

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