The task
Students were asked to read from a variety of sources on a scientific element and report their findings to the class in the form of an oral presentation.

This student chose to present the information found on the element “indium” in a creative manner. The facts describing Indium were woven into a fictional account of a missing person, in this case an element. It was presented to the class orally and later transcribed.

Circumstances of performance
This sample of student work was produced under the following conditions:

What the work shows c Reading: The student reads and comprehends informational materials to develop understanding and expertise and produces written or oral work that: • restates or summarizes information; • relates new information to prior knowledge and experience; • extends ideas; • makes connections to related topics or information.

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The student read information from a variety of sources to report on the characteristics of the scientific element indium. The student synthesized the information gathered about indium and presented it in the form of a narrative, e.g., “When I last saw him he was wearing five energy rings….” The student’s easy humor, for example when talking about the “job” of the element, reveals a confidence and familiarity with the material.

This work sample illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following part of the standards: c Reading: Read and comprehend informational materials.

Using a typical missing person profile, i.e., name, alias, age, description, etc., the student related the new found information to prior knowledge about missing person reports. The student also listed appropriate information under the various categories. This demonstrates a clear understanding of the properties of the element. The student presented basic information in a unique format. This creative process, as the student suggested, may have resulted in a more thorough understanding of the information.