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Electric Newscast!

Electricity Specialist Team:

Local elementary school students have been writing letters to our local
news station WHSV that say they are very confused about why they
should have study electricity and they dont see it mattering to their
individual lives. Luckily, our 6 o clock news anchor, Carolyn Cerda has
chosen our class to help these students explain why understanding
foundations of electricity is so important!
With your extensive knowledge of electricity and how electrical energy
can be transformed you are considered an expert! You and the rest of
your expert specialist team will present a newscast explaining the
importance of electricity and how it can be transformed into two
different forms of energy.
For this assignment, you will be divided into 2 Teams which will be
either Thermal or Light Energy. Each team will be divided into two
groups, having a total of four groups. You and your group will film a
short news-report teaching the elementary school students about your
specific type of energy and most importantly, its significance in our
daily lives!
Your newscast must to include:

A short description of the interaction between electricity and


thermal/light energy
At least one example that you can find in school, home,
community resources, etc.

Each team will have 2 class periods to research and brainstorm your
commercial and 1 class period to film your news-report. It is important
to take time to research because these elementary school students
need to be convinced. However, it is not just the students that need to
be convinced, we will also present these to Carolyn Cerda who is
coming to our class for a rehearsal before you report live. Once you
have presented to Carolyn, you will add your findings to our class chart

on electrical transformation and sign your name underneath your


contribution.
You will turn into me:

Your brainstorming ideas (One per group)


The final updated script of your newscast (One per group)
A reflection of your performance working with your specialist
team (Individual)
Name: __________________________________________________
Hello again! Ellie here to explain how you will be assessed
based on your Electric Newscast assignment. This rubric
(shown below) will describe what dimensions you will be
graded on as well as descriptions of what I expect of your final
assignment.
Remember to complete your assignment to the best of your
ability and double check you have completed all parts of the
assignment! Best of luck and I look forward to seeing your final
products!
Checklist before turning in:
I have attached all completed parts of the assignment
I proofread my work
I used my time wisely

By signing below you acknowledge you did your very best work on this
assignment and it is ready to turn into me (Miss Green) for grading:

Evaluation Rubric:
Facet of Understanding: Application

Value

Dimension

5
points

Research/Brainstorm

10
points

Script of Newscast

Component
You designed an appropriate and authentic brainstorming
tool for your research on your specific type of energy. Your
tool includes ideas and notes that were effective when
completing your script to be used for your newscast. The
research is accurate and credible.
Your script was neat and organized in such a manner that
each student could pick up and read their part in the
newscast. The script was focused on concisely defining

10
points

Presentation/Newscast

5
points

Professionalism/Reflect
ion

Total:
30
points

Your Score:

what your type of energy was and including a smooth


transition into an example(s). You convey a sense of careful
planning and coordinated effort from all group members in
your script.
You and your team performed confidently and effectively
throughout your newscast. You and your teammates
planned an executed a rehearsed performance that was
evident.
You used your time with your group effectively and
appropriately. You created a script that was mechanically
correct. You submitted your newscast that is ready to be
shown on the local television network for elementary
school students to see. Your reflection shows thoughtful
and insightful feelings that clearly explain your overall
understanding of the unit as well as your individual
learning so far.
Additional Comments:

Dear Parents/Guardians of Miss Greens Fourth Grade Classroom,


As you may have seen from my latest newsletter, we are currently
studying a unit on electricity and its significance in our daily lives. Moving
through the unit I have many tools I am using for assessment of your childs
understanding, but perhaps one of the most telling of their understanding is
the task I have assigned this week. I am writing you this letter to give you a
better understanding of what a performance based evaluation is and what it
can reveal about your childs deeper understanding of the application of
electricity into their lives.
The assignment is titled Electric Newscast and will require the
students to work in groups to investigate electrical energy transformation
into either thermal or light energy. They will have to convince local
elementary school students as well as our local news anchor how important
understanding fundamental concepts of electricity are to our everyday lives
using a brief explanation and examples. This assessment will ask them to
concentrate what they have been learning the past few weeks into a
brainstorm activity, a written script, and performance of their newscast in
front of me and Carolyn Cerda (local news anchor).
The value of assigning a performance based evaluation is extremely
important to understand when supporting and guiding your child through this
assignment. In effective assessments of the students understanding we must
see a match between the type of assessment and evidence that the student
has achieved the desired results. Throughout the unit I am teaching for the
big understandings of:

When a charge from one point to another in a conductor is


formed into another type of energy such as heat or light energy,
this makes everyday conveniences and technological advances
possible.

Electric energy transformations can be seen in all known


systems, vehicles, machines and etc. because they are all
components of electrical energy transformation.

A performance-based evaluation is a way for your children to take their


knowledge of electrical energy transformation from what we have discussed
in class and make it into an activity that requires more thought and
consideration which demonstrates how much your child is understanding the
material I have provided to align with the Virginia Standards of Learning.
I hope this letter has been helpful in your own understanding of what a
performance based evaluation is and you can use this knowledge to guide
your child when they are discussing or working on this assignment at home. If
you have any questions/thoughts/concerns at all, feel free to contact me by
email or make an appointment with me before or after school to discuss your
questions/concerns.
Thank you for always being a positive educational support to your
childs learning! I cant wait to see what they come up with for this
assignment!
Sincerely,

Miss Green
Green2kl@dukes.jmu.edu

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