Performance Task Blueprint
What understandings and goals will be assessed through this task?
Understanding:
How the Judicial System works in our government.
This understanding also includes civic duties such as Jury Duty.
Goals:
The goal is that each student will achieve an understanding of the make-up and
purpose of the Judicial system.
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?
The Mock Trial/ Unit Performance Task
Part 1
The students will be divided into groups of 8-10. Each group will be responsible for creating a court case
that will be acted out through a mock trial. Each group will be required to assign the following roles:
 Judge
 Prosecuting Attorney
 Defense Lawyer
 Defendant
 Witnesses
 Bailiff
 Court reporter
Each group will have time each day to rehearse their trial and to discuss its’ possible outcomes.
Each group will be responsible for creating evidence through visual aid. No real evidence will be
allowed (only pictures created by groups). These must be hand drawn. The court indictment and
manuscript must be approved by me prior to beginning rehearsal. You will be given time on 5 days
to prepare the visual aide, manuscripts and do group rehearsal. Each group will also serve as a jury
when the other group is performing. This will give the jury an opportunity to deliberate the case in a
condensed time period. Everyone in the group is required to participate. The group activity will be
assessed on November 1st.
Part 2
Each student will be responsible for creating a children’s book. This book should be about the
Judicial System of the United States and explain the process of the court system. This will count as
your grade for parts 1 and 2 of the assignment. The book will be due on November 2 nd. Please see
the Rubric for the Children’s Book assignment requirements.
Daily performance assessment 1
The group will be responsible for designing the mock trial. This will include the charges or the
indictment. The arrest records on the defendant as well as statements made by the prosecution.
The documents will serve as a guidebook for how the case will be tried and defended. It is due the
day of assessment 1.
Daily performance assessment 2
Each group will be required to design visual aide for the trial. This will be evidence as well as any
kind of maps or crime scenes. These must be original artwork. This will be Due the day of
assessment 2.
ACOS
5. Explain the importance of juvenile, adult, civil, and criminal laws within the judicial system of the
United States.
9. Identify individual and civic responsibilities of citizens of the United States.
12. Explain how the United States can be improved by individual and collective participation and by public
service.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Understanding
Analyzing
Remembering
Evaluating
Applying
Creating
By what criteria will student produces and performances be evaluated?
Put your rubric here.
Performance Assessment Rubric- See the Excel Rubric
Daily Performance Assessment 1 Rubric
This will be returned to the group to make changes before the final performance
Knowledge
Strong (5)
Developing (3)
All required parts
assigned. A well
developed idea
for the trial with
multiple parts to
be addressed.
Parts assigned to each
student. The script
lacks some essential
points. All students
are not required to
speak.
Each student
has a speaking
part.
Creativity
Vocabulary
Total
Creative skit that
is entertaining
and takes at least
10 minutes to act
out.
Uses all the
vocabulary
words in the
correct
context.
Somewhat creative skit
but lacks some depth.
Requires 6 minutes to
act out.
The script uses 8 or
more of the
vocabulary words in
the correct context.
Weak (2)
Poorly developed
skit with very
little creativity.
The skit lacks
speaking parts for
each member
Not creative.
Requires less
than 6 minutes to
act out
The script uses less
than eight
vocabulary words
or uses them in the
incorrect context.
Daily Performance assessment 2 Rubric
Strong (5)
Neatness
Creativity
Total
The 4pieces
evidence
Is neat and
colored .
The evidence is very
Creative. It is colorful
And cut-out.
The evidence works
with the script
Developing (3)
The 4 pieces ofevidence is
fair. Needs more work.
Weak (2)
The evidence is lacking
Neatness or not enough
evidnece given.
The evidence is somewhat creative The evidence is poorly done.
but is not cut out .The evidence
The evidence does not match
Goes along with the script.
The script.