Performance Assessment Task
To Drink Or Not To Drink?
As the water engineer for the town, your job is to determine the appropriate location for an
intake pipe for the town’s water supply. Based on recommendations from various special
interest groups, five sites have been proposed. You will report your findings and
interpretations to the town council (your class) and provide rationale for your
recommendation of a particular site for the intake pipe. Your report must demonstrate an
effective use of various multimedia (i.e., PowerPoint, HyperStudio, Inspiration, Web Page,
Video, Audio).
Instructions
1. While looking at the table (Appendix A) and map (Appendix B) provided, consider
the following:
 What types of industry are located near the water sources?
2. Look at the water samples labeled A - H and complete the table (Appendix A).
3. Using information from your textbook, course notes, online and other print
resources, complete a K-W-L chart (Appendix C) for each industry and activity on
the map affecting water quality:
 Pulp and Paper mill
 Sand and limestone quarry
 Tertiary waste treatment plant
 Agriculture activity (feed lot and crop farm)
4. From your investigation, list the pros and cons of each of the five proposed sites in
the table provided.
5. Based on your research, which of the five proposed sites should the town water
intake pipe be located? Give reasons why you’ve chosen this site over the other four
sites.
6. Prepare a multimedia presentation for the town council meeting in which you defend
your position. You will be given a maximum of ten minutes to state your case.
7. After listening to all the presentations, the town council (your class) will vote on the
most appropriate site. In your logbook / journal, describe how the town’s choice
differed from yours? Do you agree with the town’s decision? Why or why not?
© AAC…everyday assessment tools to support student learning
Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
November 2013
Student Materials
Appendix A: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
Origin, description and ingredients of water samples
Sample
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Origin
Slightly
downstream
from pulp mill
Slightly
downstream
from where the
tributaries from
the pulp mill and
the limestone
and sand quarry
meet
Slightly
downstream
from the
limestone and
sand quarry
Where the pulp
and quarry
stream meets the
lake
Upstream from
agricultural
activity
Slightly
downstream
from agricultural
activity
Where the
agricultural
stream meets the
lake
Where the
affluent from the
tertiary waste
treatment plant
meets the lake
Description of
sediment, if
present
pH
Acidic, Neutral
or Basic?
(select one)
5.8
Color /
Clarity
Odor
Other
info
presence
of tannic
acid
7.0
8.2
7.0
7.0
traces of
nitrates
8.6
traces of
nitrates
7.8
7.0
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Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
November 2013
Student Materials
Appendix B: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
Map of proposed sites for water intake pipe
County of Shakespeare’s Water Shed
Prevailing winds are to the west
N
W
Pulp Mill
E
X
Sample A
X
X
Sample C
Sand and
Limestone
Quarry
S
Tertiary Waste
Treatment Plant
Legend
Sample B
1
X
Sample D
Lake Hamlet
X
Delta
Sample H
Severe algae and
plant growth
4
5
3
X
Water samples
Proposed sites
2
X Sample G
Grazing Land
X
Direction of Water
flow
Sample F
Feed Lot and
Crop Farm
X
Sample E
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Grade Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
Water Outtake
November 2013
Student Materials
Appendix C: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
K-W-L Charts
Name of industry or activity _____________________________________
K
What I know
W
What I need to know
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Grade Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
L
What I’ve learned
November 2013
Student Materials
Appendix D: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
Pros and Cons for each of proposed site
Site
1
Pros
Cons
2
3
4
5
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Grade Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
November 2013
Student Materials
Rubric: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
Student ___________________________________________________________
Level
Excellent
Proficient
Adequate
Limited *
Insufficient /
Blank *
Criteria
Identify
physical
characteristics
to determine
water quality
(STS & K 1.2,
STS & K 1.3)
Collects precise
data on the chart
that helps
determine water
quality.
Collects
detailed data
on the chart that
helps determine
water quality.
Collects
simplistic data
on the chart that
may help in
determining
water quality.
Collects
incomplete or
irrelevant data
on the chart that
makes it
difficult to
determine
water quality.
Investigate
current
practices that
affect water
quality
(STS & K 4.2)
Provides indepth and
comprehensive
information and
charts are
completed.
Provides clear
and relevant
information and
charts are
completed.
Provides some
relevant
information on
charts.
Provides
irrelevant
information on
charts.
Evaluate
impact of
human water
usage on the
environment
(STS & K 4.1)
Demonstrates a
thorough and
insightful
understanding of
human water
usage on the
environment.
Demonstrates a
clear
understanding of
human water
usage on the
environment.
Demonstrates a
partial
understanding of
human water
usage on the
environment.
Demonstrates a
lack of
understanding
of human water
usage on the
environment.
Defend a
position
(S-CT4)
Makes a
recommendation
effectively
supported by
clear and
compelling
reasons.
Makes a
recommendation
supported by
plausible
reasons.
Makes a
recommendation
that is partially
supported.
Makes a
recommendation
that is not
supported
rationally.
Present
information
using
multimedia
(S-CT2)
Creates a
multimedia
presentation
with a
intriguing
message that is
convincing and
engaging.
Creates a
multimedia
presentation
with a clear
message that is
persuasive,
with interesting
elements.
Creates a
multimedia
presentation
with an unclear
message that
has persuasive
elements but is
not engaging.
Creates a
multimedia
presentation
with an unclear
message that is
neither
persuasive nor
engaging.
(see Appendix A)
No score is
awarded because
there is
insufficient
evidence of
student
performance
based on the
requirements of
the assessment
task.
(see Appendix C)
(see Appendix D)

When work is judged to be limited or insufficient, the teacher makes decisions about appropriate
intervention to help the student improve.
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Grade Science: To Drink Or Not To Drink?
November 2013
Student Materials
Please note: This rubric may have been modified. To view the most recent AAC version, please visit www.aac.ab.ca.