ILEARN Performance Tasks 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student completing an ILEARN Science Performance Task must form a hypothesis before conducting an experiment. Which hypothesis is written CORRECTLY?
- Plants need water.
- If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller because sunlight provides energy for photosynthesis. (Correct answer)
- I think plants are cool.
- Sunlight is good for plants and they like it.
Correct answer: If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller because sunlight provides energy for photosynthesis.
A valid hypothesis uses an if-then format and provides a testable, reasoned prediction.
Question 2: In an ELA Performance Task, a student writes: 'The author argues that climate change is urgent; however, critics claim the data is overstated.' What writing technique is the student using?
- Circular reasoning
- Acknowledging a counterclaim (Correct answer)
- Hasty generalization
- Appeal to emotion only
Correct answer: Acknowledging a counterclaim
Presenting an opposing view and addressing it is called acknowledging a counterclaim, a key argumentative writing skill.
Question 3: An ILEARN Math Performance Task shows a table of a car's speed over time and asks students to describe the relationship. The speed increases by 5 mph every 2 seconds. What is the rate of change?
- 2.5 mph per second (Correct answer)
- 10 mph per second
- 5 mph per second
- 7 mph per second
Correct answer: 2.5 mph per second
Rate of change = 5 mph ÷ 2 seconds = 2.5 mph per second.
Question 4: When revising a Performance Task essay, which action MOST improves the organizational structure?
- Adding more adjectives to descriptions
- Rearranging paragraphs so ideas flow logically with clear transitions (Correct answer)
- Replacing all verbs with stronger synonyms
- Increasing the total word count
Correct answer: Rearranging paragraphs so ideas flow logically with clear transitions
Logical paragraph order and effective transitions are the foundation of good organizational structure.
Question 5: A Performance Task source states: 'Studies show that 78% of students who practice daily reading score higher on standardized tests.' How should a student BEST use this statistic in an essay?
- Copy it word-for-word without citation
- Cite it as evidence to support a claim about the benefits of reading practice (Correct answer)
- Ignore it because statistics are unreliable
- Use it only in the conclusion
Correct answer: Cite it as evidence to support a claim about the benefits of reading practice
Citing statistical evidence with proper attribution strengthens a claim and demonstrates research skills.
Question 6: An ILEARN Performance Task asks students to evaluate whether a town should build a new park or a new library. A student who supports the park writes only about park benefits. What is MISSING from this response?
- A strong introduction
- Acknowledgment and rebuttal of the library argument (Correct answer)
- More descriptive language
- A longer conclusion
Correct answer: Acknowledgment and rebuttal of the library argument
A complete argument must address and counter opposing viewpoints to be fully persuasive.
Question 7: A student reads a passage about ocean pollution for a Performance Task and encounters the word 'proliferation.' Using context clues from the sentence 'The proliferation of plastic waste has overwhelmed marine ecosystems,' what does proliferation MOST LIKELY mean?
- Reduction
- Rapid increase or spread (Correct answer)
- Removal
- Slow decay
Correct answer: Rapid increase or spread
Context clues like 'overwhelmed' indicate a large, rapid growth in plastic waste, matching 'rapid increase.'
ILEARN Performance Tasks 3
A student completing an ILEARN Science Performance Task must form a hypothesis before conducting an experiment.
Which hypothesis is written CORRECTLY?