1	The Learning Cycle
2	Engage
3	Exploration Explore: During the Explore stage students should be given opportunities to work together without direct instruction from the teacher. You should act as a facilitator helping students to frame questions by asking questions and observing. Using Piaget's theory, this is the time for disequilibrium. Students should be puzzled. This is the opportunity for students to test predictions and hypotheses and/or form new ones, try alternatives and discuss them with peers, record observations and ideas and suspend judgment.
4	Explain During Explain, you should encourage students to explain concepts in their own words, ask for evidence and clarification of their explanation, listen critically to one another's explanation and those of the teacher. Students should use observations and recordings in their explanations. At this stage you should provide definitions and explanations using students' previous experiences as a basis for this discussion.
5	Extension Extend: During Extend students should apply concepts and skills in new (but similar) situations and use formal labels and definitions. Remind students of alternative explanations and to consider existing data and evidence as they explore new situations. Explore strategies apply here as well because students should be using the previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions, experiment, and record observations.
6	Evaluate Evaluate: Evaluation should take place throughout the learning experience. You should observe students' knowledge and/or skills, application of new concepts and a change in thinking. Students should assess their own learning. Ask open-ended questions and look for answers that use observation, evidence, and previously accepted explanations. Ask questions that would encourage future investigations.
7	Building Your Performance Assessment ROLE or PERSONA – The character that a student or group of students is asked to assume (Sounds like: You are a…..) Targeted Behavior – Specific behavior addressed in the performance assessment (Sounds like: Who has been asked to….) Product or Performance – The precise object or act that students are expected to create or perform (Sounds like: Who will ….) Criteria for Success – Detailed description of the characteristics required in the product or performance. (Sounds like: The product or performance should….) http://www.mtsu.edu/~tsbrown/c2110.pdf