A performance assessment consists of two parts, a task and a set of scoring criteria or "rubric."  The task may be a product, performance or extended written response to a question that requires the student to apply Critical Thinking skills.  Some examples of performance assessment tasks include written compositions, speeches, works of art, science fair projects, research projects, musical performances, open-ended math problems, and analysis and interpretation of a story the student has read.  (See Assessment Tasks for more examples of performance tasks and criteria for selecting performance tasks.)  Existing classroom instructional activities may often be transformed into a performance assessment with the addition of suitable scoring criteria.