The habitat diorama project is scored with a rubric. Which type of assessment is this?

• A. Common assessment
• B. Formative assessment
• C. Performance assessment
• D. Summative assessment

Answer: (C)

A performance assessment is shown when students demonstrate their knowledge and skills through a real, tangible task, like building and explaining a habitat diorama. The rubric provides clear criteria for judging the finished product and the presentation, so the focus is on how well the student can apply what they’ve learned in a concrete project, not just on recalling facts or selecting an answer. This type of assessment captures abilities such as planning, constructing, representing information accurately, and communicating understanding. While the same task can sometimes be used formatively or summatively, the key idea here is that success is demonstrated through the actual performance and artifact, scored against explicit standards.