In the eighth grade TPSP, there are five performance tasks that teachers can use with students. The tasks are TEKS-based and are available in social studies, science, mathematics, and English / language arts with interdisciplinary connections. The tasks, designed to generate excitement for learning, are open-ended, authentic, and student-centered. In eighth grade, the tasks elicit more independent work, research, and solutions than in fourth grade. There is also a guide for projects that do not align with any of the other tasks.

Each task consists of learning experiences that help students build their research skills and knowledge of the subject. Students then conduct independent research that ends in the final product, where students demonstrate their knowledge base. Student projects are assessed in the areas of product, research process, and communication.

In the eighth grade section of the TPSP site, you can find the tasks, methods of assessment, the Eighth Grade Guide to Success , forms, a glossary of terms, and a sample project.