We Set the Standards!

We Set the Standards!
EXEMPLARS
Best of
SCIENCE
1997-1999
Exemplars
6-8 Tasks
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Exemplars
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8):
What is Science?
Throughout the year, we’ve been
working as scientists, and now I’d like
to ask you again what your ideas are
about science. What does a scientist
look like? What does “doing science”
look, sound, and feel like? How have
your ideas changed over the year? I’d
like you to tell, draw, or write your
ideas. Then, we’ll talk about how your
ideas are the same and how they have
changed or been expanded upon.
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End-of-Year Assessment (6-8): What Is Science?
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Science
Exemplars
Grade Level 6-8
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8): What is Science?
Throughout the year, we’ve been working as scientists, and now I’d like to ask you again
what your ideas are about science. What does a scientist look like? What does “doing
science” look, sound, and feel like? How have your ideas changed over the year? I’d like you
to tell, draw, or write your ideas. Then, we’ll talk about how your ideas are the same and
how they have changed or been expanded upon.
Big Ideas and Unifying Concept(s)
Personal Perspectives about the Nature of Science
Habits of Mind
Scientific Literacy
Time Required for the Task
One 30-45 minute session for the task
At least one additional session for sharing
Context
This activity originally appeared in the beginning of the year, What is Science? tasks. It can
be done several times during the year to see how and if perspectives change. If you have
already tried this with your students, you may have found that some students limit their perceptions to stereotypes from movies and literature (the “mad” scientist). Others may have a
very traditional view (the male rocket scientist); still others draw from personal experiences
and describe what science has been for them, as learners. (These may include different areas
of science – physics, chemistry, etc.; using a hand lens to gather data; and/or specific prior
learning activities they’ve done in science.) The end of the year is a time to see if your
students’ views have become more sophisticated with time, teaching, and science
experiences.
What the Task Accomplishes
This is a post-assessment, giving the teacher a view of how students envision science. Do
they recall science activities from this year? Do they include use of tools and mathematics?
Are they limited in their thinking about what science is? Do students include science process
skills and active learning in their drawings and writings? Or do students see science as
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We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
something that is done to them as passive learners? Do drawings show scientists wearing
protective gear? Working in teams? Recording data? Raising new questions?
Student responses will guide your own reflective process.
How the Students Will Respond
OPTION #1
Students can draw, write, and/or dictate responses to the questions: “What is science?” or
“What does a scientist look like and do?” Cutting and pasting pictures and descriptive words
and phrases can also be included. Use the benchmarks and student work samples from the
beginning of the year What is Science? tasks to guide your assessment process.
OPTION #2
If you have saved your students’ earlier responses as part of their science portfolios, ask your
class to reflect on how they have changed/expanded their thinking over the year. They can
write or tell about how views have changed or remained the same. Again, use the
benchmarks and student work samples from the beginning of the year What is Science? tasks
to guide your assessment process.
OPTION #3
Share student responses from the benchmarks and student work samples (without the
annotations) found in the beginning of the year What is Science? tasks and/or the samples
provided in this issue. Ask students to: (a) identify characteristics of “good science” from the
pictures viewed; (b) have small groups of students annotate the pictures; or (c) use the pictures to generate ideas for making two lists: “What science IS” and “What science IS NOT”.
This could be a class discussion, small group activity, or individual task.
Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions
After completing responses, ask students to share their ideas. Then guide them to find some
of the common threads – both the stereotypes and the perspectives you are attempting to
develop in young learners. (See also Concepts to be Assessed section below.) Help them to
identify how their thinking has changed. Try to create a class composite of ideas – or even a
poem – from their responses.
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End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Concepts To Be Assessed
(Unifying concepts/big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Science Exemplars rubric under the
criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content)
The following general perspectives, values, and attitudes may be seen in student responses.
These are stressed in all of the different versions of national standards and should be
encouraged and modeled through the year as students “do” science with you.
• Inquiry and investigation are at the heart of good science. In order to “do” science, you
might have to go and look at a particular environment to see how things behave; you
might have to record information (data); and/or you might set up an experiment to test a
question (hypothesis).
• Scientific Literacy/Science includes learning and understanding many different concepts
from: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Design Technology, and
Personal Health and Societal Perspectives.
• Science is an active process. It involves asking questions, describing objects and events,
collecting and organizing data, revising thinking, and communicating ideas.
• Males and females can be scientists. Anyone has the ability to raise questions about
everyday experiences, make predictions, and test ideas. Curiosity is part of science.
• Science involves the use of a “special language” – scientific terms and special tools/
technology to collect precise information.
• Scientists construct scientific knowledge over time, adding to and revising what they
know when new information is discovered. Honesty in reporting what you have
observed (not what you hoped or predicted to see, necessarily) and learned is part of
good science.
• Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies involve: Observing,
Predicting/Hypothesizing, Collecting and recording data, Manipulation of Tools,
Measuring, Drawing conclusions, Communicating findings, Challenging misconceptions,
and Raising new questions.
• Scientists work together to solve problems and raise new questions. Sometimes they do a
test again and again to be sure of what they have learned before they draw conclusions.
Conclusions are based on data.
• Mathematics is part of science. Using numerical data and precise measurements in
describing events, answering questions, providing evidence for scientific explanations,
and challenging misconceptions can be essential to scientific inquiry.
Links to Science Standards
Scientific Method: Students/scientists describe, predict, investigate, and explain phenomena.
Students control variables.
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End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Exemplars
Scientific Theory: Students/scientists look for evidence that explains why things happen, and
modify explanations when new observations are made.
Suggested Materials
Student responses can be drawn, written, and/or dictated. Collages and posters are also
possible, depending on how the final ideas are displayed. Students may want to first do an
individual response for their science portfolio and later collaborate in small or class groups to
create posters and/or bulletin boards.
Provide sample responses from the beginning of the year What is Science? tasks (without the
annotations) and/or some of the samples in this issue. These could be presented to students
in a variety of ways: as overhead transparencies; stations in the room; posted on the walls
and numbered, etc.
Possible Solutions
Included with this task, are samples of student work from a Kindergarten class, a 3-4 multiage class, and a 5-6 multi-age class. General guidelines are below for each of the four assessment levels (Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, and Expert). Please also refer to the “Concepts to
be Assessed” section for more specific indicators.
Teachers will gain insight into what science experiences have been most meaningful to their
students from their responses. These responses can also be classified to point out different
fields of science (physics, chemistry, etc.).
Rubric and Benchmarks
Novice
Generally, the students’ responses are incomplete, lacking in detail, and/or show no evidence
of understanding what science or a scientist is. Try interviewing any student who has
difficulty putting ideas on paper. By sixth grade, no student should be at the Novice level.
Apprentice
The students attempt to describe what science/scientists look like through stereotypes. Most
common are the “mad” scientists from movies and literature and the more traditional “white
male in a lab coat” view. Often, there is some correctness in the response, but it is usually a
persona that a student cannot identify with. Students “doing” science need to see themselves
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We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
as scientists, just as emerging writers need to publish work as writers do. By sixth grade, no
student should be at the Apprentice level.
Practitioner
These students’ solutions often build upon prior knowledge and experience about the nature
of science that they have engaged in. They may show science as testing a design, using tools
(usually a hand lens or microscope), collecting and recording data (usually on a clipboard or
chart), or going outside to observe something. Although the ideas may not be fully
developed, they generally reflect that both sexes can be scientists and that it is an active
process. Some science vocabulary should be used in the response. At all grade levels, if
students have been engaged in active, hands-on/minds-on science, you should see evidence
of it.
Expert
These students’ descriptions are more complete and detailed. Measurements and specialized
tools are often shown. If a life cycle is being studied, then all parts of the life cycle are shown;
if an environment is studied, then many aspects – living and non-living are included. Written
responses might discuss new questions raised as a result of one idea tested. Often a
hypothesis or testable question will be included along with a procedure (experiment or field
study). Extensive science vocabulary should be used in the response.
Students may also cite examples of actual scientists studied and what they researched or
discovered. At the Expert level, this should be more than simply a recall of facts, but
demonstrate genuine understanding of how the scientist’s work impacted society.
Exemplars
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
Sample 1
This student’s view of science
includes: Science as a study of
different things, Observation
and classification, and Inquiry.
Several aspects of science are
described and there is use of
some science terms.
Exemplars
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
- Page 9-
Science
Exemplars
Sample 2
This student’s view of science includes: Science
as a study of different things, and Inquiry.
Several aspects of science are depicted and
possible studies are described.
Exemplars
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
- Page 10-
Science
Exemplars
Sample 3
This student’s view of science includes: Science
as a study of different things, Inquiry and the
impact of science, and Use of tools.
Several aspects of science are depicted.
Exemplars
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
Sample 3 (cont.)
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TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
Sample 4
There is some evidence of
stereotypes. The student
implies several aspects of
science but gives no
specific examples.
Shows science as
a study of many
different things.
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TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
- Page 13-
Science
Exemplars
Sample 5
This student’s view of science includes: Use of
tools, Observations, and Science as a study of
many different things, but examples are vague.
Exemplars
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
Sample 6
Several aspects of science are
described – most are stereotypical.
Exemplars
Use of tools is included but
examples are vague.
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science
Exemplars
Sample 7
Several aspects of
science are included.
Exemplars
Experimentation, use of
tools, science as a study of
many different things and
observations are included.
TM
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End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Exemplars
Sample 8
Several aspects of science and
tools are included but stereotypes
are also included in examples.
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We Set the Standards!
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Phone 800-450-4050
The student describes
possible experiments.
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Sample 9
Several aspects of science
are included as well as the
use of scientific terms.
Exemplars
Aspects of inquiry and impact of
science are included and the student
describes possible studies.
TM
We Set the Standards!
271 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489
Phone 800-450-4050
End-of-Year Assessment (6-8) (cont.)
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Science

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