Use these targets, vocabulary, rubrics, examples, and score sheet with the instructor's approved lesson and procedure. This is an assessment companion, not a complete lesson or safety authorization.
Student lessons, data, and worked answers: Unit 03 learning pathway.
The student demonstrates the following:
Five science criteria plus separately reported integration (Page 3).
Light split with a diffraction grating; emission and absorption lines read.
The student reads a spectrum aloud (Page 4).
Dated spectrum sketches kept across weeks.
You are making a decision, not adding up points. For each criterion, decide whether the work is Developing, Proficient, or Mastery — the column language tells you which. A criterion counts as mastered only when the student can both produce a spectrum and say what it reveals about composition, temperature, and motion. Each student has three tokens per term; each token retries one rubric criterion. Approved accommodations, equipment failures, and approved absences are handled separately and do not consume these tokens.
Accept listed synonyms; use the distinction column to resolve near-matches.
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Common confusion / discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| Light & telescopes | ||
| Electromagnetic spectrum | the light bands, radio to gamma | Ordered by wavelength and energy; visible light is one slice |
| Aperture | light-gathering diameter | Governs brightness and resolution, not magnification |
| Reflector vs refractor | mirror vs lens telescope | Both focus light; aperture matters more than the design |
| Spectra | ||
| Diffraction grating | light-splitter | Spreads light into a spectrum — finer than a prism |
| Emission line | bright line | A specific element giving off light at its own colors |
| Absorption line | dark line | Colors removed by cooler gas in front — a color gone missing |
| Spectral fingerprint | line pattern | Identifies the element; unique to each |
| Doppler shift | red / blue shift | Whole pattern shifted red = moving away, blue = moving toward us |
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| The electromagnetic spectrum | Thinks visible light is all there is, or cannot order the bands. | Names a few bands but muddles their order or relative energy. | Orders the electromagnetic spectrum by wavelength and energy and explains what each band reveals about the sky. |
| Telescopes & gathering light | Thinks a telescope mainly magnifies the view. | Names refractor and reflector but cannot say why aperture matters. | Explains how aperture governs light-gathering and resolution, and contrasts refractor with reflector optics. |
| Producing a spectrum | Cannot spread light into a spectrum. | Makes a spectrum with a grating but cannot distinguish the line types. | Uses a diffraction grating to spread light and reads emission versus absorption lines. |
| What spectra reveal | Cannot distinguish a spectral line from the continuum. | Uses a relationship without its units or assumptions. | Interprets calibrated line patterns and applies the assigned wavelength, shift, or temperature model with units and limitations. |
| Observation technique & the journal | Uses white light at the eyepiece or leaves the journal blank. | Observes with a grating or telescope but keeps thin, undated notes. | Works cleanly under a red flashlight, uses the grating, binoculars, and telescope well, and logs dated spectrum sketches across weeks. |
| Integration (cross-domain) | Makes no supported connection between the source and the science. | Uses the source but needs help connecting evidence, writing, or limitations to the science. | Independently connects History, Reading, and Writing using a cited source, appropriate evidence, a limitation, and a scientific explanation. |
The split between Proficient and Mastery is information over pretty: not that a grating makes a rainbow, but that the lines fingerprint an element and a shift tells you motion. Ask “what does that spectrum tell you about the star?”
Read these before you grade. They show what Mastery and Developing actually sound like, plus the edge cases where you should coach rather than decide on the spot.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ Guide: _________________________
| # | Criterion | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The electromagnetic spectrum | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Telescopes & gathering light | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Producing a spectrum | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | What spectra reveal | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Observation technique & the journal | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 6 | Integration (cross-domain) | Dev / Prof / Mast |
☐ No ☐ Yes — for criterion: __________
Tokens left this term after this session (choose one): ☐ 3 ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ None left
Dev = Developing · Prof = Proficient · Mast = Mastery · Unsure between two levels? Circle the lower one and note what a re-do would need.