This packet is everything a parent or guide needs to assess Unit 06 at home — learning targets, the answers that count as correct, the mastery rubric, calibration examples, and a clipboard score sheet. No multiple-choice test: the student shows mastery by changing a reaction's conditions and predicting which way it shifts.
By the end of the Kinetics & Equilibrium unit, a student should be able to:
Six criteria, each judged Not yet / Approaching / Mastered (Page 3).
Change a condition; measure the rate or watch the equilibrium move.
The student predicts a shift before testing it (Page 4).
Condition changed, prediction, and observation kept distinct.
You are making a decision, not adding up points. For each criterion, decide whether the work is Not yet, Approaching, or Mastered — the column language tells you which. A criterion counts as mastered only when the student can both predict the shift and explain it from theory. A student carries three tokens per term; one token buys a re-do of one criterion on another day, so a single bad afternoon never sinks the unit.
Accept any answer in the synonyms column — they are pre-approved as equivalent. The third column flags the confusions that look close but are not yet, so you can coach precisely.
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Common confusion / discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | ||
| Reaction rate | speed of reaction | How fast, not how far; distinct from equilibrium position |
| Collision theory | effective-collision model | Reactions need collisions with enough energy and right orientation |
| Activation energy | Eₐ | The energy barrier; catalysts lower it without being consumed |
| Catalyst | enzyme (bio analogue) | Speeds rate, not consumed, does not move the equilibrium position |
| Equilibrium | ||
| Dynamic equilibrium | equal forward/reverse rates | Reactions continue; concentrations stop changing — not “stopped” |
| Le Châtelier's principle | stress-and-shift rule | System shifts to oppose the imposed change |
| Equilibrium constant (K) | Kₑ / Kᶜ | Changes only with temperature, not with concentration shifts |
| Reaction quotient (Q) | Q | Compare Q to K to predict the shift direction |
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaction rate & factors | Thinks rate is fixed for a given reaction. | Names factors but cannot predict their effect on rate. | Explains how concentration, temperature, surface area, and catalysts change rate. |
| Collision theory & activation energy | Treats reactions as automatic on contact. | Describes collisions but ignores energy or orientation. | Uses collision theory and the activation-energy barrier to explain why rate factors work. |
| Dynamic equilibrium | Believes reactions stop at equilibrium. | Knows rates are equal but thinks concentrations are equal. | Describes equilibrium as equal forward and reverse rates with constant concentrations. |
| Le Châtelier's principle & K | Guesses the shift direction. | Predicts shifts for concentration but not temperature or pressure. | Predicts the direction of every shift and relates it correctly to the equilibrium constant K. |
| Lab technique (rate / equilibrium shift) | Changes several variables at once. | Isolates one variable but records the response loosely. | Changes one condition, measures the rate or shift, and ties the result back to theory. |
| Integration (cross-domain) | Treats the science as isolated facts; makes no cross-domain connection. | Names a link to history, reading, or writing but cannot defend why it matters. | Connects the unit to its anchor across History · Reading · Writing (plus chosen electives) and defends why the connection matters. |
The split between Approaching and Mastered is prediction before observation: a guess confirmed after the fact is not the same as a reasoned forecast. Ask “which way will it shift, and why?” before the change.
Read these before you grade. They show what Mastered and Not yet actually sound like, plus the edge cases where you should coach rather than decide on the spot.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ Guide: _________________________
| # | Criterion | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reaction rate & factors | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 2 | Collision theory & activation energy | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 3 | Dynamic equilibrium | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 4 | Le Châtelier's principle & K | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 5 | Lab technique (rate / equilibrium shift) | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 6 | Integration (cross-domain) | NY / Appr / Mast |
☐ No ☐ Yes — for criterion: __________ Tokens remaining: ☐ 3 ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
NY = Not yet · Appr = Approaching · Mast = Mastered · Unsure between two levels? Circle the lower one and note what a re-do would need.