This packet is everything a parent or guide needs to assess Unit 07 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 identifying glands and gonads at the bench, naming their hormones, and using precise anatomical vocabulary. The reproductive system is taught in clinical register — the canonical term, not slang, is what passes.
By the end of the Endocrine & Reproductive Systems unit, a student should be able to:
Six criteria, each judged Not yet / Approaching / Mastered (Page 3).
Glands and gonads identified on models or prepared slides — observed live.
The student names a hormone and its target aloud (Page 4 anchors).
Contemporaneous record — sketch, hormone noted beside each gland, canonical vocabulary throughout.
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 find the structure at the bench and explain what it does; the reproductive section is graded in clinical register, so the canonical anatomical term is what passes — no euphemism or slang. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Endocrine glands | ||
| Pituitary gland | hypophysis | The “master gland” under the brain; its hormones control other glands |
| Thyroid gland | (none) | Butterfly gland on the trachea; sets the body’s metabolic rate (T3, T4) |
| Adrenal gland | suprarenal gland | Sits on top of each kidney; cortex + medulla; stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) |
| Pancreas (endocrine) | islets of Langerhans | Insulin and glucagon regulate blood sugar; separate from its digestive role |
| Hormone action | ||
| Hormone | chemical messenger | Released into blood; acts only on cells with the matching receptor |
| Target tissue | target cell | The tissue a hormone affects — not every cell responds |
| Negative feedback | (none) | A rising level triggers a response that lowers it back (e.g. insulin and blood sugar) |
| Reproductive anatomy | ||
| Ovary | (none) | Female gonad; produces ova and secretes estrogen and progesterone |
| Uterus | womb (informal) | Muscular organ where a fertilized egg implants; endometrium is its lining |
| Testis | testicle (informal) | Male gonad; produces sperm and testosterone |
| Gamete | sex cell | Sperm or ovum; carries half the genetic material |
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endocrine glands & their hormones | Cannot locate the major endocrine glands or name what they release. | Locates the glands but cannot pair each with its principal hormone. | Locates the major endocrine glands and names the principal hormone each releases. |
| Hormone action & feedback | Thinks a hormone acts on every cell at once. | Says hormones travel in blood but cannot name a target or a feedback loop. | Explains that a hormone reaches specific target tissues and describes a negative-feedback loop (e.g. blood sugar or thyroid). |
| Reproductive anatomy (male & female) | Cannot identify the major structures, or uses slang instead of anatomical terms. | Names some structures but confuses the ducts or uses imprecise vocabulary. | Identifies the major male and female structures in order and names each with the correct anatomical term. |
| Gametes & the reproductive cycle | Cannot say where gametes are made or what the cycle does. | Names the gonads but cannot connect them to the hormonal cycle. | Identifies where gametes form and outlines how sex hormones drive the ovarian / menstrual cycle or sperm production. |
| Lab technique (gland / gonad ID) | Cannot bring a slide into focus or identify a gland on a model. | Names a gland or gonad but cannot point to the features that justify the call. | Identifies an endocrine gland or gonad on a model or prepared slide and defends the ID with two visible distinguishing features. |
| 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. |
Work down the criteria one at a time. Ask the student to defend the call — “which hormone does this gland release, and what does it target?” Naming a gland is Approaching; pairing it with its hormone and target is Mastered. In the reproductive section, hold the standard of clinical vocabulary — coach toward the canonical term rather than penalizing the first slang that slips out.
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 | Endocrine glands & their hormones | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 2 | Hormone action & feedback | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 3 | Reproductive anatomy (male & female) | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 4 | Gametes & the reproductive cycle | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 5 | Lab technique (gland / gonad ID) | 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.