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 public practice answers (not assessment keys): Unit 01 learning pathway.
The student demonstrates the following:
Five science criteria plus separately reported integration (Page 3).
Carry, illuminate, and focus a real scope — watched live.
The student says why each step protects the scope and sharpens the image (Page 4 anchors).
Contemporaneous record of the setup, what was viewed, and at what power.
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 run the technique and justify why each step protects the instrument and sharpens the image. 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.
| Term | Accepted explanation | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Ocular | Eyepiece lens, usually 10x | The ocular multiplies the selected objective; it is not the objective. |
| Objective | Lens near the slide | A 100x objective with a 10x ocular gives 1000x total magnification. |
| Total magnification | Ocular power times objective power | Does not guarantee resolution or image quality. |
| Condenser | Substage lens concentrating light | Not the diaphragm; it focuses illumination. |
| Iris diaphragm | Aperture controlling light reaching the specimen | Adjusts contrast/illumination, not specimen size. |
| Coarse focus | Large focus control | Low power only; never use it on high dry or oil objectives. |
| Fine focus | Small focus control | Required for high dry or oil objectives. |
| Working distance | Space between objective and slide | Shrinks as objective power rises, increasing crash risk. |
| Mechanical stage | X-y slide controls | Use it to center and scan without shoving the slide by hand. |
Work down the criteria one at a time. Watch the procedure, not just the final image — did the student start on low power, focus away from the slide, and step up on fine focus only? Getting an image is Proficient; getting it the safe way, and saying why, is Mastery.
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parts & their jobs | Cannot reliably name the objectives, condenser, diaphragm, or focus knobs, or say what each does. | Names most parts but confuses coarse vs. fine focus, or what the diaphragm changes. | Names each microscope part, distinguishes objective power from total magnification, and explains how each part shapes the image. |
| Carrying, storage & care | Grabs the scope one-handed or leaves it on high power; wipes lenses with a shirt or paper towel. | Carries and stores it correctly when reminded, but forgets to return to low power or to use lens paper. | Carries with two hands (arm and base), stores on the lowest objective with the cord wrapped, and cleans optics only with lens paper. |
| Illumination & contrast | Leaves the light at one setting and ignores the diaphragm; the image is washed out or too dark to read. | Adjusts brightness but not the diaphragm, so faint specimens stay invisible. | Sets the lamp and works the iris diaphragm to bring out contrast without glare, retuning it for each specimen. |
| Focusing procedure | Focuses down toward the slide on high power — risking a cracked slide or a scratched objective. | Starts on low power but reaches for the coarse knob on high power, or racks the wrong direction. | Performs low-power-first focusing and fine-focus-only transitions (observed) while explaining how the sequence protects the slide and lens. |
| Centering, scanning & the mechanical stage | Raises magnification before finding or centering the specimen and loses it off the field. | Centers on low power but drives the stage jerkily and drifts off the target. | Finds and centers the specimen on low power first, then scans smoothly with the mechanical stage as magnification climbs. |
| 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. |
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 | Parts & their jobs | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Carrying, storage & care | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Illumination & contrast | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Focusing procedure | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Centering, scanning & the mechanical stage | 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.