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).
Mass and volume measured at the bench, then density calculated — done live.
The student explains what each measurement tells them aloud (Page 4 anchors).
Contemporaneous record of measurements, calculations, and observations.
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 take the measurement and explain what the property tells you about the matter. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | Amount of matter in the stated model | Not the same quantity as gravitational force or weight. |
| Volume | Space occupied | For displacement, subtract initial from final liquid reading. |
| Density | Mass divided by volume | Use compatible units and the actual effective body volume. |
| Pure substance | A substance with defined composition | Not merely something that looks uniform. |
| Mixture | Two or more component substances | Physical separation can retain their identities. |
| State change | Change of physical state | H2O identity persists in the water reference curve. |
| Property evidence | A clue about a sample | A matching density alone is not unique identification. |
| Measurement bound | Stated limit on a reading | Not automatically a statistical confidence interval. |
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass, volume & measurement | Confuses mass with volume or reads the balance and ruler incorrectly. | Measures mass and volume but mixes up their units. | Measures mass on a balance and volume by ruler or water displacement, with correct units every time. |
| Density | Thinks heavier objects always sink. | Knows density is mass over volume but cannot use it to predict floating or sinking. | Calculates density from measured mass and volume and uses it to predict whether an object floats or sinks. |
| States of matter & changes of state | Cannot describe how solids, liquids, and gases differ. | Names the three states but stumbles on melting and boiling. | Uses particle models for states and changes of state; distinguishes identity from arrangement and reads a reference heating curve. |
| Physical properties | Cannot name a property that describes matter. | Lists a property or two but cannot measure or compare them. | Compares physical properties and their limits, using more than one clue before identifying an unknown sample. |
| Mixtures vs. pure substances | Treats every sample as “just one thing.” | Defines a mixture but cannot suggest how to separate it. | Tells a mixture from a pure substance and plans a simple separation using a physical property. |
| 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. |
Work down the criteria one at a time. Ask the student to reason from the measurement rather than guess — “why does the cork float?” The answer is density (mass compared to volume), not weight. Taking the measurement is Proficient; explaining what it means is Mastery.
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.
Evidence for the score sheet: Level: ______ Case/data: ______ Criterion: ______ Source/date: ______ First attempt and work: ______ Assumptions/uncertainty: ______ Fresh variation: ______. Practical observation is recorded separately.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ Guide: _________________________
| # | Criterion | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass, volume & measurement | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Density | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | States of matter & changes of state | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Physical properties | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Mixtures vs. pure substances | 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.