This packet is everything a parent or guide needs to assess Unit 02 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 separating a mixture into its parts and explaining what each part is.
By the end of the Atoms, Elements & the Periodic Table unit, a student should be able to:
Six criteria, each judged Not yet / Approaching / Mastered (Page 3).
Separate a mixture by a physical property, then check the parts.
The student explains which property did the work (Page 4).
Plan, method, and results 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 carry out the separation and justify the physical science behind it. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Building blocks of matter | ||
| Element | one kind of atom | Cannot be broken into simpler substances; listed on the periodic table |
| Compound | elements joined together | Has new properties; a filter or magnet will not split it back |
| Atom | smallest piece of an element | Far too small to see with a light microscope |
| Reading the table | ||
| Periodic table | the map of the elements | Arranged so nearby elements share properties |
| Symbol | element code | One or two letters — first capital, second lowercase (Na, not NA) |
| Metal vs nonmetal | left side vs right side | Metals are shiny and bend; nonmetals are dull and brittle |
| Mixtures | ||
| Mixture | substances mixed, not joined | Each part keeps its own properties; a physical method separates it |
| Solubility | how well it dissolves | A physical property; useful for separating a mixture |
| Separation | splitting a mixture by a property | Filtering, evaporating, or a magnet — no new substance made |
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elements, compounds & mixtures | Uses the three words as if they mean the same thing. | Defines each but mislabels everyday examples. | Sorts everyday samples into element, compound, or mixture and explains how they differ. |
| Reading the periodic table | Cannot find an element on the table. | Finds an element’s box but cannot tell metals from nonmetals. | Locates any element, reads its symbol, and tells metals from nonmetals by where it sits. |
| Pure substances vs mixtures | Treats every sample as one pure thing. | Defines a mixture but cannot suggest how to separate it. | Tells a mixture from a pure substance and names a physical property that could separate it. |
| Properties of the parts | Thinks separating a mixture changes what the parts are. | Recovers a part but cannot describe its properties. | Recovers each part and shows it kept its own properties — mixing changed nothing. |
| Lab technique (mixture separation) | Combines samples with no plan to separate them. | Separates a mixture but cannot say which property did the work. | Separates a mixture cleanly and explains the physical property the method uses. |
| 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 naming the property that does the work. Anyone can pour a mixture through a filter; mastery is saying why it separates — size, magnetism, or solubility. Ask “what made the parts come apart?”
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 | Elements, compounds & mixtures | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 2 | Reading the periodic table | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 3 | Pure substances vs mixtures | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 4 | Properties of the parts | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 5 | Lab technique (mixture separation) | 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.