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.
The student demonstrates the following:
Five science criteria plus separately reported integration (Page 3).
Run a change, watch for the evidence, weigh before and after.
The student defends physical or chemical from the evidence (Page 4).
Observations, the mass check, and the conclusion kept distinct.
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 read the evidence and justify the physical science behind it. 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.
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Common confusion / discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| Kinds of change | ||
| Physical change | form changes, substance stays | Melting, tearing, dissolving — often reversible, no new substance |
| Chemical change | a new substance forms | Signaled by color, gas, heat/light, or a new solid; hard to reverse |
| Reaction | another word for a chemical change | Starting materials become new materials |
| Evidence of a chemical change | ||
| Color change | a new color appears | A sign of a chemical change — if nothing else explains it |
| Gas produced | bubbles or fizzing | A sign of a chemical change when no boiling is involved |
| New solid | a solid forms from liquids | Evidence of a chemical change; the solid wasn’t there before |
| What stays the same | ||
| Conservation of mass | mass before = mass after | Matter isn’t created or destroyed, only rearranged |
| Mass | how much matter | Measured on a balance; unchanged by a physical or chemical change |
| Closed system | sealed container | Nothing gets in or out — trapped gas still counts on the balance |
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical vs. chemical change | Calls every change the same kind — all physical or all chemical. | Defines each kind but cannot sort real examples. | Classifies changes by whether substance identity changes, explaining physical examples such as melting, tearing, and dissolving sugar. |
| Signs of a chemical change | Cannot name a clue that a new substance formed. | Names one sign but overlooks the others. | Uses observations and property checks as evidence of a new substance; a color change or bubbles alone are not proof. |
| Conservation of mass | Thinks matter disappears when something burns or dissolves. | States that mass is conserved but cannot show it. | Predicts and checks mass conservation within measurement uncertainty, accounting for gas that enters or leaves the measured system. |
| Evidence & explanation | Guesses without pointing to what was observed. | Describes what happened but cannot tie it to a new substance. | Uses careful observations to argue whether a new substance formed. |
| Lab technique (change investigation) | Mixes samples with no plan and no measurement. | Runs the change but records observations loosely. | Runs a controlled change, measures mass before and after, and records every clue carefully. |
| 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. |
The split between Proficient and Mastery is evidence over guessing. “It looks different” isn’t enough. Ask “what did you see that tells you a new substance formed?” Naming the sign — color, gas, heat, a new solid — is where Mastery begins.
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 | Physical vs. chemical change | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Signs of a chemical change | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Conservation of mass | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Evidence & explanation | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Lab technique (change investigation) | 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.