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).
Motion timed on a ramp and force read on a spring scale — measured live.
The student explains the motion from the forces at work (Page 4).
Times, the speed calculation, 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 take the measurement and justify it from the forces at work. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | ||
| Speed | distance ÷ time | How fast, not how far; watch the units (m/s) |
| Distance–time graph | position vs time | A steeper line means faster; a flat line means stopped |
| Velocity | speed with a direction | Speed alone has no direction; velocity does |
| Forces | ||
| Force | a push or a pull | Measured with a spring scale, in newtons |
| Balanced forces | forces that cancel | No change in motion — at rest or at steady speed |
| Unbalanced forces | forces that don’t cancel | Motion changes — speeds up, slows, or turns |
| Newton’s laws (survey) | ||
| Newton’s first law | inertia | A moving thing keeps moving unless a force acts — no force needed to keep it going |
| Newton’s second law | force changes motion | A bigger force, or a lighter object, means a bigger change |
| Newton’s third law | action–reaction | Every push comes with an equal push back |
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed & distance–time | Confuses speed with distance or with time. | Measures speed but mixes up the units. | Measures distance and time, calculates speed, and reads it off a distance–time graph. |
| Forces: pushes & pulls | Cannot say what a force does. | Calls a force a push or pull but cannot spot one acting. | Identifies forces and their directions, and measures a force with a spring scale using correct units. |
| Balanced vs. unbalanced forces | Thinks a still object has no forces on it. | Defines balanced forces but cannot predict the motion. | Predicts changing motion from a net force; explains that balanced forces allow rest or constant velocity. |
| Newton's three laws | Cannot state a law of motion; thinks a moving thing needs a constant push to keep going. | Recites a law but cannot give a real example. | Explains each of Newton's three laws with a real example from the ramp or the bench. |
| Lab technique (motion on a ramp) | Releases the cart carelessly or mistimes the run. | Collects times but with inconsistent starts. | Rolls a cart down a ramp, times it cleanly, and links the measured motion to the force behind it. |
| 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 prediction backed by measurement: not just timing the cart, but predicting what the ramp will do and explaining the result from the forces. Ask “why did it speed up going down?” Listen for the unbalanced force pulling it along.
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 | Speed & distance–time | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Forces: pushes & pulls | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Balanced vs. unbalanced forces | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Newton's three laws | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Lab technique (motion on a ramp) | 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.