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).
Watch an everyday event, then raise a testable question — observed live.
The student separates what they saw from what they guessed (Page 4 anchors).
Contemporaneous record of observations, kept distinct from inferences.
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 make the observation and justify why their question is testable. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Observing & recording | ||
| Observation | what you notice with senses or tools | Record what happened, not what it means |
| Qualitative observation | described in words | Colors, textures, shapes — no numbers |
| Quantitative observation | measured with numbers | Uses a ruler or stopwatch; carries a unit |
| Inference | interpretation; explanation | A reasoned guess, not a fact — label it |
| Questions & hypotheses | ||
| Testable question | investigable question | Can be addressed by relevant observations, historical traces, models or experiments. |
| Hypothesis | proposed explanation | Generates expectations that can be compared with evidence; not merely a prediction. |
| Falsifiable | open to a conflicting test | Specify counterevidence and assumptions; one mismatch may also question the setup. |
| Prediction | what you expect to happen | Follows from the hypothesis; stated before the test |
| Variables | ||
| Independent variable | what you change | The one thing changed on purpose (ramp height) |
| Dependent variable | what you measure | The result you record (distance rolled) |
| Controlled variable | condition held comparable | Control strengthens inference; it does not guarantee that every other factor is identical. |
| Data | recorded observations | The evidence; keep it separate from conclusions |
Work down the criteria one at a time. Ask the student to separate what they saw from what they guessed, then turn it into a question a test could answer. Reporting an observation is Proficient; asking a question an experiment could settle is Mastery.
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Careful observation (qualitative & quantitative) | Writes vague notes (“it changed”) or records conclusions instead of what was seen. | Describes what happened but mixes in guesses, or skips the numbers a ruler or stopwatch would give. | Records precise, separated observations — “the left seedling is 4 cm taller and leaning toward the window” — with no conclusions mixed in. |
| Asking testable questions | Asks questions that can’t be investigated (“which plant is prettier?”) or asks none at all. | Asks an investigable question but leaves population, measurement or timing unclear. | States an investigable question with a defined population and measure; selects observational, historical or experimental evidence appropriate to it. |
| Forming a hypothesis | Offers a vague guess or a restatement of the question, with nothing that could be proven wrong. | Proposes an explanation but leaves its prediction or possible counterevidence unclear. | States a proposed explanation, a discriminating prediction and evidence that could weaken it; an if/then format is optional. |
| Identifying variables | Cannot say what is being changed or what is being measured. | Names one variable but confuses what is changed with what is measured, or misses what to hold steady. | Names measured variables, possible assigned changes and relevant confounders; does not mislabel an observed association as an intervention. |
| Observation vs. inference | Reports opinions or interpretations as if they were facts (“the car likes the smooth floor”). | Usually tells them apart but slips an interpretation into the observation list. | Separates observed records, computed summaries and interpretations; identifies selection limits before making a broader or causal claim. |
| 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.
Evidence record: Level ____ Case/data ____ Criterion ____ Source/date ____ Work/limits ____ Transfer ____ Educator review ____. Attach the first attempt. Actual practical observation is separate.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ Guide: _________________________
| # | Criterion | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Careful observation (qualitative & quantitative) | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Asking testable questions | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Forming a hypothesis | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Identifying variables | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Observation vs. inference | 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.