Unit 01 · Observation & Asking Questions
This is where every scientist starts and where this whole pack begins: looking closely, writing down exactly what is there, and turning a plain “huh, why did that happen?” into a question you can actually test. A student watches a bean seedling lean toward the window, times how long an ice cube takes to melt, or measures how far a paper airplane flies — and learns to separate what they saw from what they guessed. Mastery means your notebook records the world honestly and your questions are ones an experiment could answer.
| 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. | Raises a real curiosity but leaves it too broad to test (“what helps plants grow?”). | Turns a curiosity into a sharp, investigable question: “does a seedling grow taller in the window or under the lamp?” |
| Forming a hypothesis | Offers a vague guess or a restatement of the question, with nothing that could be proven wrong. | States a prediction but leaves out the “if/then” or a clear way it could fail. | States a testable, falsifiable if/then prediction: “if the ramp is steeper, then the toy car will roll farther.” |
| 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 what could be changed (ramp height), what will be measured (distance), and what to keep the same — clearly and out loud. |
| 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. | Cleanly labels each note: “observation — the tablet fizzed faster in warm water; inference — heat probably speeds it up.” |
| 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. |
Integration is reported separately and cannot lower the science grade or block a science demonstration pass. Science and practical criteria determine that pass. Use the integration guide's evidence checklist for the separately reported criterion.
“The left seedling is 4 cm taller than the right one and leaning toward the window — that’s what I saw. So my question is: does a seedling really grow toward the light, or was it just that plant? My hypothesis is, if I turn the pot around, then the new growth will bend back toward the window. Light is what I’m changing; the lean is what I’ll measure.”
“Um… the plant looks better? I think it likes the window. That’s just kind of how plants are.”
You demonstrate this unit through watched observation and questioning tasks — describing what happens at the bench, then turning it into a testable question — plus short oral checks where you reason aloud. Not a multiple-choice test. A criterion counts as mastered only when a guide can watch you do it: observe carefully, separate what you saw from what you guessed, and ask a question an experiment could answer. Mastery is demonstrated, not awarded.
A 5-page clipboard packet — unit overview, key terms, the mastery rubric, anchor examples, and a score sheet you can print and grade against.