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.
By the end of the Measurement, Units & Significant Figures unit, a student should be able to:
Five science criteria plus separately reported integration (Page 3).
Read real instruments and record what they show — watched live.
The student explains each number aloud (Page 4).
Readings, units, and averaged trials 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 defend the digits they kept. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Reading & units | ||
| Instrument | ruler, balance, graduated cylinder, stopwatch | Read at eye level, to the smallest mark |
| Unit | label on a measurement | A number without a unit means nothing |
| Metric conversion | changing metric units | mm ↔ cm ↔ m by powers of ten |
| Precision & honesty | ||
| Significant figures | sig figs | The digits the tool supports — not every digit the calculator shows |
| Precision | repeatability | How close repeated trials are, whether or not they’re right |
| Accuracy | closeness to true value | Can be precise but inaccurate |
| Repeat measurement | trials, then average | One reading is not the answer |
| Uncertainty | doubt in a measurement | Set by the smallest mark the tool offers |
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading instruments | Reads from an angle or guesses randomly between the marks. | Reads the right tool but looks from above the water line or rounds to the nearest big mark. | Reads ruler, balance, graduated cylinder, and stopwatch at eye level, to the smallest mark the tool offers. |
| Units & conversions | Writes bare numbers with no units. | Records units most of the time but stumbles converting within the metric system. | Attaches the correct unit to every measurement and converts cleanly between metric units. |
| Significant figures | Copies every digit the calculator shows, inventing precision the tool never had. | Senses the extra digits are wrong but keeps or drops them inconsistently. | Records exactly the digits the instrument supports — no invented precision, no thrown-away real digits. |
| Precision vs. accuracy | Uses “precise” and “accurate” as if they mean the same thing. | Can define both but cannot say which one a given set of results has. | Tells precision from accuracy and, shown a set of trials, says clearly which one the data shows. |
| Repeat measurement | Measures once and treats that single number as the answer. | Takes a few trials but reports only one, or averages them incorrectly. | Times the pendulum several times and reports the average, noting how close the trials were. |
| 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 does the number mean what it says? Ask how many digits the tool really supports, and whether one reading is enough. Reading a tool is Proficient; defending the digits and the average is Mastery.
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 | Reading instruments | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 2 | Units & conversions | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 3 | Significant figures | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 4 | Precision vs. accuracy | Dev / Prof / Mast | |
| 5 | Repeat measurement | 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.