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 03 learning pathway.
The student demonstrates the following:
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, cylinder or timer | Use the approved reading method; digital resolution is a display step, not an accuracy guarantee. |
| 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 | agreement with the quantity being measured | Reference checks inform it; do not report an invented numerical accuracy score. |
| Repeat measurement | rereading the same object | Estimate repeatability without pretending to sample additional independent objects. |
| Uncertainty | qualified doubt about the result | Includes more than resolution: reference, scatter, model and method can contribute. |
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.
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading instruments | Reads from an angle, guesses randomly between the marks, or doesn’t know where the scale starts. | Reads the right tool but looks from above the water line or rounds to the nearest big mark. | Reads an approved instrument with appropriate zero, scale and viewing position; records supported digits and units during observed practice. |
| Units & conversions | Writes bare numbers with no units; cannot move between centimeters and meters. | 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 when asked. |
| Significant figures | Copies every digit the calculator shows, inventing precision the tool never had. | Senses that the extra digits are wrong but keeps or drops them inconsistently. | Keeps guard digits during calculation and reports supported final digits; distinguishes instrument resolution from total uncertainty. |
| 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. | Distinguishes resolution, precision and accuracy using repeat readings and reference checks; states calibration assumptions and limits. |
| Repeat measurement | Measures once and treats that single number as the answer. | Takes a few trials but reports only one, or averages them incorrectly. | Reports repeated-reading means and spread, identifies the object measured and explains which systematic errors averaging cannot remove. |
| 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 | 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.