Long Descriptions for Chapter Nine

Figure 9.1. A Coherent Assessment System

This image shows the different types of assessments in relation to one another. From left to right the “Student” right arrow points to “Short cycle assessments”: Minute-by-minute; Daily; Weekly; Right arrow to “Medium cycle assessments”: Unit and Quarterly; right arrow to “long-cycle assessments”: Annually; right arrow to “Standards.”

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Figure 9.3. Materials Provided for Performance Task 1

One ship – photo of metal votive candle holder; Two large discs (each weighing 10 grams). Photo of two large washers; Two small discs (each weighing 4 grams). Photo of 2 small washers; A candle – photo of a small votive candle.

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Figure 9.4. Example Responses for Question 2

A three-row table. The top row gives the points for each response; the second row gives the student’s written response; the third row contains a student diagram if drawn. From left to right: 2 points for “The disc makes the ship heavy on one side.” The drawing shows a large cylinder with a rectangle floating with a washer on top. The side with the washer is further down into the water than the other side. 1 point for “The ship floats but tilts and water comes in.” “No image drawn. 1 point for “It turns over.” The drawing shows a large cylinder with the “Ship” floating but on end so the short width of the block is parallel to the sides of the cylinder. ). 0 points for “It constantly moves to the edge.” The drawing shows the ship just under the water’s surface.

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Figure 9.6. Example Student Models of Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

There are two diagrams presented. The one on the left is titled Relationships not Articulated. It is a flow chart that shows energy from the Sun to the Earth to green cells to molecules to a green leaf to a growing plant to a rabbit. The flow is complicated; each arrow is labeled “flow.” The second diagram is titled “Relationships Well-Articulated.” This diagram is well laid out and easy to follow. It shows energy from the Sun to a green leaf; on the arrow “sun energy flows into the leaf. From the leaf to the chloroplast; on the arrow “the captured energy is made to food in the chloroplast.” From the chloroplast to a molecule (glucose); on the arrow “the chloroplast produce glucose to feed the plant.” From the glucose to a growing plant; on the arrow “glucose feeds the plant keeping it alive.” From the growing plant to the rabbit; on the arrow “the plant is used to feed animals.” 

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Figure 9.9. Example Student Models at the Elementary Level

Two student drawings of volcanoes. On the left the volcano is in the middle of the drawing. There are layers shown labeled from the bottom mantle/magma, then a thin layer is labeled crust. An arrow points to the bottom of the volcano with what appears to be the words: “Lot Spit.” On the crust with an arrow to the base of the volcano are the words: “travels up.” Above that are the words “Creates volcano.” The second model features only the volcano with a thick stream of magma labeled and drawn up the middle of the volcano. Lava is shown coming out the top of the volcano and raining down.

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Figure 9.10. Quick Formative Assessment of Systems in High School

Six words in two columns of three. The first column: Atmosphere, CO2, and Weather. In the second column: Solar energy (visible light), Temperature, and Climate.

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Figure 9.12. How Does Fin Position Affect How Far a Rocket Flies?

Diagram A Results from individual teams are scattered. The diagram is a line graph showing 12 teams and how far their rocket flew. Distance traveled is on the y-axis and front middle back is on the x-axis- fins location of attachment. Team 2 had the best results whereas team 11’s flew and then dropped off the most. Diagram B, “When analyzed together, a trend emerges,” on the right is a bar graph comparing amounts. The front fin traveled two meters, then the middle fin traveled three meters, and the back fin traveled 3.5 meters.

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Figure 9.13. Facsimiles of Student-Created Representations of Silkworm Length Data

This figure show three different student graphs. Graph A is a bar graph; length is on the y-axis (no markings or units); there are numbers on the x-axis as follows: 5, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, and 10. New page has 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, and 12. New page has 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, and 17…

Graph B is a bar graph. On the y-axis is the label “Count” marked from 0 to 6+ in increments of 2. On the x-axis is “Length (mm)” and ranges from 0 to 29… in increments of 1. There are no bars at 0 to 4; a bar with height 1 at 5; 6 is empty; 7 has 1; 8 has 2; 9 has 2; 10 has 6+; 11 has 3; 12 has 6+; 13 has 1; 14 has 3; 15 has 6+; 16 has 0; 17 has 2; 18 has 5; 19 has 3. New page: 20 has 6+; 21 has 2; 22 has 3; 24 has 0; 25 has 6+; 26 has 2; 27 has 1; 28 has 2; 29 has 2. Graph C is a kind of bar graph with intervals. On the y-axis is the label “Count” with no markings or units. On the x-axis in Length in mm. The first interval is 0-10 and has 4 in it. The second interval is 10–20 and has 10 in it. The third interval is 20-30 and has 10 in it. Also, because of the size difference in the ovals and the gap in the data, this line appears much taller than the one before it. The fourth interval is 30-40 and has 8 in it. The fifth interval is 40-50 and has 4 in it. The sixth interval is 50-60 and has one in it.

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Figure 9.14. Example ConcepTest

“Which Layer is Youngest?” This is a cross section of rock layers. They are labeled A, B, C, D, E, and F. A is the top layer, it is parallel to the top of the box there is an unmarked layer just below A. Then there is a B layer under that, and lays at about a 45-degree angle from A. Then comes the C and D layer; both parallel to B. Another unnamed layer is under D. And then E is the bottom layer. There is a fault line through the B, C, and D layers where the rock layers have shifted up on the right. There is intrusion of layer F that cuts through A and D and E layers. They are asking which layer is the youngest.

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Figure 9.15. Sample Performance Task for Designing Solutions

This figure shows a screen shot of an online simulation. A picture on the right shows a cross of the Earth with a water pump coming out of the surface. There is a field just nearby and a house in the field. In the distance are mountains. On the water pump are labels “Test Pump”; “Piston Rod”; and “handle.” There is a metal bucket hanging from the spout. In the notes on the left it says “Using the pump repair manual. Use the manual to help you repair the pump. You should only perform the checks and repairs that are necessary. After you have repaired the pump, click Test Pump to make sure it is working.” Just under that: “Pump Repair Manual: Common Problems with Hand Pumps. Handle moves too easily and no water comes out. (1) Water has a bad smell. (2) Water is very cloudy. (3) It is hard to move the handle or pump operation is noisy. (4) (This appears to be selected as is it highlighted). Little or no water comes out. (5)” Just to the right of those statements “What to Check For: Joints or other external moving parts are not moving freely, perhaps due to dirt or rust. “Check now” button. How to Repair: Clean and lubricate the pump’s external moving parts. There is a “Repair Now” button.” In the bottom right corner are navigational buttons that say “Back” and “Next”.

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Figure 9.16. Developmental Progression of Conceptions of the Engineering Design Process

There are three conceptual flows. A and B are student conceptions; however C is closer to reality. A shows students’ thoughts in a linear fashion going from one thought to the next (“Understanding problem; gather info about the problem; gather info about resources; analyze the collected data; make a first design. Prototype for important functions. Analyze results and conduct specific tests. Make a refined design. Iterate. Test final design. Final design. B shows a problem at the top with a down arrow to ideas, then a spiral down arrow to final concept (with final crossed out). Just below that is “x n” and another down arrow to “build it.” From “build it” there is an arrow pointing back to “concept” and a dashed arrow pointing back to “ideas” with the word “needs.” Also, from “build it” is a down arrow to “deliverable.” C (labeled “Closer to Reality”) is a series of statements all interconnected with non-linear connections. The words are: (re)Define the Problem, Test, Need finding and benchmarking, Prototype, and Brainstorm.

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9.17. Example Storyboard Illustrating Iterative Improvement during a Design Challenge

This figure shows two rows of three panels each. The title reads “Chicas.” The top left panel: “Challenge I Design 1 shows a simple house design with a rectangular prism for the bottom and an A-frame roof on top. Above the word Design 1 is handwritten “3 degrees c.” Also handwritten is “3 degrees c” along the side of the roof. “Index card” pointing to the roof. “Window” pointing to the front face of the house. “5 in” indicating the front base of the house is 5 in across. “4 in” indicating the height of the house (without the roof) “4 ¼ in” indicating the slant height of the roof. The top middle panel is labeled “Design 2.” The same house design is present. Handwritten across the top of the panel “We changed this by putting reflectors on the sides because reflectors make the heat reflect off of them.” Handwritten at the top of the house is “2 degrees c.” Reflectors are drawn on the roof and labeled “reflectors.” The window is labeled on the front of the house; the dimensions of the house are labeled: “5 in” across the front, “3 in” height of base, and “4 in” as the slant height of the roof. The third panel in this row is labeled Design 3. Handwritten across the top “We changed this design by covering the roof on all of its sides. The reason for this is so that the heat could not go through and stay inside.” On the roof various index cards are drawn and labeled. One appears to be inside the roof but may be on the back of the roof just above the base; the other appears to be covering the peak of the roof. The house is “3 in” high at the base, “3 in” deep, “5 in” wide. The entire structure (from ground to apex of the roof) is “7.5 in” tall, the slant height of the roof is “4.5 in.” The bottom left panel is titled Challenge II. Design 1. This panel shows the same basic house design. Handwritten across the top of the panel: “We changed this design by putting a shingle covered by a blanket and aluminum foil. We did this because aluminum foil reflects light (heat) out so if it went through the top layer of aluminum foil it wouldn’t go through the 2^nd. This drawing shows a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil balanced on the peak of the roof. The roof is labeled “thin cardboard” the side of the house is labeled “index card,” and the front is labeled “window.” The dimensions of the front of the base of the house are 5 in wide and 3 in tall. Inside the roof portion of the house is a piece that makes the ceiling and is labeled “shingle covered by a blanket and aluminum foil. The bottom middle panel is titled Design 2 and 0 degrees c. Handwritten across the top of the panel: “We changed this design because our past design let up 1 degree c. We added a square roof. We insulated it w/ Styrofoam, covered by a blanket, aluminum foil, and a shingle. This will help stop heat from passing through we also added a layer of aluminum foil on top since it reflects off the heat. we were successful. This house drawing is different than the previous. The base is similar with a rectangular prism with a window in front. The roof now appears to be another rectangular prism made of index cards. The entire structure is 9 in high. The top roof is labeled aluminum foil. Between the base and the roof is a curved piece labeled “blanket with more cloth, aluminum foil, and shingle under it filled with Styrofoam. The final panel is titled Design 3 and 0 degrees c. Handwritten across the top of the panel: “We changed this design by putting a slanted round roof and then putting aluminum foil on top. The cardboard with aluminum foil was flat and not too thick. I put aluminum foil on the <drawing> (roof) part so that if it went to the sides it would reflect off. We were successful again. This drawing is the same as the previous but the roof is now curved and another piece of cardboard covered by aluminum foil is balanced on top. The curved piece inside the house reads “cloth with aluminum foil, a thick shingle and more clothes styrafoam (sic) in… (writing is cutoff).

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Figure 9.18. Graphic Organizer of a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Framework for Arguments

This has five columns and three rows. The top box “Claim” extends across the first three columns. Column 2 is labeled “Accurate” and column 3 is labeled “complete.” The second row is labeled “Reasoning.” The third row each cell is labeled “Evidence.” To the left of the organizer there are three boxes. The top box says “Your answer to the question “What you think” and the arrow points to the “Claim” box.  The next box below says “General principles about the way the world works that allow you to link the evidence “What you know” an arrow points to the “Reasoning” row. The third box says “Start here: Actual observations or measurements that support the claim. What you see.” There is an arrow pointing to the third row of evidence boxes.

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