Criteria For Excellence in Scientific Investigation

Criteria for Excellence remain the same across Division levels
In each Division students strive for understanding progressively more complex concepts and skills
with progressively more initiative, autonomy, and awareness.

A Holistic Rubric for Division 1 (7th and 8th grade level work)
appears  following the Criteria for Excellence.
Division 2 and Division 3 rubrics are created for each assignment using the Criteria for Excellence as guidelines.

 

Framing the Question

• You understand or come up with the question to investigate.
• You collect information and ideas about your question.
• You identify the variables or special factors that may affect your investigation.

Approach: How You Conduct the Investigation

• You come up with a hypothesis.
• You make a plan for testing the hypothesis.
• You identify and use appropriate scientific equipment.
• You make and record physical observations.

Reasoning: How You Evaluate What You Find

• You consider alternative explanations for what you observe.
• You use evidence to draw a logical conclusion.
• You identify possible sources of error and bias in the investigation.
• You verify the results of the investigation.
• You revise your explanation if necessary.

Communicating What You Find

• You explain your ideas and procedures to others in a form they can understand.
• You use correct mathematical and scientific vocabulary, equations, or notations to explain your ideas.
• You use graphs, tables, charts, models, diagrams, or drawings to represent your findings.

So What: Outcomes of Your Investigation

• You connect your ideas to other ideas you know about, or to a "real world" use.
• You use data to respond to questions or comments from others.
• You reflect on your own scientific process and thinking.

What You Try

• You attempt the entire investigation process or go beyond to do more.

HOLISTIC RUBRIC FOR DIVISION 1 AND DIVISION 2

Just Beginning

• You show limited understanding of the question you are investigating.
• Your hypothesis cannot be tested with your plan, or you have no plan for testing it.
• Your physical observations are inaccurate or not recorded in a useful way.
• You have not considered alternative explanations for what you observe, or shown logical reasoning in drawing your conclusion.
• You do not verify your results or identify sources of possible error or bias.
• Your explanation of your conclusions does not use accurate math-science vocabulary or visual representations, or it is unclear to the audience.
• You conduct the investigation but do not comment about what it might mean.
• You do not complete the investigation, or you show no evidence of reflecting on your process and thinking.

Approaches Division 1 Standards

 
Meets Division 1 Standards ("Yes, and . . . " or "Yes, but . . .")

• You understand the question you are investigating.
• You present a hypothesis and a workable plan for testing it.
• Your physical observations are complete and accurate.
• You present alternative explanations for what you observe, and your conclusions suggest logical reasoning, but that reasoning is not clearly explained.
• You try to verify your results and identify at least one possible source of error and bias.
• Your explanation of your conclusions correctly uses appropriate math-science vocabulary and visual representations.
• You conduct the investigation and connect your conclusion to other ideas you know about, or to a "real world" use.
• You attempted the entire investigation, and you show some evidence of reflecting on your process and thinking.

Exceeds Division 1 Standards ("Yes!")

 

Criteria For Technology

Criteria For Excellence

• You can touch-type on a standard keyboard.
• You can use a word processing program to produce a written document.
• You can use an electronic card catalogue.
• You can load, run, and use a database program on the computer.
• You can use a graphics or drawing program on the computer to create graphs, charts, or other visual aids.
• You can use and create a computer spreadsheet.
• You can use and create computer simulations to model the behavior of systems over time.
• You can acquire information for specific purposes using on-line sources such as the World Wide Web.
• You can exchange information on the Internet using electronic mail.
• You can use manuals and on-screen help to learn how to use software programs.
• You can troubleshoot problems in operating computer equipment and software.
 

• You can touch-type on a standard keyboard at least 15 words per minute with 100 percent accuracy.
• You can access and use a word processing program to produce a written document.
• You can use an electronic card catalogue.
• You can acquire information for specific purposes using on-line sources such as the World Wide Web.
• You can exchange information on the Internet using electronic mail.
• You can use a computer spreadsheet.
• You can use a graphics or drawing program on the computer to create graphs, charts, or other visual aids.
• You can use a computer simulation to model the behavior of systems over time.

 Draft Division II Standards

• You can touch-type on a standard keyboard at least 30 words per minute with 100 percent accuracy.
• You can load, run, and use a database program on the computer.
• You can create a computer spreadsheet.
• You can create a simple computer simulation to model the behavior of systems over time.
• You can use manuals and on-screen help to learn how to use software programs.

Draft Division III Standards

In addition to meeting Division I and II standards,

          • You can troubleshoot problems in operating computer equipment and software.