1. You are preparing an experiment in which you monitor pollination of plants.

You have 2

different types of plants:

A plant with wide leaves with many small pink flowers

A plant with thin leaves with a few large yellow flowers

Your task: Construct a prediction and a procedure that we could follow in order to determine

which type of plant attracts the most pollinators (bees).

The first question of the assessment engages the students with the create level of blooms

taxonomy. This question provides the students with information/data and tasks them with

constructing a prediction as to which flower they think will receive the most visits from

pollinators as well as constructing an experimental procedure that can be used to determine

which of the two types of plants will attract most pollinators. The purpose of this question is to

provide the students with an opportunity to produce new and original work as they will not be

able to mimic the procedure used during the lesson. This question will also allow the students to

demonstrate their level of understanding when it comes to developing and using models to

represent events, design solutions, and to describe phenomena. This addresses the Science and

Engineering practices standard.

2. Evaluate the following list of statements made in other experiments. Which of these is a

prediction? (Circle one).

a. The experiment demonstrated that plants with blue flowers are on average, larger than plants

with white flowers.

b. Seeds planted inside a close container will be shorter than those planted outdoors, because the

container keeps out sunlight.

c. For this experiment, white roses were crossed with red roses and as a result, pink roses were

produced.

d. How does the amount of water given to a plant affect the rate at which it grows?

The second question of the assessment engages the students with the analyze level of

blooms taxonomy. This question provides the students with a list of statements that can be

related to different parts of an experiment and tasks them with identifying the one that is a

prediction. The purpose of this question is to provide the students with an opportunity to draw

connection between the statements and their corresponding component/part of an experiment.

For example, statement number one is a result while statement number 4 is a question. This

allows the students to compare and contrast the statements in order to determine which statement

is the prediction. The students are also given the opportunity to demonstrate their level of

understanding of the sections that make up a scientific experiment as they will be able to

differentiate the statements. This question, like the previous, will allow the students to

demonstrate their level of understanding when it comes to developing and using models to

represent events, design solutions, and to describe phenomena. This addresses the Science and

Engineering practices standard.

3. Evaluate the following images and circle the two most important resources for determining a

plants ability to grow and survive?

Plant 1 (control) Plant 2 Plant 3 Plant 4

Has: Has: Has: Has:

- Sunlight - Sunlight - Sunlight - Sunlight

- Air - Water - Air - Soil

- Water - Air - Soil - Water

- Soil
Does not have: Does not have: Does not have: Does not have:

- Plant has all - Soil - Water - Air

resources available

a. Air b. Water c. Soil

The third question of the assessment engages the students with the apply level of blooms

taxonomy. This question provides the students with information and tasks them with interpreting

this information to answer a question. The purpose of this question is to provide the students

with an opportunity to use the information provided in this experiment/situation to determine

which resources are most important to a plants development. This question will also allow the

students to demonstrate their understanding that plants acquire their material for growth chiefly

from air and water. This addresses the Disciplinary Core Ideas standard. This question will also
give students an opportunity to use a model to design solutions which addresses the Science and

Engineering practices standard.

4. Construct an explanation that justifies/supports your answer for question number 3: (You

may use evidence from the pictures)

The fourth question of the assessment engages the students with the evaluate level of

blooms taxonomy. This question tasks students with defending their answer to question number

3. The purpose of this question is to provide the students with an opportunity to justify the claim

(their answer) made in the previous question through the use of evidence. This will allow

students to engage in claim, evidence, and reasoning. This question will also provide the students

with an opportunity to engage in logical reasoning to explain their comprehension of the model

presented which addresses the Science and Engineering practices standard.

5. Plants are able to use energy from sunlight in order to create their own food source through a

process called photosynthesis. An organism that is able to make its own food is

identified/recognized as a _____________________________.

a. Primary Producer

b. Primary Consumer

c. Secondary Consumer

d. Decomposer

The fifth question of the assessment has the students engage in the remember level of

blooms taxonomy. This question tasks the students with matching the correct definition to the
statement being made. The purpose of this question is to provide the students with an opportunity

to recall information and basic concepts taught during the lesson. This question will also allow

the students to demonstrate their understanding key vocabulary terms used frequently throughout

the unit of study. This question addresses content from this units Crosscutting Concepts

standards as it requires students to understand and recall that energy can be transferred in various

ways throughout an environment and that primary producers are a key component in this.

Another Crosscutting Concepts standard addressed is that a system can be described in terms of

its components and their interactions. For example, the way energy flows and cycles through the

interactions that takes place between primary producers, different types of consumers, and

decomposers.