Science The grade 4 LEAP Science test is composed of forty multiple-choice items, four independent short-answer items, and one comprehensive science task. The science task consists of three short-answer items and one extended constructedresponse item, all based on a manipulated task. A student earns 1 point for each correct answer to a multiple-choice item, from 0 to 2 points for the answer and work shown for each short-answer item and from 0 to 4 points for the answer and work shown for the extended constructed-response item. The short-answer items are scored using the following rubric: Score
Description
2
• The student’s response provides a complete and correct answer.
1
• The student’s response is partially correct. • The student’s response demonstrates limited awareness or contains errors.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or blank.
The extended constructed-response item is scored using the following rubric: Score
Description
4
• The student’s response demonstrates in-depth understanding of the relevant content and/or procedures. • The student completes all important components of the task accurately and communicates ideas effectively. • Where appropriate, the student offers insightful interpretations and/or extensions. • Where appropriate, the student uses more sophisticated reasoning and/or efficient procedures.
3
• The student completes most important aspects of the task accurately and communicates clearly. • The response demonstrates an understanding of major concepts and/or processes, although less important ideas or details may be overlooked or misunderstood. • The student’s logic and reasoning may contain minor flaws.
2
• The student completes some parts of the task successfully. The student’s response demonstrates gaps in conceptual understanding.
1
• The student completes only a small portion of the task and/or shows minimal understanding of the concepts and/or processes.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or blank.
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Note: It is important to recognize that the score points for constructedresponse items and the LEAP achievement levels do not share a one-to-one correspondence. For example, it should not be assumed that a student who scores at the Advanced achievement level in the assessment has earned a score of 4 on the extended constructed-response item. It is possible for a grade 4 student to earn a total of 58 points on the LEAP Science test. The number of raw score points that a student would have to achieve to reach each achievement level may change slightly from year to year given the difficulty of that particular form of the test. The spring 2007 raw score range for each achievement level is listed below. Spring 2007 Science Test, Grade 4 Achievement Level
Raw Score Range
Advanced
53 – 58 points
Mastery
47 – 52 points
Basic
35 – 46 points
Approaching Basic
25 – 34 points
Unsatisfactory
0 – 24 points
The following section of this document presents four multiple-choice items taken from the four science strands, detailed in the grade 4 LEAP Assessment Guide: Earth and Space Science, Life Science, Science as Inquiry, and Physical Science. In addition, two short-answer items are included, with scoring guides for each item. Student work at each score point (0 to 2 for the short answer) is annotated to explain how the score was derived and the strengths and weaknesses of the response. The multiple-choice items were selected because they illustrate results from four of the five achievement levels used to report LEAP results—Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, and Advanced. Examples of Unsatisfactory work are not included; by definition, work classified as Unsatisfactory exhibits a narrower range of knowledge and skills than work classified as Approaching Basic. Information shown for each item includes • • • •
the correct answer, the achievement level or score point, the standard and benchmark each item measures, and commentary on the skills/knowledge measured by the item.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Grade 4—Science Multiple-Choice Items Reporting Strand:
Earth and Space Science
Benchmark ESS-E-A3: Investigating, observing, and describing how water changes from one form to another and interacts with the atmosphere Achievement Level:
Advanced When Jake breathes out on a cold day, a cloud is formed. Which change occurs that lets Jake see his breath as a cloud? * A. Gas changes to liquid. B. Solid changes to gas. C. Liquid changes to gas. D. Liquid changes to solid.
* correct answer This Earth and Space Science item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the Advanced level. It requires students to understand the factors that affect the water cycle, specifically, how temperature affects condensation. Students who choose options B, C, or D recognize that phase changes of water are involved but do not understand that the warm water vapor in one’s breath changes from a gas to a liquid as it is cooled by the cold outside air. Many students of this age might select option C because they have the common misconception that since airplanes can fly through them, clouds are a gas. Students who choose option A understand that a cloud is composed of small droplets of liquid water and that clouds are formed by condensation.
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Reporting Strand:
Life Science
Benchmark LS-E-B4:
Observing, recording, and graphing student growth over time using a variety of quantitative measures (height, weight, linear measure of feet and hands, etc.)
Achievement Level:
Mastery
Use theB table below to answer the following ID:175103 question. Growth of Students in Mary’s 4th-Grade Class Student Name Anna Calvin Denise Frank Marion Rachel
Height (cm) Height (cm) in September in June 132 132 132 139 135 136 157 162 139 143 144 150
Which student in Mary’s class grew the most during the school year? A. * B. C. D.
Anna Calvin Frank Rachel
* correct answer This Life Science item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the Mastery level and above. This item requires students to perform a simple analysis by reading information from a table, calculating secondary data on student growth, and comparing the results against a testable question. Students who choose option C may not have approached this inquiry quantitatively but rather assumed that the tallest student probably grew the most. A quantitative, rational process is key to scientific investigations, even simple ones such as this investigation. Students who answered incorrectly may have misapplied the appropriate quantitative procedure for deriving the answer (height in June minus height in September equals growth during the school year). Students who choose option B correctly applied the quantitative procedure and were not misled by Calvin’s small size compared to some of the other fourth graders. It is important for students to realize that in an investigation, the seemingly obvious choice is not always the answer to the testable question. 48
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Reporting Strand:
Science as Inquiry
Benchmark SI-E-A1:
Asking appropriate questions about organisms and events in the environment
Achievement Level:
Basic
Use the picture below to answer the following question.
Sarah put 10 marigold seeds in a pot of sand and 10 marigold seeds in a pot of soil. She then put both pots near a window and watered them with the same amount of water every few days. After three weeks, Sarah measured the height of the marigold seedlings in each pot. What was Sarah probably testing? A. how light affects the growth of marigolds B. which type of marigold grows best * C. whether marigolds grow better in soil or in sand D. how water affects the growth of marigolds * correct answer This Science as Inquiry item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the Basic level and above. This item requires students to evaluate an experimental design and differentiate between the experimental variable and controls. Students who choose option C recognize that the growth medium (sand or soil) was varied in the experiment, while the other variables were controlled (kept the same). Students should be able to eliminate the other three options because all the marigolds received the same amount of light and water and the type of marigold seed was not specified. While the experimental design could be improved by specifying that the same species and variety of marigold seeds were planted in both pots, this lack of specificity increases the cognitive complexity of the task, which is more representative of the Basic proficiency level. Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
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Reporting Strand:
Physical Science
Benchmark PS-E-B4:
Investigating and describing how the motion of an object is related to the strength of the force (pushing or pulling) and the mass of the object
Achievement Level:
Approaching Basic
ID:175620 CARGER55-zero_f D
Use the picture below to answer the following question.
In which position does the rider use the least amount of force? A. B. C. * D.
position position position position
1 2 3 4
* correct answer This Physical Science item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the Approaching Basic level and above. This item requires that students have minimal knowledge of forces and motion and the ability to observe the physical differences between the four positions shown in the picture. Students should recognize that as the hill becomes steeper (positions 3–1), more force must be exerted by the rider to peddle up the hill. Students who choose option D (position 4) have observed that the rider is standing on level ground (not moving) and understand that this position requires the least amount of force to maintain.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Grade 4—Science Short-Answer Question A science short-answer item for a LEAP test may require students to reflect on an idea, demonstrate understanding of the unifying concepts and processes of science, make meaning of a given set of data, or critique the design or interpretation of results from an experiment. Frequently, the short-answer items have more than one part. In addition to writing, students may be asked to work with graphics, tables, or other materials. Items, scoring rubrics, and sample student work are shown in this section. The student responses at each score point (0 to 2) are annotated to explain how each score was derived and the strengths and weaknesses of the responses. Sample 1 Reporting Strand:
Physical Science
Benchmark PS-E-A5:
Creating mixtures and separating them based on differences in properties (salt, sand)
Sara Jo put some sugar and water in a shallow dish and stirred it until the sugar disappeared. She left the dish of sugar and water solution on a shelf. After several days, she noticed that the dish had sugar crystals on the sides and a small amount of water in the middle. Explain why the sugar crystals appeared.
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Scoring Rubric Score
Description
2
Student explains that the water evaporated, leaving the sugar crystals in the dish. Response contains no errors.
1
0
Student explains why the sugar disappeared in the solution (e.g., dissolved, melted). OR
Student explains that the water evaporated with some erroneous information. Response is incorrect, contains some correct work that is irrelevant to the skill or concept being measured, or blank.
Scoring Information “dried up” or “went down” implies evaporation
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Score Point 2
The student earns 2 points for correctly explaining that the water evaporated but the sugar crystals did not evaporate. Score Point 1
The student earns 1 point for explaining that the water evaporates. The student does not receive credit for stating that crystals were formed and the water formed with them.
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Score Point 0
The student does not earn any points. The answer is incorrect.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Sample 2 Reporting Strand:
Science and the Environment
Benchmark SE-E-A2:
Understanding the components of a food chain
Use the list below to answer the following question. plants
fox
rabbit
In the space below, make a food chain using the organisms shown above. Draw arrows to connect each organism with its food or source of energy.
Scoring Rubric Score
Description
2
Food chain is completely correct. Some students may add the Sun, but this is not necessary to receive full credit. Response contains no errors.
1
Food chain is partly correct.
0
Response is incorrect, contains some correct work that is irrelevant to the skill or concept being measured, or blank.
Scoring Information plants → rabbit → fox NOTE: Arrows MUST be in correct direction for students to receive any credit.
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Score Point 2
Use the list below to answer the following question.
The student earns 2 points for correctly drawing and labeling the food chain. Score Point 1
Use the list below to answer the following question.
The student earns 1 point for correctly drawing the sequence of the food chain, but does not draw arrows to connect each organism with its source of energy.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2007
Score Point 0
Use the list below to answer the following question.
The student does not earn any points. He or she copied the information given in the prompt and connected the items.
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