Oakland Schools
SCoPE Science Assessment Packet
6th Grade
Unit 3 – Plate Tectonics and Earth History
Assessment Packet
Grade 6, Unit 3: Plate Tectonics and Earth History
Overview
This packet contains a set of assessment resources to be used with the Plate Tectonics and Earth History Unit, part of the 6th grade Scope Science Curriculum. A test blue print is included for the summative unit test. The blueprint describes the content to be assessed using selected response and constructed response formats. In addition, the packet includes a summative performance assessment task and scoring guide. The Assessment Plan also includes suggestions and examples for formative and self-assessment. .
Components
- Assessment Plan Description
This is a a one page summary of the various assessment components for this unit, including summative, formative and self-assessment recommendations.
- Test Blueprint
The Test Blueprint lays out the assessment design for the summative unit test. It shows how item types are distributed across the core concepts of the unit and categorizes them into the four levels of the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) (see narrative). Item format for this test is either multiple choice (selected response) or essay (constructed response.)
- End of Unit Test
This written test is part of the summative assessment for the unit. The test includes multiple choice and constructed response items. If items on this sample assessment are not included on the test administered to students, then comparable items addressing the same key concept and level of thinking (see Blueprint) should be substituted
- Performance Assessment Task
This is part of the end of unit summative assessment. Assessment includes the following:
- Science Investigation report template
- Student directions for task
- Teacher information for task implementation
V.Assessment Checkbric
This section communicates the criteria and standards of quality for the performance assessment. It can be used for scoring or grading this part of the summative assessment system.
Oakland Schools SCoPE, Unit 3, Grade 6
Test Blueprint for Grade 6Plate Tectonics and Earth History Unit Summative Test
Domain (Concept) / DOK1 (Recall)Knowledge / DOK2 (Skill/Concepts)
Comprehension / DOK 3 (Strategic Thinking)
Application/Above / Total Items/ Points / Percent
of Test
Plate Tectonics
E.SE.06.51; 52 / 4 multiple choice items / 2 multiple choice items / 1 essay item (2 points) / 7 items/ 8 points / 27%
Evidence of Change
E.ST.06.31; 41; 42 / 3 multiple choice items / 6 multiple choice items / 9 items/ 9 points / 30%
Earth’s Internal Structure
E.SE.53; 61; 62 / 4 multiple choice items / 2 multiple choiceitems / 6 items/ 6 points / 20%
Investigating the Changing Earth / 1 multiple choice item / 3 multiple choice items / 1 multiple choice item
1essay item (2 points / 6 items/ 7 points / 24%
Total / 40% / 43% / 17% / 28 items/ 30 points / 100%
Note: The purpose of a Test Blueprint is to guide the design and development of the assessment tool. The goal is to build an assessment that targets all of the key concepts and not just a small segment of the assessable content. In addition, the purpose here is to assure that the thinking required to respond to items on the test is balanced and goes beyond simple factual recall.
Oakland Schools SCoPE, Unit 3, Grade 6
Grade 6 Plate Tectonics and Earth History
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
The diagram below represents layers of sedimentary rock.
____1.Which rock layer in the diagram above seems to be the oldest?
a. / Ab. / B
c. / E
d. / F
____2. How might rocks in the diagram above be useful for studying evolution?
a. / They may contain fossils which change from the bottom layer to the top.b. / There may be bones of modern-day animals mixed in with the rock piles.
c. / There may be evidence of when local animals to moved to a new environment.
d. / They may have contain building remains that can explain how the land was used by people.
____3.Which of the following would be the best design for a model that explains how plate motion is related to earthquakes and mountain building?
a. / A working replica of a real seismographb. / A three dimensional clay mold of the Rocky Mountains
c. / A volcano that erupts when vinegar is added to the baking soda inside
d. / A puzzle of the world continents that can be assembled into Pangaea
____4.The United States has two major mountain chains, the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. What major geological event formed these mountains?
a. / Erosionb. / Volcanoes
c. / Plates colliding
d. / Glacier movement
The diagram below represents a cross section that shows the Earth’s interior structure.
____5.The arrow in the diagram above points to which of the following parts of the Earth?
a. / Crustb. / Upper mantle
c. / Metallic core
d. / Convecting mantle
The diagram below represents a cross section of earth material that contains different fossil records.
____6.Which of the following questions could be answered by a scientist studying the earth's layers represented in the diagram above?
a. / What did Trilobites eat?b. / Are reptiles ancestors of birds?
c. / Why did dinosaurs become extinct?
d. / Which organisms lived at the same time?
____7.Which of the following explains how erosion helps scientists learn more about past geological events?
a. / It changes the path and shape of rivers.b. / It creates new layers of sedimentary rock.
c. / It breaks large rock samples into smaller pebbles.
d. / It reveals the relative position of rocks and fossils so they can be studied.
____8.Which of the following best describe how to use a compass on a hike for navigation?
a. / Turn the compass needle to your target and walk in that direction.b. / Turn your map and compass until the needle and map both point North before walking.
c. / Turn the compass needle to the North Star and set your compass to North before walking.
d. / Turn your body until the compass needle points to the North Pole and walk in that direction.
____9.What creates the Earth’s magnetic field?
a. / The composition of the Earth’s poles.b. / The structure of the Earth’s surface.
c. / The spinning of the Earth’s outer core.
d. / The revolution of the Earth around the Sun.
The diagram below represents a cross section of rock layers.
____10.What most likely caused the crack indicated by the arrow in the diagram above?
a. / Erosionb. / Volcanic eruptions
c. / Earthquake activity
d. / Glacier movement
____11.Which layer of the Earth is divided into segments called tectonic plates?
a. / Coreb. / Mantel
c. / Lithosphere
d. / Hydrosphere
____12.Scientists use logic to determine how old one geologic feature is relative to another. Which of the following is a correct example of this type of thinking?
a. / Thicker sedimentary rock layersare older than thinner layers.b. / Volcanic layers are thought to be younger than other types of rocks.
c. / A fault that breaks apart a rock layer is older than the layer.
d. / Sedimentary layers on top of other features are thought to be younger.
____13.What do scientists believe best describes the Earth’s outer core?
a. / Gasb. / Liquid
c. / Solid Rock
d. / Tectonic plates
____14.The Grand Canyon has many layers of Earth exposed for everyone to observe. What can scientists learn from how theses layers are sequenced?
a. / Part of the geologic history of that areab. / Future geologic events
c. / The number of organisms that live in the area
d. / The impact that visitors have had on the park over time
____15.What can we learn by studying fossils?
a. / How earthquakes were formedb. / How erosion changed mountain ranges
c. / How the Earth’s magnetic field was formed
d. / How the Earth’s environments have changed
____16.What occurs when energy stored in the Earth’s crust is suddenly released?
a. / Earthquakeb. / Mountain formation
c. / Tornado
d. / Volcano
The diagram below is part of a chart produced by a seismograph that was located in Iceland.
____17.What conclusion does the pattern in the seismograph above best support?
a. / An earthquake took place in Iceland.b. / A train passed by in the last 24 hours.
c. / A crustal plate near Iceland moved suddenly.
d. / A strong vibration impacted the immediate area.
____18.Which layer of the Earth is believed to be made up of iron and nickel?
a. / Crustb. / Inner core
c. / Lithosphere
d. / Mantle
____19.The fossil record provides important scientific information. What can scientists learn by studying fossils?
a. / How an organism changed over timeb. / How many off-spring an organism produced
c. / How an organism changed an environment
d. / How an organism will respond to future environmental changes
____20.What do scientists expect to find when they collect data from multiple trials of their investigation?
a. / All of the measurements will be correct.b. / All of the measurements will be exactly the same.
c. / Most of the measurements will be exactly the same.
d. / Most of the measurements will be close but not exactly the same.
____21.What plate motions are occurring where new ocean crust is created?
a. / Two plates are collidingb. / Plates are being pulled into the mantle
c. / Two plates slide past one another
d. / Two plates move are spreading apart
____22.How is Earth’s magnetic field like other natural magnets?
a. / They are produced by a rectangular metal bar.b. / They attract all types of metal.
c. / They have a spinning liquid core.
d. / They exhibit a north and south pole.
____23.A fossil of a fish was found embedded in a layer of rock that is near the top of a mountain. What might a scientist conclude about the history of this area?
a. / An earthquake once struck the area.b. / A volcano once erupted in the area.
c. / A lush forest covered the area.
d. / A sea once covered the area.
____24.The Earth’s crust is composed of semi-rigid plates that move in various directions. On average how much movement do these plates experience over one year?
a. / A few centimeters a yearb. / A few miles a year
c. / A few kilometers a year
d. / A few yards a year
Each dot on this map represents some type of volcanic activity within the last 10,000 years. The volcanoes on the continent are part of a high mountain system (the Andes Mountains.) The gray lines represent the boundaries between the plates.
____25.Based on the data above, how is the South American Plate moving relative to the Nazca Plate?
a. / Separatingb. / Converging
c. / Convecting
d. / Sliding Past
____26.Using observations from the map of volcanic activity (above) which scientific question is most answerable?
a. / What type of plate boundary is near the Scotian Arc?b. / When will the next volcano erupt in this area?
c. / What is the name of the volcanoes on the map?
d. / How fast is the Antarctic Plate moving?
Essay
27.The lower right hand corner the map above in Question 26 has a small group of dots representing volcanic activity in the ocean area. This is called the Scotian Arc.
Based on the data above, how does what happens between the South American Plate and Antarctic Plate compare at this location to what caused the Andes Mountain range?
The diagram below represents an exposed cut in a land form...
28. Study the diagram above. Make one observation from the diagram that relates to the geologic history of this area and a conclusion based on this observation.
Oakland Schools SCoPE, Unit 3, Grade 6
Grade 6 Plate Tectonics and Earth History
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.31LOC:Evidence for ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:Rock LayerNOT:OS
2.ANS:APTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.42LOC:Evidence for ChangeTOP:Earth's History
KEY:FossilNOT:MEAP
3.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:3REF:6
STA:S.RS.06.15LOC:Investigating Earth's HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:Magnetic FieldNOT:RR
4.ANS:CPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.52LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:MountainsNOT:OS
5.ANS:CPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.53LOC:Earth's Internal StructureTOP:Earth History
KEY:CoreNOT:RR
6.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:S.IP.06.16LOC:Investigating Earth HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:PatternsNOT:MEAP
7.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.41LOC:Evidence of ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:ErosionNOT:RR
8.ANS:BPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.62LOC:Earth's StructureTOP:Plate Tectonics
KEY:CompassNOT:RR
9.ANS:CPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.61LOC:Earth's StructureTOP:Earth History
KEY:Magnetic fieldNOT:OS
10.ANS:CPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.41LOC:Evidence of ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:EarthquakeNOT:MEAP
11.ANS:CPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.51LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:LithosphereNOT:OS
12.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.31LOC:Evidence of ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:Relative datingNOT:OS
13.ANS:BPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.53LOC:Earth's StructureTOP:Earth History
KEY:CoreNOT:OS
14.ANS:APTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.41LOC:Evidence of ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:Rock layersNOT:OS
15.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.42LOC:Evidence of ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:FossilsNOT:MEAP
16.ANS:APTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.52LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:EarthquakeNOT:OS
17.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:S.RS.06.17LOC:Investigation Earth's HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:SeismographNOT:RR
18.ANS:BPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.53LOC:Earth's structureTOP:Earth History
KEY:CoreNOT:OS
19.ANS:APTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.42LOC:Evidence for ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:FossilNOT:OS
20.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:S.IA.06.14LOC:Investigating Earth HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:TrialsNOT:TIMMS
21.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.52LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:Plate movementNOT:OS
22.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.61LOC:Earth's StructureTOP:Earth History
KEY:MagnetsNOT:OS
23.ANS:DPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.ST.06.42LOC:Evidence for ChangeTOP:Earth History
KEY:FossilNOT:OS
24.ANS:APTS:1DIF:1REF:6
STA:S.SE.06.51LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:Plate movementNOT:OS
25.ANS:BPTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:E.SE.06.52LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:volcanoesNOT:RR
26.ANS:APTS:1DIF:2REF:6
STA:S.IP.06.11LOC:Investigation Earth HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:QuestionsNOT:RR
ESSAY
27.ANS:
2 Point: The Scotiac Arc was caused by the South American Plate going under (subduction) the Antarctic Plate. The Andes were caused by the South American Plate going over the Nazca and Antarctic Plates.
1 Point: Explains that in one case there was subduction and not in the other, but has them reversed.
PTS:2DIF:3REF:6STA:E.SE.06.52
LOC:Plate TectonicsTOP:Earth History
KEY:BoundariesNOT:RR
28.ANS:
2 points: An appropriate observations supported by the diagram and a conclusion based on observations listed
1 points: An appropriate observation supported by the diagram but conclusion is not based on the stated observation
PTS:2DIF:3REF:6STA:S.IE.06.13
LOC:Investigating Earth HistoryTOP:Earth History
KEY:ObservationNOT:RR
Performance Assessment for Grade 6: Plate Tectonics
Virtual Trip Photo Essay
Student Directions:
You are a tourist that loves geology. You are traveling from Michigan to California by car and you are spending time in state and national parks along the route. You have decided to make a Photo Essay to describe and explain all of the different geological feature you learn about on your trip. You plan to share this with your friends and family.
You will be evaluated on:
- The number and variety of different geological features included
- The accuracy of the information presented with for each feature
- The quality of the Photo Essay presentation
Student Directions
- Using a map of the United States, you will select a route from Michigan to California with stops in at least 6 different state or national parks.
- You will locate photographs of geological features in those locations that have been formed by the movement of crustal plates (Plate Tectonics) and other types of change agents. You features should include at least one of the following:
- A mountain range
- A volcano
- A valley
- A road cut
- You will write a 1-2 paragraph essay for each feature that explains how scientists believe the feature was form or changed and why they think this is true.
- Your Photo Essay can be in the form of:
- A scrapbook
- A PowerPoint Presentation
- A Web Site
- Other (with teacher approval)
Teacher Directions:
State Expectations Targeted:
E.SE.06.51Explain plate tectonic movement and that the lithosphericplates move centimeters each year.
E.SE.06.52Demonstrate how major geological events (earthquakes,volcanic eruptions, mountain building) result from theseplate motions.
E.ST.06.31Explain how rocks and fossils are used to understand theage and geological history of the Earth (timelines andrelative dating, rock layers).
E.ST.06.41Explain how Earth processes (erosion, mountain building,and glacier movement) are used for the measurement ofgeologic time through observing rock layers.
E.ST.06.42Describe how fossils provide important evidence of how lifeand environmental conditions have changed.
S.IA.06.15Use multiple sources of information to evaluate strengths andweaknesses of claims, arguments, or data regarding plate tectonics and theevidence provided by fossils.
S.RS.06.11Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments,and data regarding plate tectonics and the evidence provided by fossils.
S.RS.06.12Describe limitations in personal and scientific knowledgeregarding plate tectonics and the history of the Earth.
S.RS.06.13Identify the need for evidence in making scientific decisions.
S.RS.06.14Evaluate scientific explanations based on current evidence andplate tectonics and evidence from fossils.
S.RS.06.15Demonstrate plate movement, formation of mountains andvolcanoes, and the occurrence of earthquakes through various illustrations,models, exhibits, and activities.
S.RS.06.16Design solutions to problems using technology.
Depth of Knowledge: (DOK) 4
Teacher Notes:
Recommendations/Options/Variations
- Teacher should model an example of a Photo Essay segment (one photo with corresponding text support for students.) Rubric for project should be discussed as the sample is being modeled.
- Students can pick their own route or teachers can provide the route on a map for the “virtual trip.”
- Teachers can give specific list of geologic features or let students find the features through research.
Oakland Schools SCoPE, Unit 3, Grade 6