The assessment items below were released from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Please review these individually before discussing the questions, correct responses, and sample student responses as a team. For each item:
- Evaluate whether the item or task can be adapted as a formative assessment.
- For any item that can be adapted as a formative assessment, describe the features that would make it a suitable formative assessment.
- As a team, discuss how your students might respond to each item.
- Evaluate the items for their suitability as either an interim or summative assessment item.
- Describe how you would incorporate each item in your assessment plan for an instructional unit on animal diversity.
Questions 1-2 referto a bird called a warbler shown below.
Scientists study warblers by placing small metal bands on the birds' legs. A number is stamped on the band. This number lets scientists know when and where the birds are banded.
- A scientist studying warblers captures six of them in a net. Two of the birds have bands on their legs.What could the scientist learn from the information on the bands?
- How much food the birds eat
- Where the birds travel
- Which birds are related
- What kinds of nests the birds build
The correct answer is B.
- There are many kinds of warblers throughout the world. One kind of warbler with black-and-white feathers is often seen on tree trunks. Another kind with golden-colored feathers is often seen in fields. Which statement best explains how the color of these warblers helps them survive?
- The color of the feathers helps the birds locate nests.
- The color of the feathers helps to control the amount of body heat the birds lose.
- The color of the feathers blends into the birds' surroundings and helps the birds avoid predators.
- The color of the feathers attracts the kinds of insects the birds like to eat.
The correct answer is C.
Description: Explain the benefit of an adaptation
Grade: 4
Year: 2009
Block & Number: BlockS7Question #4
Type of Question: Multiple Choice
Difficulty: Easy(72.94% Correct)
Content Classification:
Content Area:
Life Science
Science Practices (2009 and on):
Using Science Principles
NAEP national performance results in Science at grade 4: 2009
Explain the benefit of an adaptation
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.
Look at the pictures of deer below.
- The deer in the pictures are numbered. Put the number next to the name that identifies each deer.
Male deer (buck) ______
Female deer (doe) ______
Young deer (fawn) ______
Look at picture 2. Name one feature about the deer's body that helps it to survive.
Tell how the feature helps it to survive.
Look at picture 3. Name one different feature about the deer's body that helps it to survive.
Tell how the feature helps it to survive.
Description: Deer in picture
Grade: 4
Year: 2000
Block & Number: BlockS21Question #5
Type of Question: Extended Constructed Response
Difficulty: Easy(61.59% Correct)
Content Classification:
Content Area:
Life Science
Knowing and Doing Science (1996-2005):
Conceptual Understanding
Solution:
The identification exists as three parts, the features and reasons for the two deer count as four parts, for a sum total of seven parts.
Score & Description
Complete
The student can recognize the male, female, and young of a deer and name one thing about each of two of the deer that helps them survive, answering all parts of the questions successfully as outlined below.
Identification: 2 = buck; 1 = doe; 3 = fawn
Credited features-reasons include:
- Deer 2: The buck has antlers-to use for defense
- Deer 3: The fawn has spots-to camouflage and hide from predators
- Deer 2 or 3: The deer has long legs-to run away from predators
- Deer 2 or 3: The deer has a good nose-to smell enemies approaching
- Deer 2 or 3: The deer has large ears-to hear enemies approaching
- Deer 2 or 3: The deer's coat-to keep it warm
- Deer 2 or 3: The deer's eyes can see over a wide area-to see danger more easily
Essential
Student identifies 3 deer and 3 parts of the features/reasons
- OR 1-2 deer and 4 features/reasons
Adequate
Student identifies 3 deer and 2 parts of the features/reasons
- OR 1-2 deer and 3 features/reasons.
- OR 0 deer and 4 features/reasons
Partial
Student identifies 1-3 deer and 0-1 parts of the features/reasons
- OR 0-2 deer and 1 or 2 features/reasons
- OR 0 deer and 3 features/reasons.
Unsatisfactory/Incorrect
Student response incorrectly identifies the male, female, and young of the species and does not name anything that can help the deer survive.
NAEP national performance results in Science at grade 4: 2000
Deer in picture
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Off task applies to responses that do not address the question presented, are illegible, or cannot otherwise be scored.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2000 Science Assessment.
- Sample Responses
- National Data
- Jurisdiction Data
Complete – Sample Student Responses
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses all seven parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer, features of the buck (antlers), and features of the fawn (ears), with explanations of how those features help them to survive. The buck has antlers to keep away predatory animals; the fawn has ears to detect approaching enemies.
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses all seven parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer, features of the buck (antlers), and features of the fawn (feet), with explanations of how those features help them to survive. The buck has antlers to defend itself; the fawn has feet to run from danger, presumably from predators.
Essential - Student Response
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses five parts of the question correctly: identification of one deer (buck), features of the buck (antlers), and features of the fawn (spots), with explanations of how those features help them to survive. The buck has antlers to defend itself from enemies; the fawn has spots to camouflage itself while being hunted.
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses six parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer, feature of the buck (antlers) with explanation of how that feature helps it to survive, and feature of the fawn (legs). The buck has antlers that it can use to defend itself in case of an attack. The fawn can run fast with its legs. For an acceptable explanation of how the legs help the fawn survive, the student response needs to state why the fawn needs to run fast, such as for running away from predators.
Adequate - Student Response
- The deer in the pictures are numbered. Put the number next to the name that identifies each deer.
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses five parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer, features of the buck (antlers), and features of the fawn (feet). The response simply describes the features without explaining how those features help the deer to survive.
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses four parts of the question correctly: identification of one deer (buck), feature of the buck (horns), and feature of the fawn (spots), with explanation of how that feature helps it to survive. The explanation of the buck's horns is inadequate because it refers to killing another animal, not to killing a predator. The fawn has spots to camouflage itself.
Partial - Student Response
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses four parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer and a feature of the buck (horn). The explanation of the buck's feature does not match the feature itself because it refers to running. The response does not provide a feature of the fawn; it only mentions running and hiding.
- The deer in the pictures are numbered. Put the number next to the name that identifies each deer.
Scorer Comments:
Student response addresses four parts of the question correctly: identification of all three deer and a feature of the fawn (dots). The response does not provide a feature for the buck; it only mentions staying out of meadows and leaping. The explanation of the fawn's feature (dots) does not match the feature itself because it refers to running.
Unsatisfactory/Incorrect - Student Response
- The deer in the pictures are numbered. Put the number next to the name that identifies each deer.
Scorer Comments:
Student response does not identify the deer correctly, and provides survival techniques without relating them to specific features of the deer's body.
Scorer Comments:
Student response does not identify the deer correctly, and provides a survival technique without relating it to specific features of the deer's body.
- Jaime and Manuel visit the zoo. They see two male tigers who are brothers. Jaime points out that the fur of one of the tigers has stripes that are a darker brown than the other tiger's stripes.
Manuel says the tigers cannot be brothers.
How can Jaime explain to Manuel that tigers with different-colored stripes can be brothers? In your answer, use a specific example of what you have observed about similarities and differences between people who are related.
Score & Description
Complete
Student response correctly indicates that people or animals that are related can look different and provides a comparison of a specific characteristic of individuals.
Partial
Student response correctly indicates that people or animals that are related can look different, but does not provide a comparison of a specific characteristic of individuals.
Unsatisfactory/Incorrect
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.
Scorer Comments:
Both responses correctly explain that people or animals that are related can look different and provide a specific characteristic of individuals.The first response indicates that twin brothers can have different hair and eye color, and the second response indicates that brothers and sisters can have different skin color.
Partial - Student Response
Scorer Comments:
Both responses correctly explain that people or animals that are related can look different, but do not provide a specific characteristic of individuals.The first response indicates that people who are related can look different, and the second response indicates that twins can look different.
Unsatisfactory/Incorrect - Student Response
How can Jaime explain to Manuel that tigers with different-colored stripes can be brothers? In your answer, use a specific example of what you have observed about similarities and differences between people who are related.
Scorer Comments:
The first response is inadequate and does not explain that people or animals that are related can look different, but instead states that everybody and everything is different.The second response incorrectly explains that the differences in the color of the tigers is because one is male and one is female.
NAEP national performance results in Science at grade 4: 2009
Explain differences between related individuals
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Off task applies to responses that do not address the question presented, are illegible, or cannot otherwise be scored.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.
Question Information
Description: Explain differences between related individuals
Grade: 4
Year: 2009
Block & Number: BlockS11Question #9
Type of Question: Short Constructed Response
Difficulty: Hard(14.85% Correct)
Content Classification:
Content Area:
Life Science
Science Practices (2009 and on):
Using Science Principles
- Which part of the human skeleton is most like the bones in a bird's wing?
- A
- B
- C
- D
The correct answer is B.
Description: Identify similar bone structures
Grade: 4
Year: 2005
Block & Number: BlockS12Question #1
Type of Question: Multiple Choice
Difficulty: Easy(62.52% Correct)
Content Classification:
Content Area:
Life Science
Knowing and Doing Science (1996-2005):
Conceptual Understanding
NAEP national performance results in Science at grade 4: 2005
Identify similar bone structures
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 Science Assessment.