Science Olympiad
This example illustrates the close relationship between teaching and assessment. The assessment tasks are developmentally appropriate for young children, including recognition of students' physicals skills and cognitive abilities. The titles in this example (e.g., "Science Content") emphasize some important components of the assessment process. As students move from station to station displaying their understanding and ability in science, members of the community evaluate the students' science achievement and can observe that the students have had the opportunity to learn science. An Olympiad entails extensive planning, and even when the resources are common and readily available, it takes time to design and set up an Olympiad.
[This example highlights some elements of Teaching Standards A , C, and D; Assessment Standards A, B, C, and E; K-4 Content Standards A and B; Program Standards D and F; and System Standards D and G.]
SCIENCE CONTENT: The K-4 Content Standard for Science as Inquiry sets the criterion that students should be able to use simple equipment and tools to gather data. In this assessment exercise, four tasks use common materials to allow students to demonstrate their abilities.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: Students make and record observations.
ASSESSMENT TYPE: Performance, public, authentic, individual.
ASSESSMENT PURPOSE: This assessment activity provides the teacher with information about student achievement. That information can be used to assign grades to students and to make promotion decisions. By involving the community, parents, and older siblings in the assessment process, the activity increases the community's understanding of and support for the elementary school science program.
DATA:
CONTEXT: Assessment activities of this general form are appropriate as an end-of-the-year activity for grades 1-4. The public performance involves students engaging in inquiry process skills at several stations located in and around the science classroom. Parents, local business persons, community leaders, and faculty from higher education act as judges of student performance. Benefits to the students and to the school and the science program, such as increased parental and community involvement, are well worth the costs of the considerable planning and organization on the part of the teacher. Planning includes 1) selecting appropriate tasks, 2) collecting necessary equipment, 3) making task cards, 4) checking the equipment, 5) obtaining and training judges, and 6) preparing students for public performance.
Assessment Exercise:
STATION A. Measuring Wind Speed
2. Wind gauge
3. Table marked with a letter-by-
number grid
4. Task cards with directions
b. Task
1. Place the wind gauge at position D-4 on the grid.
2. Place the fan at position G-6 facing the wind gauge.
3. Turn the fan on to medium speed.
4. Record the wind speed and direction in your laboratory notebook.
STATION B. Rolling Cylinders
a. Equipment
2. Adjustable incline
3. Strips of colored paper of various lengths
4. Task cards with directions
b. Task 1
2. Describe the motion of the cylinders and their relation to each other.
2. Select one of the cylinders, and adjust the angle of the incline so that the cylinder consistently rolls just to the end of the blue strip.
STATION C. Comparing Weights
2. Collections of objects in bags (Teachers select objects that have irregular shapes and are made of materials of different densities so that volume and mass are not correlated.)
3. Task card with directions
2. Describe how you arranged the objects.
STATION D. Measuring Volumes
2. Numbered stones of various colors, shapes, and sizes but small enough to fit into the cylinder.
3. Several containers marked A, B, C, and D.
4. Task cards with directions
2. Record your measurement in your laboratory notebook.
2. Record your measurement in your laboratory notebook.
EVALUATING STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Aspects of a student's performance and criteria for evaluation include:
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR EVIDENCE
Following directions Student follows the directions.
Measuring and recording data Measurements are reasonably
accurate and include correct units
Planning Student organizes the work:
(1) observations of the rolling cylinders
are sequenced logically,
(2) student selects the cylinder with the
most predictable motion
for Part 2 of the rolling-cylinders task,
(3) student records the weights of the objects
before attempting to order them in the
ordering-by-weight task.
Elegance of approach Student invents a sophisticated way of
collecting, recording, or reporting observations.
Evidence of reflection Student comments on observations in ways
that indicate that he/she is attempting to find
patterns and causal relationships
Quality of observations Observations are appropriate to the task,
complete, accurate, and have some basis in
experience or scientific understanding
Behavior in the face of adversity The student seeks help and does not panic
if sand or water is spilled or glassware is broken,
but proceeds to clean up, get replacements,
and continue the task.
