Assessing Thinking in an Intermediate Phase Classroom

Designing Effective Projects : Teaching Thinking

Assessing Thinking: Grades 3-5
In The Great Bean Race Project Plan, young botanists investigate plant growth as they compete in a lima bean stalk growing competition with learners from other geographic locations.

Assessing Process
As learners conduct a series of experiments about plans, they write in their journals drawing conclusions about what they observe. The teacher uses the following checklist to assess their scientific thinking.

	1. Observations are recorded in clear, scientific language.
	2. The hypothesis is stated in a good sentence that includes a conclusion about what was observed and the reason it occurred.
	3. Hypothesis is testable.
	4. The hypothesis is supported logically by the observations.

Assessing Product
The following rubric describes levels of thinking about the science that learners are learning.

Science Content Rubric

Content	4	3	2	1
Journal responses, participation in activities, and discussion show the learner’s ability to: Understand the features and processes of plant growth Theorize, plan, and carry out experiments, and analyze and report conclusions of those experiments Explain how asking and answering questions are part of the process of a scientific investigation Compare prior knowledge to the results of a scientific investigation Organize evidence of change over time Develop models (illustrations and charts) to explain how objects, events, and/or processes work	The learner shows a full understanding of the features and processes of plant growth. The learner can fully theorize, plan, and carry out experiments, and analyze and report conclusions of those experiments. The learner explains fully how asking and answering questions promote scientific understanding. The learner compares prior knowledge to the results of a scientific investigation with clear distinctions between the two. The learner carefully and accurately measures and records change over time. The learner develops exceptional models (illustrations and charts) to explain how objects, events, and/or processes work.	The learner shows understanding of the features and processes of plant growth. The learner is developing the ability to theorize, plan, and carry out experiments, and analyze and report conclusions of those experiments. The learner explains one way of asking and answering questions to promote scientific understanding. The learner compares prior knowledge to the results of a scientific investigation with some distinction between the two. The learner carefully measures and records change over time. The learner develops models (illustrations and charts) that explain how objects, events, and/or processes work.	The learner shows some understanding of the features and processes of plant growth. The learner is lacking in the ability to theorize, plan, and carry out experiments, and analyze and report conclusions of those experiments. The learner has difficulty explaining one way of asking and answering questions to promote scientific understanding. The learner compares some prior knowledge to the results of a scientific investigation with little distinction between the two. The learner measures and records change over time with some errors. The learner develops models (illustrations and charts) with assistance that explain how objects, events, and/or processes work.	The learner shows minimal understanding of the features and processes of plant growth. The learner is unable to plan and carry out experiments independently. The learner has difficulty reporting conclusions. The learner is unable to explain how to answer questions to promote scientific understanding. The learner measures and records change over time with many errors, which makes the information difficult to understand. The learner does not develop models or does not explain how objects, events, and/or processes work.

Self-Assessment
At the end of the project, the learners will write a reflection in which they answer the following questions:

During this project, when did you think most like a scientist?
What evidence shows that you were thinking like a scientist then?
What was the easiest kind of thinking for you during this project?
What was the hardest kind of thinking?
What are you going to work harder on during the next science project?

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