Assessment Overview
Each unit in BSCS Biology includes an assessment system, designed to take advantage of multiple opportunities for assessment of different types that are designed to function together. For more on this program’s approach to assessment, see the Teacher Handbook.
CHAPTER 1
Lesson 1
FORMATIVE | Pre-assessment: initial models: Students create initial models to show their understanding of how and why Zach (an 11-year-old boy with a severe infection) got so sick.
Lesson 2
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Student feedback on investigation plans can reveal their understanding of how to plan and carry out an investigation for the intended testable question regarding where bacteria live in the school system.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool for the first time. This tool is for students to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 3
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: I2 annotations: Student thinking can be revealed in what they choose to note in the I2 annotations as well as what they write about cause and effect and trends in data.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 4
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Model Tracker: After completing this lesson and before the next (Synthesize) lesson, use the Model Tracker Formative Assessment Tool to assess individual student progress across this chapter and whole-class readiness for the Synthesize Lesson.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 5
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Prevention Policies: The Prevention Policies task is an opportunity for students to use what they learned to explain a related idea.
Chapter 1 Assessment
SUMMATIVE | This assessment requires students to use core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts to make sense of phenomena. Some of the phenomena used are similar to the ones the students experience in the classroom, while others are new and require students to apply what they learned. Scoring guidance is provided. This task is appropriate for grading.
CHAPTER 2
Lesson 6
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: initial models: Students create initial models to explain how the body is responding during the course of a bacterial infection.
Lesson 7
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Student thinking can be revealed in what they choose to note in the I2 activity.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 8
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Argument Tool: Student work supporting their explanations using the Argument Tool offers a good opportunity to assess success with this lesson’s learning goal.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 9
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Model Tracker: After completing this lesson and before the next (Synthesize) lesson, use the Model Tracker Formative Assessment Tool to assess and provide feedback on individual student progress across this chapter, and to assess whole-class readiness for the Synthesize lesson.
FORMATIVE | Student self-assessment: Students will use the Model Tracker Self-Assessment and Feedback Tool to monitor their own progress in modeling the learning they are doing.
Lesson 10
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Failure to Follow Up: The Failure to Follow Up task is an opportunity for students to use what they learned to explain a related idea.
Chapter 2 Assessment
SUMMATIVE | This assessment requires students to use core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts to make sense of phenomena. Some of the phenomena used are similar to the ones the students experience in the classroom, while others are new and require students to apply what they learned. Scoring guidance is provided. This task is appropriate for grading.
CHAPTER 3
Lesson 11
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: questions about data: The practice of asking questions as well as students’ initial ideas can be assessed by looking at the types of questions they generate based on the antibiotic resistance data.
Lesson 12
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Argument Tool: The Argument Tool will be used to structure students’ support of a claim based on evidence gathered in this investigation, and will be a good opportunity to assess students’ progress.
Lesson 13
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: Argument Tool: Written arguments are a good opportunity to assess success with this lesson’s learning goals.
Lesson 14
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: I2 annotations: Student thinking can be revealed in what they choose to note in the I2 annotations as well as what they write about changing populations.
Lesson 15
FORMATIVE | Formative assessment: “But I need something because I’m sick”: This task is an opportunity for students to use what they learned to explain how it applies to policies of antibiotic stewardship.
Unit Assessment
SUMMATIVE | The Unit Assessment is a scenario-based three-dimensional assessment that requires understanding of the unit’s DCIs, transfer of those ideas to a new (non-disease) context, as well as its focal practices and crosscutting concepts. Scoring guidance is provided. This task is appropriate for grading.