Students were asked to imagine that they had stepped off a plane, only to
realize that they had taken the wrong flight and landed in a strange country.
They were asked to use their Earth Science to figure out where they were,
then describe their situation in narrative form, explaining how they found
their location by determining their longitude and latitude.
| This sample of student work was produced under the following
conditions: |
| alone |
in a group |
| in class |
as homework |
| with teacher feedback |
with peer feedback |
| timed |
opportunity for revision |
 c
Earth and Space Sciences Concepts: The
student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of Earth
and the solar system, such as the predictable motions of planets,
moons, and other objects in the solar system….
The student states that the Earth rotates from west to east, indicating
that the student understands that the Earth’s motion is regular
and predictable.
 e
Scientific Connections and Applications: The
student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of the impact
of science, such as…interactions between science and society.
 The student bases
the work on an application of science facts and process skills used
to solve a real-world, albeit imaginary, problem.
 b
Scientific Thinking: The
student uses concepts from Science Standards 1 to 4 to explain a variety
of observations and phenomena.
The student uses
concepts from c
in describing a connection between the direction of Earth’s
rotation and time differences at different longitudes.
e
Scientific Thinking: The
student identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and
evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations.
The student identifies the problem.
The student proposes a solution to the problem.
The student considers a possible method for determining latitude,
but knows that the method is not feasible.
 The student describes
how to use simple materials to build a device that can determine latitude.
 The student
states that errors may occur during measuring, and that it would be
necessary to repeat the procedure several times to obtain a more accurate
mean measurement.
 a
Scientific Communication:
The student represents data and results in multiple ways, such as…drawings,
diagrams, and…technical and creative writing; and selects the
most effective way to convey the scientific information.
 
 
The student supports the narrative with diagrams and drawings.
 The narrative
is essentially a work of creative writing that moves fluidly back
and forth between the imaginary scenario and technical descriptions.
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