Science Assessment

Student selects answer choice B

• B. The basketball bounces higher than the tennis ball in each trial.

Student selects answer choice A

• A. The final height of the tennis ball is lower than its initial height

Student selects answer choice C

• C.

Student selects answer choice B

• B.

Student selects answer choices C and D

• C. The athlete could measure the loudness of the sound made when the ball hits the ground because sound is an indicator that energy was transferred to the air.
• D. The athlete could measure the temperature of the ground where the ball hit before and after the ball bounces because an increase in temperature is an indicator that energy is transferred from the ball to the ground.

1. Student makes a valid claim

• The balls reached a lower height after bouncing on the ground because
  • some of their energy was transferred to the environment.
  • the balls have less energy after the bounce.
  • the balls slow down after hitting the ground.
  • a sound was produced when the ball hit the ground.

2. Student lists evidence

• The speed of the balls after bouncing is slower than the speed before hitting the ground.
• A sound was heard when the ball hit the ground.
• The bar graphs show that the kinetic energy and/or potential energy of the ball are less after the bounce.

3. Student either states or uses a general science idea

• The slower an object moves, the less kinetic energy it has (i.e., the ball has less energy when it is moving slower). [links speed and energy]
• When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that causes energy to be transferred resulting in a change in motion (i.e., the ball transfers energy to the ground when it hits the ground and bounces upward). [links force and energy transfer].
  • Note: the word “force” is not required.
• Sound is an indicator of energy transfer (i.e., the sound made when the ball hits the ground transfers energy to the surroundings). [links sound and energy transfer]
• The closer an object is to the earth, the less gravitational potential energy the system has (i.e., the ball has less energy if it is closer to the ground). [links distance and energy]
• When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy (e.g., gravitational potential energy) at the same time (i.e., the decrease in kinetic energy of the ball means the gravitational potential energy at final height will be less). [links change in motion energy and other energy change]

4. Student uses a crosscutting concept

• The transfer of energy can be tracked through a system (e.g., from the ball to the air and/or the ground). [energy can be tracked]

Note: The student must explicitly state where the energy is coming from and going to.

5. Student uses reasoning to link evidence and science ideas to support their claim

• The reason the ball did not bounce as high is because it has less energy. It has less energy because energy was transferred from the ball to the ground when the ball hit the ground (as evidenced by the change in speed).

OR

• The reason the ball did not bounce as high is because it has less energy. It has less energy because energy was transferred from the ball to the air as evidenced by the sound heard.

OR

• The reason the ball did not bounce as high is because it has less energy as illustrated by the graphs that show that the ball has less energy (either kinetic or potential) after the bounce.

Note: Student’s response must include energy to receive the reasoning point. Students do not need to use both the science idea and evidence to get the reason point. They can provide a “rule-based” explanation or an “evidence-based” explanation. But they must one or the other to make it different than the claim.

1. Student makes a valid claim

• The tennis ball bounces higher because it has more energy on the stacked bounce rebound. The basketball bounces lower because it has less energy on the stacked bounce rebound

OR

• The tennis ball bounces higher, and the basketball bounces lower because the basketball transfers energy to the tennis ball

OR

• The tennis ball bounces higher, and the basketball bounces lower because the basketball pushes the tennis ball.

2. Student lists evidence

• The basketball pushes/collides with the tennis ball when it bounces up or the tennis ball bounces off the basketball.

3. Student either states or uses a general science idea

• When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that causes energy to be transferred. (i.e., the basketball pushes the tennis ball as it bounces up, transferring energy from the basketball to the tennis ball.) [links force and energy transfer]

4. Student uses a crosscutting concept

• The transfer of energy can be tracked through a system (e.g., from the basketball to the tennis ball). [energy can be tracked]

Note: The student must explicitly state where the energy is coming from and going to.

5. Student uses reasoning to link evidence and science ideas to support their claim

• The tennis ball bounces higher during the stacked bounce because it has more energy. The tennis ball has more energy because the basketball pushed it upwards transferring energy to the tennis ball.
• The basketball bounces lower during the stacked bounce because it has less energy. The basketball has less energy because it pushes the tennis ball transferring energy to the tennis ball.

Note: Student’s response must include energy to receive the reasoning point. Students do not need to use both the science idea and evidence to get the reason point. They can provide a “rule-based” explanation or an “evidence-based” explanation. But they must one or the other to make it different than the claim.