Science Assessment

Students should know that:

1. All elastic objects that are stretched or compressed have some amount of energy that is associated with how much they are stretched, compressed, twisted, or bent.
2. The energy of an elastic object can be increased by stretching or compressing the object out of its original shape.  The more the object is stretched or compressed, the more energy the object has, and the less the object is stretched or compressed, the less energy it has (assuming that the amount of stretching or compressing is the only thing that changes). 
3. The more an elastic object is stretched or compressed, the farther it can propel itself or another object when released.

Boundaries:

1. The terms “elastic energy” and “elastic potential energy” is not used in Basic level items because energy will be treated as a unified concept at this level and not in its various forms.
2. At this level, students will not be assessed on the knowledge of the relationship between elastic potential energy and how difficult it is to stretch or compress an object.
3. Students are not expected to know which objects are more elastic than others.  Assessment items will use only familiar elastic objects such as springs, rubber bands, and rubber balls. 
4. Assessment items are limited to scenarios involving only one object or two identical objects.
5. Items may involve objects stretched, compressed, twisted, or bent.  In items, comparisons are made between objects stretched, compressed, twisted, or bent in the same manner (i.e., both bent). Items do not use situations where one object is stretched and another object is compressed.  Additionally, items do not compare an object in a stretched and compressed state.
6. In assessment items, objects are not stretched, compressed, twisted, or bent beyond the point where they would return to their original shape (i.e. no plastic deformation).