Assessment Strategies

Here are a number of strategies and activities you might use to help uncover student misconceptions, the level of student learning and areas in which students might need further instruction.

The use of graphic organizers can be used as pre-assessment activities (or formative assessments, if we use the results to help us plan!), as embedded assessment strategies and even as final assessment assignments. The most common graphic organizers are the KWL charts and Venn diagrams. The freeology website (http://freeology.com/) has a large variety of graphic organizers that are downloadable. This site also provides a very brief explanation of how to use each graphic organizer.

Video Post-Viewing Assessment:

The "Give One; Get One" (http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/page6.php) summary strategy is a useful tool to identify what the students have retained from the information in the video. Provide the students with a grid of twelve squares. In any three squares, the students record three different facts or ideas that they remember from the video. The students then begin to ask their classmates to fill in the other squares with information from the video that has not yet been recorded on the grid. Each classmate can fill in only one square on an individual's grid, but students can add information to as many different grids as they want. The grid can now be used in a variety of ways, such as notes for the students as they write a summary of the information addressed in the video.

Pre-Assessment:

Waves and Vibration: sound pre-test ideas
https://www.msu.edu/~sampeerk/Me/Portfolio%20docs/waves/pre_test_interviews.htm

After the first viewing of Episode 2

Video Talking Points:

Show Episode 2 again, this time stopping the video at some of the Talking Points mentioned in the teacher video. Engage and challenge the students to explain what was just said. Ask them if they can provide any proof to validate the statements.

Brainstorming:

Engage students in an open discussion on their experiences with the transfer of energy by light and sound waves. For example, you could ask questions like -

All About Waves Power Point Presentation - http://www.teamvideo.net/notes/waves2.pdf
This site could be used as a self-paced review for students. The web link is in the form of a Powerpoint presentation. Suggest teachers review resources to determine its appropriateness for class.

Embedded Assessment

Using a Frayer Model graphic organizer works well after students have viewed episodes 1 and 2. The Frayer Model has the student define the concept, write some important characteristics, give examples, and give non-examples. A Frayer Model blank template can be found at http://toolsfordifferentiation.pbworks.com/Frayer-Model. A Frayer Model challenges the student to think beyond a simple definition; the student needs to work with the topic at a much deeper level. In episodes 1 and 2 a good topic to use would be "waves."

During every lesson and activity you do with the students ask them to explain what they are doing and what they are learning about light and sound waves. Ask them to relate this knowledge to things they have experienced.

Throughout this unit of study student/teacher interaction is encouraged at every stage. Thus, teachers will know when and to what degree students grasp the concept. After the hands-on activities, students should be provided with some articles which speak to propagation of light and sound waves. Through group reports or demonstrations, students can explain how astronomers are able to determine distances in the world around us.

Doing a web-quest unit with your students could serve both as a form of embedded assessment or a final project. Self-paced directed web-quest lesson on Waves: Light and Sound. Internet treasure hunt. Students maintain note books and look for answers to questions. Might need to adapt to level of students’ ability.
http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/users/title3/Future%20Grant%20Projects/Projects/waves/Final%20Project/light%20and%20sound.htm

Post- assessment:

The student might be asked to design an experiment that would confirm that energy is being transferred under a given situation. But measuring the energy being transferred is difficult to do. (It’s really hard to get absolute energy measurements for most waves.)

Ask the students to develop at least three examples of ‘energy transfer’ and explain why they believe each of their examples is a demonstration of the science concept.

Teachers can display ‘conceptual cartoons’ relevant to the concept of energy transfer. This strategy uses a comical illustration of energy transfer in a real world situation. Students are asked to discuss the ‘science’ behind the cartoon, presenting their ideas and evidence for their conclusions. The scene with ‘Ociffer chasing and catching a Wave’ in Energy in Waves: a Transfer Story is a good video presentation of the conceptual cartoon concept. Students should be able to identify and explain the science concepts underlying the ‘cartoon’.

Ohio Achievement Test Grade 8 Science: Half-Length Practice Test (ORC#: 9164)
This professional resource is a half-length practice test for the Ohio Achievement Test, 8th Grade Science. Item number 8 on page 5 specifically deals with waves and the transfer of energy. To see the alignment of this benchmark, see page 9 in the 8th Grade OAT Half-length Sample Administration Manual.