SCIENCE PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS - GRADES 1-5
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SCIENCE
PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS
GRADES 1-5ii
RESPONDING TO THIS DOCUMENT
We welcome your response to this document.
Feedback should be sent to:
Division of Curriculum and Instruction (E-418)
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, Illinois 62777
OR
via e-mail to: gpollock@isbe.net
© 2002 by the Illinois State Board of Education. All rights reserved. No portion
of this text may be copied, reproduced, or distributed without written consent of
the Illinois State Board of Education.
Permission to make copies of this document is granted to all Illinois Public
Schools.iii
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................iv
Introduction........................................................................................................... 1
Design for Performance Standards............................................................ 1
Vision for Science Performance................................................................. 3
Intended Use and Interpretation ................................................................ 5
Science Performance Descriptors ...................................................................... 10
Relationship of Performance Descriptors to National and State Standards........ 30
References ......................................................................................................... 31iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Writers and Reviewers:
Andy Apicella, Riverdale High School, Port Byron
Marge Bardeen, Fermilab, Batavia
Liza Basden, Highland High School, Highland
Joyce Bell, Husmann School, Crystal Lake
Patricia Boldt, Bluffs School District
Linda Carter, Chicago Public Schools
Mary Beth Collins, Johnson School, Warrenville
Trudi Coutts, Madison Junior High School, Naperville
Larry Cwik, Madison Junior High School, Naperville
Dr. Kyle Cudworth, University of Chicago, Yerkes Observatory
Raymond Dagenais, Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Evelyn Dorsey, Crescent-Iroquois High School, Crescent City
William F. Fraccaro, District 200, Wheaton
Patricia Franzen, Electronic Long Distance Learning Network, Schaumburg
Betty Green, Egyptian Middle School, Tamms
Barbara Garner, Hoopeston School, Hoopeston
Dr. Nancy Grim, Chicago State University, Chicago
Sean Hay, East Alton Wood River High School, East Alton
Jim Hanna, Frank Riley School, Chicago
Dr. Harold Hart, Western Illinois University Physics Department
Gail Hermann, Quincy High School
Daucenia Hunter, Chicago Public Schools
Stephanie Hobrock, Virginia School District
Vivian Hoette, University of Chicago, Yerkes Observatory
Karen Hood, Camp Point Elementary School
Joe Jacupzak, Ottawa High School
Bernie Jokiel, North Aurora
Christie Jones, Springfield School District
Ruth Juhant, Troy Middle School, Plainfield
Linae Kendal, Pontiac Township High School
Dr. Joachim Keppen, University of Strasbourg-Kiel
Nancy Kerr, Egyptian School District
Cheryl Kestner, Camp Point Junior High School
Charlotte Krueger, Camp Point Elementary School
Beth Kiger, Robinson Elementary School
Dr. Ken King, Northern Illinois University Elementary Education Department
Michael Lach, Lake View High School, Chicago
Judith Lachance-Whitcomb, Sauganash School, Chicago
Mike Manolakes, Maplebrook School, Naperville
Tim McCollum, Charleston School DIstrict
Denny Moore, John Deere Middle School, Moline
Nancy Nega, Elmhurst School District
Rita Nelson, Chicago Public Schools
Joann Newton, Independence School, Bolingbrook
John Personette, Ottawa High School, Ottawa
Pam Personette, Ottawa Elementary School
Lanis Petrick, Brookfield Zoo, Riversidev
Phil Sumida, Maine West High School, Des Plaines
Dr. James Switzer, DePaul University
Catherine Tanner, Chicago Public Schools
Vicki Tripp, Buncombe Grade School, Buncombe
Kiki Valkanas, Chicago Public Schools
Russ Watson, College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn
Rosalind Wells, Edgemont Elementary School, East St. Louis
Kathleen Wilson, Supt. Edgar County Community Unit School District #6, Chrisman
Polly Wise, Williamsville School, Williamsville
Kathy Wright, Bennett School, Mattoon
Koji Yaguchi, Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates
Ann Yost, Chicago Public Schoolsl
and staff from our state agencies
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources Education (Valerie Keener and
Randi Wiseman) and Groundwater Education (Harry Hendrickson)
• Illinois Natural History Survey (Dr. Michael Jeffords)
• Illinois State Geological Survey (Dr. Wayne Frankie)
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Bill Buscher)
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (Bina Fleck)
• Illinois State Board of Education (Nancy Harris, Sue Burge, Pam Stanko)
We also wish to thank the many science educators who developed benchmark indicators
during the 1999-2000 school year. Their work was instrumental in developing the
performance descriptors. In particular, we would like to thank the following team
leaders:
John Beaver, Co-Chair, Western Illinois University
Ray Dagenais, Co-Leader, Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
William F. Fraccaro, Co-Leader, Late Elementary, Johnson School, Warrenville
Sean Garrison, Co-Leader, Early High School, Coal City High School, Coal City
Maurice Kellogg, Co-Leader, Late Elementary, Western Illinois University
Sue Kerr, Co-Leader, Early Elementary, Washington School, Belleville
Karen Meyer, Co-Leader, Middle/Junior High School, Ridgewood School, Rock Island
Carolyn Phillips, Co-Leader, Middle/Junior High School, Dallas City Jr. High, Dallas City
Anne Reichel, Co-Leader, Early Elementary, Lake County Regional Office of Education
Pam Stanko, Co-Chair, Illinois State Board of Education
John Thompson, Co-Leader, Early H. S., Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Lois Wisniewski, Co-Leader, Normal High School, Normal1
INTRODUCTION
Design for Performance Standards
The Illinois Learning Standards are content standards that describe “what” students
should know and be able to do in grades K – 12. Each content standard includes five
benchmarks that describe what students should know and be able to do at early
elementary, late elementary, middle/junior high, early high school, and late high school.
The challenge for the 2000-2001 school year was to produce performance standards
that would indicate “how well” students should perform to meet the standards. To
address this challenge, a number of perspectives needed to be considered. For
example, the National Governors Association1 raised two pertinent questions
policymakers should consider for the design of performance standards:
• Do the performance standards indicate the levels of performance students
should attain, descriptions of performance at each level, and rules that
enable educators to determine whether students have reached a given
level?
• Do the performance standards include a range of work . . . to show that
students can meet the standards in a variety of ways?
The performance standards describe how well students perform at various points on an
educational development continuum. This continuum shows how students can
demonstrate mastery of progressively more difficult content and cognitive skills over ten
incremental stages of development. Performance within each stage can be assessed by
the extent to which students are meeting the standards (i.e., starting, approaching,
meeting, exceeding). Performance standards include four essential elements:
performance descriptors, performance levels, assessment tasks, and performance
examples.
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A B C D E F G H I J
1
Ouellette, M. (2000). “Maintaining progress through systemic education reform: Performance standards,” Washington, DC:
National Governors Association.2
The performance standards are classroom resources for voluntary use at the local level.
They are not intended to replace the Illinois Learning Standards. Instead, they
supplement them by providing sufficient detail and examples to enable teachers to
establish appropriate grade-level performance expectations for students. The
performance descriptors are a direct outgrowth of the state goals for learning. Whereas
the benchmarks filled in detail on each of the standards at five grade-level clusters, the
performance descriptors provide additional detail at each grade level.
Goals
Learning
Standards
Benchmarks
Performance Descriptors
Definitions
performance standards: the knowledge and skills that students are to perform at
various stages of educational development (performance descriptors) and the
performance expectations (performance levels and assessment tasks) for student work
(performance exemplars) at each of the stages.
performance descriptors: statements of how students can demonstrate the knowledge
and skills they acquired.2
performance levels: descriptions of how well students have achieved the standards;
that is, the range, frequency, facility, depth, creativity, and/or quality of the knowledge
and skills they acquired. Students can demonstrate levels of achieving performance
standards along six dimensions:
PERFORMANCE RANGE + FREQUENCY + FACILITY + DEPTH + CREATIVITY + QUALITY
LEVEL =
Exceeding extensively consistently automatically profoundly inventively excellently
Meeting fully usually quickly deeply imaginatively well
Approaching partially occasionally haltingly cursorily commonly marginally
Starting narrowly rarely slowly superficially imitatively poorly
2
New Standards. Performance Standards. (1997) Washington, DC: The National Center on Education and the
Economy.3
assessment tasks: descriptions of what students can do to demonstrate they have met
the standards and a means for evaluating the levels of their performance.
performance examples: student work samples resulting from the classroom-based
performance assessment tasks that illustrate performance levels.
Template For Expanded Performance Descriptors
BENCHMARKS ⇒ early elementary late elementary middle/ junior high early late
high high
STAGES ⇒ A B C D E F G H I J
PERFORMANCE
LEVELS ⇓
Exceeding
Meeting
Approaching
Starting
Vision for Science Performance
A major goal of Illinois science education is to develop science literate, life-long learners.
Schools create learning communities where each student has multiple opportunities to
gain content knowledge and apply that knowledge in a relevant manner to the local,
regional and global communities. To help achieve this outcome, performance standards,
which indicate how well students are expected to perform specific tasks, provide
educators with logical extensions to the Illinois Goals and Learning Standards. Students
who meet these performance standards will apply an extensive knowledge base of
science content and scientific processes to occupations and everyday life.
Upon completion of their education, students will complete complex investigations and
solve problems creatively. They will ask questions, gather evidence, seek and obtain in-
depth answers, review, understand and compare findings, and communicate research to
others. Students will use a variety of technologies as effective tools to facilitate their
research. They will develop a variety of tools using a technological design process.
Students will participate in a variety of individual activities and collaborate with other
students in group activities. They will relate the scientific fields by applying knowledge
gained in one field to another.
Students will understand the impact of science concepts, processes, and connections in
their lives as individuals, community members, and citizens. Students will realize the
constancy of the nature of science in order to question and answer their future
challenges. Upon completion of their education, students will have experienced the
excitement of doing science and the joy of learning.
Vision for Incrementally Improving Science Performance
Educating today’s science student is an extremely complex and exciting adventure. For
the sake of convenience, schools frequently place students in graduated levels called
grades. However, within each classroom, students vary by age, physical development,
intellectual capacity, background experience, socio-economic level, interests,
performance, motivation, and learning styles.4 The purpose of Science Performance Descriptors is to furnish educators with a logical and measurable continuum of performance and developmental indicators. Education will benefit by the development of descriptors that provide information about what every student needs to learn to meet Illinois Science Learning Standards and by describing how students perform while doing so. These performance descriptors provide information regarding physiological and intellectual development of students as they progress through their K-12 education. State Science Learning Standards describe what students need to know and how they will apply that knowledge in ten stages of intellectual development. Within each class and grade level, students will be functioning at a variety of stages. This process is based on utilization of a taxonomy of cognitive-skill levels encompassing various aspects of learning from foundational, more concrete levels (knowledge, comprehension) through more complex and abstract levels (application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). It will be useful for professional educators to understand that students are located at various stages along this continuum. These stages do not represent individual grade levels, and every classroom will contain students from multiple stages. There are three equally important science goals. The following statements provide a vision of science performance for students who meet the standards. The performance descriptions provide a synopsis of expectations while the expansion presents a more detailed explanation. The concepts from Goal 12 provide the context for the processes of science of Goal 11 and the connections within science and from science to technology and society described in Goal 13. Goal 11 – Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems. This goal encompasses scientific inquiry and methods of technological design. Students will investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems. They will listen, discover, describe, observe, and research scientific inquiry and methods of technological design. As students progress across the developmental spectrum they will continue to increase their knowledge base. They will use this knowledge and comprehension to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate inquiry and design processes. They will choose proper techniques, classify information, demonstrate and modify designs, record data, explain prototypes and use a variety of scientific equipment. Then, they will perform, communicate, analyze, compare, contrast, evaluate, discuss, summarize and support their investigations and designs. The processes of science should be practiced in the context of the concepts of science found in Goal 12 and with the connections within science and from science to technology and society noted in Goal 13. Goal 12 – Understand the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences. This goal provides fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of life, physical, and earth/space sciences. Knowledge of these concepts and principles allows students who meet the standards to relate new subject matter to previously learned material and provide more meaningful levels of understanding and application. They will listen to, discover, describe, and remember science content. They will discover, illustrate, rewrite, edit, and restate this content as their comprehension increases. Subsequently, they will be able to classify, build, report, sketch and use a variety of learning aids to apply content knowledge and
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comprehension. Students will be able to point out, analyze, differentiate, dissect, solve,
estimate, forecast, role-play, debate, recommend, summarize, and critique aspects
within the content areas. The concepts of science should be mastered using the
scientific processes noted in Goal 11 and with the connections within science and from
science to technology and society noted in Goal 13.
Goal 13 – Understand the relationships among science, technology, and society in
historical and contemporary contexts. This goal covers historical and current
relationships among science, technology, and society. Students who meet the
standards know and comprehend the accepted practices of science, including
specifically the nature of science and scientific habits of mind, practicing safe methods,
and recognizing risks and limitations of experimentation. While attempting to improve
their surroundings students will know and comprehend the relationships between
science, technology, and society. Students will apply their understanding of the
processes practiced from Goal 11 and the context of science, noted in Goal 12, in their
own world. They will examine, research, analyze, compare, contrast, and evaluate the
products, policies, and processes of science in current and future contexts. Students will
investigate, hypothesize, infer, predict, critique, and create informed opinions about
local, regional, national, and global connections to the world of science.
Intended Use and Interpretation
The primary function of these descriptors is to provide educators with necessary tools to
continue the quest of improving the quality of science education throughout Illinois.
They have been written, reviewed, and analyzed by teachers and experts in the field of
science education. They are intended to be used as a descriptive tool by teachers,
administrators, parents, and students, and have not been created to represent a state-
mandated curriculum. They can be powerful tools in determining how to best meet the
needs of students from the time they enter elementary school to their graduation from
high school as they become life-long learners. The purpose of this section is to explain
what these descriptors are and how they can be used to facilitate the learning of
science.
Exactly what are Science Expanded Performance Descriptors? Before they can be
described it will be helpful to explain what already exists. There are three goals for
science that are general statements of what students need to know to be successful in
this learning area. These goals are followed by ten science learning standards that are
specific statements of knowledge or skills needed for science. They represent what
students learn as a result of their schooling. Then, there are thirty-one to thirty-seven
learning benchmarks which are clustered throughout early elementary, late elementary,
middle/junior high school, early high school, and late high school years. These
benchmarks are indicators of student achievement and form a basis for measuring that
achievement over time. The science expanded performance descriptors represent the
developmental stages of student learning and show a progression through which
students develop knowledge and the application of that knowledge in science education.
Each learning benchmark has ten expanded performance descriptors (Stages A, B, C,
D, E, F, G, H, I, and J) that furnish educators with a logical and measurable continuum of
performance and developmental indicators. They provide information about what
students need to learn to meet Illinois Science Learning Standards and by describing
how students perform while doing so. These performance descriptors provide6
information regarding physiological and intellectual development of students as they
progress through their K-12 education.
How can teachers use the Descriptors to help them teach science?
These stages are not intended to represent any one specific grade level since teachers
will have students at multiple levels in any given classroom. The stages represent the
developmental progression of student learning. For clarity, several stages correspond to
specific levels for ISAT purposes and represent the “meets” standards and benchmarks
at that level. Level C corresponds to the “meets” level for 3rd grade, level E for the 5th
grade, level H to 8th grade, level I to early high school, and level J to late high school.
However, teachers should not confine themselves to one specific stage for their grade
level. The teacher must look at a series of three stages to find the progression of
understanding and application students should experience. The other stages are not
meant to correspond to the missing grades. The following chart indicates the stage
clusters teachers should look at when determining the developmental needs of their
students.
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)
Grade 6 (E-F-G) Grade 7 (F-G-H) Grade 8 (G-H-I) Grade 9-10 (H-I-J) Grade 11-12 (I-J)
How can these Expanded Performance Descriptors be used as a curriculum
development tool through the continuum of the learning stages? These stages of
development can help a school district devise a science curriculum that will meet state
standards and subsequently improve performance of ISAT science tests. It is not the
responsibility of any one grade level to cover all standards or curricula. Science
curriculum development teams can study the performance descriptors and make the
necessary local decisions to determine what material should be covered at each grade
level and how it will be taught.
The descriptors do provide a framework for making these decisions. They are
descriptive and not prescriptive. The science goals, standards, benchmarks, and
performance descriptors provide the minimum amount of information which students
need to know and how to apply that knowledge in a developmentally appropriate
manner, but the local school districts determine how and when this material should be
covered. Using the stages of development provided in this document, school district
curriculum teams can develop a science curriculum that will meet state standards.
The format of the Expanded Performance Descriptors for Science is slightly different
from the other learning areas in several ways. Links to other goals and standards are
suggested. The links are not meant to be an all-inclusive listing, but starting points for
curriculum planning. The science descriptors build on each other within each stage, as
well as the descriptors from other learning areas. All of the Goal 12 descriptors denote
links to the descriptors for scientific inquiry and technological design from Goal 11; most
denote specific links to the scientific habits of mind, principles of safety and connections
to technologies and society from Goal 13. In many cases, direct links to the other
learning areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science, Health and
Physical Development, and Fine Arts are noted for the distinct purpose of showing the
interconnectedness of Science to all learning.7 Another distinctive formatting difference is the suggestion of curricular ideas beyond the wording of each descriptor (bold print). The sub-bulleted ideas below each bolded descriptor are possible conceptual extensions to provide clarification, definition or refinement for curricular planning. The stages provide developmentally appropriate levels of rigor at each level. Every student, regardless of stage, is required to utilize a variety of levels of thinking while learning and applying science skills. Students are asked to know, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate whether they are in stage A, stage D, stage H, or stage J. As students progress from stage to stage, the level of difficulty increases. Remember that science descriptors incorporate what students need to know and how to apply that knowledge. FOR EXAMPLE, in Standard 12B, students who meet this standard know and apply the concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment. The descriptors for 12B should be deeply integrated into the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry and/or technological design from Goal 11, while stressing the practices, principles and relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts from Goal 13. In stage A, students are applying guided scientific inquiry or technological design processes to explore how living things are dependent on one another for survival. Conceptual suggestions include identifying survival needs of plants and animals, matching groupings of animals or explaining how we adapt to our environments. Ideas about real-world applications and an understanding of conservation of natural resources noted in 13B can be naturally integrated. These conceptual understandings could be integrated with the concepts from the social science standards 16E, 17 C-D and 18C and the health and physical development standards, 22A and 22C. By the time they reach stage D, students are applying the processes of scientific inquiry or technological design to compare the adaptations of physical features of organisms to their environments by, for instance, identifying physical features that help plants or animals survive in their environments or tracing adaptations to different environments over time. Ideas about the interactions of technology and societal decisions are suggested in standard 13B. Notations are offered to suggest integration with the concepts and processes in social science for standard 17C. By stage H, students are applying options of the processes of scientific inquiry (including the processes of issue investigations) and/or the processes of technological design (including historic technological designs) to explore the implications of change and stability in ecosystems, to examine species demise or success within ecosystems, to study biogeography and to analyze Illinois-specific ecosystems and biomes. Suggestions to explore the interaction of resource acquisition, technological development and ecosystem impact, for instance from standard 13B are offered to strengthen these curricular concepts. These concepts and processes are linked directly to mathematics goals 7 and 10, as well as social science goals 16 and 17. By the end of high school, in stage J, students are applying scientific inquiries (including the processes of issue investigations) and/or the processes of technological designs to research the sustainability of water, land, air and energy sources and resources. These applications should be within the context of Goal 13 by applying the appropriate
8 principles of safety and scientific habits of mind noted in standard 13A. The interactions of technology in science and societal situations and the societal interactions resulting from scientific discoveries and technological innovations described in standard 13B should have direct connections as well, to the concepts and processes of 12 B. Who really wrote these descriptors and where did the ideas come from? A team of experts in science education wrote these expanded performance descriptors. They included teachers, curriculum writers, consultants, professors, and governmental science center directors. Each writer was or currently is an active educator, and all are currently involved in the promotion and improvement of science education. The descriptors were reviewed by teams of teachers from throughout the State of Illinois. All segments from early elementary to late high school were represented. The descriptors are well grounded in solid science educational research. The two major sources of reference are Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061 by American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Education Standards by the National Academy of Sciences. Final comments. Educational reform and improvement in science is an ongoing process. The major players in this movement have been, are, and will continue to be teachers; they emerged from some of the finest minds in science education and teaching. They were written by teachers, reviewed by teachers, for teachers, to be used by teachers, to improve the quality of science education for the students of Illinois.
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Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of
11A scientific inquiry.
Stage A Stage B Stage C
1. Describe an observed science 1. Describe observed science event, 1. Describe an observed (cause and
concept, o sequencing processes or steps, or effect) science experience or
o using appropriate senses, or o choosing/proposing causes or situation,
o making applicable estimations and effects based on observations, or o using the appropriate attributes,
measurements, or o using measurable and descriptive units and tools, or
o predicting steps or sequences, or attributes and units. o classifying observations into
o describing changes in terms of (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 20A and 23C.) characteristic, sequential or
starting and ending conditions 2. Begin guided inquiry cause-and-effect categories, or
using words, diagrams or graphs. investigations about objects, o describing phenomenon in terms
(Link to 7A-B, 12A-F.) events, and/or organisms that can of starting and ending conditions,
2. Begin guided inquiry, be tested, types of changes.
o asking questions using prior o asking pertinent questions, or (Link directly to 7A-C, 12A-F, 20A.)
knowledge and observations, or o predicting conditions that can 2. Devise inquiry investigation,
o inferring from observations to influence change, or o brainstorming possible questions
generate new questions, or o determining simple steps to follow for investigation consideration, or
o developing strategies to to investigate selected question(s). o prioritizing questions for inquiry,
investigate questions. (Link to 12A-F.) o wording questions into appropriate
(Link to 5C, 12A-F.) 3. Conduct guided inquiry, hypotheses,
3. Conduct guided inquiry, o assembling proper materials and o choosing the procedural steps, or
o following appropriate procedural equipment, or o creating data collection format to
steps and safety precautions as o following appropriate procedural address selected hypothesis.
directed by teacher. steps and safety precautions. (Link to 5A, 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A.)
(Link to 12A-F, 13A.) (Link to 12A-F, 13A.) 3. Collect data from inquiry
4. Collect data for guided inquiry, 4. Collect data for investigations, investigations,
o identifying and using instruments o choosing and using appropriate o selecting and using the
for gathering data, or instruments and units. appropriate data-gathering
o making estimates and o recording data on classroom instruments, or measurable unit,
measurements, or charts, tables, journals or on or
o recording observations, or computers, or o reading and recording data into
o reading data from data-collection o sorting or modifying pictures or student-created tables, charts, or
instruments. drawings that illustrate data. journals.
(Link to 6B-D, 10A, 12A-F.) (Link to 7A-C, 10A, 12A-F.) (Link directly to 7A-C, 12A-F, 10A.)
5. Record and store data, 5. Analyze results investigation, 4. Analyze results or data pattern,
o assembling pictures to illustrate o organizing data on graphs or o noting similarities and differences,
data, or charts, or or
o organizing data on charts and o constructing reasonable and o summarizing for cause or effect, or
pictographs, tables, journals or accurate explanations from data, o constructing reasonable and
computers. or accurate explanations of data, or
(Link to 10A-B, 12A-F.) o applying qualitative and o identifying reasons why similar
6. Analyze and display results, quantitative terminology that investigations may not always
o recognizing and describing describes observed data patterns. have the same results.
patterns, or (Link directly to 8B,10A, 12A-F.) (Link to 10A-C, 12A-F, 13A.)
o noting similarities and differences 6. Communicate results of 5. Communicate conclusions from
in patterns, or individual and group investigation, individual and group results,
o predicting trends. o matching similar data from other o displaying appropriate data
(Link to 8A-B, 9C, 10A-B, 12A-F.) data sources, or analysis tables and charts, or
7. Communicate individual and o identifying reasons for differences o describing patterns from personal
group results, or discrepancies in the data, or and group data, or
o identifying similar data from o selecting data that can be used to o proposing causes or effects from
others, or predict future events or data data comparisons, or
o generalizing data, or trends, or o suggesting additional questions
o drawing simple conclusions, or o generating questions for possible from analyzed procedures,
o suggesting more questions to future inquiry investigations. similarities, discrepancies, or
consider. (Link directly to 5A-C, 7A-C, 8C, conclusions.
(Link to 5A, 10A-B, 12A-F.) 10A-C, 12A-F.) (Link directly to 5A, 10A, 12A-F.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)11
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of
11A scientific inquiry.
Stage D Stage E Stage F
1. Formulate contextual inquiry 1 Construct an inquiry hypothesis 1 Formulate hypotheses,
questions, that can be investigated, o generating if-then, cause-effect
o brainstorming questions, or o researching pertinent context, or statements and predictions, or
o converting questions into o proposing the logical sequence of o choosing and explaining selection
hypothesis statements, or steps, or of the controlled variables.
o researching associated scientific o securing the appropriate materials (Link to 5A, 7A-C, 9, 10, 12A-F, 23C.)
knowledge and skills, or and equipment, or 2 Design and conduct scientific
o identifying simple independent o determining data-collection investigation,
and dependent variables to be strategies and format for o incorporating appropriate safety
investigated. approved investigation. precautions, available technology
(Link to 3A, 5A, 7A-C, 12A-F.) (Link to 5A, 12A-F, 13A.) and equipment, or
2. Propose procedural steps to 2. Conduct scientific inquiry o researching historic and current
investigate inquiry hypothesis, investigation, foundations for similar studies, or
o applying logical sequence for o observing safety precautions and o replicating all processes in multiple
investigatory process, or following procedural steps trials.
o constructing applicable data accurately over multiple trials. (Link to 5, 12A-F, 13A-B.)
tables, or (Link to 12A-F,13A.) 3. Collect and organize data
o selecting necessary materials and 3. Collect qualitative and accurately,
equipment, or quantitative data from o using consistent measuring and
o identifying appropriate safety investigation, recording techniques with
measures to follow. o using available technologies, or necessary precision, or
(Link to 12A-F, 13A.) o determining the necessary o using appropriate metric units, or
3. Conduct inquiry investigation, required precision, or o documenting data accurately from
o collecting quantitative and o validating data for accuracy. collecting instruments, or
qualitative data from trials, or (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A.) o graphing data appropriately.
o using applicable metric units, or 4. Organize and display data, (Link to 7A, 8B-C, 10A-B, 12A-F.)
o observing appropriate and o determining most appropriate 4. Interpret and represent results of
necessary safety precautions, or visualization strategies for analysis to produce findings,
o validating data for accuracy. collected data, or o differentiating observations that
(Link to 7A-B, 8B, 10B, 12A-F, 13A.) o using graphs (i.e., double bar, support or refute a hypothesis, or
4. Construct charts and double line, stem and leaf plots) o identifying the unexpected data
visualizations to display data, and technologies. within the data set, or
o choosing appropriate display (Link to 8B, 9C, 12A-F, 13A.) o proposing explanations for
media for data analysis, or 5. Analyze data to produce discrepancies in the data set.
o incorporating reasonable explanations, (Link to 12A-F, 13A.)
available/appropriate technology. o comparing and summarizing data 5. Report the process and results of
(Link to 10A, 12A-F.) from multiple trials, an investigation,
5. Analyze data trends, o interpreting trends, or o using available technologies for
o summarizing inferences, or o evaluating conflicting data, or presentations, or
o explaining data points including o determining sources of error. o distinguishing observations that
outliers and discrepancies, or (Link to 7A-C, 9C, 10, 12A-F.) support the original hypothesis, or
o synthesizing collected data as 6. Communicate analysis and o analyzing a logical proof or
evidence for explanations. conclusions from investigation, explanation of findings, or
(Link to 8A-B, 10A, 12A-F.) o interpreting graphs and charts, or o generating additional questions
6. Communicate investigation o preparing oral, and/or written which address procedures,
hypothesis, procedure, and conclusions for peer review, or similarities, discrepancies or
explanations, o generating additional questions conclusions for further
o presenting the results of that can be tested. investigations.
observations and explanations (Link to 5A-C, 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A.) (Link to 5A-C, 12A-F, 13A.)
orally and in written format, or
o generating further questions for
investigation to verify or refute
hypothesis or explanation.
(Link directly to 5A-C, 9C; 10A-B,
12A-F.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)12
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of
11B technological design.
Stage A Stage B Stage C
1. Propose ideas for solutions to 1. Propose ideas for solutions to 1. Describe an observed cause and effect
technological design questions, technological design problem, technological design dilemma,
o asking questions about concept o asking questions about o generating critical and creative questions
(e.g., how to demonstrate that causes and effects of concept associated with design dilemma (e.g.,
sound is produced by vibrating to model or test (e.g., how to how to test the effect of friction, or how
objects), or test ‘if-then’ effects of light is reflected, or how toy cars
o identifying criteria for measuring magnets, batteries, sound or accelerate), or
success of design, or buoyancy), or o recording observations into sequential or
o prioritizing possible solutions o identifying criteria for cause and effect categories, or
from given list. measuring success of design, o describing dilemma in terms of starting
(Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.) or conditions, types of changes and ending
2. Select a possible solution o prioritizing possible solutions conditions.
which addresses the design from given list. (Link to 12A-F.)
question, (Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.) 2. Begin design investigation of cause
o choosing materials from 2. Begin a design solution, and effect dilemma,
teacher-generated options, or o choosing procedural steps for o describing design conditions of the
o determining the order of construction and testing from phenomenon that can be influenced by
assembly steps, or teacher-generated options, or change, or
o identifying the variables for o suggesting the variables for o brainstorming possible questions related
testing criteria factors, or testing criteria factors, or to causes and effects of phenomenon, or
o proposing procedural steps to o sketching the projected final o prioritizing design options for design
test design, or design. investigation, or
o sketching the projected final (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A-B.) o generating success criteria, or
design. 3. Construct the selected o choosing the procedural steps to address
(Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.) technological design, selected design plan.
3. Construct the selected o using the materials and tools (Link to 12A-F.)
technological solution, provided, or 3. Construct design prototype,
o using the materials and tools o recording anecdotal data from o selecting the appropriate materials, or
provided, or design process, or o designing necessary data tables for
o recording observational data for o evaluating construction addressing success criteria, or
design process. success. o using materials and tools provided.
(Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.) (Link to 12A-F, 13A-B) (Link to 12A-F, 13A.)
4. Test for design success based 4. Test for design success 4. Collect data from prototype testing,
on teacher-generated criteria, based on teacher-or student- o recording multiple incremental data sets
o conducting multiple trials, or generated criteria, and procedural observations, or
o collecting data from tests using o conducting multiple trials, or o keeping accurate procedural journals and
appropriate measurement o collecting data from tests drawings.
methods. using appropriate (Link to 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A.)
(Link to 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A-B.) measurement methods. 5. Display and analyze results,
5. Communicate results of (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A-B.) o summarizing individual data patterns, or
design tests, 5. Communicate results of o constructing reasonable and accurate
o comparing data from student design tests, explanations of data, or
trials to evaluate design o presenting group results which o identifying reasons why different designs
success, or include data from student can accomplish the same effect
o reporting the procedures trials to evaluate design differently.
followed, or success in testing scientific (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A.)
o evaluating best design to solve principle, procedures followed, 6. Communicate design conclusions from
technological design question, suggestions for second round individual and group results,
or of design, or o describing patterns from data tables, or
o proposing modifications for o evaluating best design to o evaluating designs according to design
design solution in additional solve technological problem. success criteria, or
trials. (Link to 5A, 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A- o generating design modifications from
(Link to 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A-B.) B.) analyzed procedures, similarities,
discrepancies, or conclusions.
(Link to 7A-C, 10A-B, 12A-F.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)13
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of
11B technological design.
Stage D Stage E Stage F
1. Identify a contextual technological 1. Identify an innovative 1, Formulate proposals for
design dilemma, technological design from technological designs which model
o brainstorming design questions for ordinary surroundings or or test scientific principles,
consideration (e.g., how pendulums circumstances, o generating investigation ideas to
work, how heat is transmitted), or o brainstorming common apply curricular science principles
o researching associated knowledge and design questions (e.g., how (e.g., how to test phase changes of
skills, or to squeeze toothpaste substances or acceleration in free
o identifying independent and dependent better, how to fly a better fall, or effect of ice/glaciers on
variables. paper airplane), or rocks), or
(Link to 12A-F.) o researching background o brainstorming pertinent variables,
2. Begin investigations into information, or or
technological design, o suggesting the appropriate o researching historic designs, or
o identifying design parameters, or materials, equipment, data- o conducting peer review and choice
o brainstorming design options and collection strategies and for design and criteria selection.
necessary materials, or success factors for approved (Link to 12A-F, 16.)
o sketching design plans, or investigation. 2. Plan and construct technological
o determining logical sequence for design (Link to 12A-F.) design,
procedures, or 2. Construct selected o incorporating the safety and
o generating success criteria indicators, technological innovation, procedural guidelines into the
ranges and graphic display options, or o sketching design, or construction plan, or
o identifying appropriate safety measures o proposing the logical o maximizing resource capabilities.
to follow. sequence of steps for (Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.)
(Link to 12A-F, 13A.) construction, or 3. Collect and record data
3. Construct design prototype, o collecting appropriate accurately,
o selecting necessary materials and materials, supplies, and o using consistent (metric)
equipment, or safety equipment, or measuring and recording
o following procedural steps and o completing assembly of techniques with necessary
necessary safety measures. innovation. precision, or
(Link to 12A-F, 13A-B.) (Link to 7A-C, 12A-F, 13A.) o documenting data from collecting
4. Construct charts and visualizations to 3. Test prototype, instruments accurately in selected
display data, o conducting multiple trials, or format.
o selecting appropriate graphic display of o collecting reliable and (Link to 7, 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A-B.)
data, or precise data, or 4. Interpret and represent results of
o recording appropriate quantitative and o recording observations. analysis to produce findings,
qualitative data from multiple trials, or (Link to 7, 10, 12A-F, 13A-B.) o comparing data sets for supporting
o incorporating technology. 4. Analyze data, or refuting scientific principle, or
(Link to 10A, 12A-F, 13A-B.) o comparing and summarizing o evaluating multiple criteria for
5. Analyze data to evaluate design data, or overall design success, or
selection or adaptability, o interpreting trends, or o proposing explanations for sources
o synthesizing collected data, or o evaluating conflicting data, of error in the data set for process
o comparing designs, processes, sources or or product design flaws.
of error and success criteria. o determining sources of error. (Link to 7, 10B, 12A-F, 13A-B.)
(Link to 8A-B, 10A-B, 12A-F, 13A-B.) (Link to 7, 10, 12A-F, 13A-B.) 5. Communicate the results of
6. Communicate design solution, 5 Communicate design design investigation,
procedure, and explanations, findings, o presenting an oral and/or written
o preparing graphs and charts to report o selecting graphs and charts report, or
the results, or that effectively report the o explaining the test of the scientific
o generating future design modifications, data, or principle, or
or o preparing oral and written o using available technologies, or
o suggesting alternative applications for investigation conclusions, or o relating anecdotal and quantitative
design. o generating alternative observations, or
(Link directly to 5A-C, 9C, 10A-B, 12A-F, design modifications which o generating additional design
13A-B.) can be tested from original modifications which can be tested
investigated question. later.
(Link to 5A-C, 10A-B, 12A-F.) (Link to 5A-C, 12A-F, 13A-B.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)14
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply concepts that explain how living things function,
12A adapt, and change.
Stage A Stage B Stage C
1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or
technological designs to introduce technological designs to explore technological designs to explore
basic needs, characteristics and common and diverse structures past and present life forms and
component parts of living things, and functions of living things, their adaptations,
o comparing living and non-living o describing how plants and animals o classifying plant and animal
things, or obtain energy, or groupings according to simple
o describing basic needs and o categorizing animals by structures taxonomy guides or characteristics
characteristics of living things, or for food-getting and movement, or (e.g., locomotion, color, habitat,
o sorting the common key structures o comparing how plants and animals reproduction), or
and functions for animal and plant live and reproduce, or o categorizing body structures of
groupings, or o associating common plant living organisms to those from
o classifying common animals by products with plant structures and fossil studies, or
size, color, family units, and functions, or o suggesting why changes over time
shape, and explaining the o comparing common and distinctive for individuals and groupings of
rationale for the grouping, or plants’ or animals’ growth cycles, plants and animals happened, or
o distinguishing common physical structures and functions. o matching the basic organs and
characteristics or structures for (Link to 8A, 11A-B, 12B, 20A, 23C.) functions of major human body
groupings of animals or plants with systems.
regard to seasonal, age changes (Link to 11A-B, 12B, 23A-C.)
and parent characteristics.
(Link to 8A, 11A-B, 12B, 20A, 23A-
B.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)15
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply concepts that explain how living things function,
12A adapt, and change.
Stage D Stage E Stage F
1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or
technological designs to explore the technological designs to explore the technological designs to examine
patterns of change in life cycles of patterns of change and stability at the cellular unit,
plants and animals, the micro- and macroscopic levels o recognizing how cells function
o comparing the stages within of organisms (including humans), independently to keep the
simple life cycles, or o comparing the stages of simple life organism alive at the single cell
o examining and comparing cycles and energy requirements, level and dependently at
microscopic and macroscopic life or specialized levels, or
forms and their structures, or o identifying structures and their o comparing the metabolic and
o making generalizations of functions in cells, tissues, organs, reproductive processes, structures
observed patterns. systems and organisms (including and functions of single and multi-
(Link to 8A-B, 11A-B, 12B, 23A, humans). cellular organisms.
23C.) (Link to 11A-B, 12B, 23B, 23C.) (Link to 11A-B, 22A-F, 23A-C.)
2. Apply scientific inquiries or 2. Apply scientific inquiries or 2. Apply scientific inquiries or
technological designs to explore technological designs to distinguish technological designs to examine
the similarities and differences of the similarities and differences of the patterns of change and stability
generations of offspring, offspring in organisms (including over time,
o comparing and contrasting specific humans), o investigating the development of
characteristics of offspring with o comparing specific characteristics organisms and their environmental
their parents from immaturity to of offspring with their parents, or adaptations over broad time
maturity (e.g., teeth, coloration, o predicting possible genetic periods, or
metamorphosis variations), or combinations from selected o comparing the physical
o linking characteristics (e.g., habit parental characteristics. characteristics of two to three
of walking, kind of teeth, use of (Link to 10C, 11A-B, 12B.) generations of familial
appendages) among animals to 3. Apply scientific inquiries or characteristics.
changes over time. technological designs to examine (Link to 11A-B, 12B, 23A-C.)
(Link to 11A-B.) the nature of inheritance in 3. Apply scientific inquiries or
3. Apply scientific inquiries or structural and functional features of technological designs to explore the
technological designs to examine organisms (including humans), basic roles of genes and
the nature of inheritance in o describing genetic and chromosomes in transmitting traits
structural and functional features environmental influences on the over generations,
of plants and animals, features of organisms, or o describing how physical traits are
o applying general rules of o distinguishing between inherited transmitted through sexual or
probability to predict and acquired characteristics, or asexual reproductive processes,
characteristics of offspring from o explaining how cells respond to or
selected parents, or genetic and environmental o charting ‘pedigree’ probabilities for
o comparing body structures (or influences. transmissions, or
functions) from animal fossils that (Link to 11A-B, 12B, 22C.) o identifying examples of selective
are no longer evident in 4. Apply scientific inquiries or breeding for particular traits, or
contemporary animals. technological designs to examine o analyzing how familiar human
(Link to 10C, 11A-B, 12B.) the nature of learned behavior or diseases are related to genetic
4. Apply scientific inquiries or responses in all organisms mutations.
technological designs to examine (including humans), (Link to 11A-B.)
the nature of learned behavior in o distinguishing characteristics as 4. Apply scientific inquiries or
animals, learned or inherited, or technological designs to examine
o distinguishing specific o conducting simple surveys relating stimulus-response reactions in
characteristics as learned or to learned behaviors of organisms,
inherited in various examples, or classmates, and/or family o comparing growth responses in
o conducting simple surveys relating members. plants, or
to learned behaviors or attitudes of (Link to 10B-C, 11A-B, 12B, 22B, o comparing simple locomotive or
classmates. 24B-C.) metabolic responses in simple or
(Link to 10B, 11A-B, 12B, 23C.) complex life forms.
(Link to 11A-B.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)16
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply concepts that describe how living things
12B interact with each other and with their environment.
Stage A Stage B Stage C
1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or
technological designs to explore the technological designs to explore the technological designs to explore
relationships of living things to their impact of plants and animals in their past and current ecosystems,
environment, changing environments, o matching fossils of extinct
o identifying the common o identifying factors that affect organisms to their probable past
characteristics of habitats, or animal and plant growth and ecosystems, or
o matching the needs of organisms reproduction, or o comparing extinct organisms and
in local and global habitats. o matching plant and animal their past ecosystems to plants
(Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 17A, 17D.) adaptations to changing seasons and animals that live in current
2. Apply scientific inquiries or or climatic changes. comparable ecosystems.
technological designs to explore (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 17A.) (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 16E, 17C.)
how living things are dependent 2. Apply scientific inquiries or 2. Apply scientific inquiries or
on one another for survival, technological designs to examine technological designs to examine
o identifying the survival needs of how plants and animals (including the interdependence of organisms
plants and animals, or humans) survive together in their in ecosystems,
o matching groupings of animals ecosystems, o identifying adaptations that help
(e.g., lion’s pride, gaggle of geese, o describing the food chains or webs animals survive in specific or
herds, packs), or in various ecosystems, or multiple environments, or
o predicting what would happen to o identifying local habitats, or o describing the interaction between
organisms when their o identifying predator/prey and living and non-living factors in an
environmental resources are parasite/host relationships. ecosystem, or
changed (i.e., seasonally or (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 16E, 17C, 22A.) o predicting what can happen to
climatically), or organisms if they lose different
o explaining how humans adapt to environmental resources or
their environments. ecologically related groups of
(Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 16E, 17C- organisms.
D, 18C, 22A, 22C.) (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 16E, 17C,
22A.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)17
Science Performance Descriptors
Students who meet the standard know and apply concepts that describe how living things
12B interact with each other and with their environment.
Stage D Stage E Stage F
1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or 1. Apply scientific inquiries or
technological designs to technological designs to technological designs to study
examine relationships among categorize organisms (including the impact of multiple factors that
organisms in their environment, humans) by their energy affect organisms in a habitat,
o diagramming a simple relationship relationships in their o describing how behaviors are
between plants and/or animals environments, influenced by internal and external
(i.e., predator/prey, parasite/host, o classifying organisms by their factors, or
consumer/producer) commonly position in a food web, or o sketching the interrelationships
found in local habitats, or o grouping organisms according to among/between the land, water
o describing simple food chains and their adaptive internal and/or and air components to life in the
webs in various habitats, or external features, or system, or
o considering habitat changes due o contrasting food webs within and o predicting the consequences of
to changes in moisture, among different biomes, or the disruption of a food pyramid, or
temperature, or seasons, or o identifying the biotic and abiotic o identifying the interrelationships
o contrasting the behavioral patterns factors associated with specific and variables that affect
and adaptations of organisms from habitats, or population sizes and behaviors, or
different ecosystems. o making simple inferences to the o identifying different niches and
(Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B.) closed systems of other planets. relationships found among
2. Apply scientific inquiries or (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 12C, 13B, 22A.) organisms in an Illinois habitat.
technological designs to 2. Apply scientific inquiries or (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 16E, 17C-
compare the adaptations of technological designs to explain D.)
physical features of organisms to competitive, adaptive and 2. Apply scientific inquiries or
their environments, survival potential of species in technological designs to apply
o identifying the physical features different local or global the competitive, adaptive and
that help plants or animals survive ecosystems, survival potential of organisms,
in their environments, or o identifying survival characteristics o describing how fossils are used to
o reporting on a specific plant or of organisms, or determine patterns of evolution, or
animal which has adapted to o explaining abiotic or biotic factors o observing how plant and animal
different environments over time. which threaten health or survival of characteristics help organisms
(Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 17C.) populations or species (including survive in their environments, or
humans), or o analyzing how environmental
o identifying theories explaining factors threaten or enhance the
mass extinctions. survival potential of populations.
(Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13A-B, 16E, (Link to 11A-B, 12A, 13B, 16E, 17C-
17C-D.) D, 22A.)
Grade 1 (A-B) Grade 2 (A-B-C) Grade 3 (B-C-D) Grade 4 (C-D-E) Grade 5 (D-E-F)You can also read
