A Year Viewed From Space
Grade Level and General Ability of Students:
The grade level is 6th grade.
General Ability: Total population 77
General Education Students: 57
ELL 11
504 3
Sp. Ed. 6
Diagnostic Results:
All students performed at a Level 1 – Beginning learners in the diagnostic assessment using the SEPUP UC (Understanding Concepts) rubric. This result is not unexpected due to the misconceptions generally held by students in content related to the seasons. (See Appendix pg. 28 for a list of common misconceptions) Some of these misconceptions are highlight in an interview of Ivy League graduates and high school students who are asked to explain what causes the seasons in the DVD A Private Universe. The DVD was produce by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Formative Results:
All students were successful in accurately completing the diagrams with data from the computer simulation.
Question/Results* |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
69 |
|
2) Why does a year on Earth have 365 ¼ days? |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
64 |
5 |
3a) In which month(s) is Earth: |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
63 |
6 |
3b) In which month(s) is Earth: |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
63 |
6 |
4) Based on what you have observed about the distance from Earth to the Sun, does the distance from Earth to the Sun determine the seasons? Explain the evidence for your answer. |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
62 |
7 |
5) In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted toward the Sun? |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
67 |
2 |
6) In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted away from the Sun? |
4 (ELL) |
4 (ELL) |
67 |
2 |
7) Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons and daylight. |
4 (ELL) |
6 |
57 |
10 |
Student work
A Year Viewed From Space
Student 1
An ELL student at the “on your way” level - beginning
NOTE: DURING INSTRUCTION ALL ELL STUDENTS WORK WITH A PEER PARTNER. TO BE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION WAS THEIR OWN AND NOT A RESULT OF THE COOPERATIVE WORK DONE, I INTERVIEWED THE STUDENTS AND RECORDED THEIR LIMITED LANGUAGE ANSWERS. THEIR RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ABILITY IS HIGHER THAN THEIR EXPRESSIVE. THESE STUDENTS HAD LITTLE OR NO EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO ATTENDING SCHOOL IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
1. What motion of the Earth causes the yearly cycle of seasons?
Go around
2. Why does a year on Earth have 365 ¼ days?
Go around
3a. In which month(s) is Earth:
Closest to the Sun?
Points to diagram showing December
3b. In which month(s) is Earth:
Furthest from the Sun?
Points to diagram showing June
4. Based on what you have observed about the distance from Earth to the Sun, does the distance from Earth to the Sun determine the seasons? Explain the evidence for your answer.
Not close
5. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted toward the Sun?
Points to diagram showing June
6. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted away from the Sun?
Points to diagram showing December
7. Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons and daylight.
Points to diagram showing June and says hot, points to diagram showing December and says cold.
Beginning Student A Year Viewed From Space Scoring Rubric
A Year Viewed From Space
Student 2
An ELL student at the “almost there” level - developing
NOTE: DURING INSTRUCTION ALL ELL STUDENTS WORK WITH A PEER PARTNER. THEIR RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE ABILITY IS HIGHER THAN THEIR EXPRESSIVE, BUT THE ANSWERS ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WROTE. THESE STUDENTS HAD SOME EDUCATION IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY BUT IT WAS LIMITED IN THEIR EXPOSURE TO ENGLISH.
1. What motion of the Earth causes the yearly cycle of seasons?
Circles around Sun.
2. Why does a year on Earth have 365 ¼ days?
Moves around Sun.
3a. In which month(s) is Earth:
Closest to the Sun?
Closest December.
3b. In which month(s) is Earth:
Furthest from the Sun?
Furthest June.
4. Based on what you have observed about the distance from Earth to the Sun, does the distance from the Earth to the Sun determine the seasons? Explain the evidence for your answer.
Earth distance not much different. Picture shows close.
5. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted toward the Sun?
Tilted most June.
6. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted away from the Sun?
Tilted most December
7.Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons and daylight.
Tilted close hot and lots of light. Tilted not close cold and not light.
Developing Student A Year Viewed From Space Scoring Rubric
A Year Viewed From Space
Student 3
At the “complete and correct” level - proficient
1.What motion of the Earth causes the yearly cycle of seasons?
The motion of the Earth that causes the yearly cycle of seasons is its revolution around the Sun.
2. Why does a year on Earth have 365 ¼ days?
The Earth has a year that is 365 ¼ days because it takes a little more that 365 days to complete one revolution.
3a. In which month(s) is Earth:
Closest to the Sun?
The Earth is closest to the Sun in December.
3b. In which month(s) is Earth:
Furthest from the Sun?
The Earth is furthest from the Sun in June.
4.Based on what you have observed about the distance from Earth to the Sun, does the distance from Earth to the Sun determine the seasons? Explain the evidence for your answer.
The distance from the Earth to the Sun does not determine the seasons. My evidence is that the Earth is closest to the Sun when we are cold in December and farthest away when we are warm in June.
5. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted toward the Sun?
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted most toward the Sun in June.
6. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted away from the Sun?
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun the most in December.
7. Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons and daylight.
The tilt of the Earth affects seasons and daylight because when Earth is tilted toward the Sun we get more direct rays of the Sun for a longer time. This makes Earth warmer. When it is colder we get less direct rays because we are tilted away from the Sun.
Proficient Student A Year Viewed From Space Scoring Rubric
A Year Viewed From Space
Student Work
At the “above and beyond” level - distinguished
1. What motion of the Earth causes the yearly cycle of seasons?
The yearly cycle of the seasons on Earth is caused by its revolution around the Sun.
2. Why does a year on Earth have 365 ¼ days?
The Earth has a year length of 365 ¼ days because it takes more than 365 days to travel around the Sun. The extra ¼ days get put together for another day and we call that leap year.
3a. In which month(s) is Earth:
Closest to the Sun?
On the diagram the Earth is closest to the Sun in December, but I noticed it is actually it is closest in January.
3b. In which month(s) is Earth:
Furthest from the Sun?
On the diagram the Earth is farther away from the Sun in June but I noticed it is really farther away in July.
4.Based on what you have observed about the distance from Earth to the Sun, does the distance from Earth to the Sun determine the seasons? Explain the evidence for your answer.
Seasons are not the result of the Earth’s Distance from the Sun. If distance were the cause we would be warmer in December and colder in June. Also all of the Earth would be the same all year around. When we took the tilt away from the Earth and recorded the temperatures and daylight, they stayed the same all of the time. When we put the tilt back in the temperatures and daylight length changed as the Earth traveled around the Sun. I noticed that the temperatures and length of daylight in Chicago were like Buffalo when there was a tilt.
5. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted toward the Sun?
The Northern Hemisphere is most tilted toward the Sun in June.
6. In what month is the Northern Hemisphere most tilted away from the Sun?
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun the most in December.
7. Explain how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons and daylight.
The tilt of the Earth is the reason we have seasons and how long our hours of light are. When we moved the Earth around the Sun we saw the temperatures changed when there was a tilt. When there was no tilt we did not see any change in the temperatures. Also when we moved the Earth around the Sun with a tilt we saw the hours of daylight changed. In June we had the most hours of daylight and warm temperatures in Chicago when there was a tilt. In December we had cold temperatures and short hours of daylight in Chicago when it was tilted away from the Sun. I also noticed that the warmest month was not June. The temperature in Chicago was warmer in July instead of June. It was colder in January than December. I think that is because it takes time to change temperatures.
NOTE: A DIAGRAM SIMILAR TO THE ONE BELOW WAS DRAWN WITH THE STUDENTS RESPONSE.
Distinguished Student A Year Viewed From Space Scoring Rubric