Assessment Plan

Earth Science, The Physical Setting

3/29/2011

Jack Mosel

(EDU-660534-L601-11SP1) Mentored Teaching

Master of Arts in Teaching Portfolio: Hartsdale

M.A.T Graduate Degree Studies Program, SUNY ESC

Dr. Avonne Alzate / Mentor

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 In this Assessment Plan portfolio artifact I will demonstrate how specific subject matter
covered within a unit of content related material for Earth Science / The Physical Setting is
delivered through pre-assessment and instructional classroom lesson delivery. I will also include
a physical lab specific to the topic “Sun /Earth Motion’s / Angle of Insolation” which meets the
NYS Curriculum’s content requirements as per the NYS Standards as identified. I will indicate
these specific NYS Standards as well as Key Ideas. I will provide a rubric specific to the
physical lab and I will provide artifacts used as teaching artifacts during this instructional
lesson’s delivery. I will follow up with a post assessment as well.

Educational Assessment Philosophy

Both Informing and understanding instruction given, is an active process through which
an educator has meaningful information to give to their students. They are informed as
individuals and collectively as a class to the extent that these students have a working
knowledge of the concept and content for which instruction is being delivered. Pre-assessment,
Goal orientation and making progressive measures for achieving educational goals are
indicated through an effective assessment philosophy and action plan. This working
understanding of assessment in practice is offered from my own interpretation from my
academic training as well as through my collective professional experience.

Pre-assessment from past performances of individual students need to be taken into

account from an informed educator when preparing for an all-inclusive classroom setting that
addresses all students learning needs. The informed educator should have a prior knowledge of
his/her students’ academic records and past performances from studying their student’s
academic records prior to the school year beginning. For example, Individualized Education
Plans (IEP’s) are available for teacher’s to become informed with. These reports are highly
personal and sensitive and are absolutely mandatory for teacher’s to understand when
preparing for their school year planning. Informed educational instruction therefore in my
preparatory activities, first includes reading these academic materials from all of my students
prior to planning the school year’s instruction.

Having an informed academic background from my student’s academic abilities and

including their special needs for any accommodation in their individualized learning capacities, I
form a working platform from which to prepare my approach to construct education with them as
a holistic and cohesive group. Successful information transfer can be achieved with a highly
diverse group of differentiated learners. Brain research and alternative assessment techniques
incorporated within daily classroom instruction can accommodate all learners, if such teaching
modalities were planned for and incorporated into the daily lesson. This was evidenced to me
through many artifacts I’ve studied throughout my formal teacher training during my Graduate
Studies Master’s Degree Program throughout my M.A.T. experience.

“As teachers, we are practical and idealistic. We believe in the power of learning. We
believe in our students’ potential. We work hard to shape lessons that will engage the minds
and bodies of the active learners who enter our classrooms every day. … We stand in awe of
students’ individual characteristics and their commonality. We are challenged by their varied
needs” (Stuart, 2003).

As a professionally minded educator, I want to provide the most authentic and

meaningful educational experience possible for my students. I recognize that the process for
transferring information from instructor to a student body has its roots in countless historical

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accounts, firmly established over multiple generations of trial and error in determining the best
way to achieve this.

My consensus is that there are a myriad of ways to teach and to ‘reach’ an individual
and a class as a whole. My understanding of this leaves me with the task for finding what works
best for me. I will remain flexible therefore in my personal expectations and seek to become
more informed as each school year passes. I will remain self-aware of my teaching short
comings, I will remain professional and seek to remain a lifelong learner of education as an art
and as a professional and I will maintain a positive outlook for I am a role model for making the
pursuit of further education more attractive to our next generation of learners.

As a role model, I must demonstrate how it was that I learned from my perspective and
how I problem solved in my thought processes (as spoken to my class out loud). This is the
common sense perspective that I have a good ability to describe when speaking to my
student’s. I remain open-minded to many requests and inquiries from my students as well. I
insist they ask me questions about anything from current, past or related concepts and content
we explore in Earth Science. There may be an opportunity to connect a thought process that
may make complete sense in the future or will rehabilitate a concept that was perceivably lost
from the past as a result. I have fielded some off the wall concepts that turned out from active
peer discussion during expanded thinking sessions, which turned into an unexpected
breakthrough for many including me and more than once as a result of encouraging minds to
‘expand out on their own’ as it were. I tell my students when I learned something I didn’t know or
something that they taught me. Any teacher can identify with this as being the case as an
unintended or unexpected occurrence in teaching. When you learn from those you teach, a
bond is formed of respect and mutuality that is difficult to describe, yet is evidence that
‘something’ is going right.

Assessment is used to identify progress being made for achieving goals. It is in the
methods and the frequency used that varied modes for assessment can be given to determine
‘where’ the progress or lack thereof is being made or not being made for reaching these goals.

Education as a profession and an industry is ‘in flux’ currently with many federal and
state mandates for educational assessment and content/curriculum changes, which are
dynamically under review. Teacher compensation and incentives are all simultaneously under
re-evaluation. Some teacher compensation models are being suggested to becoming aligned
with positive assessment from formative testing with high stakes results for both teachers and
students alike. It is therefore highly critical and mutually beneficial for me to have a good action
plan and philosophy for an assessment plan that meets all these needs.

I would like to authenticate my assessment philosophy with an excerpt I took from a

position statement paper taken from www.fairtest.org where Assessment For Learning (AFL)
was being supported as a pedagogically advanced philosophy that encourages much of the
sentiment I’ve been describing and which is befitting of AFL which substantiates by definition,
my core philosophies held from within my teaching rationale.

“Assessment for Learning is the process of identifying aspects of learning as it is

developing, using whatever informal and formal processes best help that identification, primarily
so that learning itself can be enhanced. This focuses directly on the learner’s developing
capabilities, while these are in the process of being developed. Assessment for learning seeks
out, analyses and reflects on information from students themselves, teachers and the learner’s

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peers as it is expressed in dialogue, learner responses to tasks and questions, and observation.
Assessment for learning is part of everyday teaching, in everyday classrooms. A great deal of it
occurs in real time, but some of it is derived through more formal assessment events or
episodes. What is distinctive about assessment for learning is not the form of the information or
the circumstances in which it is generated, but the positive effect it has for the learner. Properly
embedded into teaching-learning contexts, assessment for learning sets learners up for wide,
lifelong learning.” (Taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from http://www.fairtest.org/position-paper-
assessment-learning)

Model of Assessment in Professional Practice

Day One: Sun/Earth Motions

Pre-Assessment:

While beginning this section of our curriculum I would have a do now as a daily routine in
class and I would ask my class to take the next ten minutes and write down for me, their
explanation as to “why we have seasons”. I would collect this and use it for part of my
information gathering for content or pre-existing knowledge for understanding what the class
has as a current understanding of or a working knowledge of in terms of the content we are
exploring. I would then hand out a practice quiz that would consist of 20 multiple choice
questions (that would not be graded) that would be used for me to gauge further understanding
at a more refined level of what our academic goals were going to be in terms of meeting NYS
Standards for the Core Content and Curriculum goals to be addressed for the unit. For the
remaining class period I would begin to explain our Earth’s movements as it orbited the Sun
throughout the year. I would hand out a printed copy of a Power Point presentation packet that
we would follow and discuss from as I had it displayed on the projector in the front of the
classroom. As part of an alternative assessment technique that I integrate into my classroom, I
would use anyone of the following to foster student independent reflection and constructive
thought as an exercise from the class, prior to their leaving for the day.

Examples:

 Minute paper: During the last few minutes of the class period, ask students to answer
on a half-sheet of paper: "What is the most important point you learned today?” and,
"What point remains least clear to you?". The purpose is to elicit data about students'
comprehension of a particular class session.

Review responses and note any useful comments. During the next class periods emphasize the
issues illuminated by your students' comments.

 Chain Notes: Students pass around an envelope on which the teacher has written one
question about the class. When the envelope reaches a student he/she spends a
moment to respond to the question and then places the response in the envelope.

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Go through the student responses and determine the best criteria for categorizing the data with
the goal of detecting response patterns. Discussing the patterns of responses with students can
lead to better teaching and learning.

 Directed paraphrasing: Ask students to write a layman’s "translation" of something

they have just learned -- geared to a specified individual or audience -- to assess their
ability to comprehend and transfer concepts.

Categorize student responses according to characteristics you feel are important. Analyze the
responses both within and across categories, noting ways you could address student needs.

 One-sentence summary: Tally the numbers of correct and incorrect responses in each
cell. Analyze differences both between and among the cells. Look for patterns among
the incorrect responses and decide what might be the cause(s) constructing a single
sentence that answers the questions "Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and
why?" The purpose is to require students to select only the defining features of an idea.

Evaluate the quality of each summary quickly and holistically. Note whether students have
identified the essential concepts of the class topic and their interrelationships. Share your
observations with your students.

 Exam Evaluations: Select a type of test that you are likely to give more than once or
that has a significant impact on student performance. Create a few questions that
evaluate the quality of the test. Add these questions to the exam or administer a
separate, follow-up evaluation.

Try to distinguish student comments that address the fairness of your grading from those that
address the fairness of the test as an assessment instrument. Respond to the general ideas
represented by student comments.

 Application cards: After teaching about an important theory, principle, or procedure,

ask students to write down at least one real-world application for what they have just
learned to determine how well they can transfer their learning.

Quickly read once through the applications and categorize them according to their quality. Pick
out a broad range of examples and present them to the class.

 Student- generated test questions: Allow students to write test questions and model
answers for specified topics, in a format consistent with course exams. This will give
students the opportunity to evaluate the course topics, reflect on what they understand,
and what good test items are.

Make a rough tally of the questions your students propose and the topics that they cover.
Evaluate the questions and use the good ones as prompts for discussion. You may also want to
revise the questions and use them on the upcoming exam.

Day Two: Sun/Earth Motions

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 Earth Science being a Regents Level, (High Stakes) curriculum has a great amount of
previous data to offer from almost 30 years of examinations. These exams provide for a great
resource from which to teach with. I would frequently use these past examinations in class to
familiarize students with what they can expect to see when they take the Regents Examination.

In the Earth Science curriculum there are ESRT’s (Earth Science Reference Tables)
which are a packet of reference information that is 20 pages long. Knowing the ESRT all by
itself, one can score above a 75% on the NYS Regents Exam. I use this factoid a lot. I also use
the ESRT a lot; in fact I try to use it every day in my class. An example of this application would
go like this: “Today we are going to use our ESRT’s, The PowerPoint packet we received
yesterday and we are going to try to answer questions from NYS Regents questions from the
past, using all our resources. We will work with lab partners and we will be using colored pencils
to illustrate and highlight where we can find specific information within the ESRT for questions
being asked from the Regents exam.” I know that from assessing the information I took from the
class the day before, that many aren’t real sure as to why there are seasons here on Earth. I
also know that there are just enough in the class who do know and these students are the ones
I want to foster peer teaching opportunities with. While some of the class fumbles, other’s
become the bearers of information and resources for finding where to locate the information the
class needs. This environment permits me to select individual students to approach the white
board and to co-teach with me as to how and where… and I supply the “why” as to the why the
facts are what they are, in terms of this particular class participation exercise as an all-inclusive
class activity.

Day Three: Sun/Earth Motions

I have a mechanical Orrey model in the classroom. It is electrified and has a working
motor that drives it around as well as depicts a lit Sun, rotating Earth and rotating Moon.

I use this model to illustrate the mechanical operation for why incoming solar radiation
(Insolation) is at the root cause for our having seasonal weather changes. I can also explain
climate differences with this educational tool as well as Eclipses and Tidal Bulges and
Precession and Coriolis Effect, Kepler’s Laws of Heavenly Bodies, Newton’s Law of Gravitation
and the formation of the Moon. I activate the model with the lights down and the students are all
standing around the model. I pause the operation and ask about Perigee and Apogee and the
Perihelion and Aphelion and Equinox and Solstice as well as dates and rotation direction and
speeds. I also ask about discussion of size and speed of rotation and axial tilt, orientation to
celestial bodies (stars’ Parallax) in space as well as variational speeds of our orbit during
summer and winter, amount of daylight during Equinoxes and Solstices.

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Image taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from
http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/DK007915.html

I have the students try to conceptualize the heat and light from the Sun referenced by
this physical model and try to relate this to our present activities within the unit of study. We turn
the lights on, I have markers in the classroom that indicate N,S,E,W I ask students to face
South. While standing and repeat after me “I see the sun rising in the East (they are following
my movements) I am pointing with arms outstretched to my left (indicating East). “As the Sun
rises in the sky, we are in winter; the sun rises South of East in winter and remains low in the
sky. I am now tracing a low altitude in the air and pointing with both hands to Solar Noon being
low altitude in the sky indicating winter. As luck would have it the Sun was just at the point we
were pointing at and we continued with our physical tracing of the Sun. “as the Sun continues
from Noon, it sets South of West in the winter. We continue through the floor as if to penetrate
the Earth and follow through until we come back to South of East, as it was at sunrise where we
began. We do the same for the equinox and the Summer Solstice when the Sun is high in the
sky and rises North of East and sets North of West. This is amazing actually I have them do this
a few times and they feel awkwardly self-conscious, but it really works, they get it and they all
really understand and retain the understanding from this Mnemonic event. I assess this as being
so, when I hear “Ah ha” and “oh I get it”.

Day 4: Sun/Earth Motion’s

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 We are back to reviewing and completing the PowerPoint presentation and I am now
asking the students who weren’t on target in the beginning to try their hand at co-teaching with
me and they are directing the line of questioning and providing answers and graphic drawings
on the board, explaining the process we were describing and where to find all the referenced
materials within the PowerPoint packet, their notes and within the ESRT. This is a great activity
to enable Peer-interaction and Peer Learning and teaching opportunities. With adequate
preparation and classroom management and in being on-task, I assess from this that there are
many opportunities for me to understand where individual and class-wide growth and learning
has taken place. As well, I understand from this where re-teaching can be applied and finely
tuned to meet individual needs.

Day 5: Sun/Earth Motion’s

Physical Lab:

TEACHER: MOSEL 10 Grade Earth Science

Content: SUN / EARTH MOTION’S DURATION: 4 days Instruction,

1 day physical lab

NYS Standards & Key Ideas addressed for Earth Science, The Physical Setting:

NYS Learning Standards addressed: 1,2,4,6 & 7, Std. 4 KI 1, Std. 4 KI 1.1, Std. 4 KI 1.1g,
Std.4 KI 1.1e, Std. 4 KI1.1f, Std. 4 KI1.1h, Std.4 KI1.1d, Std. 4 KI 1.1c, Std. 4 KI1.1b, Std. 4
KI 1.1a

SUN / EARTH MOTION’S

Enduring understanding: Students will understand that the Earth is spherical in shape (an
oblate spheroid) and our angular face to the Sun is tilted (offset to the solar ecliptic) at an angle
of 23.5 degrees. Earth has a rotation on its’ axis as well as an orbit around its star The Sun.
Having gained knowledge of this, students will understand how and why we experience
seasonal variations in climate and localized weather as well as variations in length of daylight
and its intensity. They will understand why changes in season they observe on Earth, occur as a
result from our planet’s journey around its star (the Sun) and from the energy we receive from
the Sun as a direct and causal relation to this.

Physical Lab:

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 Students will utilize a lab worksheet and a Vernier digital temperature probe and a globe
and a light / heat source, to measure temperature variants in our simulation of reproducing the
Sun’s Insolation properties as this is differentiated in different parts on the Earth. A globe, a 150
Watt light on a stand, a digital electronic temperature probe, a paper protractor (cut in half),
string and tape will be used in collecting this data and performing this lab.

Students will understand that in carrying out this lab experiment, that the reason for our
having seasons is based on our “Angle of Insolation” as a direct result of this. Students will
understand that our location on our planet, based on these findings from this lab experiment, will
determine why we have “Climate Zones” as well. Students will understand that daylight duration
as well as sunlight intensity is dependent on our “Angle of Insolation”. Students will understand
where the “Tropic of Cancer” is on our planet as well as our “Tropic of Capricorn” and our
Equator.

Essential questions:

Students will understand why we have seasons. Students will understand why daylight
and sunlight intensity is different during different times of the year. Students will understand why
the equator is always the same (to a great extent) in temperature, daylight intensity and daylight
duration.

Background knowledge needed:

Prior knowledge of our Earth as it is categorized measurably into Lines of Longitude and
Latitude, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic of cancer.

Narrative Lesson plan artifact

Considerations: Activity Name - (? minutes) Ongoing Assessment:

Mosel 10th grade ES

Level of Solar Insolation Lab: 90 Minutes What evidence will you

Bloom’s need to ensure that
taxonomy: students have gained
the required
Opening launch: (10 Minutes) Do it now expectations for this
activity?
Synthesis, (I say) Class, the Sun is very hot. The radiation provided by the Sun is
Evaluation, immense. If the Sun is so hot, as we know that it is… Why is it so cold in
Analysis space? Why is it that we have heat on some parts of our planet and frigid cold
temperatures on other parts? Why do we have seasons on Earth and why are Questions from
there no season or daylight changes in some parts of our world? I want you to students, students
think about this for a moment. While I take attendance, there is a globe up here answering their own
in the front of the class; we are going to be doing the lab assignment we spoke questions
about yesterday. I want you to think about the questions I just asked you while
you observe the globe, Why is it tilted? Would that have anything to do in Utilizing wait time
answering any or all of the questions I just asked of you? I want you to take out
Type of the lab worksheets I gave you yesterday, on the back I want you to come up Watching students
questioning with some free thinking and for discussion when the lab is over we will be manipulate the globe
strategies to be discussing what you have learned from the freethinking you did before it and the heat source
started… Write down your best guess at the question I just asked you when you

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used (if first walked today.
appropriate):

The Students have made a reference to the globe in the classroom. They have
Deductive / been asked a question that was meant to create disequilibrium in them from me
Inductive as soon as they walked in. They are currently thinking freely and dealing with
/Disruptive their understanding of the globe as they know the lab we are about to be doing
(disequilibrium) will measure the Sun’s temperature on different parts of our world. They are Questions they might
probably wondering why it’s so cold in space and why it’s so warm here on have, looking
Earth. attentively at the globe,
pondering, writing…

Engagement: (5 Minutes)

(I say) Okay, let’s begin our experiment. Please take out your lab worksheets and
everybody please come up to the front of the class where we have the globe, the light
Level of Bloom’s source which we are using to represent the Sun and our Vernier temperature probe, What evidence will you
taxonomy: which we will be using to record our temperature findings. Let’s begin with orientating need to ensure that
ourselves to be in a position where we can all see and be ready to set up our students have gained the
experiment. required expectations for
this activity?
Begin Lab: Duration for lab assignment (30 Minutes)

(I say) As you can see from the worksheet, we are going to be determining the Angle
of Insolation from the Sun as it has distinct effects on our planet and provides for
Comprehension differences in how we receive sunlight and therefore temperature and daylight
, Knowledge, duration on our planet throughout the year and this is why we have seasons.
Application,
Analysis, From this angle of insolation = (Incoming Solar Radiation) we will be taking Students should be
Synthesis, temperature recordings to show evidence for these findings. Let’s orientate our globe actively participating in
Evaluation to the light source (which will be our Sun) and let’s see, who can tell me where the the group setting as a
Equator is, Where the Tropic of Cancer is? And where the Tropic of Capricorn is on class in orderly fashion
our globe? We’ll need to establish that as we orientate ourselves to engaging in this and have their
experiment. worksheets with them
as we begin the lab
( I ask a non-willing victim to come up to the front so I can tutor he or she along the experiment. Evidence of
lab, It’ll be a great way to establish a bond of trust with a student who I know is timid them being in-synch
or falling behind or who just needs some limelight, I have my victim and we determine with the activities will
where these points are.) be that they are
collaborating,
Okay, now that we have determined these three points on the globe I am going to cooperating, offering
have you guide (Student who I picked earlier) to place the temperature probe on the questions and generally
globe with scotch tape in the northern hemisphere’s summer position for our globe participating in the
and that would be the Tropic of Cancer and we are going to be facing the Sun so our activity.
tilt from our axis is going to orientate the globe to be leaning forward into the Sun.
Let’s do that… Please follow along on your worksheet, so that we are all clear on
what we are doing.

Okay, now that we have done this, let’s turn the Sun on and give the temperature
probe a go and see what the recorded temperature is going to be set up like this. ( I
turn the 150 Watt light bulb on which has been pre-set at the lab’s required fixed
height and distance from the globe, we wait for a moment letting thing s heat up)

Okay, now that the Sun is in full shine on the globe and temperature probe, let’s get a
temperature reading. (I take the reading from the laptop software from the probe and
record the reading).

Okay, now let’s determine the angle of insolation, by following the instructions from
the worksheet. The instructions are to hold a string perpendicular from the Tropic of
Type of Cancer to the middle of the light bulb, using a paper protractor cut in half we will be

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questioning determining and recording the angle of insolation for this measurement.
strategies to be
used (if Okay, now let’s record for Winter insolation for the Southern Hemisphere by changing
appropriate): our temperature probe’s location from being on the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of
Capricorn; let’s do that, okay then. Now we’ll repeat the experiment and record our
findings the same way we did in the first experiment. Does anyone have any
questions so far and are you collecting you data on the worksheet?... Alright… Now
let’s take that temperature recording…

Direct &
Indirect,
Disequilibrium

Okay, now let’s measure the winter in southern hemisphere’s angle of insolation…

Now I want you as a class to figure out how to complete the rest of the
experiment on your own, that is without my help… I want you to orientate the
globe to represent Winter in the Northern Hemisphere and collect data from
temperature and angle of insolation in both the Northern and Southern
Hemisphere’s. You’ll need to face the globe with the axis facing away now, from
the Sun, making sure your distance is the same as when we did the experiment
for the Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and repeating the steps by placing
the probe on the Tropic of cancer and then the Tropic of Capricorn, do this
now.

(I watch closely and offer very little in terms of guidance, I allow for periods of
silence or contemplation or frustration or for incorrect procedure and will
interrupt for safety reasons or if they are really stuck I’ll offer leading
questions, as is with life, group participation and group learning is encouraged
here and I want them to figure things out on their own, as much as possible)

They have completed the lab, all questions are answered which were provided in the
worksheet. We then take some readings from different parts on the globe well above
the Tropic of Cancer and well below the Tropic of Capricorn. We measure and record
Discussion: our angles of insolation and we find that the less of an angle of insolation, the greater
Guided the temperature and likewise the greater the angle of insolation, the lesser the
discussion, temperature. The change for Summer is larger than the change in winter.
Reflective
Discussion and
In the Northern Hemisphere, the sunlight is more direct in the summer because the
Recitation
Earth is tilted toward the Sun. A greater amount of solar radiation is directed at a Unanticipated learning
smaller area. (from inquiry and
student centered
approach) is desired.
This is where the Zone
(5 minutes) of Proximal
Development offers the
potential for self-
regulated learning.
I ask the students to return to their seats. I ask them to think about what we just
determined from our physical lab experiment. I point to the poster on the wall which
shows the graphic of the Earths’ movements around the Sun and re-affirm visually to
the students that as we orbit the sun, our fixed position of our planet doesn’t change;
our tilted axis always faces in one direction. This is why we have found the
temperature differences that we have found. It is a dynamic (ever present) variable
that we can rely on in determining the amount of incoming solar radiation (insolation)
to our planet and explains directly why we have seasons. This is going to be a
launching point for us to move forward into our next unit of study, which will be
Meteorology and Weather.

The dynamics of our atmosphere (Weather) is as simply understood from our

experiment today, as water responding to variations of heat and these dynamic (ever

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 present) reactions create systematic responses called weather patterns. We’ll be
looking at the atmosphere, humidity, relative humidity, wind, meteorological data
instruments and symbols used by meteorologists to convey weather components as
well.

Lab Report : Solar Insolation / Rubric assessment

Teacher Name: Mr. Mosel 10th Grade Earth Science

Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Scientific Illustrates an Illustrates an accurate Illustrates a limited Illustrates inaccurate
Concepts accurate and understanding of most understanding of understanding of
thorough scientific concepts scientific concepts scientific concepts
understanding of underlying the lab. underlying the lab. underlying the lab.
scientific concepts
underlying the lab.

Question/ The purpose of the The purpose of the lab The purpose of the lab The purpose of the lab
Purpose lab or the question to or the question to be or the question to be or the question to be
be answered during answered during the answered during the answered during the lab
the lab is clearly lab is identified, but is lab is partially identified, is erroneous or
identified and stated. stated in a somewhat and is stated in a irrelevant.
unclear manner. somewhat unclear
manner.
Drawings/ Clear, accurate Diagrams are included Diagrams are included Needed diagrams are
Diagrams diagrams are and are labeled neatly and are labeled. missing OR are missing
included and make and accurately. important labels.
the experiment easier
to understand.
Diagrams are labeled
neatly and
accurately.
Procedures Procedures are listed Procedures are listed in Procedures are listed Procedures do not
in clear steps. Each a logical order, but but are not in a logical accurately list the steps
step is numbered and steps are not numbered order or are difficult to of the experiment.
is a complete and/or are not in follow.
sentence. complete sentences.

Analysis The relationship The relationship The relationship The relationship

between the between the variables between the variables between the variables
variables is is discussed and is discussed but no is not discussed.
discussed and trends/patterns logically patterns, trends or
trends/patterns analyzed. predictions are made
logically analyzed. based on the data.
Predictions are made
about what might
happen if part of the

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 lab were changed or
how the experimental
design could be
changed.
Conclusion Conclusion includes Conclusion includes Conclusion includes No conclusion was
whether the findings whether the findings what was learned from included in the report
supported the supported the the experiment. OR shows little effort
hypothesis, possible hypothesis and what and reflection.
sources of error, and was learned from the
what was learned experiment.
from the experiment.
Scientific Report illustrates an Report illustrates an Report illustrates a Report illustrates
Concepts accurate and accurate understanding limited understanding of inaccurate
thorough of most scientific scientific concepts understanding of
understanding of concepts underlying the underlying the lab. scientific concepts
scientific concepts lab. underlying the lab.
underlying the lab.
Safety Lab is carried out Lab is generally carried Lab is carried out with Safety procedures were
with full attention to out with attention to some attention to ignored and/or some
relevant safety relevant safety relevant safety aspect of the
procedures. The set- procedures. The set-up, procedures. The set-up, experiment posed a
up, experiment, and experiment, and tear- experiment, and tear- threat to the safety of
tear-down posed no down posed no safety down posed no safety the student or others.
safety threat to any threat to any individual, threat to any individual,
individual. but one safety but several safety
procedure needs to be procedures need to be
reviewed. reviewed.

Experimental Hypothesized Hypothesized Hypothesized No hypothesis has

Hypothesis relationship between relationship between relationship between been stated.
the variables and the the variables and the the variables and the
predicted results is predicted results is predicted results has
clear and reasonable reasonable based on been stated, but
based on what has general knowledge and appears to be based on
been studied. observations. flawed logic.

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Images taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from: http://www.vernier.com/labquest/

Above: Example of hand held digital microcomputer used in lab. Display read out graphics
exemplifies using technology in the classroom as it is applied to everyday learning activities.

Post assessment of the Solar Insolation lesson/lab:

In keeping with alternative assessment methodologies encouraged throughout this

lesson/lab, there were considerable opportunities for achieving semantic and episodic learning
during the hands on applications within the lab component. High intrinsic motivation was
encouraged through experiential usage of the heat source lamp (the Sun) and the relation to the
globe as the differences in angle of insolation, which made significant differences in not just
heat but in light reaching the visible surface of the planet. This visual reference made for a
significantly remarkable ‘hook for the brain’ to assimilate these associations. In using the laptop
and digital temperature probe to record the data for the lab, the students were exposed to
technology interface as well as in the practical application of recording scientific data through a
software interface which also showed results of temperature differential graphically and with
visually different graphic models such as graphs and charts to choose from, they were exposed
to varying enduring understanding to a visual representation of temperature differences from
both an analog and a digital as well as in a spacial and real world application, as the Sun was
manipulated to light and heat the Earth at different proximities of angles of insolation and in
demonstrating the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit around the sun as well.

The peer scaffolding from the class as a whole made for limited guidance from me to
need to teach the instruction in terms of taking full control and the guiding of the lab. The
outcome of this was that the class explored for themselves in the lab and I merely guided their
inquiry and exploration. I was able to make a rubric for grading and observation evaluations as a
result. My assessment for the class was more definitive in my estimate from this. I had made up
a 10 part rubric with a possibility of 40 points total for the lab.

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 My overall interpretation from this lab was that there was very little stress involved in the
carrying out of the entire lab component. In fact the students were intrigued and engaged
throughout the entire block for the lab. I believe that when the regents exam is taken, that there
will be more than just solar insolation proficiency to be adequately answered for from this and
possibly due to the physical references the students made to the Sun Earth and Moon
references that Moon Cycles, Eclipses, tides, coriolis and latitude and Longitude information
may be enhanced as well. The overall teaching, learning and performance tasks (as evidenced
from this metacognitive assessment) were in-depth and easy to understand as well as to assess
for.

 Formal Assessment: Teacher made test artifact (see attachment)

Summary Statement

In keeping with best practices of formalized academic teacher training modalities,

indicative of embracing learning and teaching methods which are effective, I feel I have
embraced and supported the active use in practice and in theory which encourage and fosters
the applied pedagogy of Formal and Informal assessment and Alternative Assessment in
teaching and learning in practice.

I structure my professional practice for delivering this pedagogical belief through a

Constructivist, Student-Centered and Inquiry based model approach. I employ Brain Based
research (as evidenced from Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences and Blooms Taxonomy).
Inductive and deductive reasoning and questioning as well as tactile, mnemonic and hands on
learning opportunities and peer-scaffolding activities are intermingled as a work in practice. I
offer these teaching and learning tenets as they are integrated and understood by me as a
professional practioner (in the transition to becoming an effective teacher) as evidence for being
adequately prepared to begin to teach.

I reference for support of these statement’s, tangible and relevant artifacts and
professional practice as exemplified through a cogent and tenable (sensible connection) to
support documentation that interlace seamlessly, with artifacts from my Teaching Rationale,
Unit Plan and Self-Selected artifact from my Portfolio as being an all-inclusive repertoire for
exemplarity in demonstrating these connected theories.

Professional practice, all means for varied and all-inclusive assessment methods,
professionalism in education, and mastery of content, advancing self-regulated learning through
motivation, collegial collaboration, and community based learning and continuing education as a
lifelong practice and technology integration are all key elements that were addressed throughout
my teaching preparedness artifacts found within my culminating portfolio artifacts collectively.

It is in this Assessment artifact that I rely on the reader (as my evaluator) to summarily
assess my having a connected and over-arching understanding of the main teaching and
learning tenets offered from personal and professional example. I submit therefore, that I have a

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good working base and knowledge from which I provide my personal understanding for what it
means to be a teacher and a learner (in professional practice) to effectively deliver Secondary
Earth Science curriculum, core content with confidence in the public 7-12 Secondary Level
school setting.

Based on my professional training and teacher training preparation through my SUNY,

ESC M.A.T. experience and through Mentorship (through actively practicing Earth Science
teaching within a public school setting with professional charge as Teacher of Record) and in
keeping with the school district’s internal professional development encumbrance’s and specific
professional policies, I believe I am well prepared to begin my professional journey as a NYS
educator.

Bibliography

 Taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from http://www.fairtest.org/position-paper-

assessment-learning
 Stuart, L., (2003). Assessment in Practice: a view from the school.  Teachers 21
Inc. Newton Lower Falls, MA.

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 Images taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from: http://www.vernier.com/labquest/

 Image taken from Internet 1/31/2011 from:

http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/DK007915.html

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