A student mixes water, a powdered drink mix, and sugar to make a flavored drink.

Explain what happens when the materials are combined to make a mixture. In your explanation, be sure to include

• the properties before they are mixed
• how the properties were affected

Write your answer in the space provided.

Properties Before Mixing

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Properties After Mixing

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the question. The response is irrelevant to the question (…make sure you have the sugar…enough sugar…enjoy).

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the question. The response is irrelevant to the question, providing no observable properties before or after mixing.

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has minimal understanding of the question. The student provides an observable property for each of the ingredients before mixing (liquid, solid, and solid) and a property after mixing (liqiud). The student provides no synthesis of information to explain what happens when the materials are combined to make a mixture.

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has minimal understanding of the question. The student provides an observable property of the drink mix before mixing (dry and powdery) and a minimal description of the powdered mix after mixing (dissolved partially…wet crystals)

Score for Sample Student Response #5: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a general understanding of the question. The student provides some synthesis of information by identifying properties before mixing (water…clear and liquid… powdered mix …powdery, and dark… sugar…white crystals, clear, different little pieces) and a property of the mixture (darker). The student provides evidence of a cause-effect relationship by attributing an observable property of the flavored drink to explain how the properties were affected (made the water darker). Although the student refers to the sugar as salt, there is an explanation of what happens to this material when combined in the mixture (The salt probably desinagrated in the container).

Score for Sample Student Response #6: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a general understanding of the question. The student provides observable properties of each of the ingredients before mixing (water: clear and thin Drink mix: powder, colored and solid, sugar: white and solid). The student uses some synthesis of information to explain what properties of the water changed after mixing (difrent color, taste and slightly thicker). The student provides evidence of cause-effect relationship by attributing observable properties after mixing to what caused them (mix … making water difrent taste sugar: ditto), as well as explaining what happened when the materials are combined (mix: has dissolved…sugar: ditto).

Score for Sample Student Response #7: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a full and complete understanding of the question. Although there are several misconceptions ([Before Mixing] Neither of them conduct heat, conduct electricity...[After Mixing] …does not conduct heat,) the student does provide a complete integration of scientific concepts to explain the observable properties of the substances before (hard little grains…solids…white and frosty…any solid color… smells like the drink it will make… sour bitter odor…the water is a wet liquid, and is clear…does not have a smell…doesn't conduct heat or electricity) and after mixing (not magnetic, does not conduct electricity, and does not conduct heat…wet…will be the color of the powder…smell kind of sour and bitter. It will taste good). The student uses complete synthesis of information to explain the properties after mixing (will be the color of the powder…won't be strong or hard, because the powder and the mix mix in with the water).

Score for Sample Student Response #8: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a full and complete understanding of the question. The student provides a complete integration of scientific concepts to explain the observable properties of the substances before mixing (water…liquid…clear… powdered drink mix…solid…colored…sugar…solid…white) and after mixing (all liquid…taste is still there…all turns out to be a colored liquid). The student shows a full synthesis of information to explain the properties after mixing (The drink mix gives it a little flavor and the sugar makes it sweet. The water is there to make it a liquid…) The accurate use of scientific terminology (dissolved) to explain what happens when the materials are combined strengthens this response (when all ingredients are mixed the 2 solids are dissolved into the water).

Score 3

There is evidence in this response that the student has a full and complete understanding of the question or problem.

• The supporting scientific evidence is complete and demonstrates a full integration of scientific concepts, principles, and/or skills.
• The response reflects a complete synthesis of information, such as data, cause-effect relationships, or other collected evidence.
• The accurate use of scientific terminology strengthens the response.
• An effective application of the concept to a practical problem or real-world situation reveals a complete understanding of the scientific principles. ¹

Score 2

There is evidence in this response that the student has a general understanding of the question or problem.

• The supporting scientific evidence is generally complete with some integration of scientific concepts, principles, and/or skills.
• The response reflects some synthesis of information, such as data, cause-effect relationships, or other collected evidence.
• The accurate use of scientific terminology is present in the response.
• An application of the concept to a practical problem or real-world situation reveals a general understanding of the scientific principles. ¹

Score 1

There is evidence in this response that the student has minimal understanding of the question or problem.

• The supporting scientific evidence is minimal.
• The response provides little or no synthesis of information, such as data, cause-effect relationships, or other collected evidence.
• The accurate use of scientific terminology may not be present in the response.
• An application, if attempted, is minimal. ¹

Score 0

There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the question or problem.

• The response is completely incorrect or irrelevant or there is no response.^{1 2}

Note 1: On the Maryland School Assessment, the application of a concept to a practical problem or real-world situation will be scored when it is required in the response and requested in the item stem.

Rubric Document Date: January 2008