Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the problem. The response is completely incorrect. The explanation for why scientists make a hypothesis is incorrect (when they don’t know something).

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the problem. The response is irrelevant to the importance of developing a hypothesis for a scientific investigation (they was trying to get the middle of the Earth).

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a minimal understanding of the problem. The scientific evidence for why scientists make a hypothesis is minimal (try to find out the answer; to see if there were right).

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: There is evidence in this response that the student has a minimal understanding of the problem. The student offers minimal scientific evidence to explain why scientists make a hypothesis (compare it to a correct answer) and what they learn from an incorrect hypothesis (learn from that and become better equipped).

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 problem. The supporting scientific evidence offered to explain why scientists make a hypothesis is generally complete, focusing on what scientists can learn. The student synthesizes by connecting, in general terms, what can be learned by a hypothesis (to learn more about the things that there researched on) with what can be learned from an incorrect hypothesis (learn alot; even thought your hypothesis was wrong ... collect some important information).

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 problem. The student provides generally complete scientific evidence to explain the importance of a hypothesis in an investigation. The student synthesizes the value of a hypothesis (to identify the proposed outcome of an experiment) with the value of an incorrect hypothesis (to help better the experiment).

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 problem. The response demonstrates complete synthesis of information and full integration of scientific concepts. The student explains why scientists make a hypothesis (what they think is going to happen) and what they learn from an incorrect hypothesis (why it wasn’t true) and integrates supporting evidence from the investigation (rocks they got helped them understand the structure of the earth better). The statement that the IODP scientists’ hypothesis was correct (true) does not detract from the quality of the overall response.

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 problem, as the response explains why scientists use hypotheses in general (to determine what they think is going to happen) and in the investigation described in the technical passage (hoping to reach the mantle of the earth, through the ocean floor; hypothesized about what they would find, and where to dig). Scientific concepts are integrated throughout the response, as the student demonstrates a strong synthesis of information by relating the incorrect hypothesis of these scientists (didn’t find what they had hypothesized) to what scientists might learn from an incorrect hypothesis (see where their reasoning went wrong; use this new found knowledge in the future; still collected valuable information; gave them a better understanding of how the earth was formed, and how it evolved).

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