Energy

Diagnostic assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment

Conceptual development progress map

Quiz

Formative assessment marking key

Summative assessment marking key

Diagnostic assessment

In the introductory activities of the Energy module, there are questions to think about that ask students to explain a number of scenarios regarding energy. Students could discuss these questions in pairs and then report back to a whole-class discussion, enabling you to become aware of their existing understandings and misconceptions. Other discussion questions that can reveal students' existing conceptions include:

• What is energy?
• What sort of things have energy?
• How does a person get energy?
• Can you store energy?

The research literature indicates that there is a wide range of misconceptions students have about energy, many of which have been considered in the two earlier modules on Light and Electricity. Others include:

• that the diminution of energy sources is linked to the disappearance of energy
• that animals get their energy from sleeping
• that energy is associated with people (being energetic, for example) rather than with inanimate objects
• that energy is only associated with obvious activity, such as movement or burning
• that energy resides in objects as a dormant ingredient that has to be 'sparked into life', rather than existing in available states
• confusing the law of conservation of energy (energy not being created or destroyed) with environmental conservation or with conservation of energy sources
• confusing the greenhouse effect with the hole in the ozone layer.

Formative assessment

In each part of the Energy module there is a closing discussion in which students, with teacher guidance, develop answers to focus questions that capture the main concepts developed within the part. These discussions will allow you to monitor students' conceptual development. Students' summaries of these discussions and other work samples may be used to compile a portfolio of selected work samples that can provide useful formative information about their developing understandings.

This module also provides opportunities for the development of investigation competencies. A careful analysis of reports from the first investigations will give you insights into students' understanding and skills of controlling variables (fair testing), making repeated measurements and averaging, organising data with well-structured tables and revealing patterns in data through graphing. This will help you to identify skills and processes that need to be modelled for students or that they need to be coached in.

Such information collected early in the module will help you select activities at the appropriate level to challenge your students and, where appropriate, differentiate instruction within the class.

Items from the Energy module quiz can be used individually at appropriate points through the Energy module for formative assessment purposes. A formative assessment marking key is provided that links students' responses to the conceptual development progress map. This will give you information about students' levels of conceptual development (one to three stars) and help you select activities to challenge your students.

Summative assessment

The Energy module quiz can be used as a traditional test for grading and reporting. A summative assessment marking key is provided for this purpose.The marking key can also be used to identify the level at which students understand the concepts (high, medium or low) in terms of the stages of the conceptual development progress map or can be used for marking or grading. You may choose to modify the quiz to suit local curriculum outcomes.

Conceptual development progress map

• for students to have a conceptual understanding of the nature of energy, types of energy, how energy may be transformed to other forms and the efficiency of these transformations, and environmental issues related to energy use
• for students to demonstrate investigation competence by posing a researchable question, planning and conducting an investigation, analysing results to reach a conclusion, and reflecting on their investigation to evaluate the adequacy of their investigation methods.
  

Student understandings and competencies

Challenge rating	Energy understandings	Investigation competence
	The student explains that energy makes things happen, identifies types of energy and describes energy transfers and transformations.	The student: is aware of the need for fair testing and makes predictions collects and organises data using simple tables, bar graphs and diagrams identifies main features and patterns in the data and identifies difficulties experienced in conducting the investigation.
	The student describes chains of energy transfers and transformations using energy flow diagrams, and shows awareness of environmental effects of some energy sources.	The student: plans and conducts investigations taking account of the main variables collects data using repeat trials, uses line graphs, summarises and explains patterns in data but does not use science concepts to explain them makes general suggestions for improving the investigation.
	The student compares the efficiency of energy transfers and transformations, and the sustainability and environmental impacts of different energy sources.	The student: analyses a problem and formulates a plausible question or hypothesis, taking care to control variables and to minimise error summarises data, explains them using scientific concepts and makes conclusions consistent with the data makes specific suggestions for improving the investigation and reducing error.