Organisms
	Assessment Suggestions

HASP is in the process of learning about assessment. The assessment tools found here are suggestions and perhaps beginnings for your own assessment ideas. Since we are in the revision process, if you choose to use these assignments with your students, please send us your results via e-mail, hasp@dcs.edu.

Purpose:

To determine the level of student's ability to:

• identify the basic needs of organisms.
• communicate how organisms meet these needs.
• make comparisons among plants and animals.

Objective:

Students will observe, compare, communicate, and record:

• the basic needs of organisms.
• how organisms meet their needs.
• likeness and differences between plants and animals.

Materials:

Available for small groups or partners:

• plant(s) not previously observed -- labeled Organism #1
• animal(s) not previously observed -- labeled Organism #2

Suggestions for plants and animals to be used:

• seeds from home planted at the beginning of the module (Mystery Plant)
• plants from home or another classroom
• animals from home or another classroom
  (ie: turtles, frogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, worms, etc.)

Recommended Procedure:

Before Class - At this point, we suggest making a decision on what new plant and what new animal you will use for the final assessment before you begin the module.

 

During Class - Follow steps below:

1. Review with the students the basic needs of plants and animals.
2. Ask each group to gather their materials (new plant and new animal) from the materials center.
3. Allow an ample amount of interactive exploration time for partners or groups.
4. After interactive exploration time, direct students to individually record observations using the Organisms Final Performance Assessment student recording sheets.
   (Note: Please administer the performance assessment in a manner that will accommodate the developmental level of your students. For example, if you use the module at the beginning of the school year, you may want to script your students" responses. Encourage students to write or tell as many ways as possible. Also, you may want to consider administering the assessment in two sessions.)

After Class - Follow steps below:

1. Analyze and critique performance assessment according to the student rubric guidelines.
2. Please feel free to orally question the students about their observations to clarify the information they recorded.
3. Provide any necessary comments concerning students observations.

Student Recording Sheets (page 1) (page 2)Student Rubric Guidelines

HASP Organisms main menuHASP main page HASP curricular page