Science Task Screener

Task Title: Gas Laws: Ideal Gas Law Derivation

Grade: High School

Date: 2024-04-24

Instructions

Criterion A. Tasks are driven by high-quality scenarios that are grounded in phenomena or problems.

i. Making sense of a phenomenon or addressing a problem is necessary to accomplish the task.

What was in the task, where was it, and why is this evidence?

  1. Is a phenomenon and/or problem present?

Yes. The task is driven by the phenomenon of a car tire appearing flat on a cold morning (-5 °C) and the low-pressure warning light turning off after 15 minutes of driving on the highway without adding any air.

  1. Is information from the scenario necessary to respond successfully to the task?

Yes. Students must explicitly model the specific temperature increase from driving and the resulting pressure increase in a closed system to successfully explain why the pressure warning disappeared.

ii. The task scenario is engaging, relevant, and accessible to a wide range of students.

Features of engaging, relevant, and accessible tasks:

Features of scenarios Yes Somewhat No Rationale
Scenario presents real-world observations [x] [ ] [ ] The tire appearing flat and dashboard pressure warnings are common real-world observations.
Scenarios are based around at least one specific instance, not a topic or generally observed occurrence [x] [ ] [ ] It describes a specific instance: a cold winter morning drive to school.
Scenarios are presented as puzzling/intriguing [x] [ ] [ ] It is puzzling how a tire can ‘fix itself’ without adding new air.
Scenarios create a “need to know” [x] [ ] [ ] Students need to know how temperature affects pressure.
Scenarios are explainable using grade-appropriate SEPs, CCCs, DCIs [x] [ ] [ ] It uses high-school level modeling, definitions of energy, and conservation of matter.
Scenarios effectively use at least 2 modalities (e.g., images, diagrams, video, simulations, textual descriptions) [x] [ ] [ ] The task uses textual descriptions and a highly interactive HTML5 simulation.
If data are used, scenarios present real/well-crafted data [x] [ ] [ ] The simulation generates physically accurate, dynamic data.
The local, global, or universal relevance of the scenario is made clear to students [x] [ ] [ ] The scenario relates to universally common experiences with cars in winter.
Scenarios are comprehensible to a wide range of students at grade-level [x] [ ] [ ] Language is accessible and free of jargon.
Scenarios use as many words as needed, no more [x] [ ] [ ] The Engage section is concise and direct.
Scenarios are sufficiently rich to drive the task [x] [ ] [ ] The scenario involves all aspects of the ideal gas law.
Evidence of quality for Criterion A: [ ] No [ ] Inadequate [x] Adequate [ ] Extensive

Suggestions for improvement of the task for Criterion A:

No suggestions.

Criterion B. Tasks require sense-making using the three dimensions.

i. Completing the task requires students to use reasoning to sense-make about phenomena or problems.

Consider in what ways the task requires students to use reasoning to engage in sense-making and/or problem solving.

Students must reason through how macroscopic changes (temperature and volume/pressure) relate to each other by analyzing simulation data, and then apply that reasoning to model the microscopic particle behavior driving the tire phenomenon.

ii. The task requires students to demonstrate grade-appropriate dimensions:

Evidence of SEPs (which element[s], and how does the task require students to demonstrate this element in use?)

Developing and Using Models: Students must construct a model to explain the tire phenomenon by synthesizing relationships derived from the simulation. They use their model to illustrate that macroscopic pressure changes can be accounted for as energy associated with microscopic motions.

Evidence of CCCs (which element[s], and how does the task require students to demonstrate this element in use?)

Energy and Matter: Students track the flow of energy (heat entering the tire) and matter (the fixed number of air molecules inside) to explain changes in state. They apply the concept of conservation of mass in a closed system.

Evidence of DCIs (which element[s], and how does the task require students to demonstrate this element in use?)

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy: Students must understand that macroscopic energy (thermal energy) is modeled as the kinetic energy of freely moving particles. They explicitly link temperature to kinetic energy and pressure.

iii. The task requires students to integrate multiple dimensions in service of sense-making and/or problem-solving.

Consider in what ways the task requires students to use multiple dimensions together.

Students integrate the DCI (PS3.A — kinetic energy of particles) and CCC (Energy and Matter — conservation of matter in a closed system) while using the SEP (Developing and Using Models) to construct a model that explains why tire pressure changes with temperature. The final explanation in Part 4 requires students to use all three dimensions together: they model microscopic particle collisions (SEP) to explain how thermal energy (DCI) changes pressure while the amount of matter remains constant (CCC).

iv. The task requires students to make their thinking visible.

Consider in what ways the task explicitly prompts students to make their thinking visible (surfaces current understanding, abilities, gaps, problematic ideas).

Students construct a model to explain the tire phenomenon by synthesizing relationships derived from the simulation. They use their model to illustrate that macroscopic pressure changes can be accounted for as energy associated with microscopic motions.

Evidence of quality for Criterion B: [ ] No [ ] Inadequate [x] Adequate [ ] Extensive

Suggestions for improvement of the task for Criterion B:

No suggestions.

Criterion C. Tasks are fair and equitable.

i. The task provides ways for students to make connections of local, global, or universal relevance.

Consider specific features of the task that enable students to make local, global, or universal connections to the phenomenon/problem and task at hand. Note: This criterion emphasizes ways for students to find meaning in the task; this does not mean “interest.” Consider whether the task is a meaningful, valuable endeavor that has real-world relevance–that some stakeholder group locally, globally, or universally would be invested in.

The task focuses on a universally common situation: car tire pressure dropping in cold weather and increasing during driving. This connects to real-world vehicle safety and fuel efficiency, making it highly relevant to almost all students who travel in cars.

ii. The task includes multiple modes for students to respond to the task.

Describe what modes (written, oral, video, simulation, direct observation, peer discussion, etc.) are expected/possible.

Students interact dynamically with a simulation, record quantitative data in tables, sketch analytical graphs, and construct written and visual/drawn models to explain the phenomenon.

iii. The task is accessible, appropriate, and cognitively demanding for all learners (including English learners or students working below/above grade level).

Features Yes Somewhat No Rationale
Task includes appropriate scaffolds [x] [ ] [ ] Instructions provide clear steps on which variables to hold constant.
Tasks are coherent from a student perspective [x] [ ] [ ] The 5E structure guides the student logically.
Tasks respect and advantage students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds [x] [ ] [ ] Context is universally applicable.
Tasks provide both low- and high-achieving students with an opportunity to show what they know [x] [ ] [ ] Open-ended modeling allows for varying depths of explanation.
Tasks use accessible language [x] [ ] [ ] Definitions and variables are clearly stated.

iv. The task cultivates students’ interest in and confidence with science and engineering.

Consider how the task cultivates students interest in and confidence with science and engineering, including opportunities for students to reflect their own ideas as a meaningful part of the task; make decisions about how to approach a task; engage in peer/self-reflection; and engage with tasks that matter to students.

By starting with a relatable, puzzling everyday phenomenon (a tire that “fixes itself”), the task cultivates curiosity and gives students agency to investigate using the simulation. Students make their own decisions about which data points to collect, sketch their own graphs, and construct their own models — building confidence that they can use scientific reasoning to explain real-world events.

v. The task focuses on performances for which students’ learning experiences have prepared them (opportunity to learn considerations).

Consider the ways in which provided information about students’ prior learning (e.g., instructional materials, storylines, assumed instructional experiences) enables or prevents students’ engagement with the task and educator interpretation of student responses.

The task assumes basic prior knowledge of what a gas is, but uses the simulation to explicitly build specific understanding of the relationships between the gas variables.

vi. The task presents information that is scientifically accurate.

Describe evidence of scientific inaccuracies explicitly or implicitly promoted by the task.

Students use their models (SEP) of particle kinetic energy (DCI) to demonstrate how a fixed amount of matter behaves under increased thermal energy (CCC).

Evidence of quality for Criterion C: [ ] No [ ] Inadequate [x] Adequate [ ] Extensive

Suggestions for improvement of the task for Criterion C:

No suggestions.

Criterion D. Tasks support their intended targets and purpose.

Before you begin:

  1. Describe what is being assessed. Include any targets provided, such as dimensions, elements, or PEs:

The learning targets are to use gas laws to model the relationship between temperature and pressure (HS-PS3-2).

  1. What is the purpose of the assessment? (check all that apply)
    • [x] Formative (including peer and self-reflection)
    • [ ] Summative
    • [ ] Determining whether students learned what they just experienced
    • [ ] Determining whether students can apply what they have learned to a similar but new context
    • [ ] Determining whether students can generalize their learning to a different context
    • [ ] Other (please specify): N/A

i. The task assesses what it is intended to assess and supports the purpose for which it is intended.

Consider the following:

  1. Is the assessment target necessary to successfully complete the task?

This integration is required to mechanistically explain the anchoring phenomenon without relying on rote definitions.

  1. Are any ideas, practices, or experiences not targeted by the assessment necessary to respond to the task? Consider the impact this has on students’ ability to complete the task and interpretation of student responses.

Yes, the scoring guidance evaluates the integration of the three dimensions in the final explanation (Part 4) of the tire phenomenon.

  1. Do the student responses elicited support the purpose of the task (e.g., if a task is intended to help teachers determine if students understand the distinction between cause and correlation, does the task support this inference)?

Yes, the rubric differentiates between students who successfully integrate particle collisions (DCI/SEP) and conservation of mass (CCC), versus those who rely on rote definitions.

ii. The task elicits artifacts from students as direct, observable evidence of how well students can use the targeted dimensions together to make sense of phenomena and design solutions to problems.

Consider what student artifacts are produced and how these provide students the opportunity to make visible their 1) sense-making processes, 2) thinking across all three dimensions, and 3) ability to use multiple dimensions together [note: these artifacts should connect back to the evidence described for Criterion B].

The learning target is for students to derive relationships between gas variables and use them in a model to explain a real-world scenario (HS-PS3-2).

iii. Supporting materials include clear answer keys, rubrics, and/or scoring guidelines that are connected to the three-dimensional target. They provide the necessary and sufficient guidance for interpreting student responses relative to the purpose of the assessment, all targeted dimensions, and the three-dimensional target.

Consider how well the materials support teachers and students in making sense of student responses and planning for follow up (grading, instructional moves), consistent with the purpose of and targets for the assessment. Consider in what ways rubrics include:

  1. Guidance for interpreting student thinking using an integrated approach, considering all three dimensions together as well as calling out specific supports for individual dimensions, if appropriate:

Yes, the modeling of macroscopic energy through microscopic particle motion aligns with high school physical sciences.

  1. Support for interpreting a range of student responses, including those that might reflect partial scientific understanding or mask/misrepresent students’ actual science understanding (e.g., because of language barriers, lack of prompting or disconnect between the intent and student interpretation of the task, variety in communication approaches):

Proficient responses clearly link increased kinetic energy to more frequent/forceful collisions, increasing pressure while matter stays constant.

  1. Ways to connect student responses to prior experiences and future planned instruction by teachers and participation by students:

The final model artifact explicitly requires drawing or describing the particle interactions at different temperatures, making 3D thinking visible.

iv. The task’s prompts and directions provide sufficient guidance for the teacher to administer it effectively and for the students to complete it successfully while maintaining high levels of students’ analytical thinking as appropriate.

Consider any confusing prompts or directions, and evidence for too much or too little scaffolding/supports for students (relative to the target of the assessment—e.g., a task is intended to elicit student understanding of a DCI, but their response is so heavily scripted that it prevents students from actually showing their ability to apply the DCI).

Teachers can use the generated models as a basis for discussing energy transfer in subsequent lessons on thermodynamics.

Evidence of quality for Criterion D: [ ] No [ ] Inadequate [x] Adequate [ ] Extensive

Suggestions for improvement of the task for Criterion D:

No suggestions.

Overall Summary

Consider the task purpose and the evidence you gathered for each criterion. Carefully consider the purpose and intended use of the task, your evidence, reasoning, and ratings to make a summary recommendation about using this task. While general guidance is provided below, it is important to remember that the intended use of the task plays a big role in determining whether the task is worth students’ and teachers’ time.

The Gas Laws task effectively engages students with a real-world phenomenon and leverages the Ideal Gas Law Derivation simulation to facilitate inquiry. It tightly aligns with the three dimensions of HS-PS3-2, requiring students to use simulation data to develop a macroscopic-to-microscopic model. The scoring guidance and equity features ensure the task is rigorous, accessible, and provides clear evidence of student learning.

Final recommendation (choose one):