ASSESSMENT
LA STEM units are based on encounters with the natural world, real problems and social issues. LA STEM units are intended to help students acquire content, process and skills to help them progress along a continuum of understanding the disciplines of STEM. Since the broad goal is to interact with an issue or problem and then to present a solution, the overarching assessment is to determine how students can articulate what is being explored and how they frame their response. Oral and written presentations may have rubric points such as:
• Was the problem or challenge clearly stated?
• Did the student articulate a process that was used to determine a potential solution?
• Was a potential solution presented?
• Did the student use conventional STEM content to support their processes and solutions?
• Did the student communicate clearly orally or in writing using appropriate visuals and media?
There is ample opportunity to address ELA standards by assessing the written and spoken work of the student in the STEM journaling process and in the culminating presentations.
The objectives for learning that support the broad goal can also be assessed. In each unit, we offer experiences to explore, but also expect students to learn discrete content and processes. In the unit on Carver, for example, our large challenge is to have students wonder and wander about how some agricultural products might be used in new ways. To do this, students learn how to distill, how to saponify, how to separate, how to filter, etc. We teach them the scientific principle, how to measure, and how to use the tools of the discipline. Along the way, then, we can assess their skill and knowledge by testing them with process and objective tests. For example, we can test:
• Vocabulary knowledge by using objective measures
• Conceptual understanding by using similar problems or cases
• Process understanding by testing order of operations
• Skills by observing practice.
For examples of types of assessment, see:
RETURN TO LA STEM STORIES HOMEPAGE