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Assessment
Courtney Davis
TED 634
National University
February 27, 2016

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Abstract
After a reading assignment has been completed a summative assessment should be used to test

comprehension. In this paper I use the topic of matter to create a summative assessment with two
parts. One is a more traditional type of exam which is close to a reading guide and one is a
practical application of learning through a performance assessment.

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For my assignments in this class I have been creating assignments based on a chapter
from the textbook that my eighth grade science students use. The chapter is an introduction to
matter. This chapter is the basis for more detailed materials my students will be reading about
matter. Because future content my students will be learning is based on this chapter it is
important that my students fully understand and have a good grasp of the standards taught in this
chapter. The standards that are covered in the chapter include:

P.8.A.6 - Students know matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms

P.8.A.4 - Students know atoms often combine to form molecules, and that compounds

form when two or more different kinds of atoms chemically bond.

N.8.A.7 - Students know there are multiple methods for organizing items and
information.

These standards are stated very broadly and are addressed by evaluating the following topics:

Assessing knowledge of the following vocabulary words: matter, physical change,

chemical change, element, mixture, compound, symbol, formula, weight, mass, volume,

and density.
Examples of mixtures, compounds, elements, properties, formulas, and symbols.
Students ability to calculate volume and density of rectangular shapes.
Restating Daltons six ideas about atoms.

Based on these standards, I plan to give two types of assessment to my students in order to
determine if they have actually learned the content and achieved the goals of the lessons I
have planned based on their reading. McKenna and Robinson describe seven ways to
determine if students have met the goals of a reading assignment. After reading these seven
ways to test reading ability I have chosen to use two to evaluate my students. The first is
Ability to retell the information or events of a selection and the second is Ability to apply
the information contained in a selection to some new problem or situation (McKenna &

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Robinson, 2014, pg. 37). Using these two methods I plan to assess my students through
matching, short answer, and short essay questions and a practical application of what they

have learned. In this two part assessment students will show will display whether or not they
have met the goals of the reading. On the following pages are the assessments, as I would
give them to my students. The first assessment is what most students will receive. The second
assessment has accommodations for my students with IEPs. The accommodations to the
actual assessment are to include formulas. Additionally, some students will receive
calculators. The test is already chucked into small segments.

Name_________________________________________ Period___________ Date________

Introduction to Matter Assessment

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Part 1: Written Response
Give two examples of the following vocabulary words (12 points).
1. Formula

_________________________

_________________________

2. Mixture

_________________________

_________________________

3. Compound

_________________________

_________________________

4. Property

_________________________

_________________________

5. Element

_________________________

_________________________

6. Symbol

_________________________

_________________________

List Daltons six ideas about atoms in your own words (12 points).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Give one example of a physical change and one example of a chemical change (4 points).

Compare and contrast mixtures and compounds (10 points).

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Compounds

Mixtures
Both

Match the units to the correct measurement (10 points).

1. ________ Mass

A. g/cm3

2. ________ Volume

B. g

3. ________ Density

C. m

4. ________ Length

D. C

5. ________ Temperature

E. mL

Draw and label a model of a water molecule and an Oxygen molecule (2 points).

Part 2: Practical Application

Calculate the solid volume of the following boxes by completing the data table (20 points).

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Box Number
1
2
3
4
5

Length (cm)

Width (cm)

Height (cm)

Volume (cm3)

Determine the mass of the following items (10 points).

Item

Mass (g)

Pencil
Eraser
Ruler
Plastic Beaker
Textbook
Find the liquid volume of the five liquids (10 points).
Liquid Color
Green
Yellow
Blue
Red
Clear

Volume (mL)

Calculate the density of the following cubes (20 points).

Material
Brass
Aluminum
Cork
Copper
Pine

Volume (cm3)

Mass (g)

Density (g/cm3)

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Name_________________________________________ Period___________ Date________

Introduction to Matter Assessment
Part 1: Written Response
Give two examples of the following vocabulary words (12 points).
1. Formula

_________________________

_________________________

2. Mixture

_________________________

_________________________

3. Compound

_________________________

_________________________

4. Property

_________________________

_________________________

5. Element

_________________________

_________________________

6. Symbol

_________________________

_________________________

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List Daltons six ideas about atoms in your own words (12 points).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Give one example of a physical change and one example of a chemical change (4 points).

Compare and contrast mixtures and compounds (10 points).

Compounds

Mixtures
Both

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Match the units to the correct measurement (10 points).

1. ________ Mass

A. g/cm3

2. ________ Volume

B. g

3. ________ Density

C. m

4. ________ Length

D. C

5. ________ Temperature

E. mL

Draw and label a model of a water molecule and an Oxygen molecule (2 points).

Part 2: Practical Application

Calculate the solid volume of the following boxes by completing the data table (20 points).
Formula: volume = length x width x height
Box Number
1
2
3
4
5

Length (cm)

Width (cm)

Determine the mass of the following items (10 points).

Item
Pencil
Eraser
Ruler
Plastic Beaker
Textbook

Mass (g)

Height (cm)

Volume (cm3)

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Find the liquid volume of the five liquids (10 points).
Liquid Color
Green
Yellow
Blue
Red
Clear

Volume (mL)

Calculate the density of the following cubes (20 points).

Formulas:
Volume = length x width x height
Material
Brass
Aluminum
Cork
Copper
Pine

Density = mass/volume

Volume (cm3)

Mass (g)

Density (g/cm3)

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McKenna and Robinson describe ways to assess students and materials together in two
ways, through a reading guide or a cloze test. I have chosen to use a reading guide as well as a
performance based assessment. The reading guide is based on the entire chapter, rather than a
smaller section within the chapter. Since I had already created lessons where my students use a
reading guide while they read one section, I have made this reading guide more comprehensive
and with high level of thinking questions. Within my guide I have also chosen to use a graphic
organizer because it allows students to directly compare and see the connections between key
words from the chapter. I have also decided to use a performance assessment to see how well my
students can apply what they have learned from their reading to practical measuring skills.
Collectively these measures are referred to as authentic assessments, because they are related to
a students ability to think knowledgably about real-life problems (Serdyukov & Hill, 2009, pg.
321).
The other assessment that McKenna and Robinson described was a cloze test. I have
decided not to use a cloze test as an assessment, based on my students and the material covered.
In a cloze test there is typically a 300 word passage. The material I am covering is an entire
chapter from a textbook. A cloze test would be something I would rather use for one section to
test reading ability. To me a cloze test is not as much about comprehending content as it is about
reading ability. For this assignment I wanted to test content knowledge and practical application
of this knowledge based on a reading assignment. A cloze test does not allow me to test my
students practical application of what they have learned.

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By reading the chapter over several days, having smaller writing and comprehension
assignments throughout the chapter, and then completing a summative assessment based on the
reading through an assessment similar to a reading guide I think my students will be properly
assessed. The questions I have selected include questions of lower and higher levels of thinking
and they do not have a particular order that they follow. I have purposely chosen from matching
to compare and contrast to short essays to challenge my students. If they cannot think about what
they have read and apply it through examples then I feel that they have not actually learned the
material.

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References
McKenna, M. & Robinson, R. (2014). Teaching Through Text. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Serdyukov, P. & Hill, R.A. (2009). Methodology for Second Language Development. Boston:
Pearson