Objective Summary
The article introduces a grading rubric for scientific models created by children in grades three to five. Boughey and Henriques (2020) begin by defining a scientific model and distinguishing it from three-dimensional models and diagrams. Essentially, a scientific model should depict a system and demonstrate the student’s inquiry and understanding of a phenomenon. The authors introduce a rubric for both hard copy and digital models which includes more content, such as voice recordings and videos of the student’s drawings.
The rubric incorporates input from a wide variety of sources. These sources include modeling literature, Appendix F of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), digital models from students, NGSS Evidence Statements, classroom test results, and feedback from NGSS and technology integration educators (Boughey & Henriques, 2020). According to the article, digital modeling applications such as ShowMe, Educreations, and Explain Everything allows students to add a new slide each time they want to revise their scientific models. Finally, the students combine slides into a video and share them with their teacher for grading. Most importantly, digital tools allow students to explain their thinking through voice recording with each revision, making it easier for the teacher to understand the changes in the thinking processes.
When using the rubric, the authors recommend that teachers focus on selected rubric parts with each modeling process stage. For instance, teachers can use specific categories or rows during the initial modeling stage and add a new category with each revision. Such incremental use and learning of the rubric will enhance thoroughness and clarity in students’ understanding. The rubric also includes a space where teachers can add disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) and more categories to suit their learners’ needs and meet desired grading criteria. Additionally, teachers should include other crosscutting concepts (CCCs) and learning dimensions in the rubric to capture every learning process aspect. Lastly, the authors recommend that teachers do not focus on digital tools during the initial modeling stages to allow learners to familiarize themselves with the tools.
Application to NGSS
NGSS defines three essential dimensions in studying science, including disciplinary core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts. Since it establishes the standards that determine what learners should be able to do and know, the grading rubric introduced by Boughey and Henriques is a vital tool in ensuring compliance to or fulfillment of the standards. Teachers can address NGSS by incorporating its DCIs, practices, and CCCs into the various rubric categories. For example, NGSS requires third-grade students to describe weather conditions for multiple seasons of the year. A teacher assessing this understanding can add the related DCIs and CCCs from the NGSS standards into the Boughey and Henriques rubric. The 3-ESS2 Earth’s Systems standard includes a CCC that requires third-grade learners to use change patterns in predicting weather-related situations. As such, the teacher should add DCIs that will assess this outcome to the rubric.
Critique
The article presents a plausible method of grading scientific models for grades three to five learners. However, the authors do not give specific examples to ensure teachers can fully understand the rubric’s application. Since grading scientific models created on digital applications is a complex process for teachers, the authors have provided a foundation that every teacher can utilize to simplify the grading task. Specific grading examples would have extended the learning to greater heights. I will use this rubric to grade models for all the learners after tailoring it to meet each grade’s specific grading criteria.
Reference
Boughey, S. & Henriques, L. (2020). Model, Assess, Repeat! Science and Children, 57(7), 34-39. Web.