Dean Papadakis
SED 525
Dr. Herr
(Assignment #1)
ASSESSING STUDENT REASONING
Course:
Honors Physics
Grade Level:
9th-12th (mostly 10th)
Student Abilities:
Math Skills-Mostly geometry, some have had Algebra II.
Theme of Questions: Mechanics: Motion
Helpful Information: The value of 9.8 m/s2 can be rounded off to 10 m/s2 for the
acceleration due to gravity on the earth.
The acceleration due to gravity on the moon is 1.6 m/s2
Graded by Hugh Sutherland
Level of
Reasoning
Knowledge
Question
In a displacement vs. time graph showing the motion of a moving car,
what is the correct name given to the slope of the graph?
a) Speed
c) Acceleration
b) Velocity
d) Hyper-Acceleration
A ball is thrown up into the air and allowed to fall back to the ground.
Comprehension In which direction is the force of gravity acting, as the ball is moving
upwards?
a) Gravity is acting upwards, helping the ball to move upwards.
b) Gravity is acting downwards, though the ball moves upwards.
Application
c) Gravity is acting in both directions, upwards & downwards.
If you throw a ball straight down from the science balcony, while you
simultaneously drop another identical ball from the same height, how
will the accelerations of the two balls compare?
a) The thrown ball will have a greater acceleration.
b) The dropped ball will have a greater acceleration.
Analysis
c) Both thrown and dropped balls will have the same acceleration.
If the ball in the previous question, were thrown downwards from the
balcony with an initial speed of 14 m/s, instead of just being dropped,
what would its speed be one second after being thrown? Confusing
because in the above question there are 2 balls, 1 dropped and 1
thrown.
If a ball is thrown downward from the balcony with an initial speed,
etc.
Synthesis
Evaluation
a) 10 m/s
c) 24m/s
b) 14 m/s
d) 45 m/s
c) 20 m/s
A ball is thrown upward into the air. Assuming that no air resistance is
acting on the ball, explain how the acceleration of the ball varies while
it is traveling upwards and then while it is traveling downwards?
“Explain” tends to be a comprehension word.
Since this question may be better as a comprehension type
question, I could use it as a follow up question to the existing
comprehension question above, and find another question to put
here for the synthesis type of question, such as: “One ball is
dropped off a balcony, while another ball is thrown off the balcony
at a speed of 5 m/s, while another ball is thrown off the balcony
with a speed of 8 m/s. Construct a distance vs. time graph and a
velocity vs. time graph for the three different balls and sketch what
these graphs might look like.
I. An astronaut is on the moon and simultaneously drops a feather and
a hammer. How do we explain the fact that they both land on the
ground at the same time? Rephrase as an ‘evaluation’ question.
These multiple choice responses could be removed so that the question
reads, “Defend this result to another student and convince the other
student why this result occurs.”
a) no gravity forces act on a body in a vacuum.
b) g on the moon is less than g on the earth.
c) in the absence of air resistance, the ratio of any object’s weight to
its mass is a constant value.
d) the feather has a greater weight on the moon than on the earth.
II. What would be the value of the speed of the feather, one second
after being dropped to the ground? How is this question at a
different level than the very similar Analysis question?
It is best to just remove this question since it really belongs above
in the Analysis section.
Answers to the 6 Levels of Reasoning Questions (for Mechanics-Motion):
Knowledge Question #1
b) velocity
Comprehension Question #1b) Gravity is acting downwards, though the ball . . . . . .
Application Question #1
c) Both thrown and dropped balls will have the same . . .
Analysis Question #1
c) 24m/s
Synthesis Question #1
The acceleration of the ball does not vary while being
thrown upwards, it stays constant at 10 m/s2 and is directed
in the downward direction. When the ball is traveling
downwards, the acceleration of the ball again does not vary
and remains constant at 10 m/s2 and is still directed in the
downward direction.
Evaluation Question #1
c) in the absence of air resistance, the ratio of any object’s
weight to its mass is a constant value.
Evaluation Question #2
Since the acceleration due to gravity on the moon,
is 1.6 m/s2 and since there is no air on the moon, this means
that the value for air resistance is zero, so the speed of the feather would be
found from vf = vi + gt or
(zero + 1.6 m/s2 x 1 second), which equals 1.6 m/s
Dean Papadakis
SED 525
Dr. Herr
(Assignment #1)
(Question set 2)
ASSESSING STUDENT REASONING
Course:
General Chemistry
Grade Level:
11th-12th (mostly 11th)
Student Abilities:
Math Skills-Mostly geometry, some have only had Algebra I.
Theme of Questions: Organic Chemistry
Helpful Information:
Types of Functional Groups
1.
3.
2.
4.
Level of
Reasoning
Question
What is the general formula for the alkenes family?
Knowledge
Comprehension
a) CnH2n+2
c) CnH2n
b) CnH2n-2
d) CnHn
Match the term below with the statement that most closely matches.
Each answer is used once.
a) organic
d) alcohol
b) saturated
e) hydrocarbon
c) aldehyde or ketone
1.
Compound whose only two elements are carbon and hydrogen.
2.
Substance that contains one –OH group as its only functional
group.
3.
Substance that contains one C=O bond as its only functional
4.
group.
Compound that contains the maximum number of hydrogens
(no multiple bonds or rings).
5.
Branch of chemistry that deals with compounds of carbon.
This is a vocabulary recognition question which is usually
‘Knowledge’.
This question could be adjusted so as to be more in line with a
comprehension question by asking the following question instead:
Describe how how an alkene molecule is different from an alkane
molecule.
Application
I. Which formula represents a member of the same hydrocarbon family
as C8H14?
a) C4H6
c) C4H8
b) C4H7
d) C4H10
II. What kind of hydrocarbon is C8H14? ____________________
Analysis
Referring to the chart in the “Helpful Information” section above,
match the terms below with the correct functional group.
1. Functional group 1 is most closely associated with
a) aldehydes
c) ketones
b) acids
d) alcohols
2. Functional group 2 is most closely associated with
a) alcohols
b) aldehydes
c) ethers
d) ketones
3. Functional group 3 is most closely associated with
a) acids
c) ketones
b) aldehydes
d) alcohols
4. Functional group 4 is most closely associated with
a) esters
c) ketones
b) acids
d) aldehydes
Synthesis
I. How many carbons make up the “parent chain” in the following
molecule?
a) 4
c) 6
b) 5
d) 7
II. What would be the correct I.U.P.A.C. chemical name of this
molecule? _________________________________________
III. Draw one possible isomer of this eight carbon molecule.
Evaluation
I. When an alcohol reacts with a carboxylic acid:
a) an ester forms.
b) the product often has a nice smell.
c) a water molecule is produced.
d) all of these occur.
II. If the alcohol used is methanol, and the carboxylic acid used is
salicylic acid (as was done in the classroom experiment), what
would be the correct chemical equation (showing structural
formulas) for this reaction?
This is a “synthesis” question.
Here is an alternate version of this question that would make it more in
line with an evaluation type of question. What would you need to do
as an organic chemist in order to change the flavor or aroma of this
wintergreen molecule (that was synthesized) to a different flavor or
aroma?
Answers to the 6 Levels of Reasoning Questions (for Organic Chemistry):
Knowledge Question #1
c)
CnH2n
Comprehension Question #1 1. e) hydrocarbon 2. d) alcohol
3. c) aldehyde or ketone 4. b) saturated
Application Question # I
Application Question # II
a) C4H6
alkyne
Analysis Question #1
Functional Group 1 is
b) acids
Functional Group 2 is
c) ethers
Functional Group 3 is
d) alcohols
Functional Group 4 is
d) aldehydes
Synthesis Question # I
c) 6
Synthesis Question # II
3,4-dimethyl hexane
5. a) organic
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Synthesis Question # III
—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—C—
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How would you describe the other possible answers?
I would draw out the other isomers, but it was difficult for me to draw them with
Microsoft Word. The end carbon could for example be moved to the third carbon from
the end, to make another isomer.
Evaluation Question # I
a) an ester forms.
Evaluation Question # II
+
→
+
H2O
Dean Papadakis
SED 525
Dr. Herr
(Assignment #1)
(Question set 3)
ASSESSING STUDENT REASONING
Course:
Honors Physics
Grade Level:
9th-12th (mostly 10th)
Student Abilities:
Math Skills-Mostly geometry, some have had Algebra II.
Theme of Questions: Mechanics: Conservation of Momentum
Helpful Information: Ft = mΔv
and
Total momentum before a collision is equal to
the total momentum after the collision.
Dean, take a look at Table 6.2 Verbs to reformulate some of these questions. Append this
to my return of Question sets 1-2 and then send your revised version to me to score.
Thanks,
Hugh
Level of
Reasoning
Question
The SI unit of momentum is ...?
Knowledge
a) N. m
c) N . s
b) N/s
d) N/m
If the velocity of an object is doubled, and the mass of the object is
Comprehension tripled, by what factor will its momentum change?
a) 2
c) 5
Application
b) 4
d) 6
A 0.060 kg tennis ball is moving at 12 m/s and is struck by a racket
causing it to rebound in the opposite direction at a speed of 18 m/s.
What is the change in momentum of the ball?
a) 0.36 kg .m/s
c) 1.1 kg .m/s
b) 0.72 kg .m/s
Analysis
A small bomb of mass 10.0 kg is moving toward the north with a
velocity of 4.0 m/s. It explodes into three fragments: a 5.0 kg
fragment moving west with a speed of 8.0 m/s; a 4.0 kg fragment
moving east with a speed of 10.0 m/s; and a third fragment with a
mass of 1.0 kg. What is the velocity of the third fragment? (neglect
air friction)
a) zero
Synthesis
d) 1.8 kg .m/s
c) 40 m/s So.
b) 40 m/s No. d) none of these
This is a ‘calculate’ word problem and is ‘application’.
I agree that this is a “calculate” word problem, but I believe that it does
require a bit more analysis than the question stated above in the
application question, because it requires an understanding of vector
analysis in addition to conservation of momentum.
The use of air bags which inflate in cars during a collision help save
lives in accidents because they . . . .
a) decrease the time of impact.
b) decrease the impulse delivered to the occupant.
c) decrease the force of impact on the occupant.
d) all of these quantities are decreased during the collision.
e) none of these is true.
Evaluation
This is an ‘analysis’ question based on F=ma.
You are right, this may be better matched in the analysis section.
A railroad diesel engine coasting at 16 km/hr runs into a stationary
Flatcar. The diesel weighs 7 times as much as the flatcar. Assuming
the cars couple and stay together, how fast are they moving after the
collision? This is a ‘calculate/compute’ word problem so at most it
is an application question.
I guess I am having difficulty with creating evaluation questions and
higher order thinking questions that are just multiple choice. I know
that it does not have to be mutilple choice but I am more likely to use
it if it is a multiple choice question.
Answers to the 6 Levels of Reasoning Questions (for Mechanics-Motion):
Knowledge Question #1
c) N . s
Comprehension Question #1 d) 6
Application Question #1
d) 1.8 kg .m/s
Analysis Question #1
b) 40 m/s No.
Synthesis Question #1
c) decrease the force of impact on the occupant.
Evaluation Question #1
14 km/hr
My Reflections: After reviewing the comments by Hugh, I was surprised that I
overlooked some of the comments that he made. Having another person review my
questions, was very helpful to me and greatly improved my questions so that they would
be much more usable for my own students.
I also learned that is very challenging to make the questions on a test have enough
variability so that they match the 6 levels of reasoning. I have always wanted to have
questions that do have these varying levels, but feel that most of my questions have
usually been following only about 3 levels, not 6 levels of reasoning.
I am also happy that a higher order level of reasoning question, does not have to be an
essay question, but in fact can still be a multiple choice question, if enough time is
invested in the question, in order to make it appropriate for my students and appropriate
for the higher order level.