Name___________________________________ Date__________ Level____​ Graphing/CER Task Assessment
Background Scenario:
Imagine you are a geologist with the capabilities of digging deep into the ​Lithosphere​ (the crust and the
uppermost mantle). Your primary job is to take temperature readings of this rocky sphere of the planet. You
immediately discover that the temperature at the surface where the crust meets the atmosphere is equal to the air
temperature. ​You are curious if the temperature will stay the same if you dig below the surface, so you and
your team drill to various depths into the Lithosphere and record the temperature. The data you collected
is shown below​:
Average Temperature (°C) vs Depth (km)
Depth (km)
Average Temperature (°C)
50
1000
75
1250
100
1400
150
1700
200
1800
250
2200
Task:
Please fill in the blanks below and then create an appropriate graph that shows the relationship between depth(km)
and temperature (°C) of the Earth’s lithosphere. Remember to use ​G-TAILS +S​ ​and don’t forget ​DRY MIX​ ​on the
axes.
1. Independent (Manipulated) Variable ___________________ Unit of Measurement ______
2. Dependent (Responding) Variable ____________________ Unit of Measurement_____
3.​ Write a​ ​Scientific Explanation/Argument​ (​Make a ​Claim,​ support with ​Evidence ​and explain with
Reasoning)​ to answer the Focus Question (FQ) below:
FQ:​ What is the relationship between ​depth (km) ​and​ ​temperature (​°C)​ ​in the lithosphere?
Another way of asking this question is, How does the temperature change as the depth changes in the
Lithosphere?
● Make a ​claim​ that answers the focus question.
● Support the claim with ​using ​specific data from the table and/or graph​ to use ​as ​evidence​ for
your claim​. (Use an evidence prompt)
● Justify your answer with ​scientific​ reasoning​ that explains ​the reason why the temperature
changes with depth.​ Use information found in the text on pg. 9 to find the scientific reasoning.
(Use a reasoning prompt/sentence starter)
o Color- code and label:​ the ​Claim​, ​Evidence,​ ​Reasoning​ ​in your response.
o Resources to use: ​G-TAILS Rubric, CER Rubric, Sentence Starter Prompts