EQuIP Rubric for Lessons & Units: Science
Reviewer Name or ID: This review represents a synthesis of multiple reviews
Grade: Middle School
Lesson/Unit Title: Cherrio for the Planet, v2
Note: This lesson is estimated to take six hours. For the purposes of the rubric a lesson is a lesson is defined as: a coherent set of instructional activities and
assessments aligned to the NGSS that may extend over a few to several class periods. As this is a longer lesson by this definition, the additional criteria for longer
lessons or units were considered.
I. Alignment to the NGSS
The lesson or unit aligns with the conceptual shifts of the NGSS:
Criteria
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
A. Grade-appropriate elements of the science and
engineering practice(s), disciplinary core
idea(s), and crosscutting concept(s), work
together to support students in threedimensional learning to make sense of
phenomena and/or to design solutions to
problems.
i. Provides opportunities to develop and use
specific elements of the practice(s) to make
sense of phenomena and/or to design
solutions to problems.
ii. Provides opportunities to develop and use
specific elements of the disciplinary core
idea(s) to make sense of phenomena and/or
to design solutions to problems.
iii. Provides opportunities to develop and use
specific elements of the crosscutting
concept(s) to make sense of phenomena
and/or to design solutions to problems.
iv. The three dimensions work together to
support students to make sense of
phenomena and/or to design solutions to
problems.
i.
ii.
iii.
Evidence of opportunities for students to develop and use the practices include:
 Students are working with representations and thinking about the scale and
limitations of those representations. However, students are not using the
representations to make predictions, to generate data to be used in explanations or
arguments, to show relationships, etc.
 Students are using grade-appropriate math (i.e., ratios) to create and complete the
charts that represent the size of the planet in terms of cheerios (which might allow
them to easily recognize how the sizes relate to one another) as well as the distance
of the planets from the sun in terms of a unit of measure they determine (which
might allow them to easily recognize how the distances relate to one another).
 Though it is not listed, students are involved in “critically reading scientific texts
adapted for classroom use to obtain scientific and technical information to describe
evidence about the natural and designed worlds” (SEP 8, NGSS Appendix F) when
they read about different scales and various models as well as about the advances
of technology.
 Though students are collecting and using data, they are not making inferences
about the data or analyzing it.
Evidence of opportunities for students to develop and use the DCIs include:
 During the card activity and development of the scale model, students develop an
understanding that “the solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects,
including planets, their moons, and asteroids” (which is part of the identified DCI:
ESS1.B)
 The gravitational pull portion of the DCI is not explored in this unit.
Evidence of opportunities for students to develop and use the CCC include:
 Students explicitly engaged with the identified element of Scale, Proportion, and
Quantity when they are asked to create a scaled model of the solar system that will
fit in the classroom through reading and then discussing different types of scale.
 The presentation rubric requires students to justify the scale they created and the
Version 2 – published September 2014
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Suggestions for improvement
i.
There are some implicit connections to
relationships that the models are showing. If
students were asked to think about and address
these relationships explicitly, this would be more
in alignment with the practice of modeling.
Additionally, other relationships such as the
relationship between the length of each planet’s
year and its distance from the sun could be
explored through models.
Again, having students think about the
relationships explicitly would also strengthen the
math practices by providing more purpose for
creating a scale.
It would be helpful for students to recognize that
they are engaging in the practices of science so
that they access the practices as tool moving
forward in science.
The practice of analyzing data should either be
more purposefully included or deleted since other
practices are more present.
ii. Before moving to the card sort that after students
have thought about objects in the solar system,
prompt them to think about how the objects are
similar and different, thus leading to quantifying
reasons the made the choices they did about their scale.
When students discuss the limits of models, they may address the element of
systems and system models: models are limited in that they only represent certain
aspects of the system under study (NGSS, Appendix G). However, it is not certain
that students will explicitly include this – including the recognition of the system –
as a limitation.
 Students read about and discuss engineering advances Investigation 3 which
corresponds to the noted Interdependence of Science, Engineering and Technology
crosscutting concept.
The unit integrates the practice of mathematical thinking to determine a scale to
represent the phenomena of distance of planets from the sun as well as, with some
adjustments, modeling to create a representation of distance in a smaller scale (which
connects to the crosscutting concept of scale) and justifying their scale through a
presentation. While the three dimensions work together in part of these investigations,
the connection to the listed DCI is minimal.
with the information on the cards.

iv.
Gravitational pull should be covered or it should
be noted that this is not the intent of this unit but
needs to be addressed in later units to ensure the
DCI is fully addressed.
iii. Ensure that students address the idea that models
only allow them to represent certain aspects of
the system if that crosscutting concept is added.
iv. Making the connections to the DCI stronger (or
including additional, relevant DCIs) would help
ensure that students are developing and using
practices and crosscutting concepts along with
developing and using the DCI in a purposeful way.
It would also be beneficial to “shine a light” on
each of the three dimensions playing out in the
lesson. This not only helps students be aware of
their own learning and provides them tools for
future learning, but also makes it easier for them
to see the connections between the dimensions.
A unit or longer lesson will also:
Criteria
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
Suggestions for improvement
B. Lessons fit together coherently targeting a set of
performance expectations.
i. Each lesson links to previous lessons and provides a
need to engage in the current lesson.
ii. The lessons help students develop proficiency on a
targeted set of performance expectations.
i.
i.
C. Where appropriate, disciplinary core ideas from
different disciplines are used together to explain
phenomena.
Not evident
D. Where appropriate, crosscutting concepts are used in
the explanation of phenomena from a variety of
disciplines.
The CCC of Interdependence of Science, Engineering and Technology (ISET)
explores how advances in engineering lead to new discoveries in science. This
was applied specifically to ESS in this unit, but there was an opportunity to
connect this idea to other science disciplines.
While some of the questions suggested for teachers to ask the class are
helpful to bridge the investigations together, the bridge is not always a
smooth transition with transparency as to why or how one investigation
builds on the information from the other.
ii. There is only one targeted PE, however, it is bundled with other
components of the three-dimensions to develop a deeper sense of scale
and the phenomena of the distance of planets to the sun, and modeling.
The investigations do help develop proficiency toward the PE, but students
will still need to engage in the identified practice and more of the DCI
either in this unit or a following unit.
Transitions from one investigation to the other would
help students to better engage students in an
investigation and understand the connections. Have
the teacher prompt students in a discussion about how
the investigation they completed may help them with
the goal of the next investigation, a type of recap and
recapture.
ii. Gravitational pull should be covered or it should be
noted that this is not the intent of this unit but needs
to be addressed in later units to ensure the DCI is fully
addressed.
When students are reading about different types of scale, they may be about
other science disciplines. Though they are not asked to use the crosscutting in
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E. Provides grade-appropriate connection(s) to the
Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and/or
English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science and Technical Subjects.
the explanation of a phenomena.
Students are using ratios when determining their scales and are using ratio
language when the say if 1 cheerio =2,300 km, how many cheerios would we
need to represent…” (CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1)
Add connections within the investigations to the ELA and
math standards in grades 7 and 8 so that educators at
different grades within MS are not limited to introducing
this unit in grade 6.
II. Instructional Supports
The lesson or unit supports instruction and learning for all students:
Criteria
A. Engages students in authentic and meaningful scenarios that reflect the
practice of science and engineering as experienced in the real world and
that provide students with a purpose (e.g., making sense of phenomena
and/or designing solutions to problems).
i. The context, including phenomena, questions, or problems, motivates
students to engage in three-dimensional learning.
ii. Provides students with relevant phenomena (either firsthand
experiences or through representations) to make sense of and/or
relevant problems to solve.
iii. Engages students in multiple practices that work together with
disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts to support students in
making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to problems.
iv. Provides opportunities for students to connect their explanation of a
phenomenon and/or their design solution to a problem to their own
experience.
v. When engineering performance expectations are included, they are
used along with disciplinary core ideas from physical, life, or earth and
space sciences.
B. Develops deeper understanding of the practices, disciplinary core ideas,
and crosscutting concepts by identifying and building on students’ prior
knowledge.
C. Uses scientifically accurate and grade-appropriate scientific information,
phenomena, and representations to support students’ three-dimensional
learning.
D. Provides opportunities for students to express, clarify, justify, interpret,
and represent their ideas and respond to peer and teacher feedback
orally and/or in written form as appropriate to support student’s threedimensional learning.
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
Suggestions for improvement
i.
Solar systems and space are highly motivating for many,
though not all, students.
ii. While the phenomena of planetary distance from the sun
may not be relevant, it is connected to thinking about
distance in a way that is relevant (the distance between
their home and school). This short introductory activity
helps to establish that scale can be used to show distance
and that a variation in that scale can make the proportion
larger or smaller.
iii. Students are engaged in multiple practices, see I.A.i., though
pulling the three dimensions together to help students make
sense of the phenomena is not strongly present.
iv. Students first investigate and discuss the distance of their
homes to the school. This establishes a personal experience
that can then be applied to the phenomena of distance of
objects to the sun in our solar system. Also, students use
everyday objects to think about scale. By using objects
students are familiar with, they can associate these objects
and their sizes with objects and distances that are very large
and difficult comprehend, making the idea of scale (and
potentially relative size and distances) more accessible.
v. No engineering performance expectations have been
included in this unit.
Students’ prior knowledge about the DCI and practices
associated with these investigations is not evident however, the
unit does engage and build prior knowledge about scale by
having students determine the distance of the school to their
homes.
Providing links to reputable websites supports access to
accurate information.
Emphasizing the question near the end of final
investigation – Can you think of any similar systems or
sets of objects that we could better understand through
the creation of a similar scale? – could surface other
cases where students might apply this learning.
Consider a prompt that links them back to the initial
question about distance to school from home.
Investigations 1-4 provide opportunities for students to share
their thinking (such as think-pair-share, creating a consensus
definition of scale, classroom discussions, etc.), justify their
ideas (such as the oral presentation), and represent their ideas
through creating a scale. Students may have a chance to
Strategies for teachers to assure that the appropriate
classroom learning environment has been established
would go a long ways to assuring students feel
comfortable sharing. This would also be a place where
arguing from evidence could be re-enforced (or taught
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E. Provides guidance for teachers to support differentiated instruction in
the classroom so that every student’s needs are addressed by including:
i. Suggestions for how to connect instruction to the students' home,
neighborhood, community and/or culture as appropriate.
ii. Appropriate reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking alternatives
(e.g., translations, picture support, graphic organizers) for students
who are English language learners, have special needs, or read well
below the grade level.
iii. Suggested extra support (e.g., phenomena, representations, tasks)
for students who are struggling to meet the performance
expectations.
iv. Extensions for students with high interest or who have already met
the performance expectations to develop deeper understanding of
the practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.
A unit or longer lesson will also:
Criteria
F. Provides guidance for teachers throughout the unit for how lessons build
on each other to support students developing deeper understanding of
the practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts over the
course of the unit.
G. Provides supports to help students engage in the practices as needed and
gradually adjusts supports over time so that students are increasingly
responsible for making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions
to problems.
respond to peer feedback in groups, though this is not explicitly
structured and may not happen.
i. Students identify distance for their home to the school and
the surrounding community in the first investigation.
ii. Suggestions are given for scaffolded worksheets in
Investigation 2. Investigation 3 suggests the use of a
worksheet to support students who may struggle with
calculations.
iii. In addition to the evidence for II.E.ii, there is a reference to
NASA simulations that might assist struggling learners at the
bottom of page 3.
iv. Investigation 4 gives suggestions for students with a high
interest to return to the variables they listed and think about
how the other variables may be represented (not just
distance or size).
depending prior learning).
ii. In investigation 4, when students are determining
their own scales for the distance of the planets from
the sun could be improved for those students who
are having difficulty determining and justifying a
scale by having peer or teacher reviews and
feedback with directed re-questioning.
iii. As noted above, capitalizing on the practice of
arguing from evidence, but sticking with only
preparing oral arguments, would assist students
needing additional assistance with making meaning
of the work
v. Making connections across domains using the
crosscutting of scale could serve as an extension.
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
Suggestions for improvement
See I.B.
Assuming adjustments are made to the practice of modeling,
there is scaffolding of this practice by explicitly discussing the
limits of models before asking student to identify them on their
own and in creating scales together as a class regarding the size
of the planets before expecting students to create their own
scale for distance.
III. Monitoring Student Progress
The lesson or unit supports monitoring student progress:
Criteria
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
Suggestions for improvement
A. Elicits direct, observable evidence of threedimensional learning by students using
practices with core ideas and crosscutting
concepts to make sense of phenomena
and/or to design solutions.
The investigations provide opportunities to observed evidence of
learning of each of the dimensions (see I.A. for examples). What could
be strengthened is the three-dimensional aspect.
In the “wrap-up” at the end scale is clearly connected but the connection to
the structure of the solar system should be strengthened. As mentioned
above, if interpreting and analyzing data is the practice, it should be pulled into
the wrap-up as well.
B. Formative assessments of three-dimensional
learning are embedded throughout the
There are some formative assessment opportunities embedded
throughout the instruction, mostly in the form of teacher-led
questioning, however the questions require written student
A performance rubric that calls for students to use language found in the
various dimensions would help elicit their understanding and ability in the
dimensions.
To make these formative assessment opportunities stronger, provide
suggestions for how to adjust teaching and learning when it is discovered (by
teachers and students) that students are not demonstrating understanding of
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instruction.
C. Includes aligned rubrics and scoring
guidelines that provide guidance for
interpreting student performance along the
three dimensions to support teachers in (a)
planning instruction and (b) providing
ongoing feedback to students.
D. Assessing student proficiency using methods,
vocabulary, representations, and examples
that are accessible and unbiased for all
students.
responses that can be used to gauge student proficiency in the three
dimensions. Another example includes notes to the teacher such as
“Use this quick write to assess student thinking.” on page 6. See above
regarding the three-dimensional nature of these opportunities.
A rubric is given for the scale and justification as well as the
presentation skills.
The oral presentation and the scale and justification allow students to
use multimedia and visuals to exhibit proficiency of the dimensions.
the three dimensions.
Students need to be given opportunities for revisions if they are not on target
to meet the rubric. Include check-ins and guidance for students during the oral
presentation. This can be accomplished by reviewing the rubrics and engaging
in a discussion for understanding as to what a presentation that exhibits
proficiency towards the three dimensions would be like.
As suggested above, you might add to the rubric an element associated with
using the appropriate vocabulary from the various dimensions.
Provide options for students to share their understanding. It could be an oral
presentation, a written “report” summarizing the model they created, etc.
Example of this in middle of page 9.
A unit or longer lesson will also:
Criteria
Specific evidence from materials and reviewers’ reasoning
Suggestions for improvement
E. Includes pre-, formative,
summative, and self-assessment
measures that assess threedimensional learning.
A pre-assessment is somewhat present when students measure the distance of their school to home, this
establishes a connection to scale and distance as well as how this can be modified to describe the scale
properties of other objects that are too large or too small to be seen. Opening prompt – What are
different objects that we find in our solar system – is used for accessing students’ prior knowledge.
A pre-assessment to determine how much students
are familiar with the DCIs prior to starting the unit
would be a good use of time (possibly cutting down on
the amount of information that the teacher must
research on their own and provide the students with).
There are opportunities to rewrite and review concepts through teacher led questioning and feedback.
Students are given opportunities to write down what they know and get feedback (as is evident in
investigations 1-4 when students have the chance to do quick writes or work on a definition of scale that
can be modified).
A summative assessment is given in the form of an oral presentation that addresses scale as it is used to
justify the distance between the sun and planets as well as a students’ speaking and listening skills based
in the CCSS-ELA.
F. Provides multiple opportunities
for students to demonstrate
performance of practices
connected with their
understanding of disciplinary core
ideas and crosscutting concepts
and receive feedback.
Multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate performance of practices connected with the
understanding of the DCI and/or CCC to and to receive feedback include:



Students are engaged in class discussions, encouraged to write to justify reasoning with evidence
(Investigation 1)
Students establish a scale for distance utilizing all the information that has been gathered for a scale
of the planets to the sun using various objects to justify a model (Investigation 4)
The oral presentation give students the opportunity to integrate the dimensions because they must
justify the mathematical model they used for scale of distance of the planets to the sun based on
information that was obtained.
Overall Summary Comments:
5