Use Common, Real-World Science Contexts
science phenomena
3.1 Activate or supply background knowledge
Assessment Example

Assessment content centers on common, real-world science contexts that are relevant to students, and it can provide students information outside the tested skills and can help students make connections to topics in other content areas. An unscored "wonder question" provides an opportunity for students to reflect on what they already know about a science concept and helps engender curiosity.

Non-example

Assessment items are presented in isolation with no opportunity to reflect on or engage with previously learned concepts or connections to other content areas.

Accessibility

Ensure that chosen contexts or phenomena are equally likely to be familiar to students with and without sensory impairments or communication support needs

Areas of Interest
Assessment Design
Assessment Development
UDL Guidelines
Comprehension
Learner Focus
Student Focused
Power Strategies
Real-World Contexts

Related Assessment Examples

patterns and relationships
Comprehension
3.2 Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
Example:

Assessment items are clustered around one context, for example, a science narrative about a hypothetical student conducting an experiment on...

Assessment Design, Assessment Development
Student Focused
Graphic Organizers
science phenomena
Comprehension
3.1 Activate or supply background knowledge
Example:

Assessment content centers on common, real-world science contexts that are relevant to students, and it can provide students information outside...

Assessment Design, Assessment Development
Student Focused
Real-World Contexts
link new items prior knowledge
Comprehension
3.4 Maximize transfer and generalization
Example:

Assessments may contain graphic organizers, concept maps, or scaffolds to link new items to prior knowledge. Situating items in familiar...

Assessment Design, Assessment Development
Student Focused
Graphic Organizers, Real-World Contexts