Exemplar for Internal Achievement Standard Science Level 1

Transcription

1 Exemplar for Internal Achievement Standard Science Level 1 This exemplar supports assessment against: Achievement Standard Investigate life processes and environmental factors that affect them An annotated exemplar is an extract of student evidence, with a commentary, to explain key aspects of the standard. These will assist teachers to make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries. New Zealand Qualification Authority To support internal assessment from 2014

2 1. Grade Boundary: Low Excellence For Excellence, the student needs to investigate, comprehensively, life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves using observations or findings, and biological ideas to make significant links between environmental factors related to at least two life processes of the organism, including the implications for an organism. The student has comprehensively investigated the environmental factor of low oxygen levels (1), linked to the life process of circulation (2). The link between lower oxygen levels and how muscles work in a low oxygen environment is comprehensively explained (3). For a more secure Excellence, the student could provide more evidence to fully establish links between changes in an environment and changes to an organism. For example, the student could discuss more fully how cramp comes about, and how that is affected by the environment: muscles will go into oxygen debt more quickly, and will build up lactic acid when there is less oxygen available, and this is a major cause of cramp.

3 2. Grade Boundary: High Merit For Merit, the student needs to investigate, in depth, life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves using observations or findings, and biological ideas, to give reasons how or why environmental factors are related to at least two life processes of an organism. The student has investigated in depth how an environmental factor affects the life process of respiration (1), related to circulation and movement (2). A link to an organism (humans) has also been explained in depth. To reach Excellence, the student could comprehensively explain how an environmental factor links to a life process, and then comprehensively link this explanation to an organism. For example, the student could discuss how altitude affects the speed at which athletes go into oxygen debt, and the impact of this on an athlete s performance.

4 3. Grade Boundary: Low Merit For Merit, the student needs to investigate, in depth, life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves using observations or findings, and biological ideas, to give reasons how or why environmental factors are related to at least two life processes of an organism. The student has explained in depth how the environmental factor related to low oxygen levels affects the life process of support and movement (1), and the link to an organism (humans) has also been explained (2). For a more secure Merit, the student could provide a clearer explanation of the link between an environmental factor and a life process for an organism. This could include, for example, a description of how respiration gathers oxygen, and how a shortage of oxygen at altitude will negatively affect an athlete s performance (because muscles don t work as efficiently as at higher altitudes).

5 4. Grade Boundary: High Achieved For Achieved, the student needs to investigate life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves describing observations or findings about environmental factors related to at least two life processes of an organism. The student has investigated the two life processes of respiration and support and movement (1) and described how the environmental factor related to low oxygen levels affects each (2). To reach Merit, the student could explain more clearly the link between an environmental factor and a life process for an organism. For example, the description of energy use could include reference to the role of oxygen, and the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles.

6 5. Grade Boundary: Low Achieved For Achieved, the student needs to investigate life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves describing observations or findings about environmental factors related to at least two life processes of an organism. The student has investigated the two life processes of respiration and support and movement, (1) and described how the environmental factor of oxygen levels affects each (2). For a more secure Achieved, the student could describe two life processes and an environmental factor for each. For example, respiration and movement could be described, and linked to changes in the amount of oxygen in the air.

7 6. Grade Boundary: High Not Achieved For Achieved, the student needs to investigate life processes and environmental factors that affect them. This involves describing observations or findings about environmental factors related to at least two life processes of an organism. The student has described only one life process, respiration (1), and an associated environmental factor, changing oxygen levels (2). To reach Achieved, the student could clearly describe two life processes, and an environmental factor for each. For example, the student could describe respiration and support and movement. The link to oxygen levels is needed to describe an environmental factor.