Part I: Describing Your Assessment Plan​.

a) Identifying key ideas: What are the key ideas in your unit flow that you need to 
monitor as students develop understandings across the unit? What 
understandings do you want them to have (and do you want to assess) at the end? 

 
Student Understanding: 
History of chemistry and the atomic theory-
Students will know the changing history of the idea of atoms and the current model accepted in science now
Structure of Atoms-
Students will know and understand the different parts of an atom and how they interact
Students will be able to analyze the interactions between elements and how they are grouped in the periodic table
Chemical Bonding-
Students will know the difference between covalent and ionic bonds, as well as being able to depict them as
diagrams
Chemical Reactions-
Students will be able to write, read, and solve chemical equations.
Students will be able to identify chemical reactions when demonstrated.

b) Assessing formatively: Describe how you will regularly, formatively, assess what 
students know and understand throughout the unit that will be used to inform 
your instruction. (This may be through use of bell-ringers, exit slips, formative 
assessment questions, etc.) You may choose to space these temporally (e.g. daily 
or weekly) or thematically (relative to when key ideas have been discussed). 
Provide an example of a formative assessment. 

Within each task given throughout the unit, artifacts of student learning are gathered. These 
worksheets will be used to assess understanding at each step in the unit. Moreover, participation in 
class discussions and small group discussions can be used to formatively assess student 
understanding. While this method is very effective, it will be very difficult to gather enough 
information when students are collaborating in small groups.  
Example of one formative assessment: 
 
 c) Assessing summatively: Summative assessments should measure what students 
have learned. Describe how you will summatively assess what students have 
learned from your unit. Provide an example of a summative performance 
assessment (e.g. project) or end of unit test through which students can 
demonstrate what they have learned in the unit. 

The students will be summatively assessed in the form of a unit test. This unit test 
will be mostly short answer, necessitating explanation with drawings and words (to reflect 
classroom discussions). The test has been split up by state and NGSS standards that are 
paired with the different lessons. In other words, we are acquiring information on whether 
or not the student has an understanding of the standards/main ideas we wanted to convey 
in our lessons. Students will mostly be asked questions with no one right answer where 
they can use multiple tools to explain themselves. Students will also often be required to 
transfer their knowledge to novel situations. 

Unit Assessment ​(would attach a periodic table) 

Name___________ 

Date:   

S.C.912.P.8.3  Explore  the  scientific  theory  of  atoms  (also  known  as  atomic  theory)  by 
describing  changes  in  the  atomic  model  over  time  and  why  those  changes  were 
necessitated by experimental evidence.  

1.  ​Choose  one  of  the  following  scientists  from  the  list  below.  Describe  their  experiment 
and  findings  discussed  in  class.  Write  a  few  sentences  explaining  how  the  evidence  from 
this experiment affected the development of the atomic theory. 
  

Circle your choice: 

Thomson 

Rutherford 

Bohr  

S.C.912.P.8.4  Explore  the  scientific  theory  of  atoms  (also  known  as  atomic  theory)  by 
describing  the  structure  of  atoms  in  terms  of  protons,  neutrons  and  electrons,  and 
differentiate  among  these  particles  in  terms  of  their  mass,  electrical charges and locations 
within the atom. 

2.​ ​Draw a model of a Hydrogen atom. Label the structure (protons, neutrons, electrons). 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

3. ​ ​Describe the components of the atom by filling in the following chart. 

  

   Charge  Mass  Location 

Protons          

Neutrons          

Electrons          

  

S.C.912.P.8.5  Relate  properties  of  atoms  and  their  position  in  the  periodic  table  to  the 
arrangement of their electrons 

HS-PS1-1  Matter  and  its  Interactions:  Use  the  periodic  table  as  a  model  to  predict  the 
relative  properties  of  elements  based  on  the  patterns of electrons in the outermost energy 
level of atoms. 
4.   ​Using your knowledge of the periodic table and valence electrons, explain how a group 
17 element would differ from a group 18 element. 

  

  

5.    ​Based on our discussion of periodic trends, which of the following atoms would be the 
largest? 

a. Oxygen 

b. Sodium 

c. Argon 

d. Potassium 

  

6. ​ ​Explain your answer for #6 in a few sentences.  

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ 

​HS-PS1-2 Matter and its Interactions 

Construct  and  revise  an  explanation  for  the  outcome  of  a  simple  chemical  reaction  based 
on  the  outermost  electron  states  of  atoms,  trends  in  the  periodic  table,  and  knowledge  of 
the patterns of chemical properties. 

7. ​  

Look  at  the  above  reaction.  Pretend  that  on  the  left  side  of  the  reaction,  methane  has  a 
mass  of  4g  and  oxygen  of  5g.  How  much  will  the  combined  mass  of  carbon  dioxide  and 
water after the reaction proceeds? How do you know this? 
8.  Think  about  Potassium  Bromide  (KBr)  and  Carbon  Dioxide  (CO2).  Which  of  these 
elements  has  a  covalent  bond?  Ionic?  Justify  your  answer  with  lewis  dot  drawings  and 
words. 

  

9. ​ ​Circle the sentence ending that makes the most sense for each: 

  

a. Breaking chemical bonds (releases energy/requires energy) 

  

b. Forming chemical bonds (releases energy/requires energy) 

10. In the space below, write the chemical equation for the covalent bond between two 
elements to make water. 

  11.  ​With  drawings  and  words, explain how you would expect the elements ​Potassium and 

Neon​ to react in water. 

***Draw ​the structure of each atom and make sure to ​use each of the following terms​: 

Valence  electrons,  reactive,  unreactive,  octet  rule,  properties,  energy  released,  no  energy 
released 

 
12. In a few sentences or in pictures, define the difference between covalent and ionic 
bonds. 

d) Student understanding and self-monitoring: Students should know how their 

understanding is progressing over time as they engage in the ideas and concepts 
in a unit of learning. Design a tool that will allow students to monitor their own 
understandings as they engage in a learning sequence over time in your unit. This 
includes a learning goal, a timeline for students’ to “check in” as they progress 
through the learning sequence, and a place for students to write down their self 
determined understanding. Provide a tool for student understanding self 
monitoring that targets a specific learning goal in the unit. 

The goal of this student monitoring tool is to have students assess their own 
understanding of the learning goals for each lesson in the unit. Students will be given this 
monitoring tool at the end of each lesson for a “homework assignment”. They can bring it 
back for a completion grade the next day. The combination of these student monitoring 
tools will turn into a study guide for the unit test.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Student Monitoring Tool 

(Check the box that best describes your understanding of each lesson big idea/learning 
goal) 

How am I doing  I could explain all  I can explain most  I do not 

with…?  of this big idea  of this idea, but I  understand this big 
without using my  needed to  idea at all. 
   notes.  reference my 
notes for a few 
things. 

(​Circle​ anything 
you are still shaky 
on from the first 
column) 
Lesson 1          

S.C.912.P.8.3 
Explore the 
scientific theory of 
atoms (also known 
as atomic theory) 
by describing 
changes in the 
atomic model over 
time and why those 
changes were 
necessitated by 
experimental 
evidence. 

Can I… 
*Construct a model 
based off of each 
scientist’s 
experimental 
evidence 
 

  
Lesson 2          

S.C.912.P.8.4 
Explore the 
scientific theory of 
atoms (also known 
as atomic theory) 
by describing the 
structure of atoms 
in terms of protons, 
neutrons and 
electrons, and 
differentiate among 
these particles in 
terms of their mass, 
electrical charges 
and locations 
within the atom. 

  

Can I… 

*Draw a model of 

the modern 
understanding of 
the atom including 
protons, neutrons, 
and electrons 

*Differentiate 
charge, mass, and 
location for each 
part of the atom 

*Explain ions, 
isotopes, and the 
octet rule 
Lesson 3          

S.C.912.P.8.5  Relate 
properties  of  atoms 
and  their  position 
in the periodic table 
to  the  arrangement 
of their electrons 
HS-PS1-1 
Matter and its 
Interactions: Use 
the periodic table 
as a model to 
predict the 
relative properties 
of elements based 
on the patterns of 
electrons in the 
outermost energy 
level of atoms. 

Can I… 

*Explain  the  order 

of the periodic table 
(think  numbers  of 
protons,  neutrons, 
and  electrons, 
atomic  radius, 
properties) 

*Predict  the 
structure  and 
properties  of  any 
given  element  on 
the  periodic  table 
(minus  the 
transition metals) 
  

Lesson 4          

HS-PS1-2 Matter 
and its Interactions: 
Construct and 
revise an 
explanation for the 
outcome of a simple 
chemical reaction 
based on the 
outermost electron 
states of atoms, 
trends in the 
periodic table, and 
knowledge of the 
patterns of 
chemical 
properties. 

Can I…   

*Define, draw, and 

explain the 
difference between 
ionic and covalent 
bonds   

*Draw a Lewis dot 

diagram to show 
the outermost 
electrons based on 
the periodic table 
and for both ionic 
and covalent bonds 

*Determine 
whether or not a 
 chemical reaction 
has occurred 

*Explain the terms 

endothermic and 
exothermic as they 
relate to chemical 
reactions 

*Write about the 

law of conservation 
of mass in my own 
words 

   

​Lesson 5          

Can I… 

Explain why Sodium 

explodes in water! 

How to prepare for  Briefly review  Review notes more  Come see me​ for 
the unit test  your notes for  deeply. Work on  the first hour after 
this idea.  explaining this idea  school ends with 
(This is your study  until you can do it  any big ideas you 
guide!!!)  without your  are still confused 
notes.  about after 
consulting notes, 
   friends, and my 
email. 
Phone a friend if 
needed or email 
the teacher with 
any questions. 

 
 

Part II: Justifying your assessment plan 

a) Feedback and measurement: justifying how your assessment plan will provide 
students feedback that helps them learn (in relation to key ideas identified) and 
also measure what they learned. This could include a map from your key ideas to 
your assessment plan. 

The student monitoring tool is a great opportunity for students to get​ feedback that
helps them learn​. The student monitoring tool that I made breaks down the unit into its lessons.
From there, these lessons are broken into their learning goals and the main idea from the
standards. For students to see if they understand a big idea and its learning goals, they should
be able to confidently explain it without their notes. If they cannot do this completely and must
reference their notes, they know that they are in need of talking to a friend or looking back over
their notes. Finally, if a student is completely lost, they will know that they can come see the
teacher after class. Students must self-evaluate for this activity. They have the opportunity here
to check their own understanding by reviewing big ideas and learning goals. Furthermore,
students can reuse this sheet as a study guide to see how much they retained before the unit
test.

The summative assessment ​measures what students learned. ​As highlighted on the
unit test, the standards with our key ideas make up the different sections of the unit test.The
questions on the test are pulled from these standards and the learning goals from our lessons.
Students are directly accountable for transferring what they learned in class to new but similar
situations. As an aside, this also gives the teacher valuable information about what lessons
might not have been the best/need to be changed to help students learn better.

The formative assessment is also effective for measuring what students learned in a
class period and giving them feedback. Based on classroom performance, the teacher can see
what learning goals students have down and what they might need more time on. If their
corrected formative assessment is returned, students can also reflect more individually on what
they might need more time with. For example, Aly’s formative assessment is directly related to
the learning goals of drawing a lewis structure and drawing/understanding bonds. Her formative
assessment then lets students and teachers know if this goal has been accomplished.
 b) Assessing Equitably: Explaining how your assessment plan provides students with 
a variety of ways to demonstrate what they have learned. 

The summative assessment uses a variety of question types such as multiple choice, 
fill in the blank, and short answer. Moreover, there are opportunities to depict what they 
know in the form of labeled pictures to help articulate their thoughts. Formative 
assessments are made through class discussion, group collaboration, and lesson 
worksheets. These assessments provide for a multitude of different avenues to express the 
knowledge in which they have cultivated over the unit. Using all of these types of 
assessments provides for a holistic look at each student's learning throughout the unit.