Element Excellent (6 pts) Good Quality (5 pts) Proficient (4 pts)
Introduction (10%) Background is thorough, Background is reasonably Background information,
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B detailed, understandable, and thorough, detailed, and context for research, and
NSES-T-D NSES-T-E provides outstanding context provides excellent context for reader relevance are
for research. Clearly establishes research. Establishes personal average . There are few
personal relevance for reader. relevance for reader. Included pictures and graphics that are
Included pictures and graphics pictures and graphics mostly peripherally related to
clearly support context for support research context. context.
research.
Questions- Questions are insightful, Questions are descriptive and Questions are reasonably
Hypotheses- descriptive, and written so that written so that comparative descriptive and written so
Predictions (8%) comparative relationships relationships between that comparative
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B between experimental experimental variables are relationships between
NSES-T-E variables are very clearly clearly understood. experimental variables are
understood. Hypotheses are Hypotheses are mostly clear mostly understood.
clear, articulate , and include and include explanatory Hypotheses are reasonably
explanatory statements. statements. Predictions are clear and include explanatory
Predictions are highly specific specific and tightly connected statements. Predictions are
and tightly connected with with research questions and specific and reasonably
research questions and hypotheses. connected with research
hypotheses. questions and hypotheses.
Materials (6%) Materials are highly descriptive, Materials are descriptive, Materials are somewhat
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B complete, and thorough. The complete, and reasonably descriptive and mostly
NSES-T-D experiment could be easily thorough. The experiment complete. Some additional
replicated using listed materials. could be reasonably replicatedinformation is needed in
using listed materials. order to replicate the
experiment from listed
materials.
Methods (8%) Experimental methods are Experimental methods are Experimental methods are
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B highly descriptive, complete, highly descriptive, complete, mostly well described and
NSES-T-D thorough, and articulate . The and thorough. The experiment complete. The experiment
experiment could be easily could be easily replicated using could be reasonably
replicated using methods methods description. replicated with some
description. additional information.
Qualitative Results Pictures, descriptions, and Pictures, descriptions, and Pictures, descriptions, and
(12%) NSES-T-A general observations are clearly general observations are clearly general observations are
NSES-T-B NSES-T-C described and provide described and provide reasonably described and
NSES-T-D NSES-T-E compelling evidential support persuasive evidential support provide some evidential
for experimental outcomes. for experimental outcomes. support for experimental
outcomes.
Quantitative Graphs, statistics, and other Graphs, statistics, and other Graphs, statistics, and other
Results (12%) measurement data are clearly measurement data are clearly measurement data are
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B described and provide described and provide reasonably described and
NSES-T-C NSES-T-D compelling evidential support persuasive evidential support provide some evidential
NSES-T-E for experimental outcomes. for experimental outcomes. support for experimental
outcomes.
Data Relationships Descriptions of data Descriptions of data Descriptions of data
(12%) NSES-T-A relationships are clear, relationships are mostly clear relationships are mostly clear,
NSES-T-B NSES-T-C thorough, and flow very and thorough and flow reasonably complete, and are
NSES-T-E logically from results. somewhat logically from based on results. Discussion is
Discussion is compelling and results. Discussion is convincing believable . Results are
thought-provoking. Results are and somewhat thought- somewhat related to
explicitly related to research provoking. Results are solidly research question(s).
question(s). related to research question(s).
Experimental The effects of controlled and The effects of controlled andThe effects of controlled and
Confounds (10%) uncontrolled variables on uncontrolled variables on uncontrolled variables on
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B experimental outcomes are experimental outcomes are experimental outcomes are
NSES-T-C NSES-T-E explicitly and thoroughly reasonably described.
clearly described. Suggestions
described. Suggestions for for improving experiment are Suggestions for improving
improving experiment are well reasonably well described andexperiment are described in
described and highly useful. mostly useful. average detail and have
average usefulness.
Conclusions (10%) Conclusions are solidly based Conclusions are reasonably Conclusions are somewhat
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B on collected data, are scientific, based on collected data, are based on collected data, are
NSES-T-C NSES-T-E and clearly answer the scientific, and mostly answer mostly scientific, and
research question(s). the research question(s). reasonably answer the
research question(s).
Bibliography (6%) References provide References provide excellent References provide average
NSES-T-A NSES-T-B outstanding literature support, literature support, are literature support, are mostly
NSES-T-C NSES-T-D are highly appropriate, and are appropriate, and are accurately appropriate, and are mostly
NSES-T-E accurately formatted. formatted. accurately formatted.
Spelling and Spelling and grammar are Spelling and grammar are Spelling and grammar are
Grammar (2%) exemplary with no visible excellent with infrequent average with more frequent
NSES-T-C NSES-T-D mistakes. mistakes. visible mistakes.
Partially Proficient (3 pts) Unacceptable (0 pts)
Background information, context Background description,
for research, and reader relevance context for research, and
are below average . No pictures or reader relevance are absent .
graphics are included. No pictures or graphics are
included.
Questions are somewhat Questions are not descriptive
descriptive. Comparative and comparative relationships
relationships between between experimental
experimental variables are not well variables are not evident .
articulated. Hypotheses are Hypotheses are unclear or
somewhat unclear and absent and explanatory
explanatory statements are not statements are not present.
readily evident. Predictions are Predictions are unspecific and
unspecific and are not well are not connected with
connected with research questions research questions and
and hypotheses. hypotheses.
Materials are inaccurately Materials are not described
described and incomplete . or are incomplete .
Considerable additional Experiment cannot be
information is needed in order to replicated from materials list.
replicate the experiment from
listed materials.
Experimental methods are not well Methods are not described
described and are incomplete . The and are incomplete .
experiment could only be Experiment cannot be
replicated with considerable replicated from methods
additional information. information.
Pictures, descriptions, and general No qualitative data is
observations are incompletely provided for experimental
described and provide little outcomes.
evidential support for experimental
outcomes.
Graphs, statistics, and other No quantitative data is
measurement data are provided for experimental
incompletely described and outcomes.
provide little evidential support for
experimental outcomes.
Descriptions of data relationships Descriptions of data
are somewhat unclear and relationships are absent or
incomplete. Discussion is incomplete . Discussion is not
somewhat believable. Results have believable. Results have no
little relation to research relation to research
question(s). question(s).
The effects of controlled and The effects of controlled and
uncontrolled variables on uncontrolled variables on
experimental outcomes are experimental outcomes are
incompletely described. not described. No suggestions
Suggestions for improving are made for improving
experiment are incompletely experiment.
described and have limited
usefulness.
Conclusions are incompletely Conclusions are not based on
based on collected data, are collected data, are
marginally scientific, and unscientific, and do not
incompletely answer the research answer the research
question(s). question(s).
References provide below average References provide no
literature support, are somewhat literature support or are
inappropriate, and are inaccurately absent. Provided references
formatted. are inaccurately formatted.
Spelling and grammar are below Spelling and grammar are
average with frequent mistakes. unacceptable with numerous
mistakes.