Download 5.5.4 Content Guide and Five Item Resource

4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Content Guide & Five Items Resource
Introduction
The following information should be used as a companion to the CPI Links. It provides
clarifications concerning the content and skills contained in the CPI Links.
Remember that instruction should be much richer than assessment and that the examples
contained herein do not represent the variety of instructional strategies and supports
necessary for meaningful teaching and learning of academic content. The information and
examples are intended to clarify the intentions of the CPI Links so that assessment
activities aligned to the links––and thus to the state standards––can be developed or
chosen appropriately for students who participate in the NJ APA.
Remember that instructional activities designated as assessment evidence must test only
the CPI Link, therefore the activity may be less “rich” than other activities. This enables
the activity to be scored for the CPI Link skill(s) only, avoiding the inclusion of other skills
which would result in an unscorable entry.
For each standard, you will find that this resource includes
•
•
•
The Test Specifications followed by the corresponding CPIs and Links
A Glossary of terms contained in the CPI Links
Five Items examples that show what constitutes five items for certain links where that
may not be clear.
How to Use This Resource
1) Review the “Steps to Developing an Entry” in Modules IV and V of the Fall Training.
2) Remember to make your decisions regarding which CPI Link you will use to assess your
students based on the individual needs of your students. Just because a particular link may
be best for one student does not mean it is best for another, especially given the diverse
needs of the students who participate in the NJ APA.
3) Once you have selected a CPI Link, use the Glossary to look up the definitions of any/all
content vocabulary terms contained in the language of the link. This will ensure your
understanding of those terms is consistent with the understanding set forth by the NJ DOE
for the NJ APA.
4) Every CPI Link has an asterisk at the end of the link statement as a reminder that there
is an example of each link in the Five Items section to use as a guide/reference/model. Be
sure to pay attention to the “Important Considerations for This Link” section of the
examples as well as the green five items box.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
Page 1
4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
4th Grade Science – Test Specifications and Links for
Standard 5.5 – Characteristics of Life (Portfolio Entry 1)
The following are the required CPIs and Links for Standard 5.5: Characteristics of Life. Both CPIs are
from Strand A: Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems. You must select a CPI Link from one
of the CPIs to develop an entry for the APA portfolio.
STRAND A: Matter, Energy and Organization in Living Systems
You MUST CHOOSE only one of the following CPIs:
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Matched Link
♦ Given a food web that
includes the sun, identify
organisms that are
producers, consumers,
and decomposers and
explain each role*
♦ Describe what happens
when an organism of a
food web is removed*
OR
Near Link
Far Link
♦ Classify organisms by
whether they are
herbivores, omnivores, or
carnivores*
♦ Label predators and prey
within a food web*
♦ Build a simple food web*
♦ Label producers and
consumers within a food
web*
♦ Identify predators and
prey*
♦ Identify decomposers
and producers*
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to:
• Digestive system
• Skeletal system
• Circulatory system
• Muscular system
• Respiratory system
• Reproductive system
• Nervous system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Matched Link
Near Link
Far Link
♦ Outline one major system’s
pathway including organs
and their functions*
♦ Explain the interrelationship between two
systems*
♦ Identify five systems of
the body and their
functions*
♦ Identify the parts of a
system and their
functions in that
system*
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
♦ Identify at least five
systems of the human
body*
♦ Identify the parts of a
system*
Page 2
4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Glossary
Glossary – 5.5
Carnivores – organisms that derive energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting
mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging (e.g., mountain
lion, dog)
Consumers – organisms that get food from eating other organisms because they are not able to
make their own food (e.g., owl, fox)
Decomposers – organisms that get food by breaking down dead materials and waste (e.g.,
bacteria, earthworms, fungi)
Food chain – a specific path of food flow through an ecosystem (e.g., raspberry bush to rabbit to
hawk)
Food Chain
Note: the arrows show where
the energy is going.
Food Web
Food Web – a connection of all the food chains in an
ecosystem. Food chains represent a specific path of
energy flow through an ecosystem. A food web
shows various ways energy can flow through an
ecosystem. The arrows in a food web show the
direction of energy flow. Food webs are composed
of producers, consumers, and decomposers. Food
webs are distinct from energy pyramids.
*It is important to remember that a food web is more
than a food chain. Energy for most organisms can be
traced back to plants and ultimately the sun.
Producers (plants) convert sunlight into a form of
energy they can use for life functions. Consumers eat
plants or other animals for energy. Decomposers
depend on dead plant and animal material for energy.
The roles of organisms in a food web are
producer, consumer, or decomposer.
Herbivores – organisms that get energy by eating
plants (e.g., rabbit, deer)
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Glossary
Major Systems of the Human Body – The major systems of the human body emphasized in 4th
Grade are
1. Digestive
a. Parts: mouth, tongue, esophagus, stomach, intestines (small and large)
b. Function: breaks down food to be used by the body
2. Circulatory
a. Parts: heart, arteries, veins, lungs, capillaries
b. Function: transports materials throughout the body
3. Respiratory
a. Parts: mouth, nose, trachea (windpipe), lungs, and blood vessels in the lungs
b. Function: transport air into and out of the body
4. Nervous
a. Parts: brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves (afferent nerves bringing signals to
the brain or spinal cord and efferent nerves taking messages away from the brain
or spinal cord), and sense organs (e.g., eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin)
b. Function: helps the body to react to changes in the environment
5. Skeletal
a. Parts – skull, rib cage, pelvis, femur, spine (vertebrae)
b. Function: provides support and protection
6. Muscular
a. Parts: muscles, tendons, ligaments, heart
b. Function: movement and posture (skeletal muscle), pumping blood (heart), help
organs and blood vessels function (smooth
Source: NJASK Test Specifications for Science
muscle)
Omnivores – organisms that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source; they are
opportunistic, general feeders, not specifically adapted to eat and digest either meat or plant
material primarily (e.g., fox, human)
Predator – An animal that hunts and eats other animals
Prey – An animal that is eaten by other animals (Note: producers are not considered prey)
Producers – organisms able to use energy from the sun to make their own food (e.g., blueberry
bush, grass, trees)
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
Five Items Examples
The Five Items examples are samples of activities that may be used as
models when choosing or developing activities for the APA.
They include specific considerations and guidelines that if not
followed will likely result in unscorable codes.
However, they do not show the required markings for
performance (+/-) or independence (I, V, G, M, P),
nor do they include student names and collection dates.
They are sample activities, not sample evidence.
Evidence must include all of the requirements of the
Universal Scoring Rules, which are explained in the training
modules and the Procedures Manual.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI: CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Matched Link, Bullet 1: “Given a food web that includes the sun, identify organisms
that are producers, consumers, and decomposers and explain each role*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• There is a difference between a food web and a food chain. A food web shows the
interconnectedness of several food chains.
• The basic roles of organisms in a food web are producer, consumer, or decomposer.
• The arrows in a food web indicate the direction of energy flow in an ecosystem.
Directions to the student: Using the given food web, identify one producer, three consumers,
and one decomposer. Then explain the role each one has in the food web by completing each
sentence.
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
6. A producer_____________________________ its food from _____________________________________________________.
(makes, breaks down, finds)
(other plants and animals, sun and soil,
dead materials and waste)
7. A consumer ______________________________ its food in ______________________________________________________.
(makes, breaks down, finds)
(other plants and animals,
sun and soil,
dead materials and waste)
8. A decomposer _____________________________ dead materials and waste to provide nutrients
(makes, breaks down, finds)
to the _________________________.
( sun,
soil, waste)
This is an example of eight items.
The minimum needed to assess this item would be six items (i.e., identify one producer, one
consumer and one decomposer from the food web and three explanations, one for each role).
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Matched Link, Bullet 2: “Describe what happens when an organism of a food
web is removed*”
Directions to the student: Use the sentence strips provided at the bottom of the page to
describe what would happen if there were no wild cats in this food web. Paste your answers by
the numbers under the food web.
This example constitutes five items.
The sentence strips are used to describe five different consequences of removing a specific
organism from the provided food web.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Near Link, Bullet 1: “Classify organisms by whether they are herbivores, omnivores,
or carnivores*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• Across the five items of the activity, there must be at least one herbivore, one omnivore, and
one carnivore.
• If pictures are used (such as in this example), they must be labeled so that it is clear what each
picture is representing.
• Some organisms, like dogs, are carnivorous by nature but may sometimes eat plants (think
about dog treats that contain vegetables). However, that does not make them omnivorous. They
are still carnivores. Similarly, humans are omnivores, regardless if a human chooses to eat only
vegetables or only meat.
Directions to the student: Paste “H” for herbivore, “C” for carnivore, and “O” for omnivore to
label the given organisms.
This example constitutes five items.
There are five labeled pictures of organisms, and across those five items there is at least one
herbivore, one carnivore, and one omnivore.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Near Link, Bullet 2: “Label predators and prey within a food web*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• More than one food web may be used to label a total of five pairs.
• Across the items, both predators and preys must be labeled.
• In this example, the predator/prey pairs have been circled, but they do not have to be. As well,
the arrows showing the flow of energy between the circled predator/prey pairs have been
bolded, but they do not have to be. Both the circles and the bolded arrows were included to
make the food web less complicated without compromising the link skill.
Directions to the student: For each circled set of organisms in the food web, paste “PR” by the
predator and “PY” by the prey.
This example constitutes ten items.
Each labeled organism constitutes an item. In this example, there are five labeled predators and five
labeled prey for a total of ten items.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Near Link, Bullet 3: “Build a simple food web*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
•
•
•
•
There is a difference between a food web and a food chain. A food web shows the
interconnectedness of several food chains. The interconnectedness must be included.
The basic roles of organisms in a food web are producer, consumer, or decomposer.
The arrows in a food web indicate the direction of energy flow in an ecosystem.
If pictures are used (such as in this example), they must be labeled so that it is clear what each
picture is representing.
Directions to the student: Create a food web by placing the 5 organisms in the correct place, in
relation to the sun, rabbit, and given arrows. Then draw 3 additional arrows to complete the
food web.
Owl
Sun
Fox
Rabbit
Grass
Shrew
Grasshopper
This example constitutes eight items.
The student was given a template that included the sun, a rabbit, and five arrows. The student
placed five organisms and three arrows in the correct place to create the food web.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Near Link, Bullet 4: “Label producers and consumers within a food web*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
•
•
•
•
There is a difference between a food web and a food chain. A food web shows the
interconnectedness of several food chains. Interconnectedness must be identified.
The basic roles of organisms in a food web are producer, consumer, or decomposer.
The arrows in a food web indicate the direction of energy flow in an ecosystem.
If pictures are used (such as in this example), they must be labeled so that it is clear what each
picture is representing.
Directions to the student: This is a smartboard activity. Use the words on the right to label
each producer and consumer in the food web. Use each word as many times as needed.
Consumer
Consumer
Producer
Producer
Consumer
Producer
Consumer
This example constitutes five items.
This example was presented using a Smartboard. The student labeled two producers and three
consumers.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Far Link, Bullet 1: “Identify predators and prey*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• At least one predator and at least one prey must be included across the five items.
• The activity does not have to be presented in the context of a food web.
• The predators do not have to be matched to their prey.
• If pictures are used (such as in this example), they must be labeled so that it is clear what each
picture is representing.
• Producers are not considered prey.
Directions to the student: Using the cards provided, paste the organism into the correct column
to identify it as either Predator or Prey.
This example constitutes six items.
There are six labeled pictures. Each one was placed in its appropriate column.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A1 Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain
Essence of the CPI: Understand the role organisms play in moving matter and energy in a food web
Far Link, Bullet 2: “Identify decomposers and producers*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• It is acceptable to use a classifying activity for this link.
• Across the five items, both decomposers and producers must be identified at least once.
• The activity does not have to be presented in the context of a food web.
• Common examples of decomposers include earthworms, bacteria, snails, some insects, and fungi.
• Scavengers (e.g., vultures, wolves) are NOT considered decomposers because while they feed on
once living organisms, they do not “break them down” the way decomposers do.
• When using pictures, such as was done in the example below, label them so that it is clear what
each picture is intended to represent.
Directions to the student: Place a “P” sticker on each producer and a “D” sticker on each
decomposer.
This example constitutes six items.
The student identified two producers and four decomposers for a total of six items.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Matched Link, Bullet 1: “Outline one major system’s pathway including organs and
their functions*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• “Outline” means to identify the sequence of events involved for the system (i.e., first this
happens, next this happens, and so on). In the course of outlining the system’s pathway, the
student must identify the organs involved as well as the functions of each of those organs.
Considerations when grading this Link:
• There is a difference between the number of items and the way the items may be graded. Since
each of these five items has three components (part, function, and order in the pathway), it is
acceptable to grade each component separately. That would result in a total of 15 markings for
accuracy and independence. Or, it is also acceptable to grade each item holistically; in other
words, the student must get all three components correct for the item as a whole to be
considered correct. But remember, whichever way an activity such as this is graded, the
grading must be consistent from the initial activity to the final activity to prevent the student’s
score from being artificially inflated or deflated.
Directions to the student: For this activity, you need to do three things:
1. Paste the labels on the diagram to identify the main parts of the digestive system.
2. For each part, write its function.
3. Number the parts to show the digestive system’s pathway.
This example constitutes five items.
There are three parts for each item: the link requires the student to outline the system’s path,
identify the organs involved, and identify the function of each of those organs.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Matched Link, Bullet 2: “Explain the inter-relationship between two systems*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• Any two systems that are inter-related may be used.
Directions to the student: Explain how the respiratory and circulatory systems work together.
Provide a description in each box.
This example constitutes seven items.
The student provided an explanation in each of the seven boxes.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Near Link, Bullet 1: “Identify five systems of the body and their functions*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• Any five systems may be used.
Considerations when grading this Link:
• There is a difference between the number of items and the way the items may be graded. Since
each of these five items has two components (identify the system’s name and identify the
system’s function), it is acceptable to grade each component separately. That would result in a
total of 10 markings for accuracy and independence. Or, it is also acceptable to grade each item
holistically; in other words, the student must get both components correct for the item as a
whole to be considered correct. But remember, whichever way an activity such as this is
graded, the grading must be consistent from the initial activity to the final activity to prevent
the student’s score from being artificially inflated or deflated.
Directions to the student: Using the provided labels, identify the name of the body system
shown in each diagram as well as its function.
This example constitutes five items.
Five systems are identified as well as the functions of each of those five systems.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Near Link, Bullet 2: “Identify the parts of a system and their functions in that
system*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• All the major parts of a system must be identified. The major parts are outlined in the glossary.
• Any system may be used, except the reproductive system. This link excludes the reproductive
system, as there are less than 5 major parts.
• The function of each major part must be identified.
Directions to the Student: Using the labels provided in the word box, identify the parts of the
Nervous System in the diagram. Match the function to each part by writing the correct letter on
the blank line of each label used.
Sensory Organs
Ears
D
Nerves
B
Brain
Parts:
C
Throat
Spinal Cord
__
A
Sensory Organs
Skin
E
Heart
__
Muscles
__
A. Information from the brain travels through this
B. Sends and receives messages throughout your body
C. Control center - controls how you respond to information
D. Gets information from the environment (sound)
E. Gets information from the environment (heat and cold, touch)
This example constitutes five items.
The five major parts of the Nervous System were identified and then the five functions were
matched to the correct parts.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Far Link, Bullet 1: “Identify at least five systems of the human body*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• While the CPI states that the major systems of the human body include but are not limited to the
digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, skeletal, muscular, and reproductive systems, those are
the systems taught at 4th Grade and are the ones that should be used when assessing this link.
• Notice that the link specifies that “at least” five systems must be identified. It is acceptable if only
five are identified.
• In the diagrams used for the example below, the individual parts of the systems are not labeled.
However, it is acceptable for the individual parts of the system to be labeled.
Directions to the student: Paste the name of each system shown in the blank.
This example constitutes five items.
The student identified five systems by labeling the diagrams by name.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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4th Grade Science, Standard 5.5
Five Items Examples
CPI 5.5.4A4 Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not
limited to: digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, skeletal system,
muscular system, reproductive system
Essence of the CPI: Understand the basic functions of the systems of the human body
Far Link, Bullet 2: “Identify the parts of a system*”
Important Considerations for this Link:
• Any system may be used, except the reproductive system. This link excludes the reproductive
system, as there are less than 5 parts.
• All the major parts of a system must be identified. The major parts are outlined in the glossary.
Directions to the student: Using the labels provided to you, identify the parts of the digestive
system on the diagram.
This example constitutes five items.
The student labeled five parts of the digestive system.
2016-2017 NJ APA Content Guide & Five Items Resource
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