Page 28 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | science
Criteria
Within each category in the achievement chart, criteria are provided that are subsets of the knowledge and skills that define each category. The criteria for each category are listed below:
Knowledge and Understanding
• knowledge of content (e.g., facts, terminology, definitions, safe use of equipment and materials)
• understanding of content (e.g., concepts, ideas, theories, principles, procedures, processes)
Thinking and Investigation
• use of initiating and planning skills and strategies (e.g., formulating questions, identifying the problem, developing hypotheses, selecting strategies and resources, developing plans)
• use of processing skills and strategies (e.g., performing and recording, gathering evidence and data, observing, manipulating materials and using equipment safely, solving equations, proving)
• use of critical/creative thinking processes, skills, and strategies (e.g., analysing, interpreting, problem solving, evaluating, forming and justifying conclusions on the basis of evidence)
Communication
• expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clear expression, logical organization) in oral, visual, and/or written forms (e.g., diagrams, models)
• communication for different audiences (e.g., peers, adults) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade) in oral, visual, and/or written forms
• use of conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, visual, and written forms (e.g., symbols, formulae, scientific notation, SI units)
Application
• application of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts and processes, safe use of equipment, scientific investigation skills) in familiar contexts
• transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts and processes, safe use of equipment, scientific investigation skills) to unfamiliar contexts
• making connections between science, technology, society, and the environment (e.g., assessing the impact of science on technology, people and other living things, and the environment)
• proposing courses of practical action to deal with problems relating to science, technology, society, and the environment
Descriptors
A “descriptor” indicates the characteristic of the student’s performance, with respect to a par- ticular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. In the achievement chart, effectiveness is the descriptor used for each criterion in the Thinking and Investigation, Communication, and Application categories. What constitutes effectiveness in any given per- formance task will vary with the particular criterion being considered. Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, preci- sion, logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the
2