Models
Standard |
No Evidence |
Beginning |
Developing |
Proficient |
Excellent |
Mastering |
C-1. Models Create useful models |
No evidence of creating a model |
You create a model |
Your model has all the necessary parts but does not describe the relationships between them |
Your model is useful, detailed and accurate; it has all the parts and describes the relationships between them |
Your work is proficient and your presentation is excellent. |
Your work is excellent and your model presents information in innovative and useful ways |
A Good Model
|
An Excellent Model
|
Go Above & Beyond
|
A scientific model is the story of how something happens in nature. It can be used to discover relationships between different parts of the model and to make predictions about new situations.
You construct your mental model in your brain by observing and interacting with nature. For example, you may experiment with a plant to develop a model of photosynthesis. As you discover new components or relationships, you add them to your mental model. Plants need sunlight to live >> Most plants need sunlight to live >> Most Individual plants need sunlight specific colors of light to live.
Here are three main ways that scientists communicate models:
Diagrams |
Graphs |
Math |
Visually shows the relationship between different parts using images and symbols |
Show the relationship between variables with a chart or graph. In a graph, at least one of the variables will be a quantity. |
Use formulas and equations to show the relationships between the different parts of the idea |