atlast pt released items - horizon research ta items...released items from the atlast plate...

Released Items from the ATLAST Plate Tectonics Teacher Assessment Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) developed the ATLAST Plate Tectonics Teacher Assessment as part of a larger study. The project—Assessing Teacher Learning About Science Teaching (ATLAST)—was funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant no. EHR-0335328. Information about the ATLAST project is available at HRI’s ATLAST website: http://www.horizon-research.com/atlast. This document contains the plate tectonics teacher items that were developed during the process of creating the ATLAST Plate Tectonics Teacher Assessment, but were not chosen to be on the final assessment. The items were developed through a months-long iterative process that included cognitive interviews with middle grades science teachers, review by a panel of three content experts (individuals with a Ph.D. in geology), and field testing with a large sample of science teachers. To learn more about the item development process, please see the ATLAST Plate Tectonics Teacher Assessment User Manual, which can be found at the ATLAST website. Content Assessed by the Items All of the items measure understanding of the idea that

The outer portion of Earth—including both the continents and the seafloor beneath the oceans—consists of huge plates of solid rock. The plates move very slowly (a few centimeters per year). Plate movement causes abutting plates to interact with one another. Interactions between plates result in events and features that are observable on Earth’s surface (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain ranges); these typically occur along boundaries between plates.1

In addition, the content domain was specified by “unpacking” this idea into 10 “sub-ideas,” which are shown in Table 1. Each of the released assessment items included addresses one or two specific sub-ideas. Content Levels of Items In addition to each item addressing specific sub-idea(s) in the domain of plate tectonics, each item addresses the sub-idea(s) at one of three content levels:

1. knowledge of science content (Level 1 items); 2. using content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking (Level 2 items); and 3. using content knowledge to make instructional decisions (Level 3 items).

All of the items assess knowledge of science content, but “Level 1” items are the most basic type of question; they attempt to isolate disciplinary content knowledge from a teacher’s ability to apply the knowledge in making instructional decisions. “Level 2” items require teachers to apply their content knowledge in analyzing or diagnosing a sample of student thinking. In these items, more than one of the answer choices includes a correct physics statement. Therefore, a teacher must understand the science content in order to

1 Modified from: The Physical Setting: Processes that Shape the Earth: Grades 6-8: #11-13; 4C/M11, 4C/M12 and 4C/M13. American Association for the Advancement of Science/Project 2061. (2008). Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online/index.php

answer Level 2 items correctly, but s/he must also determine which answer choice is relevant to the thinking expressed by the student. “Level 3” items ask teachers to apply their content knowledge in choosing among instructional moves. Teachers must evaluate the physical scenario, the student’s thinking in relation to the physical scenario, and then evaluate each instructional choice. As with Level 2 items, more than one answer choice has a correct physics statement, but only one has a correct physics statement and is relevant to the instructional context.

Table 1 Plate Tectonics Content Domain

Idea: The outer portion of Earth—including both the continents and the seafloor beneath the oceans—consists of huge plates of solid rock. The plates move very slowly (a few centimeters per year). Plate movement causes abutting plates to interact with one another. Interactions between plates result in events and features that are observable on Earth’s surface (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain ranges); these typically occur along boundaries between plates.

Sub-ideas: A. The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock.

B. Earth’s plates (the lithosphere or lithospheric plate) are cold (relative to deeper portions of Earth), strong and brittle and average about 100 kilometers in thickness. Beneath the lithosphere is an almost entirely solid (~99%) layer of Earth (the asthenosphere) which is hot, weak and plastic and extends from the base of the lithosphere to a depth of about 350 kilometers.

C. The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing.

D. Plate motions are driven by a combination of Earth's heat and gravitational forces. The consensus among geologists is that “slab pull,” the sinking of oceanic plates at subduction zones (because that rock is old and relatively cold (dense)) is the primary driving force behind plate tectonics. Ridge push (the pushing forces exerted by elevated and relatively hot rock at mid-ocean ridges) is minor as is the traction along the bottoms of plates due to convection in the mantle.

E. Since the supercontinent Pangaea split up about 200 million years ago, the shapes of continents have been somewhat modified, mostly by erosion, sea level changes, and mountain-building; this is why the present-day "fit" of the continents is less than perfect.

F. Plate motion causes abutting plates to interact with one another along their boundaries resulting in observable geologic features and events.

G. The occurrence of features and/or events at locations distant from plate boundaries are for reasons other than plate interactions (some volcanoes occur distant from plate boundaries as a result of hot spots)]

H. The rock that makes up plates is slowly being formed at some plate boundaries and returned to Earth’s interior at other plate boundaries. This means that Earth is not changing in size.

I. The part of a plate with ocean floor along its boundary is always subducted beneath a plate with a continent along its boundary. Continental material is not subducted because of its low density. If continents on two separate plates are in contact and being pushed together, the continental rocks are forced upward forming mountain ranges rather than being completely subducted into Earth’s interior. If two plates without continents are in contact and being pushed together, the colder/denser plate subducts beneath the other.

J. Old ocean floor rocks return by subduction into Earth’s interior. Hence, ocean floor rocks are relatively young. Most continental rocks stay at Earth’s surface because of their low density (although sediment eroded from the continents is carried to the oceans and can be subducted along with oceanic lithosphere). Hence, the age of some continental rock is quite old.

Field Test Response Data All of the items include the p-values (proportion answering correctly) and distribution of responses from a field test of the items. A pool of 60 plate tectonics teacher items, including all of the items in this document, was distributed over three forms for the field test, with 15 items common to each form. Just over 500 science teachers across the nation responded to each form. Each field test group included roughly one-fifth high school earth science teachers to ensure an

adequate distribution of levels of teacher knowledge in the sample. The remaining respondents were middle grades science teachers.

Item ID: PT-RE01 Key: C P-value: 0.91 Percent Responding:

Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

When asked to draw a diagram of what Earth’s plates look like if there were no water on the planet, a student draws this diagram.

What does this diagram indicate about this student’s thinking about Earth’s plates? A. The student correctly thinks Earth’s plates have very large spaces between them. B. The student correctly thinks that there are no plates beneath Earth’s oceans. C. The student incorrectly thinks Earth’s plates have very large spaces between them. D. The student incorrectly thinks Earth’s plates have never moved.

A B C D 5% 1% 91% 3%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

A teacher asks her students to draw and label a diagram that represents Earth’s plates and their boundaries. Which one of the following diagrams is the most accurate?

A.

C.

B.

D.

A B C D 5% 8% 87% 0%

Earth’s plates

Ocean water

Earth’s plates

Earth’s plates

Magma

Earth’s plate

Item ID: PT-RE03 Key: B P-value: 0.92 Percent Responding:

Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. C: The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

While discussing movement of plates, students examine a map of the Atlantic Ocean area that shows major plates and their directions of movement. A student asks, “I understand about large plates moving, but what happens to small islands? They don’t move, do they?” Which one of the following is the best assessment of what the student needs to learn about the movement of islands and plates? A. All small islands float in the ocean and can move easily. B. All solid material (rock) on Earth’s surface, including islands, is part of a moving plate. C. The islands don’t move because they all are at plate boundaries where nothing is moving. D. The islands move because they are small plates on top of larger moving plates.

A B C D 1% 92% 2% 5%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. F: Plate motion causes abutting plates to interact with one another along their boundaries resulting in observable

geologic features and events. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

A teacher has students draw a diagram of plates moving away from each other. One of his students draws the following diagram:

Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s understanding of what happens at this type of plate boundary?

A. The student’s understanding is incomplete; the area labeled “ocean” in the drawing should be

labeled “magma.” B. The student’s understanding is incomplete; even though the plates are moving away from each

other, the edges of the two plates should still be touching. C. The student’s understanding is incomplete; the area labeled “ocean” in the drawing should

show a deep sea trench. D. The student seems to have a correct understanding of what happens at this type of boundary.

A B C D 42% 23% 25% 10%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

Which one of the following activities would best help students understand the properties and structure of the outer portion of Earth? A. Have students cut an apple in half and compare the skin to plate material. B. Have students gently crack a hard-boiled egg and compare the cracked shell to the plates. C. Have students float pieces of cardboard on water and compare the cardboard to plate material. D. Have students assemble a jigsaw puzzle to show that many of the continents “fit” together.

A B C D 6% 58% 27% 9%

Item ID: PT-RE06 Key: A P-value: 0.79 Percent Responding:


At the beginning of a unit on plate tectonics, a teacher asks her students for their ideas about plates. One student says, “There are seven plates separated by the ocean.” Based on this student’s response, which one of the following should the teacher do next to further this student’s understanding of Earth’s plates? A. Use a map to show students that plates touch other plates at all of their edges. B. Have students investigate the density of different objects to understand why plates float on

water. C. Explain why continents are a good way to tell where all the plates are located. D. Model for students the plastic nature of the rock just beneath the outer layer of Earth.

A B C D 79% 3% 13% 4%



At the beginning of a unit on plate tectonics, a teacher asks her students to describe the outer layer of Earth. One student says, “The outer layer of Earth is like the shell of a hard-boiled egg. It is one solid layer that could break.” What idea does this student seem to be missing? A. The outer layer of Earth is not entirely solid; there are ocean-sized, magma-filled gaps between

the plates. B. The outer layer of Earth is broken up into sections called plates. C. The outer portion of Earth is one solid layer, but it is not brittle; it is weak and plastic. D. The outer layer of Earth extends half-way to Earth’s center, while the egg shell is much thinner

relative to the whole egg.

A B C D 5% 88% 4% 3%

Item ID: PT-RE08 Key: D P-value: 0.57 Percent Responding:


When asked to draw a diagram of what Earth’s plates would look like if there were no water on the planet, a student draws this diagram.

Based on the drawing, which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s understanding of Earth’s plates? A. The student understands that Earth’s surface is broken up into plates, but does not understand

that they move very slowly. B. The student understands that Earth’s plates include the continents, but does not understand that

plates are also found under the oceans. C. The student understands that Earth’s plates vary in size and shape, but does not understand that

new plate material is formed at spreading centers. D. The student understands that Earth’s surface is covered by about a dozen large plates, but does

not understand that Earth’s plates abut one another.

A B C D 2% 31% 10% 57%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. C: The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

While discussing the movement of plates, students examine a map of the Atlantic Ocean area that shows the major plates and their directions of movement. A student asks, “I understand about large plates moving, but how do small islands move?” Which one of the following is a concept that this student needs to know in order to answer her own question? A. All solid rock on Earth’s surface is part of a moving plate. B. Islands move because they are small plates on top of larger moving plates. C. Oceanic plates move underneath continental plates because of differences between their

densities. D. Volcanic islands can form as plates move toward one another or in the interior of plates as a

result of hot spots.

A B C D 46% 6% 6% 42%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: A: The solid outer portion of Earth consists of separate plates of almost entirely solid rock. Content Level: 3 – Using content knowledge to make instructional decisions

A middle school teacher is conducting a lesson on plate movement where students use the apparatus shown below. In using this apparatus, continents are created out of clay and placed onto two belts that can move. Students twist a pair of knobs to make the belts rotate toward one another or away from one another.

Moving Continents Model

Before

After

Models in science can illustrate difficult concepts, but may also introduce or reinforce incorrect or incomplete student ideas. With the model shown above, which one of the following is an INCORRECT idea about Earth’s plates and/or their movement that could be introduced or reinforced with this activity? A. A continent is a plate. B. All plates move in the same direction and at the same speed. C. Earthquakes caused the plates to break apart. D. The upper portions of some of Earth’s plates contain the continents.

A B C D 56% 37% 3% 4%



During a lesson on Earth’s plates, the teacher realizes that some of her students believe that each plate is the same shape as one of the continents. For example, some students believe that the African plate is the same shape as the continent of Africa. What should the teacher do in response to this realization? A. Tell students that the plate is not the same shape as the continent and that plate material usually

extends beyond the continent and under the ocean. B. Show students that plates are well below Earth’s surface and have little relationship to the

continents. C. Explain to students that while they are the same shape, continents are much thinner than plates. D. Affirm that the students seem to have a correct understanding.

A B C D 79% 16% 2% 3%



A teacher asks his students to describe what happens when two plates move away from each other. In answering, one student puts his hands together with his fingers touching, then slowly moves them away from each other until they are a few inches apart.

At the same time, the student says, “The plates move apart like this.” While the student is correctly showing two objects moving away from each other, which one of the following would be best for the teacher to do next to assess the student’s understanding? A. The teacher should ask the student to describe how non-volcanic mountains can be formed in

this situation. B. The teacher should ask the student about the conditions under which a deep-sea trench would

form. C. The teacher should ask what is happening in the space that is created between the student’s

hands. D. The student’s understanding seems complete; have the student model what happens when

plates move toward each other.

A B C D 1% 2% 93% 4%



A teacher instructs her students to draw a cross-sectional diagram of what happens at a plate boundary where two plates are moving away from each other. One of the students draws the following diagram.

Which one of the following would NOT be a good question to ask this student in order to better assess his understanding of what happens when two plates move away from each other? A. “Where would the deep sea trench be in your diagram?” B. “How did the water get in between the plates?” C. “Were the plates touching before they moved away from each other?” D. “Where is new plate material formed?”

A B C D 37% 30% 15% 17%



A teacher instructs her students to draw a cross-sectional diagram of what happens at a plate boundary where two plates are moving away from each other. One of the students draws the following diagram.

Most of the students in the class drew something similar. Which one of the following would NOT help the teacher move the students forward in their understanding of what happens when two plates move away from each other? A. Show a computer animation of the formation of mid-ocean ridges. B. Show a map of Earth with all plate boundaries. C. Explain how plate movement is associated with the formation of new rock. D. Have the students investigate deep-sea trench formation.

A B C D 11% 36% 17% 35%



When asked to draw a diagram of what Earth’s plates look like, a student draws this diagram:

Based on the diagram, what question should the teacher ask to better assess the student’s thinking about Earth’s plates? A. “In which direction are the plates moving?” B. “How thick are the plates?” C. “What is between the plates in your diagram?” D. “Where were the plates ten million years ago?”

A B C D 9% 0% 87% 4%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: B: Earth’s plates (the lithosphere or lithospheric plate) are cold (relative to deeper portions of Earth), strong and

brittle and average about 100 kilometers in thickness. Beneath the lithosphere is an almost entirely solid (~99%) layer of Earth (the asthenosphere) which is hot, weak and plastic and extends from the base of the lithosphere to a depth of about 350 kilometers.

Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

A teacher wants to help her students understand the physical properties of Earth’s plates and the material directly under the plates. Which one of the following models most closely represents the physical properties of Earth’s plates and the underlying material? A. Rubber mats sitting on a block of wood B. Pieces of wood floating on water C. Crackers sitting on solid Jello D. Marshmellows floating on syrup

A B C D 2% 12% 47% 39%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: C: The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

A teacher shows her students the following diagram of two landmasses as they appear today (bottom picture), and as they were a long time ago (top picture). She asks them to explain what happened between the top and bottom pictures.

Which one of the following would be an acceptable student answer? A. Water eroded a large canyon between the two landmasses. B. The landmass split apart as plates moved away from each other. C. A series of earthquakes along the plate boundary forced the landmasses apart. D. The ocean currents slowly moved the landmasses away from each other.

A B C D 1% 93% 6% 1%



A teacher holds a class discussion about plate motion. The following is a portion of that discussion.

Joseph: I’d say that plates move at a snail’s pace – very slowly. Amman: Joseph is correct in that plates move slowly, but you can see a

snail moving and you can’t see a plate moving, so I’d say a snail’s pace is too fast. I think plates move so slowly that it would take millions of years before you could ever tell that a plate had moved.

Stephanie: Amman is right about the snail’s pace being too fast, but I

think that plates move very fast during earthquakes and then they don’t move at all for a very long time.

Lucinda: I think plates move a few centimeters every year, and I disagree

with Amman that it takes millions of years to tell that a plate has moved. Geologists can measure how far a plate has moved in just one year.

Based solely on what the students say, which one seems to have the best understanding of plate motion? A. Joseph B. Amman C. Stephanie D. Lucinda

A B C D 1% 5% 8% 86%



While leading a discussion about Earth’s plates, a student says, “The plates can’t crash together because they are all moving in the same direction—from East to West, at roughly the same speed.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s statement? A. The student is incorrect; Earth’s plates move in the same direction but at different speeds, so

the slower plates get hit from behind. B. The student is incorrect; Earth’s plates are not all moving in the same direction. Some plates

are moving away from other plates while others are moving toward other plates. C. The student is incorrect; Earth’s plates are all moving in the same direction, but their

movement is aligned with Earth’s magnetic field. D. The student is correct; Earth’s plates do move in the same direction at the same speed.

A B C D 1% 95% 3% 1%



During a class discussion about Earth’s plates, a student says, “I think that two plates can join together to form one plate and one plate can split to form two plates.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s statement? A. The student’s statement is incorrect; plates do not join together or split apart. B. Part of the student statement is incorrect; plates can split apart but they do not join together. C. Part of the student statement is incorrect; plates can join together but they do not split apart. D. The student’s statement is correct; plates can join together and split apart.

A B C D 27% 28% 4% 42%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: C: The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

A teacher shows her students the following diagram of two present-day landmasses as they were a long time ago (top picture), and as they appear today (bottom picture).

She asks them to explain what happened between the top and bottom pictures. A student says, “The continents moved apart when earthquakes pushed them away from each other.” What does this answer indicate about the student’s thinking?

A. The student incorrectly thinks that continents and plates are the same thing. B. The student incorrectly thinks that large-scale continental movement is caused by earthquakes. C. The student correctly thinks that earthquakes result in large-scale continental movement, but

failed to mention the formation of a mid-ocean ridge. D. The student is correct in her thinking.

A B C D 12% 76% 11% 1%



While leading a discussion on Earth’s plates, a student says, “The plates move from east to west, at roughly the same speed.” What is wrong with this student’s statement? A. The student doesn’t realize that plates are stationary. B. The student doesn’t realize that plates move back and forth but do not go very far. C. The student doesn’t realize that plates move in different directions but at the same speeds. D. The student doesn’t realize that plates move in different directions and at different speeds.

A B C D 1% 3% 7% 90%



During a class discussion about the supercontinent Pangaea, one student says, “A long time ago, Pangaea broke up and the continents floated away from each other. Now the continents are all spread out all over Earth.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s response? A. The student knows that Pangaea broke up, but does not understand that the continents are still

moving today. B. The student knows that the continents have moved over time, but does not understand that the

continents moved only as the plates moved. C. The student knows that the breakup of Pangaea took place a long time ago, but does not

understand that new plate material has been formed since then. D. The student knows the continents can move away from each other, but does not understand that

they can move toward each other too.

A B C D 27% 42% 4% 27%



During a unit on plate tectonics, a teacher asks her students to talk about the relationship between Earth’s plates and continents. One student says, “Earth’s plates move, but the continents stay in pretty much the same place. The continents are above the plates.” Based on this statement, which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s thinking about Earth’s plates and continents? A. The student does not understand that Earth’s plates and continents can move away from each

other, toward each other, or alongside each other. B. The student does not understand that the size and shape of Earth’s plates and continents can

change over time. C. The student does not understand that continents are part of plates and therefore move as Earth’s

plates move. D. The student does not understand that continental plate material is less dense than oceanic plate

material.

A B C D 6% 3% 89% 2%



While monitoring students working in groups, a teacher overhears a student say: “Pangaea broke apart and now there are about a dozen plates. I bet if we could time travel into the future, we’d see a lot more plates and continents than there are now.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s thinking? A. The student understands that plates can split apart, but does not understand that plates can also

join together. B. The student understands that Pangaea broke up, but does not understand that continents are the

top part of some plates. C. The student understands approximately how many plates cover Earth’s surface, but does not

understand that continents move only as the plate moves. D. The student seems to have a correct understanding; Earth’s plates will continue to split into

smaller and smaller plates.

A B C D 41% 27% 24% 8%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: C: The plates that make up Earth’s surface are constantly moving and changing. Content Level: 3 – Using content knowledge to make instructional decisions

In a discussion about plate movement, one student says, “The plates move so slowly that nothing really happens.” Most of the students agree with this student’s statement. Which one of the following would NOT help the teacher move the students forward in their understanding about plates and plate motion? A. Discuss how in the region between India and Asia, two plates are fusing and a large mountain

range can be found. B. Show students a map that indicates the areas of the world that are volcanically active and

superimpose on it a plate boundary map. C. Explain to students how a rift valley is forming in eastern Africa. D. Use measurements made with satellites to show students how slowly the plates are moving.

A B C D 13% 27% 11% 49%



In a discussion about plate movement, one student says, “The plates move so slowly that nothing really happens.” Most of the students agree with this student’s statement. Which one of the following would be good for the teacher to do next in order to move the students forward in their understanding about plates and plate motion? A. Discuss how Africa and South America were once joined and then split as a result of plate

movement. B. Have students investigate data showing that plates are deep underneath the continents and do

not affect Earth’s surface. C. Explain to students that plate movement is so slow that one person cannot collect evidence for

plate movement within a lifetime. D. Use measurements made with satellites to show students how slowly the plates are moving.

A B C D 53% 2% 8% 37%



A teacher shows her students the following diagram of a landmass as it was long ago and today. She asks the students what they think happened in the time between the two pictures.

One student says, “I think water eroded a giant canyon in the landmass and then the ocean filled it in.” Most of the students agree with this student’s statement. Which one of the following, if any, should the teacher do next to move the students’ thinking forward about what happened? A. Show students a computer animation of activity along subduction zones to demonstrate how

continental material can be removed from Earth’s surface. B. Have students pencil in the outlines of the two “today” landmasses onto the “long ago”

landmass and then ask students whether they still believe erosion played a role in the situation. C. Have students watch a video on the power of earthquakes and their effect on Earth’s surface to

help them recognize that earthquakes caused the landmass to split. D. The students seem to have a correct understanding of what happened.

A B C D 18% 68% 12% 2%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: D: Plate motions are driven by a combination of Earth's heat and gravitational forces. The consensus among

geologists is that slab pull, the sinking of oceanic plates at subduction zones (because that rock is old and relatively cold (dense)) is the primary driving force behind plate tectonics. Ridge push (the pushing forces exerted by elevated and relatively hot rock at mid-ocean ridges) is minor as is the traction along the bottoms of plates due to convection in the mantle.

Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

In a unit on plate tectonics, students ask the teacher about the cause of plate movement. Which one of the following responses is the most accurate explanation of the primary cause of plate movement? A. The denser portion of a plate sinks into Earth’s interior, slowly pulling the rest of the plate with

it. B. Convection currents within the mantle move the plates. C. The elevated mid-ocean ridge pushes a plate toward a subduction zone. D. Dense continental rocks push plates into Earth’s interior.

A B C D 4% 89% 4% 2%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: D: Plate motions are driven by a combination of Earth's heat and gravitational forces. The consensus among

geologists is that slab pull, the sinking of oceanic plates at subduction zones (because that rock is old and relatively cold (dense)) is the primary driving force behind plate tectonics. Ridge push (the pushing forces exerted by elevated and relatively hot rock at mid-ocean ridges) is minor as is the traction along the bottoms of plates due to convection in the mantle.


In a unit on plate tectonics, a student asks her teacher what causes Earth’s plates to move. Which one of the following responses is the most accurate? A. “Convection currents in the mantle cause plates to move from subduction zones toward mid-

ocean ridges.” B. “The circular movement of material in the mantle by convection is the major force that propels

the plates.” C. “The sinking plate at a subduction zone pulls the rest of the plate behind it because the sinking

plate is hotter and less dense than its neighboring plate(s).” D. “The sinking plate at a subduction zone pulls the rest of the plate behind it because the sinking

plate is colder and more dense than its neighboring plate(s).”

A B C D 18% 70% 4% 8%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: E: Since the supercontinent Pangaea split up about 200 million years ago, the shapes of continents have been

somewhat modified, mostly by erosion, sea level changes, and mountain-building; this is why the present-day fit of the continents is less than perfect.


A student noticed that the continents that made up the supercontinent Pangaea 200 million years ago do NOT appear to be able to fit together perfectly today (like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle). Which one of the following is most responsible for this imperfect fit? A. Erosion and sea level changes B. Convergence of plates and formation of subduction zones C. Hot spots and formation of volcanoes D. Divergence and seafloor spreading

A B C D 74% 16% 1% 9%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: E: Since the supercontinent Pangaea split up about 200 million years ago, the shapes of continents have been

somewhat modified, mostly by erosion, sea level changes, and mountain-building; this is why the present-day fit of the continents is less than perfect.


During a class activity that involves students cutting continents out of a world map and then reassembling Pangaea, two students become involved in a discussion about why the continents do not fit together perfectly. Carlos: I think the continents don’t fit together perfectly because every time the

continents run into each other, some stuff breaks off and falls into the gaps.

Jake: Well, I think it’s because the continents were never really joined. It just

looks like they were. Which one of the following is the best explanation for why the continents do not fit together perfectly? A. Carlos is essentially correct; when continents collide, material can break off and fall into the

gaps between the plates. B. Jake is essentially correct; the fact that some continents appear to fit together perfectly like a

jigsaw puzzle is just a coincidence. C. Both students are incorrect; the continents do not fit together because their shapes have

changed some as a result of erosion and changes in sea-level. D. Both students are incorrect; the continents do not fit together because rock material is removed

from the edges of continents by subduction.

A B C D 9% 2% 80% 9%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: F: Plate motion causes abutting plates to interact with one another along their boundaries resulting in observable

geologic features and events. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

A class is generating a list of events associated with specific types of plate movement. Which one of the following should be included on the list? A. The formation of a deep sea trench where a plate moves away from another plate B. The formation of a mid-ocean ridge where a plate moves toward another plate C. The formation of a rift valley where a plate moves alongside another plate D. The formation of a volcanic mountain near the boundary where one plate moves beneath

another plate

A B C D 15% 13% 9% 63%



geologic features and events. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

On a relief map of the world, a class of students notices part of an ocean basin that has relatively few geologic features, such as volcanoes, mountain ranges, ocean trenches, or mid-ocean ridges. When the teacher asks why those features are scarce there, a student says, “The plates stopped moving after the split-up of Pangaea, so there will not be many new features until the plates start to move again.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s thinking? A. The student is incorrect in thinking that the plates stopped moving, and incorrect in relating

features to plate motion. B. The student is incorrect in thinking that the plates stopped moving, but correct in thinking that

features result from plate motion. C. The student is correct in thinking that the plates are not moving, but incorrect in thinking that

they will start moving again. D. The student has a correct understanding of the situation described.

A B C D 10% 84% 2% 4%



geologic features and events. G: The occurrence of features and/or events at locations distant from plate boundaries are for reasons other than

plate interactions (some volcanoes occur distant from plate boundaries as a result of hot spots). Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

During a lesson on the formation of volcanoes, a teacher asks his students for possible explanations for a volcano. Which one of the following is NOT a correct explanation? A. A volcano forms as a result of a hot spot causing rock to melt. B. A volcano forms as a result of ocean floor subducting under a continent. C. A volcano forms as a result of one plate splitting to form two separate plates. D. A volcano forms as a result of two plates with continents colliding.

A B C D 7% 41% 41% 11%




While studying the impact of plate tectonics on humans, a teacher gives his students an assignment to argue that a particular location is either hazard-rich or hazard-poor. Which one of these student statements demonstrates the best understanding of the hazards related to plate tectonics? A. “Hazard-rich areas are found near plate boundaries where plates move away from each other—

volcanic eruptions occur there, although earthquakes do not.” B. “Hazard-rich areas are found near plate boundaries where plates move toward each other—both

earthquakes and volcanoes occur there.” C. “Hazard-poor areas are found near plate boundaries where plates move alongside each other—

no earthquakes or volcanoes occur there.” D. “Areas cannot be classified as either hazard-rich or hazard-poor because earthquakes and

volcanoes can occur just about anywhere.”

A B C D 4% 83% 1% 11%




On a relief map of an ocean basin, a class notices part of the ocean basin has relatively few geologic features, such as volcanoes, mountain ranges, ocean trenches, or mid-ocean ridges. When the teacher asks why those features are scarce there, a student says, “It’s probably because the plate isn’t moving right there. If the plate was moving there, you would probably see some stuff, like volcanoes or mountain ranges.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s understanding of the situation?

A. The student understands that plates can change their speed, but does not understand that they

can also change their direction. B. The student understands that geologic features commonly occur together, but does not

understand that they can occur far away from plate boundaries. C. The student understands that geologic features are related to plate motion, but does not

understand that such features are uncommon away from plate boundaries. D. The student seems to have a correct understanding of the situation described.

A B C D 2% 20% 55% 23%




A teacher shows her students a map that plots the occurrence of earthquakes around the world. She then asks her students if there is any reason for the pattern they are seeing on the map or if it is just coincidence. One student says, “There is a reason for the pattern. I think that most of these earthquakes are happening near plate boundaries.” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s understanding of patterns of earthquake occurrences?

A. The student understands that earthquakes occur in patterns, but does not understand that the

pattern is the same as that of volcanic eruptions. B. The student understands that earthquakes occur near plate boundaries, but does not understand

that earthquakes can happen far from boundaries as well. C. The student understands that earthquakes occur in patterns, but does not understand that

earthquakes are ultimately the result of plate motion. D. The student seems to have a correct understanding of patterns of earthquake occurrences.

A B C D 3% 18% 16% 63%




While studying interactions between plates, a teacher asks his students why earthquakes are common in some areas and not others. One student says, “Earthquakes are common at the edge of a plate, like in California, because that’s where the plate meets the ocean.” Based on this student’s statement, which one of the following ideas, if any, is the student missing? A. Earthquakes can occur at all plate boundaries. B. Earthquakes can also occur in areas that are not near the edges of plates. C. Earth’s plates are also under the oceans. D. The student’s statement is accurate and complete.

A B C D 37% 24% 37% 3%



geologic features and events. Content Level: 3 – Using content knowledge to make instructional decisions

In a pretest for a unit on plate tectonics, a teacher asks her students to draw a picture of Earth’s plates. In reviewing the students’ responses, the teacher notices that many students draw plates that correspond to the edges of continents, with the plate boundaries separated by large water-filled gaps. Which one of the following maps would be useful in helping move students’ thinking forward about the boundaries of Earth’s plates? A. A map that shows the locations of volcanoes on continents B. A map that shows the location of the continents C. A map that shows the occurrences of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions D. A map that shows Pangaea

A B C D 3% 9% 74% 14%




During a class discussion, a teacher asks a student to describe what happens when two continents come together or collide as a result of two plates moving toward each other. The student replies, “When the plates move toward each other there will be a lot of earthquakes.” Which one of the following questions should the teacher pose to the student to assess the completeness of his understanding of continental collisions? A. “Under what other circumstances would you expect to find earthquakes?” B. “How strong are the earthquakes that happen when two continents collide?” C. “How does this type of plate motion cause rifting of continents and formation of rift valleys?” D. “What happens to the continental material as the plates move toward each other?”

A B C D 20% 3% 5% 72%




A teacher asks her students what they think happens as a result of Earth’s plates interacting with each other. One student says,

“Earth’s plates move so slowly that nothing really happens.” If most of the students agreed with this statement, which one of the following should the teacher do next to move their thinking forward about plate interactions? A. Have students investigate hot spot volcanoes and plot their locations on a world map that

includes plate boundaries. B. Have students cut out pieces of paper representing the present-day continents and, by matching

the coastlines, reassemble Pangaea. C. Have students create a bar graph that displays the relative strengths of earthquakes that have

occurred over the past 10 years. D. Have students plot earthquake activity onto a world map that includes plate boundaries.

A B C D 13% 23% 5% 59%




A teacher asks her students what happens when two plates move toward each other. One student says, “The plates run into each other forming mountains.” Based on this student’s statement, which one of the following would be a poor question to ask this student if the teacher wants to further assess his understanding of what happens when two plates move toward each other? A. “Can anything else happen when the two plates move toward each other?” B. “Do mountains always form in this situation?” C. “What is at the edges of these two plates—continents or seafloor?” D. “Can you describe how mountains form as a result of hot spots?”

A B C D 14% 8% 18% 59%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: H: The rock that makes up plates is slowly being formed at some plate boundaries and returned to Earth’s interior

at other plate boundaries. This means that Earth is not changing in size. Content Level: 1 – Knowledge of science content

A student describes how old rock material goes back into Earth’s interior at some plate boundaries, but she does not discuss whether new rock material is formed. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the formation of new rock material? A. Volcanic eruptions create new rock material only where plates are moving toward each other. B. Volcanic activity creates new rock material at plate boundaries where plates are moving away

from each other. C. New rock material is added only to the tops of plates. D. New rock material is no longer created by plate interactions.

A B C D 22% 59% 18% 2%



at other plate boundaries. This means that Earth is not changing in size. Content Level: 2 – Using science content knowledge to analyze/diagnose student thinking

A teacher wants to see if her students can apply what they have learned about plate tectonics to the overall size of Earth. She decides to start a class discussion by asking, “Does the size of Earth change over time?” The following is a portion of that discussion. Jamie: I know that new plate material is added to the edges of plates, so I

think that Earth is slowly getting larger over time. David: I agree with Jamie that new plate material is being added to the edges

of plates, but I also think that erosion wears away other parts of plates so that the amount of plate material stays the same. Earth is staying the same size.

Jackie: The amount of new plate material that is being added to the edges of

plates is much less than the amount of plate material that goes back into Earth’s interior when plates move toward one another, so I think Earth is getting smaller over time.

Rachel: I agree with David that Earth is staying the same size, but I think it’s

because the amount of plate material that is added to the edges of plates is about the same as the amount of old plate material that goes back into Earth’s interior.

Which one of the following students has the best understanding of why the overall size of Earth is changing or staying the same? A. Jamie B. David C. Jackie D. Rachel

A B C D 1% 9% 3% 87%




A student asks his teacher, “Isn’t it true that Earth is very slowly getting bigger because of new rock being added to Earth’s plates?” Which one of the following is the best assessment of this student’s understanding of plate tectonics relative to the size of Earth? A. This student’s understanding is incorrect; Earth is not getting bigger because rock was added to

plates in the distant past, but not now. B. This student’s understanding is incorrect; Earth is not getting bigger because the addition of

rock to existing plates is insignificant. C. This student’s understanding is incorrect; Earth is not getting bigger because rock is also being

removed from plates. D. This student seems to have a correct understanding of plate tectonics relative to the size of

Earth.

A B C D 1% 3% 93% 2%




During a plate tectonics unit, a student asks, “I know that all rock isn’t EXACTLY the same age, but isn’t it OK to say that all rock is about the same age – pretty old?” Which one of the following is a concept that this student needs to know in order to answer his own question? A. Even though Earth’s plates are recycled, the rock that makes up the plates stays unchanged and

thus is very old and all about the same age. B. Continental rock tends to stay at or near Earth’s surface because of its low density and is thus

very old. C. New and thus young rock is continually forming where plates move away from each other. D. Earth’s plates move so slowly that it takes hundreds of millions of years before rock is

subducted back into Earth.

A B C D 2% 9% 75% 13%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: I: The part of a plate with ocean floor along its boundary is always subducted beneath a plate with a continent

along its boundary. Continental material is not subducted because of its low density. If continents on two separate plates are in contact and being pushed together, the continental rocks are forced upward forming mountain ranges rather than being completely subducted into Earth’s interior. If two plates without continents are in contact and being pushed together, the colder/denser plate subducts beneath the other.


A middle school science class is studying the Himalayas, a mountain range located between India and China. Which one of the following correctly explains the formation of the Himalayas? A. The Himalayas are the result of volcanic activity that has built up volcanic mountains over a

long period of time. B. The Himalayas are pushed up by the subduction of high-density continental material

underneath another plate. C. The Himalayas are pushed up because the low-density continental rocks cannot be subducted. D. The Himalayas are an area of continental material that has always been high.

A B C D 4% 31% 63% 2%





A teacher describes the arrangement of two plates (A and B) moving toward one another. Plate A includes a continent at its edge next to Plate B, but Plate B does not include a continent. The teacher asks the class what they would expect to happen in this situation.

Which one of the following answers is a correct student response? A. The two plates would push together both moving upward, forming a range of non-volcanic

mountains. B. Plate B would ride up and over the top of Plate A with the stacked plates resulting in

mountains. C. Plate B would be subducted beneath Plate A forming a volcanic mountain range. D. Plate A would be subducted beneath Plate B forming a deep-sea trench.

A B C D 8% 7% 75% 10%





A teacher is going to teach a lesson on what happens where two plates are moving toward one another. The teacher wants to make sure she understands not only what happens, but why it happens. A diagram in a textbook shows two adjacent plates. One plate has oceanic material along its edge where the two plates meet. The other plate includes continental material along the edge where the two plates meet. Which one of the following best explains what will happen as the plates move toward one another and why? A. The plate with oceanic material will subduct because it is denser than the plate with continental

material. B. The plate with oceanic material will subduct because it is thinner than the plate with continental

material. C. The plate with the older rock will subduct because older rock is relatively cold and denser. D. Neither plate will subduct; both plates will push up to form a chain of mountains because the

plates bend and fold as they are forced together.

A B C D 75% 12% 4% 9%





A teacher is going to teach a lesson on what happens where two plates are moving toward one another. The teacher wants to make sure she understands not only what happens, but why it happens. A diagram in a textbook shows two adjacent plates. One plate has oceanic material along its edge where the two plates meet. The other plate includes continental material along the edge where the two plates meet. Which one of the following best explains what will happen as the plates move toward one another and why? A. The plate with oceanic material will subduct because it is denser than the plate with continental

material. B. The plate with continental material will subduct because it is denser than the plate with oceanic

material. C. The plate with oceanic material will subduct because it is thinner than the plate with continental

material. D. The plate with continental material will subduct because it is thinner than the plate with oceanic

material.

A B C D 72% 13% 13% 2%


Primary Sub-Idea(s) Assessed: J: Old ocean floor rocks return by subduction into Earth’s interior. Hence, ocean floor rocks are relatively

young. Most continental rocks stay at Earth’s surface because of their low density (although sediment eroded from the continents is carried to the oceans and can be subducted along with oceanic lithosphere). Hence, the age of some continental rock is quite old.


A teacher is reviewing some background information in preparation for a lesson on plate subduction. Which one of the following statements about subducting plates is a correct idea the teacher could include in her lesson? A. The subducting plate has a higher density than the overriding plate. B. The subducting plate has a lower density than the overriding plate. C. The densities of the two plates are the same, but the subducting plate is hotter than the

overriding plate. D. The densities of the two plates are the same, but the subducting plate is colder than the

overriding plate.

A B C D 75% 19% 4% 2%





A middle school student finds an earth science website that says, The oldest ocean floor rocks are roughly 180 million years old, while the oldest continental rocks are more than 20 times as old—about 4 billion years old. The student shares this statement with her teacher and asks for an explanation. Which one of the following is the correct explanation for the observation? A. The rock that makes up the ocean floor is denser than the rock that makes up the continents,

and is continually recycled through the mantle. B. There is likely to be some ocean floor rock that is as old as the continents, it’s just that

geologists are not able to study the ocean floor as thoroughly. C. The statement is referring only to some continents; some continents are almost entirely

composed of rock that is relatively young. D. New rock is formed only along boundaries where two plates are moving toward one another

and all of these types of boundaries are within ocean basins.

A B C D 59% 21% 6% 14%





Students in a science class are studying plate tectonics. They look at a series of diagrams showing the breakup of Pangaea. One student asks, “Is the material that makes up the continents today the same material that made up Pangaea?” Of the following, which one would be the best response to the student’s question? A. “No. While the continents may look like they came from Pangaea, all rock is continually being

recycled through the mantle and added back to Earth’s surface.” B. “Yes. Most of the land of Pangaea still exists today because plates move so slowly that they

have little effect on each other.” C. “Yes. The present-day continents broke off from Pangaea and floated across the oceans into

their current positions.” D. “Yes. The continents that broke off from Pangaea remained at Earth’s surface because they are

less dense than the rock that makes up the ocean floor.”

A B C D 19% 19% 14% 49%





After studying the recycling of Earth’s plates, a student asks, “How can we have some rocks that are nearly as old as Earth itself if Earth’s plates are always being recycled?” Which one of the following is the best answer to the student’s question? A. The rock that makes up Earth’s continents is rarely subducted and has stayed on, or near,

Earth’s surface. B. The spreading centers along some plate boundaries have been actively producing rock for a

very long time. C. Even though Earth’s plates are recycled, the rock that makes up the plates stays unchanged and

is thus nearly as old as Earth. D. Earth’s plates move so slowly that many of them have not had time to reach a subduction zone

and be recycled.

A B C D 44% 5% 9% 42%

atlast pt released items - horizon research ta items...released items from the atlast plate...

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