Name: _____________________________________________ Class: _____________________________________________ Date: ______________________
3.3 Assessing the Evidence-Based Arguments Tool: What Happens When Plants are in
Light & Dark?
This Evidence-Based Arguments Tool is designed to help students through a two-stage process:
1. First they express a wide range of ideas, even if they are incorrect.
2. Second they discuss their ideas in class. Ideally, students will initially recognize that they have many different ideas about plant
photosynthesis and cellular respiration, as well as unanswered questions. But the goal of the discussion is to help students move toward
consensus and record changes in their ideas with a differently-colored pen or pencil. If students do this, then their worksheets may contain
initial Level 2 or 3 responses. Revised responses should be Level 4.
A special note about unanswered questions: Students may have a variety of good unanswered questions, which could be included in your class list.
Be sure your class list also includes some version of the listed Level 4 questions, which focus specifically on the Three Questions poster. These
questions will establish the problem for future unit activities
Think about your plant investigations. Complete this tool with patterns from class evidence, conclusions, and unanswered questions.
Class Evidence
What patterns did we find in our class
evidence about each of the Three Questions?
The Matter
Movement
Question
Level 4: the BTB is changing color in
both scenarios.
Level 2 and 3 responses may include a
variety of relevant observations: color of
the plants, etc. They will not include the
BTB color change as a key form of
evidence that matter has moved.
Conclusions
What can we conclude about each of the
Three Questions using this evidence?
Level 4: Atoms are moving into, and
out of, the air
Level 2 and 3 conclusions should be
based on the evidence that they cited,
but some students will include
conclusions based on their prior
knowledge or otherwise not connected to
the evidence. Students may not
understand that the color change
indicates atoms are moving.
Unanswered Questions
What do we still need to know in order to
answer each of the Three Questions?
Level 4
Why are atoms moving into and
out of the plant?
• What atoms are moving into and
out of the plant?
Level 2 and 3: students might leave this
box blank or mention good unanswered
questions about plants that are not
specifically connected to the Matter
Movement Question.
•
Plants Unit, Activity 3.3
Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
The Matter
Change
Question
The Energy
Change
Question
Level 4: BTB turned from blue to
yellow for plants in the dark, and from
yellow to blue for plants in the light.
Level 2 and 3 responses may include a
variety of relevant observations: plant
growth, etc. They may not include
change in BTB as a key form of evidence
that new molecules (CO2) are being
created.
Level 4: BTB for plants in the light was
a different color than for plants in the
dark.
Level 2 and 3 responses may include a
variety of relevant observations. They
may not include what they learned about
organic molecules and chemical energy
in food (Lesson 2) as relevant
observations.
Level 4: In the dark, CO2 leaves the
plant; in the light, CO2 enters the
plant.
Level 2 and 3 conclusions should be
based on the evidence that they cited,
but some students will include
conclusions based on their prior
knowledge or otherwise not connected to
the evidence. Students may not equate
the change in color to changes in CO2
concentration in the air.
Level 4: Light energy is required for
plants to absorb CO2.
Level 2 or 3: Students may be unclear
how the light relates to the changes in
BTB, or may attribute the color changes
to the light itself. They may also use their
prior knowledge to write a conclusion not
supported by the data (e.g., “Plants use
light to make their own food”).
Level 4:
What happens to carbon atoms
inside the plant?
Level 2 and 3: students might leave this
box blank or mention good unanswered
questions about plants that are not
specifically connected to the Matter
Change Question.
•
Level 4:
How is the plant using light
energy?
Level 2 and 3: students might leave this
box blank or mention good unanswered
questions about plants that are not
specifically connected to the Energy
Change Question.
•