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9-12 Grade Level Illinois Alternative Assessment Program Scoring Rubric ITEM: An Earth that Didn't Tilt This item presents students with the hypothetical situation of an earth with axis that are perpendicular (not inclined 23 1/2 degrees) to the plane in which it revolves. Then they are asked to list 10 ways that the lives of humans would be affected if this situation existed. Students are expected to use their understanding of earth-sun relationships and their knowledge of existing physical and human patterns on earth to respond to the question. Level Four Performance At Level Four, responses indicate that students have a detailed enough understanding of the relationship of a tilted earth's axis to existing physical and human patterns on earth that they are able to predict accurately ten ways people's lives would be affected if the earth's axis were not tilted. For example, students point out the major physical changes that would occur and the impact of these changes on human existence, e.g., the absence of seasons would alter farming practices and recreational regimens, equal hours of daylight and darkness all over earth would erase the need for daylight savings time, unbearably hot equatorial areas would make them uninhabitable and stimulate migrations of people poleward, and changes in weather and climate would create different clothing and housing needs. Responses are organized in a list, citing both the physical change and the human consequence. Level Three Performance At this level, responses indicate that students understand many of the physical and human changes that would occur if earth's axis were no longer tilted, but their knowledge is not as complete as students at Level Four. For example, they may provide a list of eight or nine physical changes that would occur, but fail to explain how two or three of these would impact human existence, e.g., "vegetation would be different." Also, some evidence of incomplete understandings begins to appear in some of the listed differences, e.g., "no night and day at poles." In some cases, a listing cites only a human consequence without connecting it to a physical change, e.g., "things like clothing would change." In most cases, responses are organized in list fashion as called for in the question. Level Two Performance At this level, responses indicate that students understand some of the physical and human changes that would occur if earth's axis were not tilted. Students tend to list more physical changes than the resulting human changes. The misunderstandings that appear in student responses, e.g., "sun would be around most of the time," "would always be dark at North and South Poles" are balanced out roughly by correct understandings. Many responses do not make mention of the effect of physical changes on human existence. In general, student responses are brief. Organization of responses in some cases is in list fashion, as called for in the question. Level One Performance At this level, responses indicate that students understand very little about the physical and human changes that would occur if earth's axis were not tilted. As a result, students' lists of differences are replete with misunderstandings, e.g., "society wouldn't function," "it would always be cold," "the soil would be very hard." Students' lists of changes tend to contain more incorrect information than correct information, indicating a lack of knowledge of the content. Many of the changes listed are unclear, making it difficult to comprehend meaning. Responses may be organized in either list or paragraph form.