To Understand the Nature of Benchmarks, Option D:
Case Study of Modeling Benchmark

Estimated Time: 90 minutes.

Overview: Participants learn how a particular benchmark contributes to building student understanding of a topic; how other benchmarks on that topic are interrelated, both conceptually and developmentally; and what research reveals about student learning of the topic.

Benchmark 11B Models (6-8) #3
Different models can be used to represent the same thing. What kind of a model to use and how complex it should be depends on its purpose. The usefulness of a model may be limited if it is too simple or if it is needlessly complicated. Choosing a useful model is one of the instances in which intuition and creativity come into play in science, mathematics, and engineering. Participants study the benchmark and selected sections of SFAA and Benchmarks that are relevant to understanding what the benchmark is expecting students to know about models and their use:

• the relevant section of SFAA
• the K-12 benchmarks in that section of Benchmarks
• the introductory and grade level essays in that section
• the Physical and Conceptual Models and their Uses strand map from Benchmarks on Disk
• relevant research from Benchmarks, Chapter 15: The Research Base.

This option is appropriate for teachers in various disciplines: science, mathematics, and technology, and other fields.
 

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