To Understand the Nature of Benchmarks, Option A:
Case Study of Water-Cycle 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 4B The Earth (K-2) #3
Water left in an open container disappears, but water left in a closed container does not disappear. 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 the water cycle:

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

This option is appropriate for K-12 groups and for elementary teachers, who typically teach this topic. Research provides a clear rationale for the grade-level placement of ideas in the Water Cycle strand.
 

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