OpenSciEd Unit 7.2 · Lesson 09 · 9.B
Engineering Design Rubric
Assessment guide
How to read student work on this assessment — standards alignment, what strong understanding looks like, and common gaps.
Learning progression
Target understanding
9.B Optimize performance of a design that represents systems and energy flows between systems by revising and retesting to incorporate characteristics of the most promising solutions.
Standards alignment
9.B Optimize performance of a design that represents systems and energy flows between systems by revising and retesting to incorporate characteristics of the most promising solutions.
What understanding looks like
Strong
- As teams reflect on their work in Lesson 9 to complete Engineering Design Rubric, make sure students are referring to their optimal design and the associated test results recorded on Design Testing Matrix in their science notebooks. At this point in the unit, this rubric rating can be considered a summative assessment, as students have had more experience with engineering design in this lesson and previous lessons.
From Teacher Edition
View assessment opportunity →Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
9.B Optimize performance of a design that represents systems and energy flows between systems by revising and retesting to incorporate characteristics of the most promising solutions.
What to look / listen for
and listen for
As teams reflect on their work in Lesson 9 to complete Engineering Design Rubric, make sure students are referring to their optimal design and the associated test results recorded on Design Testing Matrix in their science notebooks. At this point in the unit, this rubric rating can be considered a summative assessment, as students have had more experience with engineering design in this lesson and previous lessons.
What to do
If students are struggling to identify where their team is on Engineering Design Rubric, ask them to point to specific evidence of a category and level of mastery on their optimal design and/or the partner-tested data on Design Testing Matrix. Ask them how they incorporated the most promising design components (Lesson 7) and thought through the consequences of design changes in Lesson 8. Push them to make an evidence-based argument for why they highlighted certain statements.
Materials
Last updated from official OpenSciEd on 7/1/2026
Student handout
7.2 Lesson 9 Assessment Engineering Design Rubric.docx
Google Form
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Teacher guide
7.2 Lesson 9 Teacher Edition.docx
Answer key (recommended)
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