OpenSciEd Unit 7.6 · Lesson 12 · 12.A
Version 2 Social
Assessment guide
How to read student work on this assessment — standards alignment, what strong understanding looks like, and common gaps.
Learning progression
Target understanding
12.A Develop a model to describe how fossil fuel use causes changes to the climate, affecting community water resources.
Standards alignment
12.A Develop a model to describe how fossil fuel use causes changes to the climate, affecting community water resources.
What understanding looks like
Strong
- Arrows between each box should show the causal chain between fossil fuel use and changing water resources.
- Fossil fuel use causes increased levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
- Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in temperatures.
- Look for each box to be supported by the corresponding science ideas from the Model Ideas list.
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
12.A Develop a model to describe how fossil fuel use causes changes to the climate, affecting community water resources.
What to look / listen for
- Arrows between each box should show the causal chain between fossil fuel use and changing water resources.
- Fossil fuel use causes increased levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
- Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in temperatures.
- Look for each box to be supported by the corresponding science ideas from the Model Ideas list.
What to do
At this time, this is a formative assessment to gauge student understanding of the connections between the carbon system and water system, and how those are supported by the science ideas built in previous lessons. The class will work together to clarify these ideas in the next step of the lesson, and a summative assessment will be presented in the next class period to assess these ideas.
Help with the connection between fossil fuel use and increased carbon dioxide: Ask students about what the fossil fuel use does that causes changes in the carbon system and, in turn, the atmosphere.
Review the relationship established between carbon dioxide and temperatures: Ask students what they observed in Lesson 7 as they were using the interactive and the particle models. Ask students what the particle model of carbon dioxide did with the energy and what that carbon dioxide particle may be doing to the system to eventually lead to changing water resources.
Help with identifying the model ideas that support increasing temperatures and evaporation rates: Ask students what we noticed increasing temperatures doing to the water in our evaporation columns from Lesson 3. Ask students what our data showed and if this had an effect on our water system, and what model idea explains this.
Help with identifying the model ideas that support evaporation rates and the movement of water: Ask students, once the water evaporated, what happened to that water? What caused some places to get wetter while others were getting drier? What model ideas help to explain this?
Help with model idea connections
Point out the specific box that students have not completed or need help with. Ask how the model idea supports the box in question, or what model ideas connect to the science ideas in the box. Ask what model ideas would have an impact on how the box would function in their causal chain of events.
Materials
Last updated from official OpenSciEd on 7/1/2026
Student handout
7.6 Lesson 12 Assessment Version 2 Social.docx
Google Form
Digitized — add an editable copy to your Google Forms
Teacher guide
7.6 Lesson 12 Teacher Edition.docx
Answer key (recommended)
7.6 Lesson 12 Answer Key Tweet Claims Assessment.docx