Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach

B. Sample Science Questioning Alternatives
(9th-Grade Geology or 10th-Grade Biology)

The Burgess Shale are metamorphized sedimentary rocks in the Canadian Rockies that con-
tain extremely rare 500-million-year-old soft-body fossils of aquatic animal life from the Cam-
brian era. They are of major evolutionary significance because of their age, because they
help illustrate the impact of geological change on evolution, and because some of the fossil-
ized animals are from phyla with no surviving species. Alternatives A–D arefact-basedques-
tions requiringrecallof a specific piece of information. Alternative A offers students the least
information to start with so it is the most difficult to answer.

A. (Short answer/fill in) Identify the Burgess Shale.

B. (Matching) Burgess Shaleandmetamorphized sedimentary rocks in the Canadian Rock-

ies that contain extremely rare 500-million-year-old soft-body fossils from the Cambrian

era.

C. (True–false) The Burgess Shalearemetamorphized sedimentary deposits in the Cana-

dian Rockies that contain extremely rare 500-million-year-old soft-body fossils from the

Cambrian era.

D. (Multiple choice) How old are the fossils discovered in the Burgess Shale?

a. Cambrian (500 million years ago) b. Carboniferous (350 million years ago)

c. Jurassic (200 million years ago) d. Tertiary (50 million years ago) e. Unknown

Alternatives E and F areconcept-basedquestions requiring an understanding of main
ideas about the importance of the Burgess Shale, evolution, and geology. The questions con-
tain the information and students are asked to explain the significance of the event. Alterna-
tive E asks students to select from possible explanations (in this case the best answer is “All
of the above”). Alternative F is a more difficult question because it requires that students
provide the explanation.

E. (Multiple choice) Why are fossils contained in the Burgess Shale considered of major

evolutionary significance?

a. Some of the fossilized animals are from phyla with no surviving species.

b. They are from the Cambrian era, which makes them amongst the oldest fossils on

earth.

c. They contain rare impressions of soft-body parts.

d. They are imprints of aquatic animal life found at high altitudes in the Canadian

Rockies.

e. All of the above.

F. (Short essay) Write a paragraph explaining why Cambrian era fossils contained in the

Burgess Shale are considered of major evolutionary significance.

C. Sample Middle-Level Math Problem Solving

This format provides students with a context for understanding and the information they
need to solve the problem. They are assessed on their ability to find a solution, present the
information, and explain their solution.

212 CHAPTER 8