Clarification details
Updated May 2015. This document has been updated in its entirety to address new issues that have arisen from moderation.
The purpose of clarifications
We create clarification documents to help people understand the current requirements of achievement standards. Clarifications do not introduce new criteria, change the intent of the standard, or change what we expect from assessment.
These documents unpack and explain the language and intent of the standard so people interpret and apply the standard consistently. We provide examples or guidance as illustrations only. They are not prescriptions or requirements.
For official requirements, always refer to the current version of the achievement standard as published by NZQA.
Assessment guidance
To reach Achieved standard students must:
- select and process information to report on an Earth and Space Science issue
- comment on the validity of a minimum of two key sources of scientific information communicated to the public
- draw a conclusion on the issue.
The issue selected must have some Earth and Space Science on both sides of the issue. The information selected and processed must include scientific sources. These may be from any source that communicates information to society.
Information collected needs to be processed, and this processing of the information must allow a conclusion to be drawn. The students must comment on the validity of the resources and why the information can be accepted or rejected. Students should list resources in a traceable format for authenticity purposes.
Students are required to carry out research to collect secondary evidence. A minimum of two scientific resources must be researched. This evidence will then form the basis of their report. Students must draw a conclusion on the issue and back up this conclusion with scientific evidence.
Background information to the research may be supplied by the teacher, and can include primary and/or secondary information. The teacher can set the broad outline for the issue or the students may develop their own issue. The research may include a field trip.