Clarification details
Updated March 2016. This document has been updated to reflect a minor change in the Conditions of Assessment made by the Ministry of Education.
To reach Achieved, students must:
- plan and carry out a valid Earth and Space Science investigation
- collect and process valid data from the investigation to produce a scientific report stating how the data collected is reliable
- explain the Earth and Space Science related to the investigation.
The investigation must have a valid purpose, identify the independent and dependent variables, and identify how other key variables will be managed. The investigation must be able to allow valid raw data, consistent with the method, to be collected.
A template should not be supplied, as this would be over-direction. The data collected needs to be processed, and this processing of the data must allow a valid conclusion to be drawn. Processing can include graphs, tables or a statistical analysis of the data.
Students are required to carry out the investigation to collect valid primary evidence. They will then use their findings to explain the Earth and Space Science related to the investigation. This critical component must be explained before awarding the final grade.
‘Independent’ means that the students develop the complete investigation. Students may work in a group, but must contribute to the investigation decisions, and teachers must attest to this. The teacher’s role is that of guidance during the investigation. The investigation may include and be based on a field trip.