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Assessment Pack — Science 10

Term 1 · CG Quarter 1: Earth and Space Science · School Year 2026–2027

A Table of Specifications, two summative tests with keys, a weekly check, and the rubrics for the seven performance tasks the curriculum guide supplies across the four quarters.

Quarter 1 is Earth and Space Science, not chemistry. Grades 7 to 10 rotate the four domains; Grade 9 ended on bonding and Grade 10 opens on plate tectonics, and the two adjacent quarters share nothing. See syllabus.md §3.3.

1. How assessment works this year

Per DO No. 015, s. 2026, for a Key Stage 3 core learning area:

Component Weight What feeds it in Quarter 1
Written Works 20% Weekly worksheets, weekly checks, Summative 1 and 2, the class boundary table from Week 2, the annotated map from Week 3
Performance Tasks 50% The Quarter 1 performance task from the guide, and the two group activities in offline-activities.md
Examinations 30% The Term 1 examination

Half the grade is performance, and the guide sets the task — page 17 requires at least one substantial performance task for each quarter.

⚠️ The weights are reported, not read. Two independent search passes returned the same 20 / 50 / 30 split. Confirm before computing a real grade.

The rule this pack applies that Grade 9's did not

A boundary named is one mark out of three.

Competency 2 asks for structures, movements and events. Three things, for each type. So every boundary item in this pack asks what forms there and what happens there alongside the name, and carries most of its marks in those two.

This is not pedantry about wording. Convergent is the correct answer to a great many questions and can be produced fluently by a learner who believes every convergent boundary has a trench — and on a paper that stops at the name, that learner scores full marks. The model answers below say what a correct name with a wrong picture behind it looks like, so it can be caught.

The other Grade 10 problem: marking an argument

Quarter 4 competency 9 is a class debate on the societal, environmental and ethical implications of biotechnology, and the Quarter 4 performance task is a critical analysis. Neither can be marked as fact recall. The rubric in §6.6 marks the use of evidence, the handling of the opposing case, and the separation of a scientific claim from a value claim — and it explicitly does not mark which side the learner argued.

2. Table of Specifications

Quarter 1 · Earth and Space Science · 12 competencies · 50 items across the quarter

Quarter 1 competency Week Items Cognitive demand
1. Detecting and measuring plate displacement 1 3 Recall
2. Structures, movements and events at each type of boundary 2 12 Understanding and analysis
3. This archipelago's features, interpreted tectonically 3 6 Application
4. Predicting the archipelago in 50 million years 4 3 Application
5. What drives plate movement, and the asthenosphere 4 4 Understanding
6. What subduction does to the plate above 5 4 Understanding
7. The Himalayas and the Andes 5 4 Analysis
8. Evidence of global warming and climate change 6 3 Understanding
9. The role of greenhouse gases 6 3 Understanding
10. ENSO and weather systems 7 3 Understanding
11. Local impacts, and what individuals can do 7 3 Application
12. Renewables and this country's resources 7 2 Evaluation
Total 50

Twelve items for competency 2 — nearly a quarter of the whole quarter's assessment for one competency out of twelve. It earns them three times over: competency 3 cannot be interpreted without it, competency 6 is one of its cases examined closely, and competency 7 is its hardest distinction assessed by name.

Fourteen items for the climate block, competencies 8 to 12. That is a fifth of the quarter for five competencies, which is thin — and it is thin because the quarter is two topics wide and the tectonics half is what the next four weeks build on. A school that weights climate more heavily has a defensible reason to; §7 says what was left out.

3. Summative Test 1 — Week 5

Twelve items · 30 minutes · Written Works

Covers competencies 1 to 7 — the whole of the tectonics block.

Section A — the three boundaries.

  1. Name the three types of plate boundary and say which way the plates move at each. (3 marks)
  2. At which type is new crust made? At which type is crust destroyed? (2 marks)
  3. For a divergent boundary, give the structure that forms and one event that happens there. (2 marks)
  4. For a transform boundary, give the structure that forms and one event that happens there. (2 marks)

Section B — convergence, properly.

  1. An oceanic plate meets a continental plate. Which one sinks, and why that one? (2 marks)
  2. Give the structure formed offshore and the structure formed inland. (2 marks)
  3. Two oceanic plates converge. What forms? (2 marks)
  4. Two continental plates converge. What forms? (2 marks)
  5. The Andes have a deep trench beside them. The Himalayas have none. Both are convergent boundaries. Explain the difference. (4 marks)

Section C — underneath, and here.

  1. What do the plates move on? Is it liquid? Give the evidence. (3 marks)
  2. Name one modern method used to measure how fast a plate is moving. (1 mark)
  3. This archipelago has volcanoes, deep trenches and frequent earthquakes. Which boundary type accounts for most of that, and why? (3 marks)

Key and marking notes

# Answer Note
1 Divergent–apart · convergent–toward · transform–past 3 marks, 1 each. The name alone scores nothing without the movement
2 Made at divergent; destroyed at convergent 2 marks
3 Mid-ocean ridge or rift valley; shallow earthquakes, or gentle frequent eruptions 2 marks
4 A fault, with features offset sideways; shallow earthquakes 2 marks. Nothing forms scores 1 — it is right and it is only half the answer
5 The oceanic plate, because it is denser 2 marks. "Because it is thinner" scores 1 — density is the mechanism, thickness is a correlate
6 Offshore: a deep trench. Inland: a chain of volcanic mountains 2 marks
7 A trench and an island arc — a curved chain of volcanic islands 2 marks
8 Very high mountains, no trench, no volcanoes 2 marks. 1 for the mountains; 1 for the two absences. "A trench" scores 0 and is the item to count
9 — 4 marks. 1 for oceanic crust arrives at the Andes; 1 for it is denser and sinks; 1 for both sides are continental at the Himalayas; 1 for neither sinks, so both crumple upward. "One is older / bigger / faster" scores 0
10 The asthenosphere; not liquid; S-waves cross it and cannot travel through a liquid 3 marks, 1 each
11 Satellite positioning, or any named modern surveying method taught in Week 1 —
12 Convergent — subduction produces the trenches, the volcanoes and the deep earthquakes 3 marks. 1 for convergent; 2 for tying at least two of the three features to subduction

Total: 28 marks. As a percentage: marks ÷ 28 × 100.

4. Weekly Check — Week 2, Day 5

Seven items · 12 minutes · Written Works

  1. Name the three types of plate boundary.
  2. At which type is new crust made?
  3. Give the structure and one event for a transform boundary.
  4. An oceanic plate and a continental plate converge. Which sinks?
  5. The Andes have a deep trench beside them. The Himalayas have no trench at all. Both are convergent boundaries. Explain the difference.
  6. TRUE or FALSE: the plates float on a layer of liquid magma.
  7. TRUE or FALSE: a plate boundary follows a coastline.

Key

# Answer
1 Divergent, convergent, transform
2 Divergent
3 A fault with features offset sideways; shallow earthquakes
4 The oceanic plate — it is denser
5 See below
6 False — the asthenosphere is solid rock that flows
7 False — coastlines are made by sea level, not by plate motion

About item 5

This is the item that reads. Items 1 to 4 are on the wall chart by Tuesday, and items 6 and 7 are the two headline traps.

What the learner wrote What it means
Oceanic crust arrives at the Andes and sinks; the Himalayas are continental on both sides so neither sinks Full understanding
One has ocean and one does not, with no mention of sinking Half. The right distinction without the mechanism that makes it matter
One is older / bigger / faster / moving more slowly The diagnostic answer. Convergent has been learned as one thing, and a difference has been invented to account for a difference the learner cannot explain
The Himalayan trench has filled in Wrong for an interesting reason. Answer it publicly: nothing sank, so there was never anything to fill

5. Summative Test 2 — Week 8

Twelve items · 30 minutes · Written Works

Covers competencies 8 to 12, and returns to competencies 2 and 7 in items 11 and 12.

  1. Give three separate pieces of evidence that the global climate is changing. (3 marks)
  2. What does a greenhouse gas do to energy arriving from the Sun and leaving the Earth? (2 marks)
  3. Name two greenhouse gases and one human activity that releases each. (4 marks)
  4. What is the El Niño Southern Oscillation, in one sentence? (2 marks)
  5. Give one way an ENSO event can change weather in this country. (2 marks)
  6. Name two local impacts of climate change that a community here would notice. (2 marks)
  7. Give two things an individual can realistically do to reduce their contribution, and say what each one reduces. (4 marks)
  8. Name two renewable sources of electricity that this country has in quantity. (2 marks)
  9. Explain one advantage and one genuine difficulty of expanding renewable generation here. (2 marks)
  10. Why does reducing electricity use reduce greenhouse gas emissions, if the electricity is generated far away? (2 marks)
  11. Name the boundary type that produces this archipelago's trenches and give one event that occurs there. (2 marks)
  12. Explain why the Himalayas have no volcanoes when the Andes have many. (3 marks)

Key

# Answer Note
1 Any three: rising average temperatures, rising sea level, retreating glaciers and ice sheets, changing rainfall patterns, more frequent extreme events, warming oceans 3 marks, 1 each. It feels hotter scores 0 — a single memory is not evidence
2 It lets short-wave energy in and absorbs the long-wave energy leaving, keeping it in the atmosphere 2 marks
3 Any two, each with a source — carbon dioxide from burning fuels; methane from livestock, rice paddies and landfill; nitrous oxide from fertiliser 4 marks. 2 for the gases, 2 for the activities
4 A recurring change in ocean temperature and air pressure across the Pacific that shifts weather patterns 2 marks
5 Drought and reduced rainfall in an El Niño year; heavier rain and flooding in a La Niña year 2 marks
6 Any two: stronger or wetter storms, coastal flooding, saltwater reaching wells or farmland, coral bleaching, hotter days affecting outdoor work and school attendance, changed planting seasons 2 marks
7 Any two, each with what it reduces 4 marks. 2 for actions, 2 for the reasons. A list with no reasons scores half
8 Any two: geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind, biomass 2 marks
9 — 2 marks. Advantage: no fuel imported, no emissions in operation. Difficulty: cost to build, intermittency, grid reach across islands, land use. An answer claiming there is no difficulty scores 1
10 Because the power station burns less fuel when less electricity is demanded 2 marks
11 Convergent; deep earthquakes, or explosive eruptions, or tsunami 2 marks
12 — 3 marks. 1 for nothing is subducting at the Himalayas; 1 for no sinking plate means no melting; 1 for the Andes have an oceanic plate going down beneath them

Total: 30 marks.

6. Performance Task Rubrics

Seven tasks across four quarters, all of them the guide's own. Page 17 requires at least one substantial task per quarter; the guide supplies two each for Quarters 1, 2 and 3, and one for Quarter 4.

Each rubric is 4 criteria × 4 levels = 16 marks. As a percentage: marks ÷ 16 × 100.

Levels: 4 = Full · 3 = Sufficient · 2 = Partial · 1 = Just beginning

6.1 Quarter 1 · Task A — The community education strategy — placed in Week 8

Plan and enact a community education strategy based on scientific understanding, data, and processes, to encourage and empower viewers to be responsible in their use of local natural resources.

Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
A named local resource A specific resource in this community, with what is happening to it and how that is known A specific resource A general category — water, trees Unspecified
Built on data Real figures, cited and dated, with the source named Figures present, source vague Claims without figures Assertion only
It was actually enacted Delivered to a real audience outside the class, with what happened recorded Delivered to the class Planned and not delivered Not completed
It empowers rather than scolds Asks for something specific and achievable, and says why it would matter Asks for something specific General appeal to care more Blame without an action

The third criterion is the one that matters and the one that gets dropped. The task says plan and enact. A well-designed campaign that never reached anybody is a plan, and the guide asked for both.

6.2 Quarter 1 · Task B — The green metals discussion paper

Develop a discussion paper on the value of mining green metals, such as cobalt and nickel for modern battery production. Include information about how modern batteries can contribute to addressing energy supply and other energy-related issues. The paper should provide information about the green metal reserves of the Philippines and what would be involved in establishing industries to produce batteries locally.

Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
All four parts addressed Value of the metals, the role of batteries, this country's reserves, and what a local industry would need Three parts Two One
Sources evaluated Cited, dated, and the learner says which they trusted and why Cited and dated Listed None
Both sides present Economic case and environmental and social cost, both taken seriously Both mentioned One side only Neither examined
It is a discussion paper Reaches a position and shows the reasoning that got there Reaches a position Summarises without concluding Copied

6.3 Quarter 2 · Task A — The collision blackspot survey

Conduct a survey of recent vehicular accidents in your locality to identify a high-risk spot where collisions are frequent. Offer a solution to mitigate collisions at the high-risk area by:

  1. designing a structure aimed at reducing the impact of collisions, or 2. describe a system aimed at changing riders' or drivers' behavior by educating them about the collision danger in the location.
Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
The survey is real A specific location, with how many incidents and over what period, and where the information came from A specific location with some data A location, no data Chosen without evidence
The physics is used The solution is justified by momentum and by force acting over time, correctly One of the two used Physics vocabulary present, not load-bearing Absent
The solution fits the place Addresses what actually causes collisions there — sightlines, speed, surface, crossing traffic Addresses a plausible cause Generic safety measure Not connected
Feasibility Says what it would cost or need, and who would have to agree Mentions one constraint Assumes unlimited resources Not addressed

⚠️ This task involves real accidents in a real place. If any learner in the class has been affected by one, let them choose a different location or the other Quarter 2 task without having to explain why. Say that when the task is set, to everybody, so nobody has to ask.

6.4 Quarter 2 · Task B — The egg-drop vehicle

Design and describe the significant features (rationale) of a 'vehicle' that will save a raw egg from breaking when dropped onto a concrete surface from 3 meters. Learners will test their model in a class event.

Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
The egg survives Intact from 3 m, twice Intact from 3 m, once Cracked but contained Broken
The rationale is physics Names time of impact as the thing being lengthened, and identifies which features do it Says the impact is cushioned Describes the build without a reason Absent
Features justified individually Every design feature has a stated job Most features justified One justified Copied without reasons
Materials Built entirely from reused or found material Mostly reused Some reused Bought

The second criterion is where this task is won. Every egg-drop vehicle in the world works by making the collision take longer. A learner who says it is padded has described the build; a learner who says the padding makes the stop take longer, so the force is smaller has met competency 6.

6.5 Quarter 3 · Tasks A and B — The household chemistry investigations

A. Conduct a valid and reliable investigation to test a number of vegetables, such as carrots and red cabbage to determine their usefulness as indicators for common acids and bases, such as vinegar, lemon juice, and bleach. B. Explore materials in the home to produce specific chemical reactions, such as mixing a solution of washing powder with a solution of baking powder.

One rubric covers both — they are the same kind of work on different materials.

Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
Valid Independent, dependent and controlled variables all identified by name Two of the three named One named Variables not considered
Reliable Each test repeated, and the repeats reported even when they disagreed Repeated Done once Not systematic
The record Every observation dated and described as seen, not as expected Most observations recorded A first and last observation Nothing recorded
Safety Names what must not be mixed and why — bleach with acid, bleach with ammonia — and says what was done about it Safety addressed Mentioned generally Not addressed, or an unsafe mixture attempted

⚠️ Bleach is on the guide's own list of substances for task A. Mixing bleach with an acid or with ammonia releases toxic gas. Say so before the task is set, in those words, and rule the combinations out explicitly. The fourth criterion exists because of this.

6.6 Quarter 4 — The critical analysis of biotechnology

Write a critical analysis of the use of biotechnology and its impacts on society or the environment.

Criterion 4 — Full 3 — Sufficient 2 — Partial 1 — Just beginning
The science is right The technology is described accurately enough that an expert would not object Mostly accurate One significant error Substantially wrong
The strongest opposing case States the other side at its strongest, then answers it States the other side Mentions disagreement One side only
Fact and value separated Distinguishes what is true from what is right, and says which claims are which Mostly separated Blurred Values presented as facts
Sources Cited, dated, and the learner says which they trusted and why Cited and dated Listed None

Which side the learner argues is not marked, and the class should be told so. A well-evidenced analysis opposing a technology and a well-evidenced analysis supporting it score identically. What is marked is whether the learner met the other side honestly.

6.7 The group activities

The two group activities carry their own 12-mark rubrics in offline-activities.md. They are not repeated here.

7. What is deliberately not here

Absent Why
A number for the velocity of the Philippine Plate Competency 4 says based on the current velocity, and that figure was not read from a source in the environment these artifacts were built in. Week 4 needs a current published value from PHIVOLCS or an equivalent, and inventing one to make an exercise work would be worse than leaving the gap visible
Named faults and specific map features Competency 3 needs a real map of this archipelago. This pack does not reproduce map data it cannot verify, and offline-activities.md says which substitutions for that map are honest
Earthquake magnitude scales Not in any Grade 10 competency. The competencies ask about depth and location, which are what boundary type determines. Magnitude is a different quantity with a different cause
Wegener and the history of continental drift That is Grade 9 Quarter 2 competency 1. Grade 10 starts from the plates moving as established fact and asks what happens where they meet
Momentum calculations with numbers Quarter 2 competencies 4 to 8 say explain, describe, identify and carry out guided investigations. The relationships are qualitative in the guide and the assessment keeps them so
Full marks for naming a boundary with no structure or events The competency asks for three things. Crediting one of them hides exactly the learner who has memorised three words and one diagram
A mark for the game game.html is formative. Marking it would advantage learners with a device at home

Part of the E-turo MATATAG artifact set. Companion files: syllabus.md · lesson-plan.md · lesson-plan-ilaw.md · class-record.html