New Mexico Public Education

Department

Preliminary Assessment Blueprint

th

6 Grade Science
End-of-Course (EoC) Exam

Version 001
Updates 09/2014

Purpose Statement6th Grade Science

The 6th Grade Science End-of-Course assessment is designed to measure student proficiency of
the New Mexico 6th Grade Science Standards pertaining to 6th grade science. This course-level
assessment is provided to all students who have completed 6th grade science (STARS code 1701,
1703, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1708, 1709) or related courses. Intended as a final exam for the course,
this is a summative assessment covering a wide range of content, skills, and applications. Scores
are reported at the teacher, school, district, and state levels for the purposes of student grades,
curriculum review, andfor optional useas input into the Educator Effectiveness System.

Preliminary Blueprint
The preliminary blueprint identifies the content standards and benchmarks assessed on the
EoC. The Assessment and Accountability Division of the Public Education Department (PED) will
publish a final blueprint after conducting content/bias review meetings in winter 2014-2015. The
final blueprint, which will be published in early spring 2015, will include specification tables
identifying the item types by standard, the number of points associated with each item type,
and Depth-of-Knowledge (DOK) levels of the items. Please know that the assessed standards
will not substantively change on the final blueprint. This preliminary blueprint is intended to
identify the essential standards that should be included in instruction.

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Blueprint Table6th Grade Science

Based on New Mexico 6th Grade Science Standards
REPORTING CATEGORY

STANDARD/
BENCHMARK
Strand I,
Standard I
Benchmark I

SCIENTIFIC THINKING AND

PRACTICE
Benchmark II

Strand II,
Standard I
Benchmark I

PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Benchmark II

Benchmark III

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CONTENT STATEMENT
Understand the processes of scientific investigations and use inquiry and
scientific ways of observing, experimenting, predicting, and validating to
think critically.
Use scientific methods to develop questions, design and conduct
experiments using appropriate technologies, analyze and evaluate
results, make predictions, and communicate findings.
I can interpret and evaluate data.
I can make predictions and create hypotheses.
Understand the processes of scientific investigation and how scientific
inquiry results in scientific knowledge.
I can identify bias in a scientific investigation.
Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of
energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.
Know the forms and properties of matter and how matter interacts.
I can identify the characteristics of various states of matter
(liquid, solid, gas)
I can distinguish between the different properties of various
substances.
Explain the physical processes involved in the transfer, change, and
conservation of energy.
I can compare and contrast forms of energy transfer.
Describe and explain forces that produce motion in objects.
I can understand the relationship between mass and distance.

REPORTING CATEGORY

STANDARD/
BENCHMARK
Strand II,
Standard II

Understand the properties, structures, and processes of living things and

the interdependence of living things and their environments.

Benchmark I

Explain the diverse structures and functions of living things and the
complex relationships between living things and their environments.
I can describe how organisms have adapted to various
environmental conditions.
Understand how traits are passed from one generation to the next and
how species evolve.
I can connect the fossil record to the changing of environmental
conditions over time (e.g., adaptation and extinction).
I can summarize the geologic time scale.
Understand the structure of organisms and the function of cells in living
systems.
I know that some substances are produced by living organisms
(e.g., fossil fuels).
(Earth and Space Science Standard): Understand the structure of Earth,
the solar system, and the universe, the interconnections among them,
and the processes and interactions of Earths systems.
Describe the structure of Earth and its atmosphere and explain how
energy, matter, and forces shape Earths systems.
Structure of Earth (13 and 7 & 8)
I can identify and differentiate between the layers of the Earth
that include a crust, mantle, and core.
I understand that Earths crust is divided into plates that move
very slowly, in response to movements in the mantle.
I understand that sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks
contain evidence of the materials, temperatures, and forces that
created them.
I can explain that landforms are created through a combination
of constructive and destructive forces (78).

Benchmark II
LIFE SCIENCE

Benchmark III

Strand II,
Standard III
Benchmark II

EARTH SCIENCE

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CONTENT STATEMENT

REPORTING CATEGORY

STANDARD/
BENCHMARK
Benchmark II

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Benchmark II
(cont.)

Strand II,
Standard III

ASTRONOMY

Benchmark I

CONTENT STATEMENT
Describe the composition (i.e., nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor) and strata
of Earths atmosphere, and differences between the atmosphere of Earth
and those of other planets (46).
I can identify the layers of the atmosphere.
Understand factors that create and influence weather and climate.
Understand how to use weather maps and data (e.g., barometric
pressure, wind speeds, humidity) to predict weather.
I can identify factors that influence weather changes.
(Earth and space science): Understand the structure of Earth, the solar
system, and the universe; the interconnections among them; and the
processes and interactions of Earths systems.
Describe the objects in the universe:
I can differentiate between objects in the universe (e.g., a planet,
a star, a galaxy).
I can explain the life cycle of a star.
I can identify the components of the solar system.
Locate the solar system in the Milky Way galaxy.
Identify the components of the solar system and describe their defining
characteristics and motions in space.
Know that the regular and predictable motions of the Earth-moon-sun
system explain phenomena on Earth.
I can explain Earths motion in relation to a year, a day, the
seasons, the phases of the moon, eclipses, tides, and shadows.
I can explain how the moons orbit around Earth once in 28 days
relates to the phases of the moon.

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