Michigan Geographic Alliance(1996) Geography Sample Item Elementary School Assessment Focus: Strand 2 Developing a Geographic Perspective Geography Content Standard Location, Movement, and Connection Industrial Location Interpreting a map and diagram to describe, explain, and promote the advantages of a location. Extended Response Benchmarks: 2.3.1.le, 2.3.3.le, 2.3.4.le, 5.1.3.le, 6.3.1.le. This assessment is designed to test an understanding of industrial location and need for communities to attract industry. A second, more simplified version of the graphics is provided if the original is thought too challenging. These assessment samples are intended for teachers to copy and use with their students. The assessments complement the Geography Content Standards and Benchmarks (Strand 2: Geographic Perspective), Inquiry (Strand 5), and Public Discourse and Decision Making (Strand 6) of the Michigan Framework for Social Studies Education: Content Standards. The samples included may also be used as models for teachers to follow in constructing geography assessments that will challenge students as well as assist them in preparing for both classroom based and statewide assessment.
INDUSTRIAL LOCATION Many people have moved to the Sun Belt in the southwest of the United Sates in recent years. Phoenix, Arizona, in the center of the Sun Belt, needs to attract more industry to the city to provide employment. Look carefully at the map (Figure 1) which shows the situation of Phoenix and the diagram (Figure 2) which shows some of the advantages Phoenix has to offer factory owners. 1. Using the map to help you, write a paragraph describing the location of Phoenix. 2. List all the things that are important in choosing a location for a factory. Write a sentence about why each of these things is important. 3. Using this list to organize your writing and the information on the map and in Figure 2, write a paragraph describing why industry should move to Phoenix. 4. Design an advertisement for the Chamber of Commerce in Phoenix to print in newspapers and magazines to attract industry to the city. Your advertisement should: be eye-catching. be interesting, colorful, and attractive. give the facts. Benchmarks: 2.3.1.le, 2.3.3.le, 2.3.4.le, 5.1.3.le, 6.3.1.le. Extended response: prior knowledge/ categorization/ map reading/ expository writing/ information processing/ organization of facts and ideas/ poster creation. Page 2 Industrial Location Elementary School
Figure 1 Situation of Phoenix. N Legend Major Routes International Boundary State Boundaries 0 100 200 300 California Nevada Salt Lake City Miles San Francisco Denver Utah Colorado Las Vegas Arizona Los Angeles Albuquerque Pacific Ocean San Diego Phoenix Tucson New Mexico El Paso M E X I C O Figure 2 Some of the Attractions for Industry in Phoenix. Attractive Surroundings Very Pleasant Climate Financial Loans Available Low Land Costs Phoenix, Arizona: Attractions for Industry Low Industrial Taxes Skilled labor Good Transportation Links Low Cost Unskilled Labor Elementary School Industrial Location Page 3
Simplified Graphics. Figure 1 Situation of Phoenix. N Legend Major Routes International Boundary State Boundaries 0 100 200 300 California Nevada Salt Lake City Miles San Francisco Denver Utah Colorado Las Vegas Arizona Los Angeles Albuquerque San Diego Phoenix New Mexico Pacific Ocean Tucson El Paso M E X I C O Figure 2 Some of the Attractions for Industry in Phoenix. Very Pleasant Climate Low Land Costs Phoenix, Arizona: Attractions for Industry Good Transportation Links Skilled and Unskilled Labor Page 4 Industrial Location Elementary School
Industrial Location Teacher Resource SCORING GUIDES Comprehensive Comprehensive Simplified Holistic Simplified Numerical Holistic Numerical Written Component X X X X Advertisement X X COMPREHENSIVE SCORING GUIDE FOR WRITTEN COMPONENT Essential Components: These may be developed through class discussion. 1. Description of location of Phoenix within the USA and within the State of Arizona. 2. List and explanation of important considerations in industrial location, e.g. labor, raw materials, markets, transport, power, available land, financial incentives etc. 3. Detailed description of all the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists, drawn from the map and the diagram. Suggested categories: Physical (surroundings)- landscape and climate and its attraction. Financial (costs) - Loan availability, taxes, land costs and their importance. Labor (workers)- availability and importance of unskilled and skilled labor pools. Communications (transport)- transport links to major cities in Southwest for markets, with examples from the map. Scores 4 - EXEMPLARY Accurate description of Phoenix's location in USA and within Arizona. Comprehensive list and thorough explanation of location factors. Detailed description of all the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: Description of both the landscape and climate of Southwest and its attraction. List of all the financial incentives available and their advantages. Details of the availability and importance of unskilled and skilled labor. Description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest with examples from the map and reasons for the importance of these links. Response is very readable, realistic, consistent and organized. Grammar and spelling consistently correct. 3 - ADVANCED Description of Phoenix's location in USA and within Arizona. List showing at least four principal location factors with an explanation of each. Description of most of the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: Some description of the landscape and climate of Southwest. List of most of the financial incentives available and their importance. Details of the availability of labor. Description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest with at least two examples from the map and the importance of these links. Response clear and organized. Grammar and spelling largely correct. 2 - ADEQUATE Description of Phoenix's location in USA or within Arizona. List showing at least three principal location factors with some explanation of each. Description of at least three of the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: Some description of the landscape and climate of Southwest. Inclusion of at least one of the financial incentives available. Reference to the availability of labor, but not which type. Description of the transport links to major cities in the Southwest, with at least one example from the map. Response lacks organization, but is understandable. Grammar and spelling with some errors, but acceptable. 1 - INADEQUATE No description of Phoenix's location in USA or within Arizona. List showing some principal location factors, but lacking an adequate explanation of each. Description of less than three of the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: No mention or inaccurate description of the landscape and climate of Southwest. No or inaccurate description of the financial incentives available. Elementary School Industrial Location Page 5
Little reference to the availability of labor. Poor or inaccurate description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest, no examples from the map. Response disorganized and difficult to follow. Grammar and spelling consistently weak. 0 - NOT SCORABLE NUMERICAL COMPREHENSIVE SCORING GUIDE FOR WRITTEN COMPONENT 1. Description of location of Phoenix within the USA. 0 1 2 2. Description of location of Phoenix within the State of Arizona. 0 1 2 3. List and explanation of location factors. 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. Physical - description of landscape and climate. 0 1 2 3 4 5 5. Financial - loan availability, taxes, land costs. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6. Labor - availability of unskilled and skilled labor. 0 1 2 3 4 5 7. Communications - transport to major markets in Southwest. 0 1 2 3 4 5 8. Organization, grammar, and spelling. 0 1 2 3 4 5 SIMPLIFIED SCORING GUIDE FOR WRITTEN COMPONENT Essential Components: These may be developed through class discussion. 1. Description of location of Phoenix within the USA and within the State of Arizona. 2. List and explanation of important considerations in industrial location, e.g. labor, raw materials, markets, transport, power, available land, financial incentives. 3. Detailed description of all the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists, drawn from the map and the diagram. Suggested categories: Physical (surroundings)- landscape and climate and its attraction. Financial (costs) - Loan availability, taxes, land costs and their importance. Labor (workers)- availability and importance of unskilled and skilled labor pools. Communications (transport)- transport links to major cities in Southwest for markets, with examples from the map. Scores 3 - EXEMPLARY Accurate description of Phoenix's location in USA and within Arizona. Comprehensive list and thorough explanation of location factors. Detailed description of all the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: Description of both the landscape and climate of Southwest and its attraction. List of all the financial incentives available and their advantages. Details of the availability and importance of unskilled and skilled labor. Description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest with examples from the map and reasons for the importance of these links. Response is very readable and well organized. Grammar and spelling largely correct. 2 - PROFICIENT Description of Phoenix's location in USA or within Arizona. List showing at least three principal location factors with some explanation of each. Description of at least three of the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: Some description of the landscape and climate of Southwest. Inclusion of at least one of the financial incentives available. Reference to the availability of labor, but not which type. Description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest, at least one example from the map. Response lacks organization, but is understandable. Grammar and spelling with some errors, but acceptable. 1 - INADEQUATE No description of Phoenix's location in USA or within Arizona. List showing some principal location factors, but lacking an adequate explanation of each. Description of less than three of the attractions that Phoenix has to offer industrialists: No mention or inaccurate description of the landscape and climate of Southwest. No or inaccurate description of the financial incentives available. Little reference to the availability of labor. Poor or inaccurate description of the transport links to major cities in Southwest, no examples from the map. Response disorganized and difficult to follow. Grammar and spelling consistently weak. 0 - NOT SCORABLE Page 6 Industrial Location Elementary School
NUMERICAL SIMPLIFIED SCORING GUIDE FOR WRITTEN COMPONENT 1. Description of location of Phoenix. 0 1 2 3. List and explanation of location factors. 0 1 2 3 4. Physical - description of landscape and climate. 0 1 2 3 5. Financial - loan availability, taxes, land costs. 0 1 2 3 6. Labor - availability of unskilled and skilled labor. 0 1 2 3 7. Communications - transport to major markets in Southwest. 0 1 2 3 8. Organization, grammar, and spelling. 0 1 2 3 COMPREHENSIVE SCORING GUIDE FOR STUDENT DESIGNED ADVERTISEMENT Essential Components: These may be developed through class discussion. 1. Arrangement: Appropriate proportions and placement of materials. Pattern and shapes capture attention and guide eye to relevant details 2. Content: Relevant, accurate, and limited to theme. Contains only the key information, without clutter. Effectively portrays the information. 3. Lettering: Neat, appropriate size, even line. Correct spelling. Effective color contrast with background. 4. Color: Effective use of background color. Effective use of color on color. Scores 4 - EXEMPLARY Arrangement: Entirely appropriate proportions and placement of materials. Pattern and shapes capture attention and guide eye to relevant details. Content: Relevant, accurate, and limited to theme. Contains only the key information, without clutter. Very effectively portrays the information. Lettering: Neat, appropriate size, even line, correctly spelled with effective color contrast with background. Color: Strikingly effective use of background color and effective use of color on color. 3 - ADVANCED Arrangement: Appropriate proportions and placement of materials. Pattern and shapes capture attention and guide eye to relevant details. Content: Relevant, no more than one inaccuracy, and mostly limited to theme. Contains the key information, with little clutter. Effectively portrays the information. Lettering: Neat, appropriate size, even line, spelling generally correct with few errors. Effective color contrast with background. Color: Effective use of background color and effective use of color on color. 2 - ADEQUATE Arrangement: Proportions and placement of materials not always appropriate. Pattern and shapes capture attention but do not always guide eye to relevant details. Content: Relevant but with some inaccuracies and clutter. Fairly effectively portrays the information. Lettering: Not sufficiently neat and appropriately sized, spelling generally correct with may be some errors. Color contrast with background inadequate. Color: Some effort to use effective color combinations. 1 - INADEQUATE Arrangement: Proportions and placement of materials inappropriate. Pattern and shapes do not capture attention. Content: Not always relevant. Cluttered. Does not effectively portray the information. Lettering: untidy and inappropriately sized, spelling frequently incorrect. Color contrast with background poor. Color: Little effort to use effective color combinations. 0 - NOT SCORABLE NUMERICAL SCORING GUIDE FOR STUDENT DESIGNED ADVERTISEMENT The "Content" is weighted by a factor of two. Elementary School Industrial Location Page 7
1. Arrangement: Appropriate proportions and placement of materials. 0 1 2 3 Pattern and shapes capture attention and guide eye to relevant details. 0 1 2 3 2. Content: Relevant, accurate, and limited to theme. 0 2 4 6 Contains only the key information, without clutter. 0 2 4 6 Effectively portrays that information. 0 2 4 6 3. Lettering: Neat, appropriate size, even line. 0 1 2 3 Correct spelling. 0 1 2 3 Effective color contrast with background. 0 1 2 3 4. Color: Effective use of background color. 0 1 2 3 Effective use of color on color. 0 1 2 3 Page 8 Industrial Location Elementary School