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AI Tool for Science Teachers

DOK Alignment Tool for Science Teachers

Science assessments frequently test whether students can recall vocabulary and reproduce procedures rather than whether they can reason scientifically. The DOK Alignment Tool classifies every science assessment item by Webb's Depth of Knowledge using NGSS-informed descriptors: DOK 1 (recall definitions, identify components), DOK 2 (interpret data, apply a concept to a new observation), DOK 3 (design an investigation, reason about cause and effect, explain a mechanism), DOK 4 (synthesize evidence across multiple sources, evaluate competing models). Aligned to Science and Engineering Practices.

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NGSS
Science practice-aligned descriptors
DOK 1-4
Science-specific classifications
6 disciplines
Biology, chemistry, physics, earth, env, STEM
3 rewrites
Higher-DOK revision options per item

How Teachers Use This for Science Teachers

Biology Unit Test Audit

Classify genetics or ecology unit test items by DOK level to confirm students must reason about biological mechanisms, not just recall definitions and reproduction of diagrams.

Lab Practical Assessment

Evaluate data analysis and conclusion questions from a lab practical by DOK level, interpreting data is DOK 2; drawing a conclusion and identifying sources of error is DOK 3.

Chemistry Conceptual Assessment

Audit stoichiometry and equilibrium assessments to distinguish formula application (DOK 1-2) from conceptual reasoning about why reactions proceed in specific ways (DOK 3).

Physics Problem Set Review

Check that physics assessments include reasoning about non-routine scenarios (DOK 3) alongside standard formula application problems (DOK 1-2).

NGSS Three-Dimensional Assessment

Verify that assessments address Science and Engineering Practices at appropriate DOK levels, using evidence is DOK 3; identifying evidence is DOK 2.

AP Science Exam Alignment

Compare classroom assessment DOK distribution to AP Biology, AP Chemistry, or AP Physics exam profiles to ensure students are prepared for the reasoning-heavy free-response section.

Frequently Asked Questions

DOK 3 in science involves reasoning from evidence, not just reading a graph, but explaining what the data shows and why it supports a particular conclusion. Designing an investigation to test a hypothesis is DOK 3. Explaining a biological mechanism using causal language ('when X increases, Y decreases because...') is DOK 3. Evaluating two competing explanations for an observation using evidence is DOK 3. The NGSS science practices 2-8 operate primarily at DOK 3.

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