Distinguished - Tables 1 and 2 are accurately completed based on data collected through laboratory experimentation.

Proficient - Tables 1 and 2 are completed based on data collected through laboratory experimentation. One minor error is present in the tables.

Basic - Tables 1 and 2 are completed based on data collected through laboratory experimentation. Two errors or omissions are present in the tables.

Below Expectations - Tables 1 and 2 are completed based on data collected through laboratory experimentation. Three or more errors or omissions are present in the tables.

Non-Performance – Does not complete Tables 1 and 2.

Distinguished - Accurately and thoroughly details the effects that each of the three contaminants had on the water in the experiment.

Proficient - Details the effects that each of the three contaminants had on the water in the experiment. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic – Briefly details the effects that each of the three contaminants had on the water in the experiment. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations – Attempts to detail the effects that each of the three contaminants had on the water in the experiment; however, significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not detail the effects that each of the three contaminants had on the water in the experiment.

Distinguished - Accurately and thoroughly describes what type of human activity could cause these three contaminants to enter the water supply.

Proficient - Describes what type of human activity could cause these three contaminants to enter the water supply. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic – Briefly describes what type of human activity could cause these three contaminants to enter the water supply. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations – Attempts to describe what type of human activity could cause these three contaminants to enter the water supply; however, significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not describe what type of human activity could cause these three contaminants to enter the water supply.

Distinguished - Accurately and thoroughly discusses the differences in color, smell, visibility, and other observed properties between the contaminated and treated water samples.

Proficient - Discusses the differences in color, smell, visibility, and other observed properties between the contaminated and treated water samples. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic – Minimally discusses the differences in color, smell, visibility, and other observed properties between the contaminated and treated water samples. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations – Attempts to discuss the differences in color, smell, visibility, and other observed properties between the contaminated and treated water samples; however, significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - Does not discuss the differences in color, smell, visibility, and other observed properties between the contaminated and treated water samples.

Distinguished - Accurately identifies the processes involved in water treatment that were used in the lab, and thoroughly describes how they were performed.

Proficient - Identifies the processes involved in water treatment that were used in the lab, and describes how they were performed. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic - Identifies the processes involved in water treatment that were used in the lab, and briefly describes how they were performed. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Identifies the processes involved in water treatment that were used in the lab, and attempts to describe how they were performed; however, significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not identify the processes involved in water treatment that were used in the lab and describe how they were performed.

Distinguished - Develops a logical hypothesis related to which pot will contain the highest biodiversity, and thoroughly explains reasoning behind choice.

Proficient - Develops a mostly logical hypothesis related to which pot will contain the highest biodiversity, and explains reasoning behind choice. Minor errors in hypothesis format are present.

Basic - Develops a hypothesis related to which pot will contain the highest biodiversity, and minimally explains reasoning behind choice. Relevant errors in hypothesis format are present.

Below Expectations - Develops a hypothesis related to which pot will contain the highest biodiversity; however, the hypothesis does not properly address the experimental question, and significant errors in hypothesis format are present.

Non-Performance – Does not develop a hypothesis related to which pot will contain the highest biodiversity or explain reasoning behind choice.

Distinguished - Accurately accepts or rejects the hypothesis proposed in Question 5, and thoroughly explains how this was determined.

Proficient - Accurately accepts or rejects the hypotheses proposed in Question 5, and explains how this was determined. Minor details of the explanation are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic - Accurately accepts or rejects the hypotheses proposed in Question 5, and minimally explains how this was determined. Relevant details of the explanation are missing or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Accepts or rejects the hypotheses proposed in Question 5, and attempts to explain how this was determined; however, the explanation contradicts the acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis, and significant details of the explanation are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not accept or reject hypothesis proposed in Question 5 and explain reasoning behind choice.

Distinguished - Utilizes at least one scholarly source to accurately and thoroughly discuss the effects of aluminum on plant growth, and effectively applies that knowledge to the experiment results.

Proficient - Utilizes at least one scholarly source to accurately discuss the effects of aluminum on plant growth, and effectively applies that knowledge to the experiment results.  Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic - Utilizes at least one scholarly source to discuss the effects of aluminum on plant growth, and minimally applies that knowledge to the experiment results. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Utilizes a source to discuss the effects of aluminum on plant growth, and attempts to apply that information to the experiment results; however, the source is not scholarly, and significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not utilize a source to discuss the effects of aluminum on plant growth.

Distinguished - Accurately determines whether each pot would represent a healthy ecosystem based on the biodiversity of flowers, and thoroughly describes how this was determined.

Proficient - Determines whether each pot would represent a healthy ecosystem based on the biodiversity of flowers, and describes how this was determined. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic - Determines whether each pot would represent a healthy ecosystem based on the biodiversity of flowers, and briefly describes how this was determined. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Determines whether each pot would represent a healthy ecosystem based on the biodiversity of flowers and attempts to describe how this was determined; however, significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not determine whether each pot would represent a healthy ecosystem based on the biodiversity of flowers and describe how this was determined.

Distinguished - Thoroughly describes how biodiversity contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem utilizing a scholarly source to fully support the position.

Proficient - Describes how biodiversity contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem utilizing a scholarly source to mostly support the position. Minor details are missing or slightly inaccurate.

Basic - Briefly describe how biodiversity contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem utilizing a scholarly source to somewhat support the position. Relevant details are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to describe how biodiversity contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem; however, does not utilizes a scholarly source to support the position, and significant details are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not describe how biodiversity contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem and support the position with a scholarly source.

Distinguished - Ranks the three scenarios in terms of biodiversity, and provides a thorough and accurate rationale for that ranking.

Proficient - Ranks the three scenarios in terms of biodiversity, and provides an accurate rationale for that ranking. Minor details of the rationale are missing.

Basic - Ranks the three scenarios in terms of biodiversity, and provides a fairly accurate rationale for the ranking. Relevant details of the rationale are missing and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Ranks the three scenarios in terms of biodiversity, and attempts to provide a rationale for that ranking; however, significant details of the rationale are missing and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – Does not rank the three scenarios in terms of biodiversity or provide any rationale for that ranking.

Distinguished - Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.

Proficient - Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic - Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations - Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting for both in-text citations and references at the end of the lab form.

Proficient - Exhibits APA formatting for both in-text citations and references at the end of the lab form; however, layout contains a few minor errors.

Basic - Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting for in-text citations and references at the end of the lab form. However, citations and/or references do not meet many APA requirements.

Below Expectations - Does not exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting for in-text citations and references. There are frequent errors, making the layout of citations and references difficult to distinguish as APA. In-text citations may be missing completely.

Non-Performance - Although the assignment required use of a source to answer one or more questions, no source is cited or referenced on the lab form.  Sources may not have been used, or their use is entirely undocumented