Teacher Monitoring Guide
Grade 7 · Cycle 4 · Week 1 — Ocean Acidification
Investigation
Learning Goal
Students will analyze data on ocean pH changes over time, construct
explanations for how increased atmospheric CO2 causes ocean acidification,
and predict impacts on marine ecosystems.
Station Checkpoints
Station 1 — Hook & Phenomenon
Look for: Students connecting the phenomenon to prior knowledge and
generating testable questions
Common misconception: Ocean acidification means the ocean turns into
acid — clarify that pH decreasing from 8.2 to 8.1 is still basic;
'acidification' means becoming more acidic, not reaching pH below 7
Station 2 — Investigation / Data Collection
Look for: Accurate data recording and identification of emerging
patterns in the evidence
Common misconception: Organisms can simply adapt quickly to pH changes —
use calcification rate data to show that shell formation is chemically
impaired at lower pH
Station 3 — Sense-Making
Look for: Students revising their model based on evidence collected
during investigation
Common misconception: Ocean acidification only affects sea creatures
near factories — show global CO2 dissolution is uniform across the ocean
surface
Exit Ticket Monitoring
| Score Range |
Interpretation |
Next Step |
| 18–23 pts |
Meeting target |
Extend with synthesis question |
| 10–17 pts |
Developing |
Small group re-teach at day start |
| 0–9 pts |
Needs support |
1:1 intervention before next station |
MTSS Tier 2 Supports
For students scoring below 10 pts on the exit ticket: use the sentence
frames below during the next class's hook.
- "I notice that _____ because _____."
- "The evidence shows _____, which means _____."