The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. How can you buy or sell the sky the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. We do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people." Chief Seattle to President Franklin Pierce, 1855 Many other people in the United States hold views on owning land different from those of Chief Seattle. What are these views?
Scoring Guide Score & Description Complete The response accurately presents Seattle's view on land and contrasts his view with one opposing view. Views on land may be drawn from the list given or include some other appropriate response. Partial The response explains Seattle's view correctly, or the view held by many other people, but not both. Views about land may be drawn from the list given, or include some other appropriate response. Inappropriate The response does not show an understanding of Chief Seattle's view or the view held by many other people in the United States. Student demonstrates ability to understand the meaning of a passage credited to Chief Seattle and explains opposing views that are held by many people living in the United States. Notes: Directly copying a portion of the quotation was not accepted. Credited responses could include Seattle's Views on Land Chief Seattle's people do not own the land, and so cannot sell it. The value of land cannot be measured. Land is sacred and an integral part of the whole earth. You can't be in charge of nature. It can't be bought by people because it is sacred to my people. It isn't right to own land. It is for all the people to share; one person's land is another's. Land is priceless; he thinks it is ridiculous. Unacceptable Responses Seattle's View on Land We need to take care of it; treat the land well. It is for the people. It should not be bought. Don't sell it to anyone. Just restating "the Earth is sacred..." should not be credited without some explanation. Opposing Views on Land Land is property. Land has a monetary value. Land can be understood in isolation from the rest of the environment. Land can be bought and sold.
Land can be bought and sold for individual profit. Owning land is good. Land is something for the taking.
Complete - Student Response Scorer Comments: Both "Complete" responses offer an acceptable summary of Chief Seattle's view on land ownership and a contrary view.
Partial - Student Response Scorer Comments: Both responses correctly address only one of the two questions. The first response correctly states Chief Seattle's view but inaccurately focuses on owning the sky and warmth when describing opposing views of land ownership. The second response is not clear on what Chief Seattle believes about land ownership; stating that he believes the Earth is sacred does not go far enough.
Inappropriate - Student Response Scorer Comments: In the first response, the top portion gives a popular, but unacceptable, answer (also seen in the second sample response that receives a score of "Partial") that quotes Chief Seattle but does not say what he believes about owning land. The second part continues to reflect Chief Seattle's views rather than opposing views. In the second response, the first part misstates Chief Seattle's view, and the second part shows a misunderstanding of the question being asked.
2001 National Performance Results Score Percentage of Students Inappropriate 79% Partial 13% Complete 6% Omitted # Off task 2% Note: These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Content Area Environment and Society Example: What environmental modifications have enabled modern settlers to live in arid regions of the United States and Southwest Asia and/or North Africa? Earth's surface is the fragile home for human activity. Knowing the answers to geography questions such as these makes comprehensible the web of interactivity that connects the human experience with the natural environment. Through knowledge of environment-society interactions, geography helps students learn how people depend upon, adapt to, are affected by, and modify the natural environment. Many modifications, such as planting trees to reduce erosion from winds, may have positive consequences. Other modifications, such as locating a landfill over a groundwater source, may have negative consequences. The continually developing force of technology requires that society give even greater attention to the results and potential outcomes of environment-society interactions. By grade 4, students should have been introduced to the fundamentals of weather, climate, and other processes that form Earth's surface and should be able to identify a range of environmental issues-- from air quality and water pollution to the sometimes dramatic impacts of natural hazards on how and where people live. Students should be able to understand both their personal relationships and responsibilities to the environment and society and begin to develop a local to global perspective. By grade 8, students should understand how humans depend upon their environment and how they adapt to and change it. Students should be able to link environment to culture and economics and recognize and interpret environmental issues. They should be able to compare changes in landscape and identify associated causes and consequences. By grade 12, students should have a solid foundation in physical geography basic to the understanding of environment-society issues. They should recognize and explain cultural, political, and economic influences on agriculture, urbanization, and other land uses. Students should also be
able to analyze the impact technology has on environment and society. Cognitive Level Understanding In this area, students are asked to attribute meaning to what has been observed and to explain events. Explaining events and placing them in context requires students to demonstrate the ability to comprehend, to see connections among diverse bits of geographic information, and to use that information to explain existing patterns and processes on Earth.