Independent and dependent variables

Target: Identify which quantity depends on the other.

Language target: Use “depends on.”

Likely miss: Students name the first quantity they hear as the dependent variable.

Ask: If this one changes, what is forced to change?

If you see it: Ask which quantity responds when the other changes.

Evidence to listen for: The student can say “depends on.”

Next: Swap the story if the labels stick to the order of the sentence.

Observable student moves: names both quantities, uses the represented relationship, and revises after feedback. This companion is not a score.