C871 is the capstone of WGU's M.A. Science Education programs: you design, teach and evaluate a multi-week science unit.
WGU describes it as a comprehensive, original, research-based curriculum unit designed to meet an identified educational need. It provides direct evidence of the candidate's ability to design and implement a multi-week, standards-based unit, assess student learning and reflect on the learning process.
The WGU Teacher Performance Assessment has seven components: contextual factors, learning goals, assessment, design for instruction, instructional decision-making, analysis of student learning, and self-evaluation and reflection.
The challenge is that every component must connect. Your goals drive your assessments, your assessments produce the data you analyze, and your reflection must be grounded in that data.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course code | C871 |
| Level | Graduate capstone, competency-based |
| Program | M.A. Science Education |
| Main output | A taught, multi-week standards-based science unit |
| Structure | Seven Teacher Performance Assessment components |
The Seven Components
| Component | What it asks in a science unit |
|---|---|
| Contextual factors | Your school, class and students, and what that means for teaching |
| Learning goals | Clear, standards-aligned science goals |
| Assessment | Pre-, formative and post-assessments matched to the goals |
| Design for instruction | Lessons, activities and investigations that build to the goals |
| Instructional decision-making | How you adjusted teaching based on evidence |
| Analysis of student learning | What the data shows for the class, groups and individuals |
| Self-evaluation and reflection | What worked, what did not, and what you will change |
Designing a Science Unit That Holds Together
Start from the Standards and the Phenomenon
Science units work well when they are built around a question students can investigate. Choose the state science standards you must meet, then a phenomenon or problem that requires those ideas to explain it.
Example: For a middle grades unit on energy transfer, the anchoring question might be "Why does an ice pop melt faster on a metal tray than on a wooden board?" Goals cover conduction, thermal energy and evidence-based explanation. Investigations compare materials, and the post-assessment asks students to explain a new case.
Align Pre- and Post-Assessment
To analyze learning you need comparable measures. Use the same or parallel items before and after, scored with the same rubric, so gains can be measured fairly.
Plan for Lab Safety and Access
Investigations need safety routines, materials checks and adaptations for students with different needs. Describing these in design for instruction shows you have planned for the real classroom described in your contextual factors.
Use Formative Checks Deliberately
Short checks during the unit (exit tickets, whiteboard sketches, lab notebook entries, quick claim-evidence-reasoning prompts) show who is following the science ideas. Plan where they occur and what you will do with the results. They feed directly into the instructional decision-making component.
Contextual Factors in a Science Classroom
Contextual factors are not background filler; they justify your design choices. For a science unit, useful factors include:
- Students' prior science learning and common misconceptions about the topic.
- Reading levels, since science texts and lab instructions can be language-heavy.
- Lab facilities, equipment and safety constraints in the room.
- Students with IEPs, 504 plans or English learner support needs.
- Group work norms and how students usually collaborate.
Example: If a pre-assessment shows many students think heavier objects always fall faster, and several students are English learners, the design might begin with a hands-on drop investigation, use a word wall for terms like "mass" and "air resistance", and pair students for structured talk before written explanations.
Working Through the Components
| Component | Common weakness | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Contextual factors | Description only | State the teaching implication of each factor |
| Assessment | Goals not all assessed | Map each goal to specific items |
| Decision-making | No evidence for the change | Cite the formative result that prompted it |
| Analysis | Whole-class only | Add subgroup and individual analysis |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Alignment gaps. A goal with no matching assessment item breaks the analysis.
- Thin data analysis. Tables need interpretation: who learned, who did not, and why.
- Reflection without evidence. Every claim about what worked should point to data.
- Timing. The unit must be taught, so placement schedules and school calendars matter.
Study Tips for C871
- Build an alignment grid: standard, goal, lessons, assessment items.
- Collect and anonymize student work as you teach.
- Write brief daily notes on adjustments; they become your decision-making evidence.
- Draft the reflection soon after teaching, while details are fresh.
How We Help with C871
Send the task, rubric, your unit plan and any evaluator comments. An education writer reviews alignment, models how to present data analysis, or edits your components for clarity. See our education capstone help guide for wider support.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. We never invent student data, teaching experiences or results, and we never log in to student portals. You teach the unit and write your own submission under WGU's academic integrity rules. Every order is written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request.
Plan a Strong C871 Unit
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Frequently Asked Questions
Contextual factors, learning goals, assessment, design for instruction, instructional decision-making, analysis of student learning, and self-evaluation and reflection.
Yes. WGU describes the assessment as planning and teaching a multi-week, standards-based unit, then assessing and reflecting on learning.
Pick standards you will teach anyway during the placement window, and a phenomenon students can investigate safely.
Analyze the whole class, at least one subgroup and selected individuals, and explain what the results mean for your teaching.
No. Data must come from your own teaching. We can help you organize, present and interpret real data.
No. We are independent and not connected with Western Governors University.