A question in the writing section of the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) asked: "Think about Einstein as a person and a scientist. In the split 'profile' and below it, use symbols, images, drawings, and/or words [!] to give your ideas about Einstein the person and Einstein the scientist." Students worked with two pictures of Einstein's head in profile, one labeled "the scientist," the other "the person," with space left blank to fill in their ideas, much like a drawing in a coloring book.

One eighth grader described Einstein the scientist as "smart, hopful [sic], commonsents [sic], and easy going," and Einstein the person as "sad, lonely, happy, postive [sic], loving." Another student who described Einstein as "smart" next to a picture of a light bulb was awarded five out of a possible six points. Another student drew pictures to illustrate Einstein the scientist as "trapped" and "blind." Another picture, intended to represent a sheet of music, illustrated "a masterpiece such as a syphony [sic]." The student also described the scientist as "determined." Einstein the person was depicted as "peaceful," along with a hand-drawn peace sign; "open-minded," illustrated by open windows; "beautiful inside," pictured as a butterfly; "conscious-alive," along with a picture of an electrocardiogram; and "a grain of sand," pictured as a dot.

Despite the misspellings and the absence of any reference to Einstein's pioneering scientific insights or his role in the nuclear age, the latter student was awarded a perfect score of six on this question.

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