1. Biology End-of-Course Exam: 2013 Strategies to Writing Conclusions

2. Background Information o Students in the classes of 2013 and 2014 are not required to pass a state science exam for the purposes of graduation. o Beginning with the class of 2015, students are required to pass the biology EOC. The biology EOC was first available to those students in the spring of 2012.

3. Types of Questions on the EOC

4. Short Answer Item Types o New Procedures o Field Study o Conclusions o Criteria & Constraints o Test Solution o Research & Explore o Redesign

5. Word Wall 1) Manipulated variable 2) Responding variable 3) Quantitative data 4) Qualitative data

6. “Foaming Spuds” Scenario

7. Scenario 4 www.google.com

8. Scenario

9. Scenario

10. Data

11. Data

12. Prompt

13. Item AttributesScore Point Conclusive Statement1 Supporting Data #11 Supporting Data #21 Explanatory Language1 Scientific Explanation1 Total (value attributes & score points) 5/2 Attributes Score Points 52 42 31 21 10 00 Conclusion Attributes Conclusion Attributes

14. Attributes o Conclusive statement: o Did you answer the experimental question? o Common reasons this point is missed: o Writing an unclear conclusion o Writing an incorrect conclusion o Omitting a conclusion o Contradicting yourself

15. Attributes o Supporting Data #1 & #2 o Did you describe the entire range of conditions tested? o This includes the lowest and highest values for both the MV and RV if the data are number-based (quantitative); average data are accepted o If the manipulated variable is only described (qualitative) then describe the range of the responding variable.

16. Data

17. Attributes o Explanatory Language o Did you describe how the supporting data connect or compare to the conclusive statement? o Common ways to earn this point: o Compare the range of the MV with the RV o Re-phrase a correct conclusive statement o Comment on the high and low RV data

18. Attributes o Explanatory Language o Did you describe how the supporting data connect or compare to the conclusive statement? o Common reasons this point is missed: o Not including at least one numeric value o Simply copying the conclusive statement o Incorrectly quoting any of the data

19. Attributes o Scientific Explanation o Did you describe a possible scientific reason that explains this trend as seen in the data? o Common ways to earn this point: o A low pH damages the enzyme o Enzymes are most active at a neutral pH (7) o Acids/bases denature enzymes

20. Grading Student Answers: 2 point response

22. Grading Student Answers: 1 point response

24. Grading Student Answers: 0 point response

26. Takeaways 1) Answer the experimental question: o supported, not supported, contradicted 2) Include supporting data (high and low data) 3) Explain how the data supports your conclusion 4) Provide a scientific explanation for the trend in the data 5) Trend: How does the data for the responding variable respond over the range of levels for the manipulated variable? 6) Write a complete comparison that includes both the MV and RV

27. Sources 1) Science Assessment: Updates for 2012 EOC Exam 1) http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2012. pdf (Downloaded 2/22/13) http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2012. pdf 2) Science Assessment: Updates for 2013 EOC Exam o http://www.k12.wa.us/science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2 013.pdf (Downloaded 2/22/13) http://www.k12.wa.us/science/pubdocs/ScienceBioEOCUpdate2 013.pdf 3) 2013 Lessons Learned from Scoring Student Work o http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/EducatorResources.aspx (Downloaded 2/22/13) http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/EducatorResources.aspx 4) Photo credits: o http://www.google.com http://www.google.com

28. Correspondence 0 Mitchell.Smith@kent.k12.wa.us Mitchell.Smith@kent.k12.wa.us 0 Kentridge High School 0 Kent School District #415 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License