EOC Biology Exam OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION “How To” Sample The following is an Open Response question. It is important to practice answering these types of questions in preparation for the state mandated EOC exam. This exercise will walk you through the process. There will also be some reference links to assist you. INTRODUCTION

How to answer HOW TO ANSWER AN OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION Be sure to...  Read all parts of each question carefully.  Make each response as clear, complete and accurate as you can.  Proofread your work!

Topic TOPIC Explain how evolution is demonstrated by evidence from the fossil record, comparative anatomy, genetics, molecular biology, and examples of natural selection.

Let’s get started EOC Biology Exam OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION “How To” Sample

The maps below show South America and Africa. Areas where fossils of the same extinct plant species have been found are marked with a star. a. Explain how the widely separated areas marked in Map 2 can have fossils of the same extinct plant species. In both South America and Africa, there are plants descended from this extinct species. These modern plants are very different from one another. b. Explain how the extinct species has modern descendants that came to be very different from one another.

Scoring Intro Now that you’ve finished the problem, Open Response questions are graded as either a 4,3,2,1 or 0 with 4 being the best possible score. The following pages are examples of work done by other students who earned those scores. Please use the example of a 4 to check your answers. You will also see the guidelines that were used to grade these answers. As you look over these pages, try to rate your own answer as a 4,3,2,1or 0.

This student earned a  The response demonstrates a thorough understanding of the fossil record and other evidence to support the theory of evolution. The response thoroughly explains how the two areas can have fossils of the same extinct plant species and thoroughly explains how the extinct species has modern descendants that came to be very different from one another.. What is a 4?

This student earned a  The response demonstrates a general understanding of the fossil record and other evidence to support the theory of evolution. What is a 3?

Sample Score 2 This student earned a  What is a 2? The response demonstrates a limited understanding of the fossil record and other evidence to support the theory of evolution.

Sample Score 1 This student earned a  What is a 1? The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the fossil record and other evidence to support the theory of evolution.

Sample Score 0 This student earned a  The response is incorrect or contains some correct work that is irrelevant to the skill or concept being measured. What is a 0?

EVALUATION Now that you’ve seen how the scores are graded, how did you do? Try to rate yourself. Would you say that you earned a 4,3,2,1, or 0?

REFERENCES If you had trouble with this, click on the links below to see some web sites that can help you understand some of the concepts involved. e/BIOBK/BioBookTOC.html

CONCLUSION Call a friend, have them do the same problem and you can talk about it. Hopefully, this has been a helpful experience for you. The only way to improve is to practice, and there are other problems like this one available for you to try if you are up to the challenge! -- or -- Take a break, you’ve earned it! Edited from Quincy Public Schools