Items for Teachers to Prepare for the HSPE Quality Test Preparation DOK Levels Item Specs State Standards

Breakdown of the HSPE First attempt offered during the students sophomore year 75 multiple-choice questions 60 core multiple-choice questions 15 field test items Questions are constructed at three Depth of Knowledge levels (DOK 1-3)

DOK 1 The question requires recall and there is nothing to figure out The student either knows the answer or they do not DOK 2 The student needs to apply information Typically multi-step Recall info, then decide what to do with that information DOK 3 Includes DOK level 1 and 2 processing Requires the student to decide how to approach the problem Make a prediction or inference while providing a justification

2010 Science HSPE Test Matrix Content Strand DOK Level 1DOK Level 2DOK Level 3 Points C1 (Physical Science) C2 (Life Science) C3 (Earth Science) C4 (Nature of Science) Items (35%)(55%)(10%)

Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle E.12.A.1 Students know the Sun is the major source of Earths energy, and provides the energy driving Earths weather and climate. E/S Explain how solar energy powers the water cycle. How uneven heating of Earths surface determines weather and climate patterns. E.12.A.2 Students know the composition of Earths atmosphere has changed in the past and is changing today. I/S Explain how variations in the ozone layer affect the amount of ultraviolet radiation entering the Earths atmosphere. Describe how life forms have affected the composition of the atmosphere over time. Describe how natural events have affected the composition of the atmosphere over time (e.g., volcanoes and meteorites).

Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle E.12.A.3 Students understand the role of the atmosphere in Earths greenhouse effect. E/S Explain how the proportions of gases in the atmosphere affect weather and climate. Identify sources of greenhouse gases. Explain why a certain level of greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth. E.12.A.4 Students know convection and radiation play important roles in moving heat energy in the Earth system. E/S Explain how the processes of radiation, conduction, and convection occur in the atmosphere. Explain how the processes of radiation, conduction, and convection affect weather and climate.

Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle E.12.A.5 Students know Earths rotation affects winds and ocean currents. I/S Identify that wind and ocean currents form global patterns based on Earths rotation.

Science HSPE Standards – Earths Composition and Structure E.12.C.1 Students know how successive rock strata and fossils can be used to confirm the age, history, and changing life forms of the Earth, including how this evidence is affected by the folding, breaking, and uplifting of layers. E/S Explain the basics of the process of fossil formation. Apply the principles of superposition to relative dating of rock layers. Describe the process of absolute dating. Sequence the age, history, and changing life forms of Earth using strata and fossil evidence. Describe how folding, breaking, and uplifting of strata complicate geological evidence.

Science HSPE Standards – Earths Composition and Structure E.12.C.2 Students understand the concept of plate tectonics including the evidence that supports it (structural, geophysical and paleontological evidence). E/S Describe how convection in Earths mantle has changed the locations and shapes of continents based on tectonic plate movement. Identify the evidence for seafloor spreading. Identify the three major types of tectonic plate boundaries.

Science HSPE Standards – Earths Composition and Structure E.12.C.3 Students know elements exist in fixed amounts and move through solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and living things as part of biogeochemical cycles. E/S Explain how matter and energy are transferred chemically through systems that include living and non-living components. E.12.C.4 Students know processes of obtaining, using, and recycling of renewable and non-renewable resources. E/S Identify the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources. Explain how recycling reduces the rate of depletion of non- renewable resources. Identify the processes used to obtain natural resources (e.g., mining, oil production, water and agriculture).

Science HSPE Standards – Earths Composition and Structure E.12.C.5 Students know soil, derived from weathered rocks and decomposed organic material, is found in layers. E/S Describe the structure of soil, its components, and its formation. Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe E.12.B.1 Students know common characteristics of stars. I/S Identify the processes of stellar evolution. Recognize that stars change in temperature, size, color and brightness as they age. Demonstrate the general relationship between the color and temperature of stars.

Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe E.12.B.2 Students know stars are powered by nuclear fusion of lighter elements into heavier elements, which results in the release of large amounts of energy. I/S Know that stars are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium and ultimately produce all other elements through nuclear reactions. E.12.B.3 Students know ways in which technology has increased understanding of the universe. I/S Describe the uses of optical and radio telescopes, probes, and artificial satellites in astronomy.

Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe E.12.B.4 Students know the on-going processes involved in star formation and destruction. W/L Identify the processes of stellar evolution Recognize the life-cycles of mid-size and massive stars and their stellar remnants. E.12.B.5 Students know scientific evidence suggests that the universe is expanding. I/S Recognize the red shift effect and know that the most distant objects have the greatest degree of red shit.

Atmosphere Vocabulary 1 Earth Structure Vocabulary 1 Earth Structure Vocabulary 2 Space Vocabulary 1 Space Vocabulary 2