1. Free Response Nuts & Bolts
Four Questions over a 90 minute period
Free response section accounts for 40% of the grade
Questions are of the following type:
1- Document-based
1- Calculation-based
2- Synthesis & evaluation

2. Time Allocation
You should use about 22 minutes per essay broken up as the following:
3 minutes: read, consider, organize, and outline
17 minutes: answer the question
2 minutes: re-read and edit your essay.
Have a watch with you to keep time (cell phones not allowed)
You may go back to questions given time left over from other questions.

3. NOT ALLOWED
Outlines
Pictures
Bullets

4. General Tips
Write legibly. Graders won’t read your essay if it is not readable.
You know who you are… practice writing legibly (PRINTING IS ACCEPTABLE)
Use blue or black ink. Cross out mistakes with one line to avoid jumble.
Avoid “tree hugging”. Don’t go on and on about how important or lovely nature is. This is a science based test, so use specific detail and support to back up your assesment.

5. Not All Impacts are created equal
Social (societal)
Economic
Environmental
Human Health
Political

6. FRQ Hints:
The maximum number of points you can get on each FRQ is 10 points. After you have answered all the FRQ’s go back and see if you can “find” where the points come from. If you only get to 8 or 9 points, chances are you forgot to respond to some part of some question. See if you can find what you forgot!
I recommend answering the FRQ’s in this order… 4, 1, 3, 2.
3. Question 1 will most likely be a DBQ. Question 2 will probably be the math question and question 3 and 4 are usually “typical” FRQ’s that are looking to see what you know about some environmental issue.

7. FRQ Hints:
4. Make sure you show all your work on any math questions…even if that work could be done in your head! No work= no credit! 5. Make sure all your answers are on the answer document and not the test booklet. The test booklet does not go to Cincinnati. 6. Use the test booklet to brainstorm, then answer on the answer document! 7. All answers must be in complete sentences! No credit for incomplete sentences!

8. FRQ Hints:
Do not answer the FRQ’s with one giant “super paragraph”. Label your answers with 1a. 2c. Etc. That way the grader knows exactly what you are trying to say!
Remember that there are environmentalists grading your response…always go with the answer that is best for the environment unless it asks you to do otherwise.

9. FRQ Hints:
Do not answer a question with “it is bad for the environment”, it causes air pollution, or it will “harm biodiversity”. These are too vague. You need to explain HOW it is bad for the environment or HOW it will harm biodiversity. Also, don’t say it will cause “pollution”… any third grader can say that.. Be specific, name a particular chemical, etc. Show the grader that you know some science facts… you do! I taught you!
Define terms used. When you use a term like “eutrophication” follow it with a meaning.
Assume the reader does not know these terms.
Be specific. If you use a term such as “pollution”, explain what you mean with an example.
Air pollutants: sulfur dioxide, ozone
Water pollution: sediment, metals, nutrients
No detail is too small as long as it is part of the topic.

10. FRQ Hints:
When the question asks you to “identify”… this can be done in one sentence.
When the question asks you to “describe”, “discuss” or “explain” you need about 3 sentences for each answer.
When the question asks you to “identify and describe”, etc. you need about 4 sentences!

11. FRQ Hints:
Do not skip any parts of the FRQ…. Put something down that you think might be right!
If the question says to give “TWO” reasons… only the first two things you write down are graded. Same if it says “ONE” reason…only the first is graded.
If the question says “Identify and describe TWO reasons…” that means that you need 4 sentences for the first reason and another 4 sentences for the second reason… 8 sentences all together!

12. FRQ Hints:
4. Do not restate the question or give an opening paragraph and conclusion. This is NOT an English essay… it is a “free response”… that means short answer, complete answer, complete sentence! 5. Pace yourself… you have approximately 22 minutes for each FRQ.

13. FRQ Hints:
When the question asks for an “Environmental” benefit or cost… you talk about animals, plants, soil, air, etc. Do not talk about humans!
When the question asks for a “societal” benefit or cost… you talk about people, cities, crops, etc.
When the question asks “human health” effects… you talk about asthma, emphysema, nervous systems issues like birth defects, brain damage, or cancer. These cover most environmental health hazards. Obviously, if you know the effect, then write the correct effect…otherwise guess!

14. FRQ Hints:
4. When the question asks for “economic” benefits or costs… you talk about money and jobs.
5. When the question asks “what could the government do?”… you answer with something about writing a law, taxes or educating the public.

15. FRQ Hints:
4. Sometimes they want you to show “both sides of an argument”. An example of this is “describe one incentive that the government of a country could offer its citizens that would favor a reduction in the growth rate of its population. Explain how this incentive would work, and describe one possible drawback.” They are looking for you to play “Devils advocate”.
5. Go with the most obvious answer. The grader doesn’t give you “extra” points because you know some obscure fact or law that you learned about on Discovery Channel. Try to give the answer that MOST of the nation will give.
6. If you don’t know a law… always fall back on the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act. These usually work if you can support you answer!

16. Graphing Title the graph
Set up the independent variable along the X axis, dependent along the Y
Label each axis and give the appropriate units
Make proportional increments along each axis so the graph isn’t scrunched up
Plot points and sketch a curve if needed
Label EACH curve if more than one is plotted

17. Experimental Design
Describe expected outcomes. State the hypothesis. It must be testable.
Make sure your design is POSSIBLE and consistent with what is required
Specifically the independent, dependent variable, the constants, and the control.
Describe how you will collect, graph and analyze data. (Even averaging data can be considered analysis!)
State how you will make conclusions.
INDICATE HOW YOU WILL REPEAT THE EXPERIMENT. You MUST verify the results!! (ALWAYS STATE THAT MORE trials will be conducted- give a number anything over 50 is GREAT)