Download Standards: (5

Standards: (5.3.12.A) (5.3.12.B.2)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Nitrogen Fertilizer”
OVERVIEW
Nitrogen fertilizer is added to soil in virtually all agricultural areas of the world. The use of nitrogen fertilizer greatly increases the
amount of food produced. However, nitrogen fertilizer can also affect the ecology of an area. The data presented in the table below
were obtained in an experiment conducted to evaluate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on grass species diversity. Nitrogen fertilizer
was applied yearly to an experimental plot, beginning in 1856.
Year
Total number of grass species
Number of species producing more than 10% of the
total dry weight of all species combined
Number of species producing more than 50% of the
total dry weight of all species combined
Number of species producing more than 99% of the
total dry weight of all species combined
1856
49
1872
15
1949
3
2
3
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
YOUR TASK
a. Write three inferences you can make from the data.
b. How could this experiment have been designed differently to make it a better test of the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on grass
species diversity?
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4
BIOLOGY PERFORMANCE TASK #1:
SCORING GUIDE/RUBRIC
3
2
1
The experiment described uses some
biological concepts and terms accurately
in the experimental design.
The experiment described uses some
biological concepts and terms
inaccurately in the experimental design.
The experiment described
does not use biological
concepts and terms.
The experiment is complete and
measures the effects of all four factors
independently.
The experiment is incomplete, but
measures the effect of most factors
independently.
The experiment is incomplete, but
measures at least one factor
independently.
The experiment is
incomplete and/or
measures no factors
independently.
The experiment is organized and
integrated.
The experiment is organized and
integrated with minor discrepancies.
The experiment is disorganized and
contains major omissions.
The experiment is
disorganized or missing.
Organization
Process
Content
The experiment described uses all
biological concepts and terms
accurately in the experimental design.
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Standards: (5.3.12.B.1) (5.3.12.B.2) (5.3.12.B.5)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Photosynthesis”
OVERVIEW
Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar. This process occurs in
plants and some algae. Plants need only light energy, CO2, and H2O to make sugar. The process of photosynthesis takes place in the
chloroplasts, specifically using chlorophyll, the green pigment involved in photosynthesis.
The overall chemical reaction involved in photosynthesis is:
6CO2 + 6H2O (+ light energy)  C6H12O6 + 6O2
This is the source of the O2 we breathe, and thus, a significant factor in the concerns about deforestation.
Michele wants to test the hypothesis that the rate of photosynthesis is directly related to the light level to which plants are exposed.
She has chosen the aquatic plant Elodea as her study organism. In her experimental design, she has four different tanks in which she
will place Elodea plants.
Refer to the illustration below. Each Elodea plant will be placed inside an inverted test tube. She plans to estimate the relative rate of
photosynthesis by measuring the amount of oxygen produced by plants placed under different light levels. She plans to compare the
amount of oxygen gas that collects in the top of each of the test tubes.
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Michele plans to place tank 3 next to a window in the classroom. She plans to place tank 2 ten feet away from the window. She plans
to place tank 1 twenty feet away from the window. She plans to place tank 4 in the classroom’s refrigerator, because it is the only
place she can find that is dark. Write your answers to the following in the spaces below.
YOUR TASK
a. What is wrong with the design of Michele’s experiment?
b. What could Michele change in her experimental design to make it a better experiment?
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Standards: (5.3.12.B.4) (5.3.12.C.1) (5.3.12.C.2)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Ecology”
OVERVIEW
Pronunciation note: Zooxanthella is pronounced: zoh-uh-zan-thel-uh
Coral reefs are beautiful places in the sea that are home to many different types of fish. Coral reefs contain corals, which are a type of
animal that do not move around. Corals need lots of sun to survive because they have little organisms in them, called zooxanthella,
that use the sun’s energy to create food for the coral (much like plants do).
Healthy corals in a reef
In many places around the world, coral reefs are dying. The little zooxanthella in the corals die and the corals are left with no food and
therefore die as well.
Scientists want to find out why so many of the corals are dying.
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Scientists noticed that there are a lot of algae in the reefs that are dying. The algae in reefs are tiny plants that you may need a
microscope to see. When there are a lot of algae in a reef, the water becomes green.
The scientists wonder what causes the algae to grow so much in some reefs, and they wonder how the algae might contribute to the
deaths of the coral.
Some scientists are considering this explanation:
1. Chemicals from farms or factories get into the water.
2. These chemicals cause plants such as algae to grow in the water.
3. Large amounts of algae turn the water cloudy and less sun can penetrate.
4. Without sunlight the little zooxanthella in corals can’t make food and die.
5. The corals die too because their zooxanthella are dead and no food is made.
We can show this explanation as a diagram. The arrows show that one event causes the next event.
Chemicals
get in
water
This
Algae
This
No sunlight
causes to grow causes penetrates into

in water 
the water
This
Zooxanthella
causes don’t have

enough sunlight
and die
And
this
Corals
causes to die.

Now scientists got some more information. Scientists did a study. They examined more than 30 reefs around the world to find out
more about coral deaths. This is what they found:
Most of the dead coral reefs have been over fished in recent years. That means that fisherman have caught most of the fish in these
Coral reefs, so that there were not a lot of fish left.
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YOUR TASK
1. How should scientists change their explanation to fit this new information? You can use words; draw diagrams, or both to show
how scientists should change their explanation.
2. Explain why the scientists should make these changes.
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Standards: (5.3.12.B.6) (5.3.12.D.2)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Designing a Controlled Experiment: Growing tomatoes”
OVERVIEW
New Jersey is famous for its tomatoes.
One of the most famous varieties of tomatoes is the “Rutgers,” which was introduced in 1934 by Rutgers breeder Lyman
Schermerhorn. It was a top performing tomato for New Jersey’s canning industries, including Campbell’s and Heinz. The Rutgers
tomato was the preferred choice of 75 percent of commercial growers for the rest of the twentieth century, and was used worldwide.
Although it has now been replaced with newer varieties, it is still very popular with home gardeners.
Tomatoes require warm weather to grow well. They are usually grown from May through September. Depending on the weather,
tomatoes may be ripe for picking from July through September.
Most commercial plant growers start tomato seeds growing in heated greenhouses in winter to get an early start on the growing
season. They then either sell the young tomato plants to other commercial growers or home gardeners, or plant them outside in late
spring and grow the tomatoes themselves.
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YOUR TASK
You are the owner of a plant nursery that intends to grow a large number of Rutgers tomato seedlings this coming winter to sell to
home gardeners in the spring. This fall you are going to conduct an experiment to determine the optimum growth conditions that will
produce the best seedlings. Then you will use these conditions in the winter to grow your tomato seedlings for the coming season.
Like all plants, tomato growth is determined by several factors: light, water, temperature, and soil type.
The following materials are available to you:
Rutgers tomato seeds, small pots, thermometers, meter sticks, sand, loam, four greenhouses with heat/lights/water
You are to design a controlled experiment in which you determine:
1. How much water per day makes the tomatoes grow the best?
2. How many hours of light per day makes the tomatoes grow the best?
3. What temperature makes the tomatoes grow the best?
4. Which soil, sandy or loamy, makes the tomatoes grow the best?
In describing your experiment,
1. Draw a chart depicting the basic design of your experiment.
2. Explain how you will determine what “best” is.
3. Explain how you will determine how each factor affects growth.
4. Use the following biological concepts and terms in your explanation: observation, hypothesis, inference, control group,
experimental group, independent variable, dependent variable.
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DATA
Greenhouse Diagram
Top View
Water
source
with
hose
Tables
Thermostat
Water
source
with
hose
Side View
Lights
Thermostat
Tables
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Standards: (5.3.12.D.1)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Cancer”
OVERVIEW
During mitosis, the cell duplicates the chromosomes. This means that the cell has to copy the DNA strands within the chromosomes.
DNA strands have caps at their ends to protect the DNA strands from losing important pieces when
they are copied. These caps are called telomeres. Without telomeres, the DNA strands would easily
tear or ripped during chromosome copying.
If the telomeres on a chromosome are too short, there can be problems during mitosis. One problem
is that chromosomes with two centers are formed. Chromosome pairs should have just one center.
But when telomeres get too short, some chromosomes have two centers. The picture on the right
shows an example of a chromosome with two centers. This chromosome is circled.
Chromosomes with two centers occur when pieces of the chromosome break off and get attached
again in the wrong way. This can occur when the protective telomere cap is too short.
Most of the cells in the human body can only go through mitosis about 50 times. After that, the
cells can no longer divide properly. When the cell cannot divide any more, we call this cellular
senescence. It means cell aging.
There are, however, certain cancer cells that keep dividing over and over and over many more than
50 times. It is as if cancer cells are immortal.
Scientists noticed that different cells have different telomere lengths and they wondered if the
length of telomeres is related to cell aging.
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The scientists studied two groups of cells. One group was a group of human cells from kidneys. The other group was a group of
human cells from kidneys that were injected with a DNA virus that causes cancer.
They observed the cells as they underwent mitosis over and over.
They measured:
1. Whether the cells stayed alive.
2. Whether the cells formed chromosomes with two centers during division.
3. Whether there was a chemical called telomerase in the cells. Telomerase is a protein (enzyme) that repairs damage to telomeres.
This table shows what the scientists found.
Length of telomeres
(kbp)
% of Chromosomes
with two centers
Was there telomerase
in the cell?
Cell:
Regular
cells
Cells with
cancer
DNA
injected
Regular
cells
Cells with
cancer
DNA
injected
Regular
cells
Cells with
cancer
DNA
injected
0 Division
After 25 Divisions
After 50 Divisions
After 75 Divisions
After 100 Divisions
Ater 125 Divisions
After 150 Divisions
After 175 Divisions
After 200 Divisions
After 225 Divisions
After 250 Divisions
9
7
6.5
3.75
3
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
9
8.5
6
4
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
0
0
5
7.5
15
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
0
0
0
5
10
9
8
6
5
5
5
No
No
No
No
No
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
Died
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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YOUR TASK
1. What did the scientists find out in this study? Write down everything they found out.
2. Look at this model. This is for cells with tumor DNA injected:
Telomeres get
short.
The cell starts
making
telomerase
Telomeres stop
getting shorter.
Cells become
immortal (they
keep dividing
after 50
divisions).
Does the study support this model; contradict this model, or neither? Why?
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Standards: (5.1.12.A.3)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Effect of Coffee on Health”
OVERVIEW
Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, known as coffee beans, of the coffee plant.
Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages
worldwide.
Some scientists conducted an experiment in which they evaluated various measurements of human health in people who drank at least
one cup of coffee a day.
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They found no significant differences in the health indicators between the subjects who drank only one cup of coffee a day and those
who drank as many as 20 cups a day. They concluded that coffee has no adverse effects on human health. Write your answers to the
following in the spaces below.
YOUR TASK
1. What were the independent and dependent variables in this experiment?
2. Was this a controlled experiment? If so, what were the control and experimental groups?
3. Do you agree with the conclusion the scientists drew from their results? Why or why not?
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Standards: (5.3.12.E.1) (5.3.12.E.2) (5.3.12.E.3) (5.3.12.E.4)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“Dinosaurs”
OVERVIEW
The question over the existence of dinosaurs and what they were like has been a mystery ever since they were wiped away from the
earth. Existing millions of years before human beings, we now look for clues to help us put together the pieces of the puzzle in order
to learn more about these ancient creatures. One question that many scientists ask themselves is whether the dinosaurs that roamed the
earth billions of years ago were warm-blooded or cold-blooded animals. A warm-blooded animal is one that generates its own body
heat internally. Here is some evidence of what some scientists have discovered as the answer to this question.
Evidence 1: Dinosaurs’ growth rate
There are certain characteristics of bones that enable a scientist to determine how fast the bone has grown. The bones of fastgrowing animals contain characteristics patterns of dense bone tissue. Warm-blooded animals grow fast, whereas cold-blooded
animals grow slowly. For instance, crocodiles add only about a foot a year, while ostriches may shoot up five feet in their first year.
The fast growth of warm-blooded animals produces characteristic patterns of dense bone tissue. Because cold-blooded animals grow
slowly, they lack these dense bone tissues. It is even possible to calculate the growth rate based on the density of the bone tissue.
Scientists have conducted a microscopic analysis of fossilized bones. They have concluded that the microstructure of these
dinosaurs' bones indicates that their growth rate was much, much faster than that of crocodiles, and as fast as a baby ostrich. The only
possible explanation for this is that dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Only warm-blooded animals can generate enough energy to
sustain such a rapid growth rate.
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Evidence 2: Insulation
Dinosaurs had no fur, feathers, or blubber. Warm-blooded animals have fur, feathers, and/or thick layers of blubber to help
them retain their body heat. There are a number of dinosaur fossils that have preserved part or all of the dinosaur’s outer hides. These
fossils make it clear that dinosaurs had no fur or feathers; on the contrary, their hides were covered with reptilian scales. And
dinosaurs' hides, like other reptiles' hides, were too thin to have had a layer of blubber. Therefore, because dinosaurs had no fur,
feathers, or blubber to retain their body heat, it is extremely unlikely that dinosaurs were warm-blooded.
Evidence 3: Ratios of predator to prey
Because warm-blooded animals must maintain a high body temperature, they must eat a lot to support the high metabolism
needed to generate body heat. Thus, warm-blooded predators must eat a lot of prey. A lion eats its own weight in food every eight
days or so; a wild dog eats its own weight in food in less than a week. By contrast, a cold-blooded predator of the same size does not
need to eat so much. Because the cold-blooded predator does not try to maintain a high body temperature, it does not have to eat
nearly as much as a warm-blooded predator. A large lizard may eat its weight in prey only once in sixty days.
Thus, in modern warm-blooded animal communities, the ratio of predators to prey is about 3 percent. There are only a few
predators compared to prey because each predator must eat a lot to stay alive. But in modern cold-blooded animal communities, the
ratio of predators to prey is 30 to 40 percent. Because a cold-blooded predator need not eat so much, there can be many more
predators compared to prey in a cold-blooded predator-prey community. Assuming that dinosaurs were fossilized at a random rate, it
should be possible to determine whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded or warm-blooded by examining the ratio of predators to prey in
dinosaur fossil beds. It turns out that the ratio of predators to prey in dinosaur fossil beds is about what you would expect if dinosaurs
were cold-blooded: about 30 percent.
Evidence 4: Fossilized dinosaur bones
Scientists have discovered that dinosaur bones contained a rich network of blood vessels. The bones of modern cold-blooded
animals typically have only a few blood vessels, whereas the bones of modern warm-blooded animals have a rich network of blood
vessels. Warm-blooded animals because of their high metabolism need the rich network of blood vessels. To support their higher
activity levels, warm-blooded animals need a large amount of calcium and phosphorus in their bones. They need the rich network of
blood vessels to keep their bones supplied with the nutrients that are needed. Cold-blooded animals, being less metabolically active,
do not need so many blood vessels to keep their bones supplied with needed nutrients. Thus, the rich network of blood vessels in
dinosaurs is strong evidence that dinosaurs were warm-blooded.
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Evidence 5: Dissipating heat
Cold-blooded animals thrive in relatively warm weather. During the 100 million years when the dinosaurs lived, the earth's
weather was much milder than now, as shown by plant and invertebrate fossils. Even the northern parts of what is now Canada were
warm. Thus, the dinosaurs could reasonably have relied on the sun and the generally warm weather to keep their bodies warm.
In fact, for animals as large as dinosaurs, it is actually better to be cold-blooded than warm-blooded. The reason has to do with
dissipating body heat. Large animals have more trouble dissipating heat than small animals do. That is why elephants have such large
ears. As blood travels through elephants' ears, flapping in the wind, the blood drops several degrees in temperature. Thus, elephants
use their ears to dissipate their excess body heat. But even so, on a hot summer day, elephants can be in danger of overheating.
Dinosaurs would have an even worse problem if they were warm-blooded. Their bodies were so large that it would be almost
impossible to dissipate heat generated internally. Thus, it is much better for animals as large as dinosaurs to be cold-blooded.
Consider how advantageous it was for a dinosaur to be cold-blooded. Because dinosaurs were so large, it would take the sun a
long time to heat them up, even on a hot day. Thus, they would not be in danger of overheating until late in the day. Then the sun
would go down and the temperatures would fall somewhat. Because they were cold-blooded and did not generate any body heat
internally, as soon as temperatures began to drop, their bodies would start losing heat, too. Thus, by morning their body temperatures
would have dropped to a comfortable level, and they could start the process all over again the next day.
YOUR TASK
1) What do you think, are dinosaurs warm blooded or cold-blooded animals?
2) Which theory is correct?
3) What are your supporting evidences?
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Standards: (5.1.12.B.1)
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“What is the cause of stomach ulcer?”
OVERVIEW
The first model is the stress model. This is what happens according
to the stress model:
The second model is the bacteria model. This is what happens
according to the bacteria model:
1. People feel stress. This is a feeling of being nervous or upset. For
example, people may have problems at work or at home that make
them feel stress.
1. People get a bacteria in their stomachs. This can happen from
sharing food or drink from someone else who has the bacteria.
2. The stomach produces acid so that it can digest food. When
people feel stressed, their stomachs make much more acid than
usual.
3. The stomach has a strong lining that protects the stomach from
acid. But all the extra acid eats holes in the lining of the stomach.
holes in lining
4. The holes become painful sores because the acid keeps irritating
them.
2. The stomach produces acid so that it can digest food. The stomach
has a strong lining that protects the stomach from acid. The bacteria
dig little holes into the lining of the stomach.
3. The usual acid in the stomach eats at the holes that the bacteria
make. The acid turns the small holes into bigger holes.
holes in lining
4. The holes become painful sores because the acid keeps irritating
them.
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Ulcers are sores in the stomach. Many millions of Americans suffer from ulcers. Scientists want to find out why people get ulcers so
that they can try to help them.
Right now scientists have two main models that explain how people get ulcers.
Draw one arrow from each evidence box to each model. You will draw a total of six arrows.
Key
The evidence supports the model.
The evidence STRONGLY supports the model.
X
-----------------------
The evidence contradicts the model
(shows it is wrong).
The evidence has nothing to do with the model.
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Evidence #1. Scientists
have found that when acid
touches sores in the
stomach, the sores are
very painful.
Stress model
1. People feel stress.
2. When people feel stressed, their
stomachs make much more acid than
usual.
3. All the extra acid eats holes in the
lining of the stomach.
4. The holes become painful sores
because the acid keeps irritating them.
Evidence #2. Scientists
found that ulcers are more
common in people who
have dangerous jobs like
firefighters, soldiers, and
coal miners.
Bacteria model
Evidence #3. Penicillin is
a type of medicine that
kills bacteria. Scientists
have found that when
people with ulcers take
penicillin, they get better
much more quickly than
people who don’t take
penicillin.
1. People get bacteria in their stomachs.
2. The bacteria dig little holes into the
lining of the stomach.
3. The acid in the stomach turns the
small holes into bigger holes.
4. The holes become painful sores
because the acid keeps irritating them.
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YOUR TASK
Provide a reason for three of the arrows you have drawn. Write your reasons for the three most interesting or important arrows.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write the number of the evidence you are writing about.
Circle the appropriate word (strongly supports || supports || contradicts || has nothing to do with).
Write the number of the model you are writing about.
Then write your reason.
Use the following as an example to answer the questions.
Evidence # ___ ( strongly supports || supports || contradicts || has nothing to do with ) Model #______ because:
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