School Improvement in Maryland
Public Release Item Scoring Information Return

Goal 3 Concepts Of Biology

Expectation 3.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding that all organisms are composed of cells which can function independently or as part of multicellular organisms.

Indicator 3.2.2 The student will conclude that cells exist within a narrow range of environmental conditions and changes to that environment, either naturally occurring or induced, may cause changes in the metabolic activity of the cell or organism.

Assessment Limits:

  • pH
  • temperature
  • light
  • water
  • oxygen
  • carbon dioxide
  • radiation (role in cancer or mutations)
  • toxic substances (natural, synthetic)

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2003

A student is studying the relationship between a leafy plant and a species of beetle. He divided 20 plants into two groups. He planted each group in a separate planter box. He then released 50 beetles into one of the planter boxes. The beetles fed on the leaves and left a white substance around the plant, changing the pH of the soil. He recorded the average height of the plants at the end of three months. His data are shown below.

  • How did the substance probably affect the growth of the plants in Group 1?
     
  • Describe how changes in pH may affect the metabolic rates of cells.
     
  • Describe how other environmental factors could affect growth in plants.
Type your answer in the answer box below.

The following 8 Anchor Papers represent a range of score points and are used in conjunction with the rubric to assess student responses.

Anchor Paper #1

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #1: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response contains evidence of some understanding of the question. The student provides minimally effective supporting details to identify a few environmental factors that could affect the growth in plants (sunlight, water).


Anchor Paper #2

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #2: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response contains evidence of some understanding of the question. The student provides minimally effective supporting details when describing plant growth (releasing the beetles into the plant box slowed down the growing rate) and environmental factors that affect plant growth (not enough light and not enough water). An attempt to describe the effect of changes in pH (the cells need to have their pH at a certain level to work properly) does not adequately address how pH affects metabolic rate.


Anchor Paper #3

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #3: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a basic understanding. The student recognizes the effects of changes in the pH (metabolism may have speeded up or slowed down because the pH was too high or low) and provides a list of environmental factors (water, sunlight, or fertilizer). The appropriate use of some scientific terminology (acid, basic variables) helps strengthen the response.


Anchor Paper #4

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #4: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a basic understanding of the question. The student provides adequate supporting details, regarding the growth of the plant (caused a stunting of growth; not grow as tall) and a list of environmental factors that could affect plant growth (temperature, water exposure, air conditions, and soil pH). The effect of pH change on plant growth is recognized (probably slowed the plants metabolic rate).


Anchor Paper #5

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #5: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a good understanding of the question. The student demonstrates some synthesis of information by using the "PLANT DATA" to draw conclusions about how the white substance affects plant growth (one-third as tall as the plant group with no beetles, the substance left behind by the beetles slows down the growth). Generally complete supporting details strengthen the response (change in pH probably slowed down the metabolic rate). Listing and elaborating on the environmental factors that affect plant growth strengthens this response (sunlight, temperature, and nutrients; if it is too hot or too cold, a plant cannot survive).


Anchor Paper #6

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #6: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a good understanding of the question through the use of generally complete supporting details (changed the pH…made it more acidic or basic…affect the metabolic rate of cells). Some effective elaboration occurs in the specific explanations of how environmental factors affect plant growth (plants need water to survive; without sunlight plants can't perform photosynthesis). Accurate scientific terminology (acidic, base, photosynthesis, and glucose) strengthens the response.


Anchor Paper #7

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #7: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a good understanding of the question. The student gives generally complete supporting details throughout the response, and the section about how the substance affects growth is somewhat elaborated (The white substance changed the environment…metabolic rates were slowed…could not produce as many photosynthesis…cell division was slowed). Scientific terminology strengthens the response (acidic, photosynthesis, cell division, and consumers). More elaboration and synthesis of information, particularly in the part of the response that deals with the effect of environmental factors on the growth of plants, is needed to achieve a higher score.


Anchor Paper #8

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #8: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response contains evidence of a full and complete understanding of the question. The student demonstrates a synthesis of ideas through a detailed discussion of enzymes and the use of pertinent and complete supporting details (pH can effect the polarity of the substrate to the enzyme so they will not lock and key fit…could effect the enzymes used in growth). The accurate use of scientific terminology (polarity, substrate, and lock and key) enhances, rather than just strengthens, the response.


Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Rubric
Print: Scoring Rubric (pdf)
Score 4

There is evidence in this response that the student has a full and complete understanding of the question or problem.

  • Pertinent and complete supporting details demonstrate an integration of ideas.
  • The use of accurate scientific terminology enhances the response.
  • An effective application of the concept to a practical problem or real-world situation reveals an insight into scientific principles.*
  • The response reflects a complete synthesis of information.
Score 3

There is evidence in this response that the student has a good understanding of the question or problem.

  • The supporting details are generally complete.
  • The use of accurate scientific terminology strengthens the response.
  • The concept has been applied to a practical problem or real-world situation.*
  • The response reflects some synthesis of information.
Score 2

There is evidence in this response that the student has a basic understanding of the question or problem.

  • The supporting details are adequate.
  • The use of accurate scientific terminology may be present in the response.
  • The application of the concept to a practical problem or real-world situation is inadequate.*
  • The response provides little or no synthesis of information.
Score 1

There is evidence in this response that the student has some understanding of the question or problem.

  • The supporting details are only minimally effective.
  • The use of accurate scientific terminology is not present in the response.
  • The application, if attempted, is irrelevant.*
  • The response addresses the question.
Score 0

There is evidence that the student has no understanding of the question or problem.

  • The response is completely incorrect or irrelevant or there is no response.

* On the High School Assessment, the application of a concept to a practical problem or real-world situation will be scored when it is required in the response and requested in the item stem.

Updated 2002
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