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Public Release Item Scoring Information Return

Goal 3 Concepts Of Biology

Expectation 3.1 The student will be able to explain the correlation between the structure and function of biologically important molecules and their relationship to cell processes.

Indicator 3.1.2 The student will be able to discuss factors involved in the regulation of chemical activity as part of a homeostatic mechanism.

Assessment Limits:

  • osmosis (predicting water flow across a membrane based on the cell’s environment; explain role in living systems)
  • temperature (effect upon enzyme activity and metabolic rate; effect upon rate of diffusion and states of matter)
  • pH (pH scale: relative values for acids and bases; effect on living systems: cellular, organismal)
  • enzyme regulation (effect of temperature, pH, and enzyme/substrate concentration on enzyme activity)

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2007

In an experiment, a group of students placed ten raisins in a container with 100 milliliters of water. They covered the container and let the raisins sit overnight. The students removed the raisins from the container and observed that they were larger. They also observed that the volume of water in the container had decreased.

What happened to the raisins to cause them to become larger? In your response, be sure to

  • name the process that caused the raisins to become larger
  • describe how this process caused the raisins to become larger
  • explain the role of this process in living systems

Write your answer in your Answer Book.

The following 4 Sample Student Responses represent a range of score points.

Sample Student Response #1

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response demonstrates a good understanding of the question and contains generally complete supporting details. The process is identified and described (osmosis; the flow of water into and out of cells). Synthesis is present in the student's description of how raisins become larger (raisins had significantly less water in its cells; So, osmosis caused the water molecules to flow into the raisins), and the student's understanding of equilibrium is implied (When the concentration of water molecules inside the raisin cells matched that of the water molecules outside, the flow of water continued, but the concentrations remained the same). The response to the third part of the question (regulates the concentration of water in cells; allows the cells to take in water; with the water comes vital nutrients for health and growth) is correct and relevant to all living systems. The presence of scientific terminology (flow of water; concentrations stayed the same; vital nutrients) strengthens the response. (Compare to this Level 3 anchor paper.)


Sample Student Response #2

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response demonstrates a basic understanding of the question. The process of osmosis is adequately described (water diffused; molecules diffuse from higher to lower concentration), and the student provides an explanation for how the raisins become larger (raisins had a higher salt concentration; lower water concentration; water moved into the raisin). The response to the final part of the question (to maintain a balenced environment) is correct. Overall, supporting details are adequate. (Compare to this Level 2 anchor paper.)


Sample Student Response #3

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of the question. The process of osmosis is described (diffusion; water moes from an area with greater concentration to an area with less concentration), and the movement of water is briefly described (water moved from in the container to inside the raisen). The specific examples (air freshener; die in a glass) provided by the student to explain the role of osmosis are irrelevant to living systems. Overall, the supporting details are minimally effective.


Sample Student Response #4

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response shows a full and complete understanding of the question. Scientific terminology (passive transport; equilibrium; solute; solvent; hypotonic; hypertonic; selectively permeable membrane; isotonic) and an integration of ideas are present throughout the response, as the student provides full and complete supporting details to each part of the question. The process is named and fully described (osmosis; movement of water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration; passive transport). Synthesis is shown in the student's description of how the raisins become larger (raisins had a higher amount of solute inside; caused the water to flow into the raisins to create equilibrium and increase the raisins size; solute inside of the raisin was an area of high concentration and the water outside of the cell was an area of low concentration…hypotonic solution). The explanation for the role of osmosis in living systems is correctly addressed (it allows the selectively permeable membrane of cells to transport materials throughtout the body so cells many eat and excrete various thing for energy,without the use of energy, such as ATP). (Compare to this Level 4 anchor paper.)


Additional Resources

Anchor Papers used in scoring

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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