TEACHER’S GUIDE/ANSWER KEY
Winter Break Packet
Friday, December 23, 2016 – Monday, January 2, 2017
Student Name
Teacher Name
Materials contained in this packet have been taken from the 2007 edition of
Biology: Preparing for the MARYLAND HSA by Prentice Hall
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Note To Teachers
This Winter Break packet has been compiled to provide enrichment activities for
students during the Winter Break. The information in this packet was gleaned from
Biology: Preparing for the MARYLAND HSA by Prentice Hall and the following
websites:
http://anthro.palomar.edu/animal/animal_1.htm
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Life/nitrogen_cycle.html
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/chemid1.htm
Remind students that this packet will assist them as they prepare to take the Biology
High School Assessment in May. There are a total of 20 questions – 18 Selected
Response (SR) questions and two Brief Constructed Response (BCR) questions.
Grading Scale
(26 Possible Points)
Overall Score
Grade
26 - 24
A
23 - 21
B
20 - 19
C
18 - 16
D
15 - 0
E
*Each Selected Response question is worth 1 point. The Brief Constructed
Response questions (numbers 5 and 15) are worth a maximum of 4 points each.
2016-2017 HSA Biology Winter Break Packet
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HSA Biology
Winter Break Packet Answer Key
Question Number
Answer
1
2
3
4
5
BCR
A
D
D
C
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
2016-2017 HSA Biology Winter Break Packet
Acceptable statements of purpose include:
-Determine if exercise improves the rate at which math
problems are solved.
-Test the guest’s claims.
 A larger sample size increases the validity/reliability of
the experiment.
 The experimental group will exercise and the control
group will not.
Acceptable examples of specific data to be collected include:
-speed of solving math problems
-number of math problems solved in a certain amount of
time
Examples of acceptable ways to determine whether the
results support the claim include:
-See if the experimental group solves math problems
more rapidly than the control group.
-Compare the number of math problems solved by the
experimental and control groups in a given time period.
A
A
D
A
B
C
A
C
D
D
B
B
D
A
3
Question
Number
20
BCR
Answer
An acceptable answer should include:
 The Carbon Cycle is a biogeochemical cycle that recycles the element carbon
in nature.
 It is called a cycle because something is recycled – carbon atoms.
 Four moves can include any four of the following:


Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants.
In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to oxygen in a gas called carbon dioxide
(CO2). With the help of the Sun, through the process of photosynthesis, carbon
dioxide is pulled from the air to make plant food in the form of sugars from
carbon.
Carbon moves from plants to animals.
Through food chains, the carbon that is in plants moves to the animals that eat
them. Animals that eat other animals get the carbon from their food too.
Carbon moves from plants and animals to the ground.
When plants and animals die, their bodies, wood and leaves decay bringing the
carbon into the ground. Some become buried miles underground and will
become fossil fuels in millions and millions of years.
Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere.
Each time you exhale, you are releasing carbon dioxide gas (CO 2) into the
atmosphere. Animals and plants get rid of carbon dioxide gas through a process
called respiration.
Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned.
When humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants, cars and trucks,
most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas. Each year,
five and a half billion tons of carbon is released by burning fossil fuels. That’s the
weight of 100 million adult African elephants! Of the huge amount of carbon that is
released from fuels, 3.3 billion tons enters the atmosphere and most of the rest
becomes dissolved in seawater.
Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans.
The oceans, and other bodies of water, soak up some carbon from the atmosphere.
The importance of this cycle to organisms is that it recycles atoms of carbon.
For example: An atom of carbon is absorbed from the air by plants during
photosynthesis. There is the possibility that this carbon atom becomes part of the
physical plant structure, or a part of the skeleton of an animal that eats it, and then
part of a sedimentary rock when the living things die and only bones are left behind.
Carbon that is a part of rocks and fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas may be
held away from the rest of the carbon cycle for a long time. These long-term
storage places are called “sinks”. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon that had
been underground is sent into the air as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
The human impact and effects on this cycle when fossil fuels are burnt
includes: When humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants, cars
and trucks, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
gas. Each year, five and a half billion tons of carbon is released by burning fossil
fuels. Of the huge amount of carbon that is released from fuels, 3.3 billion tons
enters the atmosphere and most of the rest becomes dissolved in seawater.
Evidence suggests that excess carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere, is a
contributing factor in climate change. This can also lead to rising sea levels and ocean
acidification.
2016-2017 HSA Biology Winter Break Packet
4
SCIENCE RUBRIC
LEVEL 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 elaboration of information.
LEVEL 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 elaboration of information.
LEVEL 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 elaboration of inform ation.
LEVEL 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.
LEVEL 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 *
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2016-2017 HSA Biology Winter Break Packet – Teacher Answer Key
5