APES EXAM SKILLS - Weeblybarajasscience.weebly.com/.../8/...question_skills.pdf · APES EXAM...

APES EXAM SKILLS

THE AP EXAM

Multiple Choice Questions 90 minutes

60 % of the final AP grade

100 multiple choice questions

follows the outline breakdown in item topics

Thought provoking problems and questions

based on fundamental ideas along with

questions based on the recall of basic

facts and major concepts.

COMMON TOPICS

� Country names/ world map/ resources in a country/

population characteristics

� Names of chemical pollutants: NOx, SOx, H2O,

CO2, O3, N2, CH4, CClF2

� Legislation

� Related vocabulary terms

� Layers of the atmosphere

� Identification of biomes

� Areas of tectonic activity

� Energy reserves

� Alternative forms of energy

COMMON TOPICS (CONTINUED)

� Calculation questions

� Data interpretation from a graph or table

� There will never be a True/ False question

� There will never be a matching question

� There will be multiple-answer questions� A. II and III

� B. I, II, and III

� C. IV only

TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

�Students should attempt to

answer

every multiple choice question

if they are reasonably

confident in their answers.

MULTIPLE CHOICE PITFALLS TEST

1. The purpose of the cluss in formpaling is to remove

a. cluss-prangs b. tremalis

c. cloughs d. plumots

2. Trassig is true when

a. lusp trasses the vom

b. the viskal flans, if the viskal is donwil or zortil

c. the belgo frulls

d. dissels kils easily


3. He sigia frequently overfesks the treslum because

a. all siglass are mellious

b. sigals are always votial

c. the treslum is usually tarious

d. no tresla are feskable

4. He fribbled breg will minter best with an

a. derst b. morse

c. sorter d. ignu


5. Among the reasons for tristal doss are

a. the sabs foped and are foths tinzed

b. the fredges roted with the orots

c. few rakobs were accepted in sluth

d. most of the polats were thonced

6. Which of the following is always present when

trossels are being gruven?

a. rinst and vost b. vost

c. slum and vost d. vost and plone


7. The mintering function of the ignu is most

effectively carried out in connection with

a. a razma tol b. the goshing stantol

c. the fribbled breg d. a frally sush

8.

a. b.

c. d.


ANSWER KEY

1. A The question and the distracter contain the

word cluss

2. B The distracter uses the term if –

also the lengths of the distracters is not the same

– more information is given in B

3. C Usually

4. D An- only one distracter with a vowel

5. A Reasons


ANSWER KEY

6. B Is not are – only one distracter that is single

7. C Question 4

8. D Pattern followed the others

Students need to read through the question

carefully and not jump to conclusions.

If they finish early they need to go back and

recheck their answers thoughtfully (more than a

cursory look- really thinking and reading)

SMILE TIME

THE AP EXAM

Free Response Questions 90 minutes

40 % of the final grade

Four questions:

1 data set question,

1 document based question,

2 synthesis and evaluation questions

Emphasizes the application of principles in

greater depth.

Students must synthesize material and

demonstrate reasoning and analytical skills.

ANSWERING FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS SUCCESSFULLY

To write an effective essay you must apply

your knowledge to the questions and stick to

the point.

It isn’t enough just to write down everything

you know.

You will need to include specific, not general,

information.

You will need to be precise and make sure that

everything you say is relevant to the question.

ANSWERING FRQ’s SUCCESSFULLY

To do this you need two main abilities:

to be able to detect the key words

in the question,

and to know how to

organize your ideas.

FRQ TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

� Before beginning to write the response students

should read all of the questions

� Students should attempt to answer all four

questions

� Students should practice answering each

question in a 22 minute time period

� Questions may be answered in any order so that

students can answer in a sequence that allows

them to perform their best

� Calculators may not be used during the exam -

all calculations need to include units and the

steps followed to solve the problem

TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

� Many free response questions are divided

into parts such as a, b, c, d, e

An attempt should be made to answer each part

o Answer the question being asked

o The first answer you give is the only one that will

count if the question has only asked for one answer

o If the question asks for two answers, only the first

two will be scored

o Questions should be answered in complete

sentences- outlines do not count- bullet points do not count- ‘text speak’ does not count

o Read the question carefully!!!

ANSWERING FRQ’s SUCCESSFULLYKEY DIRECTION-WORDS

See if you can write a definition for each word-

1. Compare 6. Enumerate

2. Contrast 7. Evaluate

3. Define 8. Explain

4. Describe 9. Identify

5. Discuss 10. Propose


� Compare

� Contrast

� Define

� Describe

� Show the similarities between two

events, periods, ideas, etc

� Show the differences between two

� State the meaning of

� Give the characteristics of

something (Describe the functions

of the hydrologic system)

Term Definition


� Discuss

� Enumerate

� Give the pros and cons on

an issue, event, process,

theory, etc (Discuss the

differences between

stratospheric and

tropospheric ozone)

� List a number of reasons or

attributes of something

(How many levels in a

biomass pyramid)

Term Definition


� Evaluate

� Explain

� Make a judgment or give

an opinion, or supply

reasons why something is

as it is (Evaluate the

effectiveness of

scrubbers on

smokestacks)

� Support or qualify a given

generalization with

specific facts

Term Definition


� Identify

� Propose

� Analyze critically

(Explain an event, idea,

term, and give its

importance)

� Speculate on the effect

of certain alterations in

the statement,

experiment, hypothesis

Term Definition


� ALSO

� THEREFORE

� ALSO

� WHICH

� ALSO

� BY

� ALSO

� When students are answering

essay questions and are

unsure of their answer they

tend to keep coming up with

more ideas and often “hang

themselves” in the process-

they are better off taking a

moment to THINK and then

write

NO, NO, NO, NO !!!! REASONS WHY

SCIENCE REASONING STANDARDS(ADAPTED FROM ACT STANDARDS

FOR TRANSITION)BASIC

� Select data from a simple table, graph, or diagram� (for example from a food web)

� Identify basic features from a table or graph� (for example headings, axis labels, units of

measurement)

� Understand basic science terminology

� Find basic information in a brief body of text

� Identify a direct relationship between variables in a simple table, graph, or diagram

SCIENCE REASONING STANDARDS

AVERAGE

� Compare data from a complex table, graph, or diagram

� Interpolate between data points in a table or graph

� Identify or use a simple mathematical relationship that exists between data

� Identify a direct or inverse relationship between variables in a complex table, graph, or diagram

� Understand simple experimental designs

� Select a simple hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by one or more data sets


AVERAGE

� Identify strengths and weaknesses in one

or more viewpoints

� Identify similarities and differences in two

or more viewpoints

� Identify key issues or assumptions in an

argument

� Determine whether new information

supports or weakens a hypothesis


ADVANCED

� Compare or combine data from two complex data sets with given information

� Predict how modifying an experiment or study (adding a new trial or changing a variable) will affect results

� Identify new information that could be collected from a new experiment or by modifying an existing experiment

� Select a complex hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by two or more data sets or viewpoints

� Determine why given information supports or contradicts a hypothesis or conclusion

THE FREE RESPONSE PORTION

WHAT INSTRUCTIONS DO THE KIDS SEE ?

Students will receive two booklets-

Green Booklet- contains the 4 questions (students do not write in this booklet-it is not shipped to ETS)

Pink Booklet- contains the 4 questions and

the lined pages for the students to

write their responses in

(Questions are also reproduced on

these pages with a spacing of about

four pages per question available for

the student to write on)


WHAT INSTRUCTIONS DO THE KIDS SEE ?

Suggested writing time per question – 22 minutes

You are expected to answer all four questions in this section. The parts within a question may not have equal weights.

You may proceed freely from one question to the next.

Answers must be in organized, well-written prose form; outline form is NOT acceptable.


WHAT INSTRUCTIONS DO THE KIDS SEE?

Do not spend time restating the questions.

If a specific number of examples are called for,

credit will NOT be given for additional examples.(For example, if a question calls for two examples, you will receive credit only for the first two examples you provide)

You are to write your answers with a pen only,

CLEARLY and LEGIBLY. If you make an error,

cross it out rather than try to erase it. (NO White-

Out)


WHAT INSTRUCTIONS DO THE KIDS SEE?

Where calculations are required, clearly show

how you arrived at your answer.

CALCULATORS ARE NOT PERMITTED

ON THIS TEST

Be sure to label the units.

Where explanation or discussion is required,

support your answers with relevant information

and/or specific examples.

(Information from Form 40)

APES EXAM FRQ BY YEAR

Year 1 2 3 4

1999 Ponds &

Worms

Resource

Management

Air Pollution Pesticide Use

2000 Coal Powered

Plant

Recycling Extinction Age Pyramid

2001 Natural Gas

Heating

Oak Tree &

Ticks

Indoor Air

Pollution

Farm Water

Pollution

2002 Electric Cars Large Scale

Water

Diversion

LD 50 El Nino &

Disease

2003 Invasive

Species

Population

Growth

Estuaries Endangered

Species

2004 Mercury &

Seafood

Wind Turbines Disposal

Radioactive

Waste

Soil

Conservation &

Types


Year 1 2 3 4

2005 Disease

Transmission

Meat Production

(change in per

capita)

Coal Mining in

the US

ANWR

2006 Photovoltaic

Systems

Greenhouse

Gases

Brownfields George’s

Bank Fish

Catch

2007 Sewage

Treatment

Family Water &

Energy Saving

Stratospheric

Ozone

Urban Sprawl

2008 Micro-algae

Fuel

Landfill

Leachate

Forest Fire

Initiative

Human

Population

Growth

2009 Nitrogen

Based

Fertilizers

Methane

Production

Climate

Change -

Dams

Genetically

Modified

Crops


Year 1 2 3 4

2010 Chemical

Pollutants

Global Climate

Change

Invasive

Species

Zebra

Mussels

Increasing

Sea Levels

2011 Climate

Change

Insect Spec

Coral Reefs GDP vs.

Annual Elec.

Consumption

Feeding the

Worlds

Populations

2012 Fracking Carbon

Footprint

Integrated

Pest

Management

Wetlands

2013 Runoff/

Watershed

Alt. Energy/

Vehicles

Ozone Biodiversity

2014 Nuclear

Power

Storm water

Runoff- WTP

Plate

Tectonics

Bio-

geochemical

Cycles

SCORING

To obtain a score of 3 or higher students need to:

answer a little more than 50 % of the

multiple-choice questions correctly

no points are deducted or awarded for

unanswered questions

(guessing is usually to their advantage)

do acceptable work on the free-response

section.

2008 GRADING BREAKDOWN SAMPLE

� According to the REA book “AP Environmental

Crash Course” by Gayle Evans, M. Ed. The

breakdown for the 2008 exam was

Scoring Range AP Grade Minimum % Right

102-150 5 68 %

80-101 4 53 %

67-79 3 45 %

53-66 2 35 %

0-52 1 0 %

APES EXAM SKILLS - Weeblybarajasscience.weebly.com/.../8/...question_skills.pdf · APES EXAM...

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