FOR TEACHERS ONLY
The University of the State of New York
REGENTS HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION
PS–ES PHYSICAL SETTING/EARTH SCIENCE
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 — 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., only
SCORING KEY AND RATING GUIDE
Directions to the Teacher:
Refer to the directions on page 3 before rating student papers.
Updated information regarding the rating of this examination may be posted on the New York
State Education Department’s web site during the rating period. Check this web site
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ and select the link “Examination Scoring Information” for any
recently posted information regarding this examination. This site should be checked before the
rating process for this examination begins and several times throughout the Regents examination
period.
Part A and Part B–1
Allow 1 credit for each correct response.
Part A
Part B–1
Part B–1
1 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
13 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
25 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
36 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
44 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
2 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
14 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
26 . . . . 3. . . . . . .
37 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
45 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
3 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
15 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
27 . . . . 3. . . . . . .
38 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
46 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
4 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
16 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
28 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
39 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
47 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
5 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
17 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
29 . . . . 3. . . . . . .
40 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
48 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
6 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
18 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
30 . . . . 2. . . . . . .
41 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
49 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
7 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
19 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
31 . . . . 3. . . . . . .
42 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
50 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
Part B–1 Score
8 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
20 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
32 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
43 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
9 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
21 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
33 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
10 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
22 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
34 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
11 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
23 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
35 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
Part A Score
12 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
24 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
Directions to the Teacher
Follow the procedures below for scoring student answer papers for the Physical Setting/Earth
Science examination. Additional information about scoring is provided in the publication
Information Booklet for Scoring Regents Examinations in the Sciences .
Use only red ink or red pencil in rating Regents papers. Do not correct the student’s work by
making insertions or changes of any kind.
On the detachable answer sheet for Part A and Part B–1, indicate by means of a check mark
each incorrect or omitted answer. In the box provided at the end of each part, record the number
of questions the student answered correctly for that part.
At least two science teachers must participate in the scoring of each student’s responses to the
Part B–2 and Part C open-ended questions. Each of these teachers should be responsible for
scoring a selected number of the open-ended questions on each answer paper. No one teacher is to
score all the open-ended questions on a student’s answer paper.
Students’ responses must be scored strictly according to the Scoring Key and Rating Guide. For
open-ended questions, credit may be allowed for responses other than those given in the rating
guide if the response is a scientifically accurate answer to the question and demonstrates adequate
knowledge as indicated by the examples in the rating guide. In the student’s answer booklet, record
the number of credits earned for each answer in the box printed to the right of the answer lines or
spaces for that question.
Fractional credit is not allowed. Only whole-number credit may be given to a response. Units
need not be given when the wording of the questions allows such omissions.
Raters should enter the scores earned for Part A, Part B–1, Part B–2, and Part C on the
appropriate lines in the box printed on the answer booklet and then should add these four scores
and enter the total in the box labeled “Total Written Test Score.” The student’s score for the
Earth Science Performance Test should be entered in the space provided. Then, the student’s
raw scores on the performance test and written test should be converted to a scaled score by
using the conversion chart that will be posted on the Department’s web site
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. The student’s scaled score should
be entered in the labeled box on the student’s answer booklet. The scaled score is the student’s final
examination score.
All student answer papers that receive a scaled score of 60 through 64 must be scored a second
time. For the second scoring, a different committee of teachers may score the student’s paper or
the original committee may score the paper, except that no teacher may score the same open-ended
questions that he/she scored in the first rating of the paper. The school principal is responsible for
assuring that the student’s final examination score is based on a fair, accurate, and reliable scoring
of the student’s answer paper.
Because scaled scores corresponding to raw scores in the conversion chart may change from one
examination to another, it is crucial that for each administration, the conversion chart provided for
that administration be used to determine the student’s final score.
[3]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
Part B–2
Allow a total of 15 credits for this part. The student must answer all questions in this part.
51 [1] Allow 1 credit if the Sun’s apparent path begins at due east and ends at due west and is drawn so the
altitude of the noon Sun is within the circle shown below.
Example of a 1-credit response:
90 °
80 °
70
°
80 °
70 °
60
60
°
°
°
50
50
°
°
40
40
°
°
30
30
°
°
20
20
West
°
10
10
December
°
South
North
Observer
21
East
52 [1] Allow 1 credit for any date from June 19 to June 23.
[4]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
53 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of the L is located within the circle shown below.
54 [1] Allow 1 credit. The cP air mass could be located anywhere behind the cold front or ahead of the
warm front. The mT air mass should be located in front of the cold front and behind the warm front.
Note: Do not allow credit if air-mass letters are reversed, i.e., Pc and Tm.
Example of a 2-credit response for questions 53 and 54:
L
cP
mT
N
[5]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
55 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of the X is placed anywhere within the crosshatched area shown below.
N
56 [1] Allow 1 credit for a warm front.
57 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Rising air expands, cools to the dewpoint, and condensation of water vapor occurs.
— Condensation occurs when the dewpoint is reached.
— Water vapor condenses when dewpoint is reached.
58 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Allegheny Plateau
— Erie-Ontario Lowlands
— Appalachian Plateau
[6]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
59 [1] Allow 1 credit for rock salt and a correct explanation. Acceptable explanations include, but are not
limited to:
— crystals of halite settling in an evaporating sea
— precipitation from seawater
— chemical deposition
60 [1] Allow 1 credit for any value from 0.035 to 0.045 mi/yr.
61 [1] Allow 1 credit for 1000 ft.
62 [1] Allow 1 credit for two correct responses. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— U-shaped valleys in the area
— parallel scratches in the bedrock
— unsorted sediment deposits
— moraines
— drumlins
63 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The greater the average distance a Jovian planet is from the Sun, the colder the temperature.
— An inverse relationship exists between distance and temperature for the Jovian planets.
— The closer the Jovian planet is to the Sun, the warmer the average surface temperature.
64 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Carbon dioxide causes a greenhouse effect on Venus.
— Carbon dioxide is an excellent absorber of infrared radiation.
— Carbon dioxide traps heat and keeps it from escaping.
— The carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere absorbs energy in Venus’ atmosphere and reradiates it.
[7]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
65 [1] Allow 1 credit for a graph that shows an inverse relationship.
Examples of 1-credit responses:
or
Average Distance from the Sun
Average Distance from the Sun
[8]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
Part C
Allow a total of 20 credits for this part. The student must answer all questions in this part.
66 [1] Allow 1 credit if all three isolines are drawn correctly. If more than the three required isolines are
drawn, all isolines must be correct to receive credit. Isolines do not have to be labeled but must touch
all equal value points to receive credit.
67 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of the X is located within the crosshatched area below.
Example of a 2-credit response for questions 66 and 67:
Albany
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
4
7
6
5
8
4
5
6
8
7
8
6
7
6
8
5
4
4
7
5
5
6
Atlantic Ocean
4
[9]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
68 [1] Allow 1 credit for 3 min 0 sec ± 10 seconds.
69 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The western coast of the United States is near plate boundaries.
— More major faults are located on the western coast of the United States.
— Fewer active faults are located in the central portion of the United States compared to the
western coast of the United States.
— The central portion of the United States is in the middle of a tectonic plate.
70 [1] Allow 1 credit for two correct responses. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— plan evacuation routes
— identify earthquake hazard zones or areas that are subject to damage during an earthquake
— plan emergency communication procedures
— develop emergency information brochures
— store food, supplies, and fresh water
— build earthquake-resistant structures
— identify shelter locations
[10]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
71 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of seven or eight X s are correctly plotted within the circles shown below.
Example of a 1-credit graph:
Maximum Altitude of Sun and Moon
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
2
6
10
14
18
22
26
3
7
11
15
19
23
27
31
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
January
February
Key
Sun’s noontime altitude
72 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The Sun and the Moon were at the same altitude on February 3.
— The Sun and the Moon were aligned with Earth.
— This solar eclipse occurred at the new Moon phase.
— The apparent paths of the Sun and the Moon crossed.
[11]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
73 [1] Allow 1 credit for correctly placing the center of the X between the brackets shown below.
Moon’s orbit
Earth
Sun’s
rays
(Not drawn to scale)
74 [1] Allow 1 credit for March 18 or March 19 or March 20.
75 [1] Allow 1 credit for zone D .
76 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— sulfur
— hematite
77 [1] Allow 1 credit for any latitude from 40° S to 44° S and any longitude from 65° W to 69° W.
The correct units and compass directions must be included.
78 [1] Allow 1 credit for clay.
79 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— earliest birds
— birds
80 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— radioactive dating
— identifying an index fossil in the layer containing this fossil
— correlating rock layers or fossils
[12]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – concluded
81 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Mountain barriers changed the flow of winds.
— The air sinks on the Patagonia side of the Andes.
— Patagonia is located on the leeward side of the mountains.
— Patagonia is located in the rain shadow.
82 [1] Allow 1 credit for southeast or SE.
83 [1] Allow 1 credit for any elevation between 680 feet and 700 feet.
84 [2] Allow a maximum of 2 credits, allocated as follows:
Allow 2 credits if the centers of ten or eleven student-plotted X s are within the circles shown below
and the X s are correctly connected with a line that falls within the circles.
Allow 1 credit if the centers of only eight or nine student-plotted X s are within the circles shown
below and the X s are correctly connected with a line that falls within the circles.
or
Allow 1 credit if the centers of ten or eleven student-plotted X s are within the circles shown below
but are not correctly connected with a line that falls within the circles.
Note: Eagle Hill must be greater than 720 feet but less than 740 feet, and Timony Hill must be
greater than 700 feet but less than 720 feet. The low point of the profile must be less than
660 feet, but greater than 640 feet.
It is recommended that an overlay be used to ensure uniformity in scoring.
Example of a 2-credit response:
760
740
720
700
680
A
660
B
640
620
Distance
[13]
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science
January 2009
Chart for Converting Total Test Raw Scores to
Final Examination Scores (Scaled Scores)
The Chart for Determining the Final Examination Score for the January 2009
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science will be posted
on the Department’s web site http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ on
Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Conversion charts provided for previous
administrations of the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth
Science must NOT be used to determine students’ final scores for this
administration.
Submitting Online Teacher Evaluations of the Test to the Department
Suggestions and feedback from teachers provide an important contribution to the test
development process. The Department provides an online evaluation form for State
assessments. It contains spaces for teachers to respond to several specific questions and to
make suggestions. Instructions for completing the evaluation form are as follows:
1. Go to www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/exameval.
2. Select the test title.
3. Complete the required demographic fields.
4. Complete each evaluation question and provide comments in the space provided.
5. Click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the page to submit the completed form.
[14]
Map to Core Curriculum
January 2009 Physical Setting/Earth Science
Question Numbers
Key Ideas/Performance Indicators
Part A
Part B
Part C
Standard 1
Math Key Idea 1
2, 3
60, 65
66, 71
Math Key Idea 2
1, 18
43, 63
68
Math Key Idea 3
6
36, 50, 61
67
Science Inquiry Key Idea 1
5, 28
59
69, 81
Science Inquiry Key Idea 2
Science Inquiry Key Idea 3
37
79
Engineering Design Key Idea 1
Standard 2
Key Idea 1
55
Key Idea 2
Key Idea 3
Standard 6
Key Idea 1
17
38, 47, 54, 57
78, 80
Key Idea 2
7, 10, 11, 12,
39, 40, 41, 42,
72, 73, 75, 76,
13, 14, 16,19,
44, 45, 48, 49,
77, 82, 83, 84
20, 32, 33, 34,
50, 51, 53, 54,
35
55, 56, 58, 59,
60, 61
Key Idea 3
83, 84
Key Idea 4
Key Idea 5
10, 24
42, 43, 44, 45,
72, 73, 74, 81
51, 52, 55, 62
Key Idea 6
64
Standard 7
Key Idea 1
70
Key Idea 2
Standard 4
Key Idea 1
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
36, 37, 38, 39,
71, 72, 73, 74,
7, 8, 10, 12, 20,
40, 41, 42, 43,
77, 79, 80
21, 26, 28, 29,
48, 50, 51, 63,
31, 32
66
Key Idea 2
9, 11, 13, 14,
44, 45, 46, 52,
66, 67, 68, 69,
15, 16, 17, 18,
53, 54, 55, 56,
70, 81, 82, 83,
19, 22, 23, 24,
57, 58, 60, 61,
84
25, 30, 33, 34,
62, 64
35
Key Idea 3
27
47, 49, 59
75, 76, 78
Reference Tables
ESRT 2001 Edition (Revised)
1, 2, 3, 6, 11,
37, 46, 47, 49,
68, 69, 75, 76,
15, 18, 21, 26,
50, 54, 55, 56,
78, 79
27, 30, 31, 33,
58, 59, 60
35