FORTEACHERS ONLY
The University of the State of New York
REGENTS HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION
PS–ES PHYSICAL SETTING/EARTH SCIENCE
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 — 12:30 to 3:30 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 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
13 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
25 . . . . 2. . . . . . .
36 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
44 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
2 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
14 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
26 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
37 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
45 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
3 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
15 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
27 . . . . 2. . . . . . .
38 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
46 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
4 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
16 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
28 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
39 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
47 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
5 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
17 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
29 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
40 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
48 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
6 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
18 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
30 . . . . 2. . . . . . .
41 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
49 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
7 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
19 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
31 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
42 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
50 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
Part B–1 Score
8 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
20 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
32 . . . . 3. . . . . . .
43 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
9 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
21 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
33 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
10 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
22 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
34 . . . . 1. . . . . . .
11 . . . . . 3. . . . . . .
23 . . . . . 2. . . . . . .
35 . . . . 4. . . . . . .
Part A Score
12 . . . . . 4. . . . . . .
24 . . . . . 1. . . . . . .
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, August 13, 2008. 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 for blue.
52 [1] Allow 1 credit for a list in the order shown.
Most luminous
(1)
Rigel
Betelgeuse
(2)
Aldebaran
(3)
(4)
Sirius
Least luminous
(5)
Procyon B
53 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Earth is revolving around the Sun.
— Different regions of space are visible at night from different positions in Earth’s orbit.
54 [1] Allow 1 credit for evaporation.
55 [1] Allow 1 credit for 540 calories per gram.
56 [1] Allow 1 credit for transpiration.
57 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— precipitation
— rain
[4]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
58 [1] Allow 1 credit for a correctly drawn 50°F isotherm. An example of a 50°F isotherm is shown on the
map below. The isotherm does not have to be labeled but must extend to the edges of the map. If
more than one isotherm is drawn, all must be correct to receive credit.
34
110
A
39
154
45
096
22
39
43
39
084
43
132
36
124
39
40
088
41
28
38
48
024
46
124
48
026
45
43
45 C 163
39
124
57
029
45
43
31
54
54
097
41
103
45
069
60
040
45
30
40
55
61
044
66
099
57
53
66
111
41
126
42
109
55
33
36
61
075
57
71
149
48
126
70
140
60
38
49
128
66
114
59
B
38
59
66
124
60
50
120
72
194
38
69
171
64
63
153
52
128
61
61
50
Gulf of Mexico
59 [1] Allow 1 credit for 1009.6 mb.
60 [1] Allow 1 credit for the correct two-letter symbol mT or MT. Do not accept a response where letters
are reversed, such as Tm.
61 [1] Allow 1 credit for rain.
[5]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
62 [1] Allow 1 credit for any value from 1 hr 32 min to 1 hr 42 min.
63 [1] Allow 1 credit if latitude, longitude, units, and compass directions are all correct.
— Latitude: Allow credit for any value from 3.0° to 4.0° N.
— Longitude: Allow credit for any value from 95.5° to 96.5° E.
64 [1] Allow 1 credit for Eurasian Plate.
65 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The ocean water receded.
— The water level dropped.
[6]
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. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The tornadoes are located within the SW wind belt.
— The planetary winds moved them toward the northeast.
— The tornadoes are moving this way because of the prevailing winds.
67 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— counterclockwise
— toward the center
— upward air movement
68 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— go to the structurally strongest area in the school nearest your location
— go to the lowest level in the school
— go to an interior location with no windows
— go under a desk or table
69 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— condensation (gas to liquid)
— deposition (gas to solid)
70 [1] Allow 1 credit for the correct sequence as shown below.
Direction of
stream flow
Lake surface
B
A
L a k e
b o
t t o
m
C
[7]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
71 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— The water velocity decreases.
— The particles slow down.
72 [1] Allow 1 credit for drawing the apparent path of the Sun from due east to due west and passing
through the given solar noon position.
73 [1] Allow 1 credit for drawing a shadow that extends due north. Allow credit even if the shadow length
is incorrect.
74 [1] Allow 1 credit for any altitude of the Sun from 70.5° to 72.5°.
Example of a 3-credit response for questions 72 through 74:
Solar noon
September 23
80
90
80
70
70
Polaris
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
West
10
10
South
North
Vertical post
East
75 [1] Allow 1 credit for 30°.
76 [1] Allow 1 credit for 42° N.
[8]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
77 [1] Allow 1 credit for two correct responses. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— shape of the bay
— gradual narrowing
— shallowing of the bay
— the time it takes to flood the bay
— seaward-moving river currents
78 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of seven or eight X s are correctly plotted within the circles shown and
connected with a line that passes through the circles.
Example of a 1-credit response:
Hopewell Cape Tides
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Sea level 0
–1
–2
–3
–4
–5
12
2
4
6
8
10 12
2
4
6
8
10 12
2
4
6
8
10 12
2
4
6
8 10 12
a.m.
p.m.
a.m.
p.m.
August 21
August 22
79 [1] Allow 1 credit for 12 hr 26 min.
[9]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
80 [1] Allow 1 credit if the center of the X is within the brackets shown on the diagram below.
Example of a 1-credit response:
Measuring stick
Observer
Tide height (0 meters)
(Drawn to scale)
1 cm = 2 m
[10]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – continued
81 [1] Allow 1 credit for an X that has been placed at either Moon location shown below. The center of
the X must be within either circle shown.
Example of a 1-credit response:
Moon’s
orbital
path
High
High
tide
Earth
tide
(Not drawn to scale)
82 [1] Allow 1 credit if both texture and color are correct. Acceptable responses include, but are not
limited to:
texture: — fine grained
— nonvesicular or vesicular
— glassy
— noncrystalline
— grain size less than 1 mm
color: — dark colored
— black
— green
[11]
[OVER]
P HYSICAL S ETTING/ E ARTH S CIENCE – concluded
83 [1] Allow 1 credit if both minerals are correct. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— plagioclase feldspar
— potassium feldspar (orthoclase)
— quartz
— amphibole (hornblende)
— biotite (mica)
84 [1] Allow 1 credit. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— WSW
— SW
— southwest
85 [1] Allow 1 credit for any value from 23.5 to 26.5 miles per million years.
[12]
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science
August 2008
Chart for Converting Total Test Raw Scores to
Final Examination Scores (Scaled Scores)
The Chart for Determining the Final Examination Score for the August 2008
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science will be posted
on the Department’s web site http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ on
Wednesday, August 13, 2008. 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 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.
[13]
Map to Core Curriculum
August 2008 Physical Setting/Earth Science
Question Numbers
Key Ideas/Performance Indicators
Part A
Part B
Part C
Standard 1
Math Key Idea 1
10, 22
49, 51, 52, 55, 59
75, 78, 85
Math Key Idea 2
11, 15, 18, 25
58, 63
79, 84
Math Key Idea 3
62
Science Inquiry Key Idea 1
8, 20, 28, 29, 31
42, 46, 47, 53,
54, 56, 57, 60
77
Science Inquiry Key Idea 2
Science Inquiry Key Idea 3
73
Engineering Design Key Idea 1
Standard 2
Key Idea 1
Key Idea 2
Key Idea 3
65
Standard 6
Key Idea 1
8, 25, 32
39, 43
67, 69, 71, 81
Key Idea 2
9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
36, 37, 38, 40,
70, 72, 73, 74,
14, 16, 17, 19,
41, 44, 45, 59,
75, 76, 81, 82,
21, 22, 23, 27,
61, 62, 63, 64,
83
30, 32, 33, 34,
65
35
Key Idea 3
10, 22
46
80
Key Idea 4
20
Key Idea 5
13, 14, 16, 17,
45, 48, 49, 50,
66, 67, 71, 72,
19, 23, 24, 27
53
73, 74, 75, 78,
84
Key Idea 6
Standard 7
Key Idea 1
Key Idea 2
68
Standard 4
Key Idea 1
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
36, 37, 38, 41,
72, 73, 74, 75,
10, 17, 20, 21,
44, 45, 46, 51,
76, 77, 78, 79,
23, 26, 27, 34
52, 53, 54, 55,
80, 81
56, 57, 63
Key Idea 2
6, 8, 9, 11, 12,
39, 40, 47, 48,
66, 67, 68, 69,
13, 14, 15, 16,
49, 50, 58, 59,
70, 71, 84, 85
18, 19, 22, 24,
60, 61, 62, 64,
25, 28, 29, 31,
65
32, 33
Key Idea 3
30, 35
42, 43
82, 83
Reference Tables
ESRT 2001 Edition (Revised)
1, 3, 10, 11, 12,
36, 37, 38, 40,
66, 70, 80, 82,
18, 19, 20, 22,
41, 42, 43, 47,
83, 85
24, 26
51, 52, 55, 58,
59, 60, 64