Classification Unit Exam
For Honors Biology
Overview of course
Description of the course
This exam was created to be part of a unit on
Classification for two Honors Biology classes at Hampton
High School. Honors Biology is a two-semester class at
Hampton High School, which is on an AB block schedule.
The way a student is placed in Honors Biology is because of
parent request, teacher referral, or having done well in
algebra or geometry. The class makeup is half 9th grade and
half 10th grade for both blocks. Algebra is normally 9th
grade, but if taken in junior high they get high school credit
for it.
The global objectives for the Honors Biology class align
with both the Hampton City School curriculum guide and
the Virginia State Standards of Learning. All units in the
curriculum guide tie back into the global themes of
evolution, cell theory, and the nature of science. Some of
these are as follows:
1. An understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the
nature of science
2. An understanding of the chemical and biochemical
principals essential for life
3. An understanding of relationships between cell
structure and function
4. An understanding of life functions of Archea, Bacteria,
and Eukarya
5. An understanding of common mechanisms of
inheritance and protein synthesis
6. An understanding bases for modern classification
systems
7. An understanding of how populations change through
time
8. An understanding of dynamic equilibria within
populations, communities, and ecosystems
Students are asked to investigate these concepts
through the use of inquiry and authentic science materials,
designing and conducting investigations. The goal is the
have the students look at the world through the lens of
scientists, so that they will be prepared to think critically
about scientific and medical information as an adult. This
will lead to a greater informed citizenry.
Description of the Unit
This exam is developed to be the summative
assessment in the unit on Classification, along with the
group presentations for the Problem Based Learning project.
This unit develops the idea that modern classification
systems are based on evolutionary relationships and subject
to adaptation. Topics include binomial nomenclature,
cladograms and phylogenies, structural and biochemical
similarities, fossil record, developmental similarities, and
dichotomous keys.
This unit is designed around a Problem Based Learning
structure. Students will be given a scenario (of 10 new
species being discovered on a small island) and tasked with
the problem to name these new species. The students will
have to discover what a species is, what scientific names
mean, what info is needed to name an organism, and how
scientists name organisms. We will answer these questions
and more as a group, and each group will apply what they
have learned to their mystery species. At the end of the
week, students will have named their species and will
present their findings as a group. The students’
participation and presentations in this PBL will be graded
by a rubric, and also account for a large portion of their unit
grade.
Therefore, the unit assessment scheme stacks up like
this:
1. Daily logs (Formative) 5x10 pts
2. Exit tickets (Formative) 5x10 pts
3. Mind-maps (Formative) 5x10 pts
4. Presentation (Summative) 1x50 pts
5. Exam (Summative) 1x50 pts
For a total of 250 pts for this unit.
Description of ILOs/Assessments
Students will complete daily log worksheets to
demonstrate that they are formulating questions, making
predictions, and working towards the answers to those
questions. These will also serve as outlines for the day’s
work to help keep the groups on task. Students will submit
the answer to each day’s question or extension via exit
tickets, which will help me assess what they took away from
the day’s lesson. Students will, as a group, submit their
mind-map/graphic organizer of their progress on the PBL
each day, to show what they have accomplished and to
contribute to the class classification scheme. By requiring
all three of these every day of the PBL, I should be able to
assess what they student’s questions were, what they have
worked on, and that their findings and possible conclusions
are. The group presentation on the final day will allow me
to assess whether or not the students have reasoned
through their findings and come to a defendable position, as
well as what that position is. It also allows students the
practice at presenting as a group. Finally, the exam will
allow me to see how well the students have been able to
take what they have learned about classification through
application in the PBL and use it to answer more traditional
SoL type questions.
By using all of these assessment methods, I hope to get
a clear picture of both knowledge level learning and
application and analysis level use of that information for
each student. By timely and specific feedback on the daily
formative assessments, I can help shape the next day’s
learning to insure that the students get everything they can
from this inquiry based unit.
Table of Specifications
Classification Unit Exam
Content
Knowledge
Bio.6aSa
Construct and
utilize
dichotomous keys
to classify
organisms.
Bio.6aSb
X+
Describe
Describe
4, 7, 8
relationships
based on
homologous
structures.
Bio.6bSc
Compare
structural
characteristics of
an extinct
organism v.
present familiar
organisms.
Bio.6cSd
Recognize
similarities in
embryonic stages
in diverse
organisms, from
zygote through
embryo, and infer
relationships.
Bio.6dSe
Compare
biochemical
evidence and
describe
relationships.
Comprehension Application
X
Utilize
11, 12
(29)
X+
Describe
23, 24, 25,
26
X
Compare
14
(17)
Infer
(28)
X
Describe
10
(27)
X
Compare
9
Analysis
Synthesi Evalu
s
ation
X
Constru
ct
Bio.6eSf
Describe and
Interpret a
cladogram or
phylogenic tree
showing
evolutionary
relationships
among
organisms.
Bio.6eSg
Investigate flora
and fauna in field
investigations and
apply
classification
systems.
Bio.6aS_
X
Use
Binomial
1,2,3
Nomenclature
X+
Describe
5, 13, 15-22
X+
Interpret
6, 27, 28
(24,25)
X
Apply
Table of Specifications
For the Classification and Relationships Unit of Biology
Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesi Evalu
Content
s
ation
Bio.6aSa
X
X
Utilize
Constru
Construct and
ct
utilize
EXAM
PBL
dichotomous keys
to classify
organisms.
Bio.6aSb
X+
X+
Describe
Describe
Describe
EXAM
PBL
relationships
EXAM
based on
homologous
structures.
Bio.6bSc
Compare
PBL
Compare
EXAM
structural
characteristics of
an extinct
organism v.
present familiar
organisms.
Bio.6cSd
Recognize
similarities in
embryonic stages
in diverse
organisms, from
zygote through
embryo, and infer
relationships.
Bio.6dSe
Compare
biochemical
evidence and
describe
relationships.
Bio.6eSf
Interpret a
cladogram or
phylogenic tree
showing
evolutionary
relationships
among
organisms.
Bio.6eSg
Investigate flora
and fauna in field
investigations and
apply
classification
systems.
Bio.6aS_
Use
PBL
Binomial
EXAM
Nomenclature
X
Infer
PBL
X
Describe
EXAM
X+
Compare
PBL
EXAM
X
Interpret
PBL
EXAM
X
Apply
PBL
Overview of class characteristics
These two classes are an even mixture of both 9th and
10th grade students. For the first class, x are girls and x are
boys. In the second class, x are girls and x are boys. The
racial makeups in the classes are predominantly African
American, with approximately 80% of the class identifying
as African American. There are no IEPs or 504 plans in
either class. The economic demographics for the school are
over half of the students receiving free or reduced lunch, so
I may infer that my class make up follows suit.
Linguistically, our class is exclusively English speaking, as
ELL students are placed into ELL inclusive classes in
Hampton. Culturally, Hampton is an Urban/Suburban mix,
with many parents in the area being employed by either
government or government contracted employers, such as
the Department of Defense, NASA, and various shipyards.
Because of the high number of military families in the area,
classroom turnover can be frequent. This also means that a
significant percentage of students may have diverse
education backgrounds, from different states and perhaps
countries. This is something I took into consideration while
developing this unit. Because of the inquiry basis of this
Problem Based Learning structure, students who are
missing prior knowledge will likely have those gaps covered
in their group, which will allow them to proceed. It is my
desire that they all learn from one another in the
collaborative nature that science is practiced in the real
world. The reading level of my students is diverse, with
some reading at a senior level and others at or slightly
below their grade level. Science is traditionally a very
vocabulary heavy course, and when adding that to a possible
deficit in reading exams can be daunting. I tried to make the
questions as clear and easy to read as possible to avoid
testing for reading level rather than content knowledge. I
also tried to avoid relying on implicit background
knowledge for questions, as all of these students have very
different backgrounds from my own, and my “background
knowledge” from high school is no indicator of their life
experiences.
Explicit purpose and intended use
This exam is intended to be used with the high school
biology course in the state of Virginia, and assesses the
Virginia State Standards of Learning as outlined in the 2010
Framework. It also aligns with the Hampton City Schools
Curriculum Framework.
Design Elements of the Exam
Intended learning outcomes, objectives, and standards
Discussion of construct validity
Discussion of construct reliability
Rationale for test item types
List of item sources
Potential threats to reliability
Predictive validity
Scoring and grading procedures
The Classification Exam
Name:
_____1. (2 pts) Which one of these species is correctly typed?
a) trypanasoma bruceii
b) Trypanasoma bruceii
c) trypanasoma bruceii
d) Trypanasoma bruceii
2. (3 pts) Handwrite the species name for humans in the correct
format in the space below:
_____3. (2 pts) This format is an example of:
a) binomial nomenclature
b) genus species
c) international naming
d) Latin polynomials
_____4. (2 pts) Placement in each level of classification is based on
a) dichotomous keys
b) embryology
c) general characteristics
d) shared characteristics
_____5. (2 pts) Similar genera are grouped into a(n):
a) class
b) family
c) order
d) phyllum
______6. (2 pts) In the cladogram above, which two species have most
recently shared a common ancestor?
a) crocodile & mammal
b) lizard & crocodile
c) rayfinned fish & lungfish
d) salamander & frog
______7. (2 pts) Structures inherited from a common ancestor are called:
a) adaptive structures
b) analogous structures
c) ancestral structures
d) homologous structures
_____8. (2 pts) Taxonomy is the:
a) evolutionary history of a species
b) science of naming and classifying organisms
c) study of life and life processes
d) study of fossils and past organisms
_____9. (2 pts) The table above shows the abbreviated amino acids in
hemoglobin for each animal. Which organism’s hemoglobin is
least similar compared to human hemoglobin?
a) chimpanzee
b) gorilla
c) horse
d) kangaroo
_____10. (2 pts) The table above is an example of what type of
relationship evidence:
a) amniotic evidence
b) biochemical evidence
c) fossil evidence
d) structural evidence
11-12. (2 pts each) Using the dichotomous key provided at the back of
the exam, identify these two organisms.
11)___________________
12)____________________
13. (6 pts) Using the chart given, compare and contrast the
characteristics of two different systems of classification.
System of
classification:
Based on:
Used to:
14. (2 pts) The diagram below represent bones in the hind limbs of
extinct horse ancestors and modern horses.
In two sentences, please describe what process has happened, and how
we know.
15-22. (1 pt each) Place the biological hierarchy in order from least
inclusive to most inclusive:
Least inclusive
______15.
______16.
______17.
______18.
______19.
______20.
______21.
______22.
Most inclusive
A) Class
B) Domain
C) Family
D) Genus
E) Kingdom
F) Order
G) Phylum
H) Species
23-26. (1 pt each) Fill out this chart by placing an X under each species
for each characteristic they have.
Character
23.Bullfrog 24. Human
25.Kangaroo 26. Shark
Vertebrae
Two pairs of
limbs
Mammary
glands
Placenta
27. (4 pts) Now draw a cladogram based on the data in your table.
Include both species and characteristics.
28. (2 pts) According to the cladogram above, which 2 species are the
least related?
Tree Dichotomous Key
Start here:
1. Is the tree a broadleaf or a conifer?
· Conifers have needlelike or scale-like leaves
· Broadleaves usually have wide, flat leaves
For conifer, go to ………………..2
For broadleaf, go to …………….3
2. Are the leaves needle-like or flattened and scale-like?
For needle-like, go to ……………………..4
For flattened and scale-like, go to……5
3. Are the leaves compound or simple?
For compound leaves, go to…………..7
For simple leaves, go to……………….8
4. Are the needles short and sharp or longer than ½ inch?
For needles short and sharp, your specimen is a giant sequoia.
For needles longer than ½”, go to……………..6
5. Are all the leaves short and sharp or are some leaves not sharp?
For leaves short and sharp, your specimen is a giant sequoia.
For leaves not all sharp, your specimen is a juniper.
6. Are the buds large and pointed or not large and pointed?
For large and pointed, your specimen is a Douglas fir.
For buds not large and pointed, your specimen is a yew.
7. Are leaves palmate or pinnate?
For palmate leaves, your specimen is a buckeye.
For pinnate leaves, your specimen is an ash.
8. Are the leaves lobed or not lobed?
For lobed leaves, your specimen is a maple.
For not lobed leaves, your specimen is a dogwood.
Classification Exam Key
1. d
2. Homo sapiens
3. a
4. d
5. b
6. d
7. d
8. b
9. d
10. b
11.Giant Sequoia
12. Ash
13. Possible answers checklist (Need two complete sets)
set a) Taxonomy, similar structures, name species
set b) Cladograms, derived characteristics, evolutionary history
set c) Phylogenies, genetics, evolutionary history (show
relationships)
set d) Dichotomous Keys, structures, ID specimens
14. Answer checklist: Must say something about losing toes/digits, must
say something about tracing evolutionary history from fossils to
current species, may mention cladograms or homologous
structures.
15. H
16. D
17. C
18. F
19. A
20. G
21. E
22. B
23. X in Vertebrae, two pairs of limbs
24. X in Vertebrae, two pairs of limbs, mammary glands, and placenta
25. X in Vertebrae, two pairs of limbs, mammary glands
26. X in Vertebrae
27. /Vertebrae, | Shark, /2 pair limbs, | Bullfrog, /Mammary glands, |
Kangaroo, /placenta, | Human.
28. Shark and human