IS2 Midterm REVIEW GUIDE
Below are listed some Key Topics or terms to aid in focusing your study time.
More topics then these may appear on the exam but these are a good place
to start.
Check each box as
you review the concept
Book: Level 2/ Chapter 1
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Be able to explain the process of scientific inquiry and the use of alternative explanation (steps of the
scientific method and how they are used
Be able to explain how to write a good conclusion and interpretation for lab data
Explain what a control group is and how is used; know how this is different from the controlled variables
in an experiment
Book: Level 2/ Chapter 13
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How to do unit conversions
Be able to discuss the rate of plate
movement
Be able to explain how mountains for at
continent/continent convergent zones
Be able to calculate the rate of uplift from
geological data such as the age of successive
coral terraces
Be able to discuss have uplift and
weathering/eroding interact in mountain
building
Theory of plate tectonics
Mantle
Plates
Oceanic crust
Continental crust
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Continental drift
Convergent zones
Divergent zones
Transform zone
Subducted
subduction zone
Trenches
Volcanic arc
Mid-oceanic ridge
Be able to explain what a convection cell is
and how it causes plate movement
Be able to explain what a hot spot is
Be able to explain why we see the speciation
patterns that exist in the fossil record for
North and South America
Book: Level 2/ Chapter 6
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Explain why how the order of rock layers
can be used in dating
Be able to explain and use radioactive decay
to date objects.
Explain how competition affects an
organisms chance to survive and how this
may influence the composition of a
community of organisms over successive
generations.
Be able to explain the historical
development of evolutionary theory.
Bea able to explain what natural selection is
Be able to explain on what “scale” evolution
occurs.
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Know what a common ancestor refers to
Half life
Daughter element
Parent element
Radioactive decay curve
Book: Level 2/ Chapter 6
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Adaptations
Extinct
Selective pressure
Explain what is important about Galapagos
finches
IS2 Midterm REVIEW GUIDE
Book: Level 2/ Chapter 7
You only need to review for those topic we finished covering this semester
the unit will be concluded in Semester 2
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How are traits passed from one generation to
another generation?
Why do members of the same family have
different traits?
Way are some traits hidden on one
generation and expressed in the next
generation?
What can we learn from our understanding
of inheritance patterns?
Be able to explain how to make and use a
punnet square.
S trains
Be able to explain crosses
Be able to discuss the significance of Gregor
Mendel and his experiments
Be able to discuss the similarity’s and
differences between meiosis and mitosis as
well as their role in sexual and asexual
reproduction
Be able to explain
Allele
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Recessive
Dominant
Genotype
Phenotype
Genes
Homozygous
Heterozygous
Hybrids
DNA
Autosomes
Chromosomes
Sex chromosomes
Be able to make and read a pedigree
Be able to explain how blood typing works
Zygote
Embryo
haploid
diploid
Be able to explain how genes are sorted
Sex linked traits
Scientific Method
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Know how to write a hypothesis
Know what an alternate hypothesis is
Know the difference between a causal and a descriptive question (be able to provide examples)
Know the if..and…then pattern for deductive reasoning
be able to construct a lab flowchart (notes on SharePoint)
Be able to identify the key elements of a given experimental design
Know how to write a prediction
Be able to design an experiment
Know how to write a conclusion (and what the necessary elements are for a well-written conclusion)
Know what is meant by a correlation between variables (direct and indirect)
Define and be able to compare/contrast/provide an example of the following terms: hypothesis, theory and
law?
What elements make a scientific investigation “scientific”?
Sample Questions
Chapter 1:Investigations by Design
1. Be able to write a hypothesis.
2. Write a sentence that correctly includes the terms variable, control, and constant (i.e. controlled variables).
3. What criteria is needed to make a scientific investigation valid?
4. What is a null hypothesis?
5. Construct a pre lab flowchart – include labels
6. Identify questions that are scientifically testable.
IS2 Midterm REVIEW GUIDE
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What are the key parts of a scientific report?
What are the steps of scientific inquiry (page 26, Figure 1.10)?
Identify the key elements of an experimental design.
How do you write a prediction?
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?
Be able to design an experiment.
Know how to write a conclusion (and what the necessary elements are for a well-written conclusion).
Know what is meant by a correlation between variables (direct and indirect).
Chapter 13:Time for Change
Scaling up to Mountainous change/Rates of Plates
15. What is meant by the term velocity?
16. Be able to calculate the uplift rate (velocity) from the calculated distance a continental plate moves in a given
time period, from a given rate of plate movement calculate the distance moved.
17. Calculate the time it would take for a given plate to move given a constant velocity.
18. What is the erosion half life of a mountain. What factors might affect the erosion half life of a given mountain?
19. Determine the uplift of a given mountain given the uplift rate.
20. What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics.
21. Draw and label a cross section of the Earth, identify the inner core, outer core, mantle continental crust and
oceanic crust.
22. How does the oceanic crust compare to continental crust in terms of density?
23. Describe the three types of plate boundaries and the geologic formations that occur at those boundaries.
24. What is a subduction zone?- give an example of local plates that form a subduction zone.
25. What is an island (volcanic) arc- give an example.
26. What is a rift valley?..A trench?- Examples?
27. What is the relationship between mid ocean ridges and tectonic plate movement?
28. What geologic process is responsible for continental plate movement?
29. Given a specific velocity predict the distance or time required for a plate to move.
Building Bridges
30. How is plate movement related to the distribution of various species?
31. What is an endemic species?
Chapter 6:
Unity and Diversity
32. For figure 6.2 what are the similarities and differences in the arm bone structure for the 7 organisms shown?
How do these similarities and differences affect the way an organism survives in its environment?
33. What do you think scientists mean when they talk about the unity and diversity of life on Earth?
Gifts from the past:
34. Explain what the law of superposition is and be able to provide an example that illustrates this law.
35. Be able to use deductive reasoning to make inferences about stratigraphy of a rock formation in terms of the
sequence in which that formation was created.
36. What is the difference between relative and absolute dating? Give an example of each.
37. What kinds of information can you learn from a study of rock layers (stratigraphy)?
38. How are fossils formed? What environments are fossils formed in?
39. What are living fossils, give an example to illustrate your understanding.
40. Be able to make inferences about the fossils and rock layers shown in figure 6.9.
41. Given a particular fossil be able to make reasonable inferences about the organism’s environment.
42. How does the fossil record provide evidence of change across time?
Clocks in rocks:
43. Be able to explain what radiometric dating is.
IS2 Midterm REVIEW GUIDE
44. Describe the process of radiometric dating using the following terms: isotope, parent/daughter isotope/element,
radioactive decay and half life.
45. What are the limitations of carbon dating?
46. What are some of the common isotopes used for radiometric dating and what are the parent half-lives?
47. When given class data from a simulation of parent-daughter decay be able to graph the decay pattern of these
isotopes and be able to determine the time for one half life to elapse using this graph. Be able to show your
work!
48. Where would you expect to find rocks with radioactive isotopes? How do fossils, rock layers and radiometric
dating techniques work together to provide evidence for change across time?
Who will survive?
49. Be able to write a results and conclusion for your group’s data 9or a data set provided) and be able to write
highlight statements for a graph of this data.
50. For this simulation be able to answer the following questions:
a) Do some prey survive better than others?
b) What do you think would cause some prey to survive better than others?
c) What do you think will happen to the prey population across time?
Bird beaks:
51. Use class data to write a conclusion for the bird beak simulation.
52. Which bird in this simulation would have the greatest chance of survival if… there was flooding and only water
bugs were left?...there was a drought and only seeds were left.
53. How does variation in the predator population affect the foods the organism can eat?
54. How might the variation be an advantage or disadvantage to the predator?
55. How does the survival of members of a population affect the makeup of that population?
56. What might cause a population of organisms within a species to change over time? List 3 causes.
Learning about life : a great discovery
57. How does change occur in organisms across populations over time?
58. Be able to define and provide examples of key concepts such as adaptation, natural selection, selective pressure,
descent with modification.
59. What level of biological level of organization is evolution thought to occur at?
60. How does one species survive better than another because of its characteristics, not of just one individual, but
across the entire population of that species?
61. Give examples of types of evidence that Darwin gathered to develop the theory of evolution.
62. Give at least three types- e.g. developmental/embryonic similarities……..
63. What insights into the process of evolution did the Grants provide? (pg. 324-325)
Chapter 7: Tracking Traits (Genetics) You only need to review for those topic we finished
covering this semester the unit will be concluded in Semester 2
How Do We Get Our Traits?
64. Who was Gregor Mendel? What contributions did he make to the field of Genetics?
65. Provide evidence that supports the particulate explanation of genetics over the blending explanation of
inheritance.
All About Alleles
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What are monohybrid crosses? Be able to solve monohybrid type problems.
What is a chromosome? How many chromosomes do most humans have? What is a karyotype?
What is a gene? What is meant by the locus/loci of a gene? What is an allele?
What do the following terms mean: (draw a Punnett square to illustrate your understanding of these genetics
terms)
a) Punnett square
IS2 Midterm REVIEW GUIDE
b) homozygous dominant/recessive
c) heterozygous
d) P-generation
e) F1generation
f) F2 generation
g) phenotype
h) genotype
i) hybrid (not the car)
j) test cross.70. What is a dihybrid cross? - Know how to do dihybrid type problems
71. What ratio to you get when you cross two parents that are heterozygous for two different (unlinked) traits?
72. What are sex-linked traits? Why are these traits disproportionate between the sexes of a species?
73. Compare and contrast autosomes and sex chromosomes.
74. Know how to do sex-linked type problems.
75. What are some examples of sex-linked disorders?
76. Know how to do multiple allele-type problems (like blood type).
Inheritance Patterns
77. Know what a pedigree chart is and how make inferences using a pedigree chart
78. Genetics questions for baby lab are all "fair game"-know terms such as polygenic traits, epistasis , n, 2n,
haploid, diploid, genotype, phenotype..etc
79. Be able to compare the processes of mitosis to the process of meiosis
a) What is the biological function of each biological process?
b) How many daughter cells are produced?
c) How does the number of chromosomes compare between the parent cell and the daughter cells?
80. What are the steps in meiosis?
81. How does meiosis contribute to biological diversity?
82. How are gametes different than body cells?
83. How does mitosis contribute to continuity in cells?