AP Biology Science Practices and Levels
Guide for Teachers
The practices of science are a good set of skills for students to develop. These inquiry-based skills help
students model the work of scientists and allow for more authentic investigations. In addition, they help
students develop the critical thinking needed to be part of the 21st century workforce. The practices of
science as defined by the College Board’s AP Biology Curriculum Framework are:
1. The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and
solve scientific problems.
2. The student can use mathematics appropriately.
3. The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations
within the context of the AP course.
4. The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular
scientific question.
5. The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
6. The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
7. The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and
representations in and across domains.
AP Biology Curriculum Framework, p. 97
Students do not come to the classroom with an understanding of how to carry out these practices,
however. It is important to scaffold their learning related to the practices so that they are able to
deepen their understanding and develop proficiency in each of the seven practices.
The AP Biology Science Practices and Levels chart is designed to help you analyze the level of each of the
practices in a given experience. The chart is formatted to be printed on 11” x 17” paper. On the chart,
there is a row for each of the practices. Within each row, there is a description for the different levels of
inquiry described on pages T1-2 of AP Biology: Investigative Labs: confirmation, structured, guided, and
open. By carefully considering a lab investigation or other classroom experience, you can score each of
the practices to determine which level of inquiry is met through the experience. It is important to score
the practices first based on what is actually a part of the experience, not what you could do with the
experience.
Once you have scored the investigation or experience, consider where students are in their learning
about the practices. If it is early in the school year and students have not done a lot of work on the
practices, they will likely not be successful with a lab that has all seven practices at an open inquiry level.
This might be a goal for the end of the school year.
To help better support students, choose one or two practices that you would like to focus on for the
experience. Think about how to scaffold their learning related to those practices and how you might
allow them time to work on those in a more guided or open manner. Because the other practices will be
in the background, you might keep those more at a confirmation or structured level. This not only allows
students to focus on the particular skills you want them to develop, but also saves time in the classroom.
In a future investigation, you might wish to continue working on the same practices or help students
develop a different practice. By the end of the year, they should be proficient in all of the practices so
you can help them with more open inquiry-based investigations.
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By taking a few minutes to use the Practices and Levels chart to score an investigation before using it in
the classroom, you will find that you can be more purposeful about the way students learn and develop
their skills. This type of analysis will allow you to not only focus on the different practices at appropriate
times, but also consider how to help students move along the continuum of levels as they learn more.
References
The College Board. (2012a). AP Biology Course and Exam Description. Retrieved from
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/2012advances/AP-Biology_CED_Fall2012.pdf.
The College Board. (2012b). AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach. Retrieved from
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/biomanual/CB_Bio_FULL_MANUAL_WEB_2_8_12_dk.pdf.
Copyright © 2014 BSCS, www.bscs.org
AP BIOLOGY SCIENCE PRACTICES AND LEVELS OF INQUIRY
LEVEL OF INQUIRY
AP BIOLOGY
SCIENCE PRACTICE
Similar to*
1. The student can use
representations & models
to communicate scientific
phenomena and solve
scientific problems
2. The student can use
mathematics
appropriately
NGSS 2
3. The student can engage
in scientific questioning
to extend thinking or
guide investigations
NGSS 1
EF 5
Strand 2 & 4
NGSS 5
Strand 2
EF 1
Strand 1 & 2
4. The student can plan &
implement data collection
strategies appropriate to
a particular scientific
question
NGSS 3
5. The student can perform
data analysis &
evaluation of evidence
NGSS 4
EF 2
Strand 2
EF 2
Strand 2
6. The student can work
with scientific
explanations and
theories
NGSS 6/7
EF 3
Strand 1
7. The student is able to
connect and relate
knowledge across
various scales, concepts,
& representations in and
across domains
EF
Strand 1
CONFIRMATION (A)
Student provided or given resource, as well as
step-by-step instructions in using the
resource.
Student provided with representations and
models, and shown how using them can solve
scientific problems and help communicate about
science phenomena.
STRUCTURED INQUIRY (B)
Student provided resource, or given specific
guidance for developing or using resource,
and general guidance in using resource by
asking leading questions (short of step-bystep instructions).
Student provided with representations and
models, and then guided in using them for
solving scientific problems and communicating
about science phenomena.
GUIDED INQUIRY (C)
Student coached to develop or use resource, by
probing to clarify thinking or asking openended questions that helps student think about
what is needed in the resource. Student is able
to use the resource with little or no support.
Student coached to create own representations and
models, and then uses them for solving scientific
problems and communicating about science
phenomena.
Student independently creates and uses
representations and models for solving scientific
problems and communicating about science
phenomena.
Student provided with appropriate mathematical
routines, as well as step-by-step instructions for
applying them to solve problems, describe natural
phenomena, and make predictions.
Student provided with appropriate mathematical
routines, and then given guidelines for applying
them to solve problems, describe natural
phenomena, and make predictions.
Student coached to identify appropriate
mathematical routines, and then can apply them to
solve problems, describe natural phenomena, and
make predictions.
Student independently identifies and applies
appropriate mathematical routines to solve
problems, describe natural phenomena, and
make predictions.
Student provided with scientific question to
investigate, as well as an explanation of how it is
amenable to experimental approaches and can be
addressed using evidence. Student is given the
distinctions between this type of question and
those that are ethical, social, or teleological in
nature.
Student is provided with a plan for collecting the
data needed to address a scientific question
(including the controls, resources needed, and
protocols to follow). Student collects the
appropriate data.
Student provided with scientific questions to
investigate and asked to evaluate them in terms
of how amenable they are to experimental
approaches and how they can be addressed
using evidence. Student guided in distinguishing
these questions from questions that are ethical,
social, or teleological in nature.
Student guided in identifying the data needed to
address a scientific question and provided with
guidelines for designing a plan for collecting the
data (including identifying controls, resources
needed, and protocols to follow). Student
collects the appropriate data.
Student provided guidelines for analyzing data
and identifying patterns or relationships, and
then determines whether the evidence supports
a conclusion. Student guided in evaluating the
evidence provided by the data, including
sources of error.
Student given guidelines for justifying claims
with evidence and for constructing explanations
of phenomena based on evidence. Student
guided in using evidence and reasoning to
evaluate alternative scientific explanations.
Student coached in posing and refining scientific
questions to investigate that are amenable to
experimental approaches and can be addressed
using evidence. Student prompted to evaluate
scientific questions using these criteria, and to
distinguish them from questions that are ethical,
social, or teleological in nature.
Student identifies the data needed to address a
scientific question and is coached in designing a
plan for collecting the data (including identifying
controls, resources needed, and protocols to
follow). Student collects the appropriate data.
Student independently poses and refines
scientific questions to investigate that are
amenable to experimental approaches and can
be addressed using evidence. Student can also
evaluate scientific questions using these criteria,
and can distinguish them from questions that are
ethical, social, or teleological in nature.
Student identifies the data needed to address a
scientific question, and independently designs a
plan for collecting the data (including identifying
controls, resources needed, and protocols to
follow). Student collects the appropriate data.
Student coached in how to analyze data and then
identifies patterns or relationships, and determines
whether the evidence supports a conclusion.
Student prompted to evaluate the evidence
provided by the data, including sources of error.
Student independently analyzes data, identifies
patterns or relationships, and determines
whether the evidence supports a conclusion.
Student evaluates the evidence provided by the
data, including sources of error.
Student justifies claims with evidence and is
coached in constructing explanations of
phenomena based on evidence. Student prompted
to use evidence and reasoning to evaluate
alternative scientific explanations.
Student independently justifies claims with
evidence, constructs explanations of phenomena
based on evidence, and uses evidence and
reasoning to evaluate alternative scientific
explanations.
Student guided in connecting phenomena and
concepts across differing scales and domains to
explanations that traverse enduring
understandings.
Student coached in connecting phenomena and
concepts across differing scales and domains to
explanations that traverse enduring
understandings.
Student independently connects phenomena and
concepts across differing scales and domains to
explanations that traverse enduring
understandings.
Student provided with instructions for analyzing
data and explanation of the patterns or
relationships revealed by the data. Student shown
how to determine whether evidence supports a
conclusion and how to evaluate the evidence
provided by the data, including sources of error.
Student provided with claim and asked to identify
evidence that justifies claim. Student provided
explanation of phenomena based on evidence
and example of how evidence and reasoning are
used to evaluate alternative scientific
explanations.
Student given connections from phenomena and
concepts across differing scales and domains to
explanations that traverse enduring
understandings.
OPEN INQUIRY (D)
Student independently develops or uses
resource, with minimal or no coaching; and
does not need support to use the resource.
*NGSS = Next Generation Science Standards Science Practices (NRC, 2012); EF = Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry (NRC, 2000); Strands = Taking Science to School (Michaels, Shouse, & Schweingruber, 2008), Strands of Science Learning (NRC, 2007)
Michaels, S., Shouse, A. W., & Schweingruber, H. A. (2008). Ready, Set, Science!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms. Board on Science Education, Center for Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Committee on Development of an Addendum to the National Science Education Standards on Scientific Inquiry. Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National Research Council. (2007). Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8. Committee on Science Learning, Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade. Richard A. Duschl, Hedi A. Schweingruber, and Andrew W. Shouse, Editors. Board of Science Education, Center for
Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National Research Council. (2012). A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and
Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Copyright © 2012 BSCS
Permission granted for personal educational use. All other rights reserved. Contact Stacey Luce, BSCS, sluce@bscs.org to request additional permission.