The 3 Step Method for Data Representation

Test-Taking Challenges

The Biology EOC deals with raw scientific knowledge as well as complex scenarios and intricate data displayed in figures and tables. Some students may be overwhelmed by the volume of the visual data that is paired with reading passages. Frequently, there is information that is irrelevant to the questions, which can be distracting for even the most focused students.

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson, students will:

 Answer data representation passages by using Highlighting Keywords.

 Examine various forms of data representation by using the 3-Step Method.

 Make predictions about data by plotting new points in figures. Find the Keywords

Do Now

You and your friends have decided to go to Mexico. There are miles of beautiful beaches, you will be able to explore a new culture, you will see plenty of wildlife, and you will get to practice your Spanish. But what will you do once you are there? The library, the bookstore, and the Internet all feature a wealth of resources, but there are too many options to browse them all. You do not want to get guidebooks that are not helpful, or read information that is not useful to you. What techniques can you use to find information you need?

______

______Strategy Instruction

Find the Data

Although biology questions on the EOC may be about any topic, from car exhaust to oceanic shrimp, they are actually testing only a few skills. Fortunately, these are skills that you use every day when looking up information on the Internet, in a magazine, or in a bookstore.

Let’s say you want to find good vacation spots in Mexico. First, you might go to an Internet search engine and type in a few keywords, like “Mexico” and “vacation”. To decide what you want to read, you might skim the titles and select a page. Of course, the page might contain information you don’t need, so you would look for headings to find the information. Finally, you would read just the information you need. You don’t have to know anything about Mexico to do this search. And you don’t need to know anything about oceanic shrimp to take the Biology EOC.

In this lesson, you will learn how to think through common Biology EOC questions before you answer them. The 3-Step Method for Data Representation will help you answer questions in which you are presented with an array of data, multiple sources of information, and figure such as charts, tables, and diagrams.

The 3-Step Method for Data Representation

Step 1: Highlight keywords.

Step 2: Use the diagrams.

Step 3: Answer the question. Keywords Tell You What You Know

All questions have two sets of keywords. If you can locate both sets, you can often answer the question without even reading the passage above the diagram.

Highlighting Keywords

 What do you know?

Highlight the keywords that tell you what you know.

 What do you need?

Highlight the keywords that tell you what you need to find out.

What do you know?

“What you know” keywords tell you three things: Keep in Mind 1. The name of the diagram. “What you know” 2. The data points or trends that are known. definitions or 3. The titles of the column or axis for the known data point or trend. explanations of how an experiment works. They are words that provide you with information about useful results. Try It Out! “I Do”

Skim the introductory prompt below. Then underline the “What you know” keywords for the question that follows.

Scientists have been investigating the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration since about 800 AD. A graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over time is shown below.

1. If the trend on the above graph continues, which of the following animals would benefit?

______

Keywords Tell You What You Need Keep in Mind “What you need” keywords help you focus on the information you need and where it can be found. Often, if the “What What do you need? you know” “What you need” keywords tell you two important things: information 1. The label of a specific column, row, or axis in which the information can be found. describes a row, the 2. If the information you need is a data point or a trend. “what you need” information will Sometimes, there will not be a keyword directly telling you whether you are looking for a datadescribe point aor column. for a trend. However, if the “What you know” information is a data point, you are probably lookingThe for data a data point point. Similarly, if the “What you know” information is a trend, you are probably looking for wherea trend. they meet will often be the Try It Out! “I Do” answer. Scientists have been investigating the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration since about 800 AD. A graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over time is shown below. 1. If the trend on the above graph continues, which of the following animals would benefit?

Are you looking for a data point or a trend? ______Keyword Clues

There are several additional keywords that will give you more information about “What you know” or “What you need” to know. Becoming familiar with these vocabulary words will help you to recognize keywords, trends, and data points more quickly.

 Consistent implies that a trend follows the same pattern shown in the figure.

If the information below is consistent with the findings of ….

 Most likely indicates that you will be predicting a value beyond the range of the graph.

If the algae doubled, the amount of oxygen would most likely …..

 Expect sometimes indicates that you will be predicting a value beyond the range of the graph.

If the temperature dropped to 20⁰C, the frogs would be expected to ….

 Based on means that you will have to draw a conclusion from the data presented in the figure.

Based on the above data, what inference can most likely be made…

Try It Out! “I Do”

Highlight the “What you know” and “What you need” keywords in the questions below.

1. According to the table above, which antibiotic is likely to produce resistant strains in the greatest number of bacterial species?

2. Studies show that those antibiotics that are in highest use have the greatest risk of developing resistance from bacteria. Based on this information and the data in Studies 1 and 2, which antibiotic is most likely widely used in pigs? Guided Practice

 Read the introduction to determine the general focus of the question.

 Read a question and highlight the keywords.

 Use the keywords to select the correct headings from the correct diagram.

 Find the data point or summarize the trends.

 If the information is not in the table, read the text above the table.

Step 3: Answer the question.

 Match the information from the diagram to one of the answer choices.

 Check that the text you have underlined and your analysis of the diagram support your answer. Use the 3-Step Method for Data Representation to read the prompt and answer the questions.

“We Do”

1. A scientist was studying two different aquatic ecosystems located in Northern Florida. The ecosystems are detailed in the table below.

Using the information from the table above, which aquatic ecosystem probably consists of more organisms?

A. Aquatic ecosystem B can support more life because it is warmer and has shallower water. B. Aquatic ecosystem A can support more life because it is deeper than aquatic ecosystem B. C. Aquatic ecosystem A can support more life because it has more oxygen and circulating water. D. Aquatic ecosystem B can support more life because it has a higher salinity than aquatic ecosystem B. 2. A team of biologists studied how changes in climate affected the Columbia River king salmon population over a fifty-year period. Their findings are shown on the graphs below.

What climate conditions are prevalent during the period(s) of the lowest salmon populations?

A. Cool temperatures and high rainfall B. Warm temperatures and low rainfall C. Average temperatures and low rainfall D. Average temperatures and average rainfall Shared Practice Use the 3-Step Method for Data Representation to read the prompt and answer the questions.

“You Do Together”

1. A population of rabbits in an area of Northern Florida was monitored to learn more about the biotic and abiotic factors that affect the population size. The graph below shows data collected about the rabbit population size for 30 generations.

Based on the data above, what can be correctly stated about the rabbit population? A. More rabbits have immigrated than have emigrated. B. The number of deaths is greater than the number of births. C. Overcrowding and a lack of food restrict the population of rabbits. D. At the twentieth generation a lethal virus kills a majority of the rabbits. 2. In the Creek’s Cave Forest, hunting spiders spend most of their time on the bark of trees hunting their prey. In a population of spiders a range of body colors from lightest brown to darkest brown can be observed. The graph below shows the distribution of the Hunting spiders’ body color in 2011. The pie chart below shows the projected tree species distribution for the year 2190.

Based on the data table and graphs above, in which niche would you expect to find a medium colored spider?

A. Oak trees B. Pine trees C. Birch trees D. Maple trees 3. Based on the data table and the graphs above, which statement best predicts the change in body color of hunting spiders in the year 2190?

A. There will be an equal distribution of Hunting spider body color. B. The amount of light brown Hunting spiders will increase. C. The amount of dark brown Hunting spiders will increase. D. The dark brown Hunting spiders will become extinct.

Independent Practice “You Do Alone” 4. Fishermen introduced a species of fish into a lake that already contained a native fish species. The two species competed for the same resources, but the native species was more successful.

Which of the graphs above illustrates what happened to the two species of fish? A. Graph A B. Graph B C. Graph C D. Graph D 5. Scientists have been investigating the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration since about 800 AD. A graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over time is shown below.

If the trend on the above graph continues, which of the following animals would benefit?

A. The decrease in atmospheric CO2 would benefit the anaerobic cellular respiration of humans.

B. The increase in atmospheric CO2 would benefit the aerobic cellular respiration of cows.

C. The increase in atmospheric CO2 would benefit the photosynthesis of phytoplankton.

D. The decrease in atmospheric CO2 would benefit the reproduction of grasshoppers. Wrap It Up! Highlighting keywords to take the Biology EOC isn’t like highlighting text for other purposes. Explain how you can decide which words are Biology EOC keywords, and which ones are not. Tables and Figures

Do Now After two weeks of reading travel guides, browsing the Internet, and talking to people, you and your friends know a lot more about places to go in Mexico. You have decided to make two stops on your journey. First, you will visit the Lacandon Rainforest, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Then you will scuba dive around Cozumel Island for a few days while you visit your friends’ relatives and get a taste of Mexican culture.

The journey from the rainforest to Cozumel is about 500 miles – about the distance from Chicago to Memphis. You do some research into transportation methods, but you still must make a choice.

Transportation Cost Time Plane $400 2 hours Train $200 6 hours Bus $100 10 hours

What is the relationship between cost and time? Which method of transportation would you choose? Strategy Instruction

Using the Figures

Getting information from a figure is done in two parts. To choose the best method of transportation, you first recognized that the decision would be based upon the time and the cost. After you knew what to look for, you found the columns on the table that held that information and looked for trends. Then you used that information to make a decision.

The 3-Step Method for Data Representation uses the same process:

 Read the introduction to determine the general focus of the question.

 Check that the text you have underlined and your analysis of the diagram support your answer.

Lesson A was about Step 1: Highlight Keywords. We used this step to find out what information we need to get from a graph and where to find it. In this lesson, we will use those keywords in Step 2: Use the diagrams. Data Formats on the Biology EOC

There are two main formats that the Biology EOC uses for presenting data: line graphs and tables.

Line Graphs

Line graphs show change over time, or change on a continuous scale: Keep in Keep in Mind Mind Watch Watch out! There out! There may be a may be a Figure 1 Figure 1 and a and a Table 1 on Table 1 on the same Figure 1 the same page for page for the same the same experimen experimen t. Tables t. Tables may show sequential or non-sequential data. The Biology EOC often will not list data in increasing or decreasing order.

Figure 2

When approaching tables and figures on the Biology EOC, begin with the keywords from a question. First, find the table or figure, then find the column, row, or axis that matches the “What you know” keywords. Find the data point or trend that matches the “What you know” keywords, and put your finger or pencil point on it. Then find the column, row, or axis that matches the “What you need” keywords. Finally, use “What you know” and “What you need” to find the point or trend that answers the question.

Unfamiliar Data Formats on the Biology EOC

The Biology EOC also includes several graphical formats for presenting information that may be unfamiliar. However, you can read any type of graph by using the axes and labels to follow the same steps for simplier figures.

Scatter Plots Scatter plots show each data point seperately. Sometimes trends are found in clusters, or they may approximate lines.

Figure 3 Try It Out! “I Do”

Highlight keywords, and then use the figure to answer the questions.

1. The graph below shows the results of an action of the enzyme catalase on a piece of meat. Evidence of enzyme activity is indicated by bubbles of oxygen.

Which statement best summarizes the activity of catalase shown in the graph?

A. The enzyme works better at 10°C than at 50°C. B. The enzyme works better at 5°C than at 65°C. C. The enzyme works better at 35°C than at either temperature extreme. D. The enzyme works at the same level in all environments.

2. Diabetes is a disease characterized by consistently high blood glucose levels (at or above 126 mg/100 mL) as a result of hormone deficiency. For a study of diabetes, blood glucose levels from individual A and individual B were recorded each hour over a 5-hour period following a meal. The results are shown in the data table below.

Which individual most likely has diabetes? A. Individual A C. both Individuals A and B B. Individual B D. neither Individuals A nor B Working with Multiple Axes

Figures and tables on the Biology EOC often show several axes on the same graph. This saves space and allows several pieces of information to be shown together. Remember to find the correct axis and trend line before answering the question.

Line Graphs with Multiple Scales Line graphs may have units labeled on two y-axes or two x-axes. For these figures, it is necessary to use the key to determine which trend to look at. Then use the axes to determine which scale to use.

Figure 1

–3 Admissions Pollen / grains m to hospital 180 250 Admission per day 160 Total pollen per day

140 200

100 150

60 100

0 March April May June July August September October November

Figure 2 Tables with Multiple Sets of Data

Tables may also mix many types of information. In the table below, species of plant is the independent variable, while the characteristics of flowers, shape of leaves, number of chromosomes, and enzymes A-C are the dependent variables.

Figure 3

Highlight keywords; then use the information in the figure to answer the question below.

3. The graph below shows the birth rate and death rate for a population during the 1900s.

From 1900 to 2000, the population has A. increased. D. increased until 1930, then decreased. B. decreased. C. stayed the same. 4. The symptoms of asthma vary according to the time of year. A study was carried out in New York to determine if an increase in the amount of pollen in the air caused an increase in the number of asthma attacks. Over a period of 270 days, the number of people admitted to New York hospitals with asthma attacks was recorded. The graph below shows this data together with the pollen count. –3 Admissions Pollen / grains m to hospital 180 250 Admission per day 160 Total pollen per day

140 200

100 150

60 100

0 March April May June July August September October November

Identify the greatest number of hospital admissions in one day. ______5. A valuable medicine is obtained from a certain rare species of plant. Scientists are anxious to find another more abundant species of plant that is closely related to the rare one, and also produces the medicine. Two newly discovered plant species, A and B, were studied and compared to the rare one. The results of the study are shown in the table below.

Which newly discovered species is more closely related to the rare species? Support your answer.

______

______Guided Practice

 Read the introduction to determine the general focus of the passage.

 Check that the text you have underlined and your analysis of the diagram support your answer. Use the 3-Step Method for Data Representation to answer the questions.

“We Do” 1. In a particular ecosystem, squirrels make up a large portion of the diet of coyotes. A fatal disease in the squirrel population begins to reduce their population over a period of months. Which graph best represents the expected changes in population size of the coyotes and the squirrels?

C D 2. The graph below shows the effect of substrate concentration on the action of enzyme X. This enzyme is functioning at its optimal temperature, 36°C, and at its optimal pH, 5.5.

When the substrate concentration increases from 0.4% to 0.5%, the rate of the reaction

A. decreases B. increases C. remains the same D. increases, then decreases Shared Practice

Use the 3-Step Method for Data Representation to answer the questions.

“You Do Together” 1. The bar graph below shows the height of a plant at the end of each week of a five-week growth period.

Which statement represents a valid conclusion based on the information in the graph?

A. The plant was given water during the first three weeks, only. B. The plant will grow faster during the sixth week than it did during the fifth week. C. The plant grew fastest during the first three weeks, and then it grew slower. D. The plant grew slowest during the first three weeks, and then it grew faster. 2. Body weight is considered to be a risk factor for diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The Body Mass Index (BMI) chart can be used as a guide to determine if a person’s body weight puts them at risk for such diseases. A portion of this chart is shown below.

The BMI for a person who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds is between

A. 24 and 25 B. 25 and 26 C. 27 and 28 D. 29 and 30 3. A biology class conducted an experiment to determine the rate of respiration of yeast in bread dough at various temperatures. Bread dough will rise due to the production of carbon dioxide by the yeast present in the dough. An equal amount of dough was placed in the bottom of each of five graduated cylinders. Each cylinder was then placed in a different water bath to maintain a particular temperature. A diagram of the setup is shown below.

The amount of expansion of the dough in each cylinder was measured after 15 minutes. The results are shown in the data table below.

At which temperature did yeast cells produce the least amount of gas in 15 minutes? ______Independent Practice

“You Do Alone” 4. The graph below represents the growth of bacteria cultured at three different temperatures over a period of 24 hours.

Which statement concerning the rate of cell division in the bacteria culture is correct?

A. Cell division is most rapid at 37°C between 6 and 8 hours after it began. B. Cell division is most rapid at 25°C between 20 and 24 hours after it began. C. Cell division is most rapid at 18°C between 4 and 8 hours after it began. D. Cell division occurs at the same rate no matter what the temperature. 5. The graph below shows changes in the stability of an ecosystem over a period of time.

Which statement best describes the change in ecosystem stability shown in the graph?

A. A stable ecosystem can be altered, then it can recover to a point of stability. B. An ecosystem remains unchanged as its stability decreases. C. The stability of an ecosystem remains unchanged but its biodiversity decreases. D. A stable ecosystem cannot recover after it is altered. Wrap It Up! The first two steps of the 3-Step Method for Data Representation are written below. After each step, write one piece of advice you would give to someone trying to use the method for the first time.

 Read the introduction to determine the general focus of the passage.

Advice: ______

Advice: ______Review the strategies from Lesson A and B. Then fill in the blanks with what you have learned.

1. When looking for keywords, first find the ones that tell you “What you ______,” such as

axes, ______, and ______. Then look for “What you ______

keywords, which tell you where to find the information and if it is a ______or a

______.

2. When approaching a new question, you should always read the ______, but you do not

need to read the rest unless it is necessary to answer a question.

3. If the “What you know” keywords contain a data point, and the “What you need” keywords do not state

what you are looking for, you can assume that

______.

4. List two things that you should NOT underline when looking for “What you know” or “What you need”

keywords:

______

______Strategy Instruction Making Predictions Some Biology EOC questions will ask you to predict data based upon a trend. This may involve extending the trend beyond the highest or lowest data point available, or predicting a new point between two other points. If there are no lines in the area of the graph for which you are predicting data, use the edge of a sheet of paper to draw a straight line to connect the points and extend them beyond the edges of the graph.

Underline the keywords, then use the figure below to answer the questions. Remember to look for the keywords expect and most likely, which may indicate that you will be predicting the data point.

Crickets are cold-blooded organisms whose metabolic rate changes with the temperature. The diagram below gives the average number of cricket chirps per 15-second interval at different temperatures. s d n o c e s

s p r i h C

t e k c i r C Temperature (⁰C)

1. As the temperature increases to 41⁰C, crickets could be expected to chirp:

A. 50 times per 15 seconds B. 62 times per 15 seconds C. 67 times per 15 seconds D. 80 times per 15 seconds

2. In a separate study, crickets were observed to chirp 38 times per 15 seconds. Using the data in the figure, the temperature is most likely:

A. 24⁰C C. 27⁰C B. 26⁰C D. 64⁰C Test Practice 3 Step Method for Data Representation

Use the 3-Step Method for Data Representation to answer the questions alone.

1. The graph below shows data on human population growth.

The trend shown on the graph would most likely result in

A. a decreased demand for deforestation B. an increase in available freshwater C. a decrease in air pollution D. an increased demand for land use 2. The data table shows the number of fish species found at various ocean depths.

The approximate number of fish species that can be found at 120 meters is

A. 5 B. 13 C. 18 D. 31

3. The graph shows the number of species that became extinct from 1800 to 2000. It also shows estimates of the number of species that will become extinct between 2000 and 2020.

The number of species that became extinct between the years 1950 and 2000 is approximately

A. 5,000 B. 12,000 C. 22,000 D. 37,000

Average beak sizes of the seed-eating medium ground finch on one of the Galapagos Islands are shown in the diagram below. During wet years, all types of seeds are abundant. The medium ground finch prefers to eat small seeds that are easy to crush. However, during droughts (dry years), when small seeds are not as abundant, they eat the larger seeds on the island.

How might an extended period of drought influence the ground finch population?

A. The birds with smaller beaks would be more numerous. B. The birds with larger beaks would be more numerous. C. Drought decreases seed availability, but has no influence on the ground finch. D. Drought increases seed availability, and all ground finches would be more numerous. 4. The percent of DNA that species A has in common with species B, C, D, and E are shown in the graph below.

Which statement is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this graph?

A. Species A is closely related to species B, but is not related to species E. B. Fewer mutations have occurred in species B and C than in species A. C. Species A and E have the greatest similarity in protein structure. D. Environment influences the rate of evolution.