In this 40-minute extended task, students help plan a new recreation area for a town using a small portion of an existing wildlife area. Students evaluate the potential impact that various locations of the recreation area would have on the population of the meadow vole and other animals. By the end of the task, students make a recommendation for the best placement of the new park.

Below are the questions, your answers, and the scoring criteria for each of the questions in this task. Use the navigation on the left to return to browsing the site or to take another task.

According to the information card, in which habitat would you expect to find a meadow vole?

A. Forest
B. Meadow
C. Wetland

Your answer:  

Sample Complete Student Response: 

(A) Forest, (B) Meadow, (C) Wetland

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects all three habitats.

Partial:
Student response selects two habitats.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect: 
Student response is inadequate.

According to the information card, which organism(s) would you expect the Meadow Vole to eat?

A. Black Rat Snake
B. Grasshopper
C. Wildflowers
D. Oak leaves

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

(C) Wildflowers, (D) Oak leaves

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects only (C) Wildflowers and (D) Oak leaves.

Partial:
Student response selects only (C) Wildflowers

OR

Student response selects only (D) Oak leaves.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Did student click on the Meadow Vole information card while answering Questions 1 and 2?

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student clicks on the Meadow Vole information card while answering both Questions 1 and 2.

Partial:
Student clicks on the Meadow Vole information card while answering Question 1.

OR

Student clicks on the Meadow Vole information card while answering Question 2.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:

Student does not click on the Meadow Vole information card while answering Questions 1 and 2.

Place the Barred Owl and Wildflowers in the food web

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

Owl at the top, wildflowers to grasshopper and rabbit

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student correctly places the Barred Owl and Wildflowers in the food web.

Partial:
Student correctly places the Barred Owl in the food web.

OR

Student correctly places the Wildflowers in the food web.

OR

Student correctly places the Barred Owl and Wildflowers in the correct trophic levels, but in the wrong locations.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Draw arrows to and from the Meadow Vole to complete this food web.

Your answer:  

Sample Complete Student Response: 

1) meadow vole to owl 2) meadow vole to snake 3) wildflowers to meadow vole 4) tree to meadow vole

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student correctly draws all four arrows to and from the Meadow Vole.

Satisfactory:
Student correctly draws three arrows and no incorrect arrows are drawn.

Essential:
Student correctly draws two arrows and no incorrect arrows are drawn.

Partial:
Student correctly draws one arrow and no incorrect arrows are drawn.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

According to the food web, which organisms are eaten by the Red-Backed Salamander? (Select all that apply).

A. Barred Owl
B. Black Rat Snake
C. Common Yellow Throat Bird
D. Grasshopper
E. Wildflowers

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

(D) Grasshopper

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects (D) Grasshopper only.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

According to the food web, which organisms eat the Cottontail Rabbit? (Select all that apply.)

A. Barred Owl
B. Black Rat Snake
C. Common Yellow Throat Bird
D. Grasshopper
E. Wildflowers

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

(A) Barred Owl, (B) Black Rat Snake

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects (A) Barred Owl and (B) Black Rat Snake only.

Partial: Student response selects (A) Barred Owl only.

OR

Student response selects (B) Black Rat Snake only.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Suppose there is a large decline in the population of Barred Owls. What would you expect to happen to the population of Meadow Voles? Use the food web to explain why this might happen.

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

The population of Meadow Voles would increase because the Barred Owl is one of their main predators. If the predators' populations decline, then the population of the prey would increase because the predators do not have a large enough population to eat as much preys as they could before.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response explains that the vole population will increase because there will be fewer owls to eat the voles.

OR

Student response explains that the vole population will decrease, and describes a correct feeding relationship that includes the vole and its predators (owls, snakes) or its food supply (trees, grasses and wildflowers). For example, since there are fewer owls to eat the snakes, there will be more snakes to eat the voles; since there are fewer owls to eat the grasshoppers, there will be more grasshoppers to eat the voles’ food (trees, grasses and wildflowers).

OR

Student response explains that the vole population will remain the same because, although there will be fewer owls to eat the voles, there will be more snakes to eat the voles.

Partial:
Student response explains that the loss of the owls will result in an increase, decrease, or no change in the vole population, but provides an incomplete feeding relationship.

OR

Student response describes a correct feeding relationship that includes the vole and its predators or its food supply but does not indicate whether the vole population will increase, decrease, or stay the same.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is incorrect or inadequate.

Suppose the population of Cottontail Rabbits is removed. Could this have an effect on the population of Meadow Voles?

A. Yes
B. No

Your answer:

If yes, use the food web to explain the possible effects.
If no, use the food web to explain why there would be no effect.

Sample Complete Student Response:

Selection: Yes
Explanation: If the population of Cottontail Rabbits was removed, there would be an affect on the population of Meadow Voles because snakes and owls are their predators. Therefore, a lack of Cottontail Rabbits would ensure that the predators would eat more of the Meadow Voles, decreasing their population.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects Yes and explains that the vole population could decrease since there are fewer rabbits for predators (snakes, owls) to eat, the predators will eat more voles.

OR

Student response selects Yes, and explains that the vole population could increase since there are fewer rabbits to eat the voles’ food source (trees, grasses and wildflowers), the voles will have more food to eat.

OR

Student response selects No, and explains that there could be no change in the vole population because although more food (trees, grasses and wildflowers) is available to voles, more voles will be eaten by predators (snakes, owls).

Partial:
Student response selects Yes or No, and provides a correct feeding relationship between the vole (rabbit) and its predators or prey without connecting the vole and the rabbit.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is incorrect or inadequate.

How can the food web be used to make predictions about the effects of the location of the recreation area on the populations of Meadow Voles and other organisms in the wildlife area?

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

The location of the recreation center will definitely get rid of the homes of many Meadow Voles. Since the voles live in wetlands, woodlands AND meadows, either way the plan will take a toll on it. The Meadow Vole also happens to be the prey of a lot of animals. These predators will also be effected. For example, one of the voles predators are snakes. If a lot of Meadow Voles lose their home and die, then the snakes will not have part of their diet and will thus have to eat more of their other prey. This will lead to a decrease in population of other animals the predators of the vole feed on.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response indicates the food web shows feeding relationships among organisms in the wildlife area by providing a correct explanation that consists of three parts:

• Describes how the loss of a food source for one organism can lead to the decline (elimination) of the organism.
• Describes how the decline of the organism can affect the population of its predator or prey.
• Describes how a change in the population of its predator or prey can affect the population of the organism consumed by the predator or consuming the prey.

For example, the food web indicates the voles eat trees, grasses and wildflowers. Without adequate food, the population of voles will decline leaving less food for owls and causing a decline in the population of owls.

Partial:
Student response provides an incomplete explanation that describes the loss/decrease of one organism but fails to specify that the organism is either food to (or predator of) the next organism in the food chain or carry the effect to an organism on one additional (trophic) level of the food web.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Use the information about various organisms (plants and animals) to explain the changes in the population of Barred Owls and Red-Backed Salamanders shown in the graph you created. (You may want to view the information cards and/or the food web before answering the question.) If you saved your graph, you can view it again by clicking on “VIEW GRAPHS.”

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

The populations of the Barred Owls and Red-Backed Salamanders will decrease. The Barred Owl population will decrease because they use natural tree holes or abandoned nests in the forest to create their habitat. The Red-Backed Salamanders population will decrease because they create their habitat under rocks logs and dead leaves in the forest.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response provides a complete explanation that consists of 4 parts:

• Indicates that the owl population will decline (by 25%).
• Indicates that the forest is the owl’s major habitat (owls live in deep moist forests, use natural tree holes).
• Indicates that the salamander population will decline (by 24%).
• Indicates that the forest is the salamander’s major habitat (salamanders lay eggs under fallen logs, dead trees).

Essential:
Student response addresses three parts of a correct explanation.

Partial:
Student response addresses one or two parts of a correct explanation.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Did the student view data in the data table or graphs while answering Question #10?

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student viewed both the data table and graphs while answering Question 10.

OR

Student viewed the data table only, not the graphs, while answering Question 10.

OR

Student viewed the graphs only, not the data table, while answering Question 10.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student did not view either the data table or graphs.

Did the student open Barred Owl and Red-Backed Salamander information cards while answering Question #10?

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student opens both the Barred Owl and Red-Backed Salamander information cards while answering Question 10.

Partial:
Student opens the Barred Owl information card while answering Question 10.

OR

Student opens the Red-Backed Salamander information card while answering Question 10.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student did not open either the Barred Owl or Red-Backed Salamander information card.

The Save the Meadow Vole Society is eager to receive your recommendation for the location of the recreation area.
Select the location of the recreation area that you recommend.

A. Forest
B. Meadow
C. Wetland

What effect will locating the recreation area where you have recommended have on the Meadow Vole population?

Explain why that effect will occur.

Be sure to describe specifically which sources can be used to support your explanation (including material from the information cards, information from the food web, simulation results from the data table, and graphs of the simulation results).

Your answer:
Your explanation:

Sample Complete Student Response:

Selection: (A) Forest
Explanation: If you were to build the recreation area in the forest the Meadow Vole population will increase. The population will increase about 20%. The increase in this population will come because there are less predators to the voles then before. The owl population will decrease about 25% and they are the vole's biggest predators. If the forest was selected as the place to build the recreation area the owl population will severely decrease. This species population will decrease about 25% because the owls live in the trees of the forest. Also a lot of the food the owls eat will be gone because their population also has decreased.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects (A) Forest, indicates that the vole population would be expected to increase (by approximately 22%), and explains the increase is based on feeding relationships in the food web. Since owls are a major predator of voles, the decline of the owl population would cause the vole population to increase.

Partial:
Student response selects (A) Forest, and provides an incomplete explanation.

OR

Student response selects (C) Wetland, and explains that the vole population in the wetland would not decrease as much as if the recreation area were located in the meadow.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Select a graph to support the explanation in Question #11.

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Graph includes only the Meadow Vole in all three habitats.

OR

Graph includes all animals in all three habitats.

OR

Graph includes the Meadow Vole in all three habitats, plus any other animals.

Partial:
Graph includes Meadow Vole in habitat selected in Question 11 and one other habitat.

OR

Graph includes Meadow Vole in habitat selected in Question 11 only.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Graph includes other combinations of animals and habitats.

Another group, the Save the Barred Owl Society, has read your recommendation to the Save the Meadow Vole Society. They want you to evaluate the effect of your recommendation on the Barred Owl population.

Consider the location for the recreation area that you recommended to the Save the Meadow Vole Society. What effect would there be on the Barred Owl population if that location were chosen for the recreation area? Explain why that effect will occur.

Be sure to describe specifically which sources can be used to support your explanation (including material from the information cards, information from the food web, simulation results from the data table, and graphs of the simulation results).

Your answer:

Sample Complete Student Response: 

If you were to build the recreation area in the forest the Meadow Vole population will increase. The population will increase about 20%. The increase in this population will come because there are less predators to the voles then before. The owl population will decrease about 25% and they are the vole's biggest predators. If the forest was selected as the place to build the recreation area the owl population will severely decrease. This species population will decrease about 25% because the owls live in the trees of the forest. Also a lot of the food the owls eat will be gone because their population also has decreased.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response selects (A) Forest for the location of the recreation area in Question 11. Student response explains that the owl population will decline or decrease by 25% because the forest location would result in the loss of the owls' primary habitat (based on the information cards).

OR

Student response selects (B) Meadow for the location of the recreation area in Question 11. Student response explains that the owl population will decline or decrease by 13% because the meadow location would result in the loss of food sources for the owl (voles, snakes, rabbits, birds, grasshoppers, based on the information cards).

OR

Student response selects (C) Wetland for the location of the recreation area in Question 11. Student response explains that the owl population will decline or decrease by 13% because the wetland location would result in the loss of food sources for the owl (voles, snakes, rabbits, birds, grasshoppers, based on the information cards).

Partial:
Student response selects (A) Forest, (B) Meadow, or (C) Wetland for the location of the recreation area in Question 11, and explains the correct effect on the owl population. The response does not explain how the owl uses the habitat.

OR

Student response selects (A) Forest, (B) Meadow, or (C) Wetland for the location of the recreation area in Question 11, and correctly explains how the owl uses that habitat. The response does not explain the effect on the owl population.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Did the student view data in the data table or graphs while answering Question 12?

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student viewed both the data table and graphs while answering Question 12.

OR

Student viewed the data table only, not the graphs, while answering Question 12.

OR

Student viewed the graphs only, not the data table, while answering Question 12.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student did not view either the data table or graphs.

If you consider the populations of both the Meadow Vole and the Barred Owl, what location would you recommend for the recreation area?

A. Forest
B. Meadow
C. Wetland

Your answer:

Explain your reasoning.

Your explanation:

Sample Complete Student Response:

Selection: (C) Wetland
Explanation: I chose the wetland if I were considering both populations, because even though they both go down, its the least effect on both of them. If I did forest, the vole would increase in pop. but the owl would decrease severely. If I did meadow then they would both decrease, more than wetland. So the best choice taking in consideration of both populations would be wetlands.

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student response indicates (C) Wetland, and provides a complete explanation that correctly addresses the effects on the owl and vole populations if the recreation area is in the forest, meadow, and wetland.

Partial:
Student response indicates (C) Wetland, and provides an explanation that compares the effects of the owl and vole populations in two different locations.

OR

Student response indicates (C) Wetland, and provides a general explanation that includes correct information about the effects of the owl and vole populations in one location.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student response is inadequate or incorrect.

Did the student view data in the data table or graphs while answering Question 13?

Your answer:

Scoring Guide

Complete:
Student viewed both the data table and graphs while answering Question 13.

OR

Student viewed the data table only, not the graphs, while answering Question 13.

OR

Student viewed the graphs only, not the data table, while answering Question 13.

Unsatisfactory/Incorrect:
Student did not view either the data table or graphs.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.