Wisconsin's High School
Graduation Test

The eligible content standards are taken from Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards. These are the standards that students are responsible for on the High School Graduation Test.

Science

A. Science Connections

  1. Apply the underlying themes of science to develop defensible visions of the future
  2. Show how conflicting assumptions about science themes lead to different opinions and decisions about evolution, health, population, longevity, education, and use of resources, and show how these opinions and decisions have diverse effects on an individual, a community, and a country, both now and in the future
  3. Give examples that show how partial systems, models, and explanations are used to give quick and reasonable solutions that are accurate enough for basic needs
  4. Construct arguments that show how conflicting models and explanations of events can start with similar evidence
  5. Show how the ideas and themes of science can be used to make real-life decisions about careers, work places, life-styles, and use of resources
  6. Identify and, using evidence learned or discovered, replace inaccurate personal models and explanations of science-related events
  7. Re-examine the evidence and reasoning that led to conclusions drawn from investigations, using the science themes

B. Nature of Science

  1. Show how cultures and individuals have contributed to the development of major ideas in earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences
  2. Identify the cultural conditions that are usually present during great periods of discovery, scientific development, and invention
  3. Relate the major themes of science to human progress in understanding science and the world
  4. Show how basic research and applied research contribute to new discoveries, inventions, and applications
  5. Explain how science is based on assumptions about the natural world and themes that describe the natural world

C. Science Inquiry

  1. When studying science content, ask questions suggested by current social issues, scientific literature, and observations of phenomena, build hypotheses that might answer some of these questions, design possible investigations, and describe results that might emerge from such investigations
  2. Identify issues from an area of science study, write questions that could be investigated, review previous research on these questions, and design and conduct responsible and safe investigations to help answer the questions
  3. Evaluate the data collected during an investigation, critique the data-collection procedures and results, and suggest ways to make any needed improvements
  4. During investigations, choose the best data-collection procedures and materials available, use them competently, and calculate the degree of precision of the resulting data
  5. Use the explanations and models found in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences to develop likely explanations for the results of their investigations
  6. Evaluate articles and reports in the popular press, in scientific journals, on television, and on the Internet, using criteria related to accuracy, degree of error, sampling, treatment of data, and other standards of experimental design

D. Physical Science

STRUCTURE OF ATOMS AND MATTER

  1. Describe atomic structure and the properties of atoms, molecules, and matter during physical and chemical interactions
  2. Explain the forces that hold the atom together and illustrate how nuclear interactions change the atom
  3. Explain exchanges of energy in chemical interactions and exchange of mass and energy in atomic/nuclear reactions

CHEMICAL REACTIONS

  1. Explain how substances, both simple and complex, interact with one another to produce new substances
  2. Identify patterns in chemical and physical properties and use them to predict likely chemical and physical changes and interactions
  3. Through investigations, identify the types of chemical interactions, including endothermic, exothermic, oxidation, photosynthesis, and acid/base reactions

MOTIONS AND FORCES

  1. Qualitatively and quantitatively analyze changes in the motion of objects and the forces that act on them and represent analytical data both algebraically and graphically
  2. Understand the forces of gravitation, the electromagnetic force, intermolecular force, and explain their impact on the universal system
  3. Describe models of light, heat, and sound and through investigations describe similarities and differences in the way these energy forms behave

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND THE INCREASE IN DISORDER

  1. Using the science themes, illustrate the law of conservation of energy during chemical and nuclear reactions

INTERACTIONS OF MATTER AND ENERGY

  1. Using the science themes, explain common occurrences in the physical world
  2. Using the science themes and knowledge of chemical, physical, atomic, and nuclear interactions, explain changes in materials, living things, earth’s features, and stars

E. Earth and Space Science

ENERGY IN THE EARTH SYSTEM

  1. Using the science themes, distinguish between internal energies (decay of radioactive isotopes, gravity) and external energies (sun) in the earth’s systems and show how these sources of energy have an impact on those systems

GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

  1. Analyze the geochemical and physical cycles of earth and use them to describe movements of matter

THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH SYSTEM

  1. Using the science themes, describe theories of the origins and evolution of the universe and solar system, including the earth system as a part of the solar system, and relate these theories and their implications to geologic time on earth
  2. Analyze the benefits, costs, and limitations of past, present, and projected use of resources and technology and explain the consequences to the environment

THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE

  1. Using the science themes, understand that the origin of the universe is not completely understood, but that there are current ideas in science that attempt to explain its origin

F. Life Science

THE CELL

  1. Evaluate the normal structures and the general and special functions of cells in single-celled and multiple-celled organisms
  2. Understand how cells differentiate and how cells are regulated

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF HEREDITY

  1. Explain current scientific ideas and information about the molecular and genetic basis of heredity
  2. State the relationships between functions of the cell and functions of the organism as related to genetics and heredity

BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

  1. Understand the theory of evolution, natural selection, and biological classification
  2. Using concepts of evolution and heredity, account for changes in species and the diversity of species, include the influence of these changes on science, e.g., breeding of plants or animals

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ORGANISMS

  1. Investigate how organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems
  2. Using the science themes, infer changes in ecosystems prompted by the introduction of new species, environmental conditions, chemicals, and air, water, or earth pollution

MATTER, ENERGY AND ORGANIZATION IN LIVING SYSTEMS

  1. Using the science themes, investigate energy systems (related to food chains) to show how energy is stored in food (plants and animals) and how energy is released by digestion and metabolism
  2. Understand the impact of energy on organisms in living systems
  3. Investigate how the complexity and organization of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming, transporting, releasing, and eliminating the matter and energy used to sustain an organism

THE BEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS

  1. Trace how the sensory and nervous systems of various organisms react to the internal and external environment and transmit survival or learning stimuli to cause changes in behavior or responses

G. Science Applications

  1. Design, build, evaluate, and revise models and explanations related to the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences G.12.3 Analyze the costs, benefits, or problems resulting from a scientific or technological innovation, including implications for the individual and the community
  2. Show how a major scientific or technological change has had an impact on work, leisure, or the home
  3. Choose a specific problem in our society, identify alternative scientific or technological solutions to that problem, and argue its merits

H. Science in Personal and Social Perspective

  1. Using the science themes and knowledge of the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences, analyze the costs, risks, benefits, and consequences of a proposal concerning resource management in the community and determine the potential impact of the proposal on life in the community and the region
  2. Evaluate proposed policy recommendations (local, state, and/or national) in science and technology for validity, evidence, reasoning, and implications, both short- and long-term
  3. Show how policy decisions in science depend on social values, ethics, beliefs, and time-frames as well as considerations of science and technology
  4. Advocate a solution or combination of solutions to a problem in science or technology
  5. Investigate how current plans or proposals concerning resource management, scientific knowledge, or technological development will have an impact on the environment, ecology, and quality of life in a community or region
  6. Evaluate data and sources of information when using scientific information to make decisions
  7. When making decisions, construct a plan that includes the use of current scientific knowledge and scientific reasoning
Posted December 9, 1998

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