SciHawks

Very good job you all! We had TWO perfect scores, which were very difficult to get - so many students got just ONE wrong! Excellent test-taking skills were displayed all over those tests: keywords underlined, answers predicted, drawings made- just a great performance.
Overall, this was by far the easiest Regents ever written with the most generous curve/scale ever given.

From our passive transport/diffusion lab, a few ALMOST perfect score people wrote that glucose was actively transported, though there was no ATP in that lab whatsoever, or they wrote that the glucose diffused via osmosis- osmosis is the diffusion of water ONLY, and no other substance in the universe can be used with that word. Every almost perfect score resulted from a mis-read question in which the key words were not underlined. Please learn from that annoying lesson.

Here's how we did:

Parts A/B1: 38.9 out of 43 so, 90.3 % of the multiple choice questions were answered correctly.

Part B2: 11.2 out of 12

Part C: 15.9 out of 17

Part D: 11.9 out of 13

I saw very well written B2, C, and, D answers - complete, clear, specific answers - just look at your written response results! Thank you guys for staying for 2.5 to 3 hours and checking your work and enhancing your answers - that paid dividends!

Overall class average: 92% (sorry, not enough of the students were on board with the test skills to beat last year's 95% - and last year's group had a harder test).

The rest of your grades will be entered by next Wednesday.
Have a great summer!
-Mr. Cicale

Grading is progressing and, as predicted, those who wrote detailed answers that focused on the keywords earned a very good score, significantly higher, on average, than those who did not use test-taking skills. Thank you very much for making that your own way of taking tests from now on; your better test grades will prove that to you time after time.

There were careless errors from those who could not bother to apply the tried and true test skills of identifying and using the question key words, predicting answers, drawing pictures, etc. I'll list some examples later.

So far there is only ONE perfect score (massive use of test-taking skills!) from our classes though six students scored 41/41 on parts A and B1.

Overall, this was a relatively easy and unchallenging LE Regents so, those who were careful, generally scored quite well.

Congrats to all who came to our review sessions, especially the last one this morning! As you saw, everything that we went over just an hour or so before your Regents exam was ON THE EXAM, almost verbatim! Did you SEE that mitochondria questions??? We had JUST done that exact question at 11 AM !!!
Congrats to all who diligently used/applied the test-taking skills that you learned throughout this year- those tests looked very impressive and are sure to receive a higher score.
Grading should be completed by Friday sometime. Your other last quarter grades will be posted over the next few days.

Very few of you have missing work; for those who are missing work, you may not hand anything in for credit. The course ended on June 9th and there were many review sessions at which work might have been accepted.
There are even a few who did not hand in textbooks; those students will be charged the book fee unless the book is brought in by Monday.

Thanks to those who came to review today and tonight. After some techno-glitches, as usual, we analyzed the August 2007 Regents.
I CANNOT overemphasize the importance of using the KEYWORDS directly from the questions in your answers; it actually makes finding the right phrases/words a lot easier.


Good times with the pizza tonight, after we directed our long lost delivery-person to the right side of the school.
:)

Tomorrow morning, be sure to come to part or all of the morning, 9AM to 11AM (I'm bringing a variety of bagels), Regents review. I will have the indicator tests set up so that you can SEE what you are about to be asked about in part D of your Regents tomorrow.
I will also conduct a general review of the various topics; I have been known to be very "PSYCHIC" about the Regents exam, the morning of the Regents (even though I never see the test beforehand!).

Worked on most of the August 2006 Living Environment Regents. Files are posted on Blackboard.

Come to these sessions with SPECIFIC and PREPARED questions; after that, we will go over two Regents sections, in detail with TEST skills, per session.

Monday: 10 AM to 12 PM (check outside teachers' workroom for room number)
              2PM to 3:30 PM in Room 264

Tuesday: 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM (check outside teachers' workroom for room number)
              6PM to 8PM in Room 308 (will order pizza)

Wednesday: (morning of the Living Environment Regents!) : FINAL REVIEW 9AM to 11AM (will bring bagels) (check outside teachers' workroom for room number)

Report to the Field House/Gym at 11:45 AM to take the Regents; the exam BEGINS at 12:15 PM

We had two review sessions today. The questions discussed will be posted on Blackboard.
Thanks to all of you who showed; I know that this preparation will benefit your Regents performance. Those who missed this weeks' sessions should make attending the next three days of review their TOP PRIORITY. Summer vacation begins after the Regents are completed (stay for the whole three hours i.e. do your absolute best).

Your Living Environment Regents begins at 12:15PM next Wednesday so come to the last review session that morning from 9 to 11 AM; I'll bring bagels etc. so you will have nutrients so that you can think well during the exam.
We will walk to the gym/test location at about 11:45 AM.

Today, we reviewed the June 2006 Regents. The annotated answers are posted on Blackboard.
See you Friday - the first review session is from 9AM to 11AM and the second review session is from 2PM to 4PM in Room 264.

Bio - we reviewed some of yesterday's test and discussed how to analyze a test and how to use test skills to see the connection between question KEYWORDS and the correct answer.

This was our last formal class and I look forward to preparing with you all for this year's Bio Regents.
Both classes have potential to do very well on the Regents and perhaps even set a record for the number of 100's. Please attend as much review as possible and help each other prepare for next Wednesday's exam.


I do have to go to a brief meeting at 3PM but I will assign questions during that time.
Please come prepared with questions from your review book or past tests or Regents. I will also try to complete one Regents exam per day and post the session work on Blackboard.

Bio - we took a released practice Regents, slightly modified and shortened to be all multiple choice and completed in one period.
The class averages were 89 and 90, respectively for 3rd and 6th periods. In the next week, we need to improve at least 5 percentage points, which is possible with diligent work at each of the review sessions.

Bio - we did Regents test review to help prep us for tomorrow's in-class Regents multiple-choice exam, the last test before your Regents on June 16th.
Be sure to underline the question keywords and use them to predict your answer BEFORE you select an answer choice on tomorrow's exam.
Those of you who still want to do practice Regents can schedule them when we have Regents review sessions this week and next week.

Bio - took the NY State Lab Review exam - looks like we ended the quarter with a class test average that is almost a 90 - we just need a few to adopt our better test skills and join the rest of a very successful class.
Monday, we'll do Regents review.



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Bio - using our review book, we went over all of the lab skills required in this course, including a review of the state labs.
Check Blackboard for the answers to the review sheets, Regents Part D handout, and the rest of the questions from today.
I'll be in about 8:30 or 8:40 in Room 301 to go over last minute questions.
Let's end this quarter with a high 90's class average!

Bio - we completed and reviewed the Biodiversity Lab and its review sheet- check the rest of the answers on Blackboard.

Our state lab review exam is on Friday, so we will review the other three state labs, tomorrow.

Also, I didn't get to check your review book hw today so I will check units 4,5, and 6 tomorrow; don't forget to highlight/underline the section and then apply test-taking skills (keywords, predict answer, draw picture when appropriate) in answering the assigned questions.
Thank you.
Wednesday's and Thursday's Regents Review sessions will begin at 3:40 PM in Room 301.

Bio - we worked on the Biodiversity and Evolutionary Relationships lab.
Be SURE to check Blackboard for the hw templates; many of you are getting only half-credit for your very poorly done hw. I can't possibly make the assignment any clearer or easier and have you prepare effectively for the Regents. Do NOT waste this opportunity.
UPDATE: This week's State Lab Review Exam will be on Friday, not on Thursday, so we get one extra day for review and study.