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VirginiaBiology

Reporting Category 1: Scientific Investigation and the Nature of Science

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you organize biological data and choose the right graph to reveal a relationship?

Construct and interpret data tables and graphs: organize data, choose an appropriate graph type, read trends and values from a graph, and calculate simple quantities such as means and rates from data (Virginia 2018 Biology SOL BIO.1.c).
A SOL-level answer on organizing and interpreting data for the Virginia Biology EOC: building data tables, choosing line, bar, and scatter graphs, reading trends, and calculating means and rates from data.
12 min answer →

How do you design a controlled biological experiment that produces valid, trustworthy data?

Plan and carry out controlled investigations: ask a testable question, form a hypothesis relating an independent and a dependent variable, identify the variables that must be controlled, and explain the role of the control group (Virginia 2018 Biology SOL BIO.1.a, BIO.1.b).
A SOL-level answer on experimental design for the Virginia Biology EOC: testable questions, hypotheses, independent, dependent, and controlled variables, the control group, and why a valid design isolates one variable at a time.
12 min answer →

How do scientists use models, and how is scientific information evaluated and communicated?

Develop and use models to explain and predict, judging their merits and limitations, and obtain, evaluate, and communicate scientific information from reliable sources (Virginia 2018 Biology SOL BIO.1.e, BIO.1.f).
A SOL-level answer on scientific models and communication for the Virginia Biology EOC: what models are and their limits, the difference between a hypothesis, theory, and law, and how to evaluate and communicate reliable scientific information.
12 min answer →

How do you draw a valid conclusion from data, and how do error and bias limit what you can claim?

Construct and critique conclusions and explanations: make a claim supported by evidence and reasoning, judge whether the data support the hypothesis, and identify sources of error and uncertainty in an investigation (Virginia 2018 Biology SOL BIO.1.d).
A SOL-level answer on conclusions for the Virginia Biology EOC: claim, evidence and reasoning, deciding whether data support a hypothesis, distinguishing correlation from causation, and identifying sources of error and uncertainty.
12 min answer →