ES Regents Resources

TOP 26 MOST TESTED CONCEPTS ON EARTH SCIENCE REGENTS FROM JUNE 2001 TO AUGUST 2023

Hi fellow students of the Earth,

 For many of the past years I have listed the top 10 most tested Regents concepts of the Earth Science Regents exams from June 2001 to the most recent exam (which is presently August 2023). This year I have decided to list the top 26 concepts (out of 138 concepts). This will likely be the last listing of the Core concepts since in June 2025 the Regents (for most students) will be based on the NGSS National Earth Space Science standards as slightly modified by the New York Education Department. I may repeat this email later in the school year if I see postings asking for this type of information. I would appreciate feedback from working regents earth science teachers (and others if you desire).  I think this list would be of most use to new or newer earth science teachers as it gives them some idea of what is constantly being tested on the Earth Science Regents (at least until State Ed. starts testing the new NGSS stuff in June 2025). I encourage senior teachers to help explain the use of this list to newer teachers.

 Some details about this list:

1. The number in [    X]is how many times the concept was tested since June 2001. As of my counting, there have been 5,355 individual items on the Earth Science Regents exams from June 2001 through August 2003. In the listing of CONCEPT 8, below, the [80X] means that this concept was used in 80 questions out of the 5,355 questions used from June 2001 to August 2023 or about 1.5%.

2. As an example of how I got the data, below is a listing of what I call CONCEPT 8 Using latitude and longitude to locate places on Earth’s surface and including location of Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Geographic North Pole, Geographic South Pole, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle, and Prime Meridian. After the concept listing is the list of all the Regents questions that fit this concept since June 2001. This CONCEPT 8 is the 27th most tested concept since June 2001.  6/2001 #10 means the June 2001 Earth Science Regents exam question #10.

CONCEPT 8. Using latitude and longitude to locate places on Earth’s surface and including location of

              Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Geographic North Pole, Geographic South

              Pole, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle, and Prime Meridian. [80X].

                6/2001 #10           8/2001 #55b         8/2001 #55c         8/2001 #68           1/2002 #41

                1/2002 #49           6/2002 #59           6/2002 #65           1/2003 #21           8/2003 #62

                1/2004 #25           6/2004 #34           6/2004 #50           6/2004 #53           6/2004 #68

                8/2004 #10           8/2004 #63           1/2005 #11           1/2005 #37           6/2005 #54

                8/2005 #47           8/2005 #50           1/2006 #4              1/2006 #74           6/2006 #70

                8/2006 #63           8/2006 #79           1/2007 #43           6/2007 #36           6/2007 #77

                8/2007 #13           8/2007 #44           1/2008 #81           1/2008 #82           6/2008 #81

                8/2008 #63           1/2009 #77           1/2010 #1              6/2010 #65           8/2010 #72

                8/2011 #38           1/2012 #8              8/2012 #39           8/2012 #81           1/2013 #57

                6/2013 #6              8/2013 #78           1/2014 #29           1/2014 #51           6/2014 #1

                8/2014 #35           1/2015 #50           1/2015 #77           1/2015 #83           6/2015 #74

                8/2015 #60           8/2015 #60           8/2015 #73           1/2016 #5              8/2016 #55

                1/2017 #57           6/2017 #33           6/2017 #47            8/2017 #69           6/2018 #39

                8/2018 #65           1/2019 #40           6/2019 #7              6/2019 #39           6/2019 #74

                8/2019 #39           1/2020 #19           6/2021 #54           6/2021 #55           6/2022 #16

                6/2022 #21           6/2022 #61           1/2023 #25           6/2023 #67           8/2023 #41

3. The concept numbers at the beginning of each concept relate to my ordering of concepts back in the early days of the Core (2001 etc) when I first started this list present of concepts and how often they were tested on the Earth Science Regents exams.

4.  I started creating my numbering of concepts in the latter part of the 1960s and have made many changes along the way up to the present.  An early beginning for this listing was a project that was a part of my  participation in a teaching of Earth Science course as part of my master’s program at Union College in Schenectady, New York. The teacher was Donald B. Stone of the Namowitz and Stone Earth Science Text (now Namowitz and Spaulding). That course was also the beginning of the Callister Quadrangle Topographic Map (another project in Stone’s program).

5. You may ask how accurate is this listing.  I don’t know but I would think it is about 95 percent or better accurate based on some cross checking I have done.

Actual top 26 list (in the following list you can ignore my concept numbers. Just use the numbers with the # symbol before it

#1. CONCEPT 5. Using data from the Geologic History of New York State (mostly a geologic time scale) in the Earth Science Reference Tables  [315X]

#2. CONCEPT 1. Just (or largely) using/interpreting data tables, maps, photos, charts, table reading, (text) passages and/or diagrams [250X]

#3. CONCEPT 10. Interpreting, reading, extrapolating, and constructing graphs (graphs and graph reading) [199X]

#4. CONCEPT 7. Understanding how angle/intensity of insolation, duration of insolation, and temperature changes with the seasons (time of the year), time of day, and latitude [197X]

#5 CONCEPT 3. Using the Weather Map Symbols information in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [181X]  

#6. CONCEPT 22. Using data from the Tectonics Plate map in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [175X] 

#7. CONCEPT 4. Reading, drawing, interpreting, and understanding the various types of isolines

(including lines on topographic / contour maps, isotherms, and isobars) {doesn’t include profiles and gradients which are separate concepts}   [160X]

#8. CONCEPT 6. Using data from the Scheme for Sedimentary Rock Identification in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [155X]  

#9. CONCEPT 20. Using information from the Solar System Data in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [155X]  

#10. CONCEPT 89. Understanding what causes the seasons and relationships between the time of the year, Earth’s revolution, parallel 23 1/2 tilt of Earth’s axis (parallelism), altitude of the sun, latitude, and the daily motion path of the Sun (including noon altitude and compass direction of the path during the day [including sunrise and sunset compass directions]) in the sky    [148X]

#11. CONCEPT 2. Using data from the Generalized Bedrock Geology of New York State map in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [141X]

#12. CONCEPT 100. Using Properties of Common Minerals in the Earth Science Reference Tables as related to the identification, uses of, properties, and element composition of minerals   [134X] 

#13. CONCEPT 21. Using data from the Scheme for Igneous Rock Identification in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [130X]

 #14. CONCEPT 106.  Understanding the rates, time of, directions, and evidences for Earth’s rotation (including Foucault pendulum) and for revolution /revolves (such as motions of constellations and stars) [119X] 

#15. CONCEPT 34. Using data from Inferred Properties of Earth’s Interior in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [118X]

#16. CONCEPT 16. Recognizing landscape and sediment characteristics of stream erosion (running water and rivers) and deposition/depositional including the causes of features, locations of features, sediment characteristics, and amounts of erosion and deposition   [110X]

#17. CONCEPT 17.  Using data from the Scheme for Metamorphic Rock Identification in the Earth Science Reference Tables   [105X] 

#18. CONCEPT 85.  Understanding the differences in features and processes among the three types of plate (tectonic plates) boundaries   [96X] 

#19. CONCEPT 38. Using the Radioactive Decay Data in the Earth Science Reference Tables and understanding the concept of half-life as used in geologic radioactive dating. [93X]. 

#20. CONCEPT 19.  Recognizing the types, features of, and understanding formation of glacial (glaciers) erosion and depositional features of landscapes   [92X]  

#21. CONCEPT 98.  Understanding the relationships among stream discharge, location (such as inside and outside of a meander + distance from source) stream slope, stream velocity (speed/and rate of stream flow), particle (sediment) size, shape + sorting (vertical and horizontal), sediment transportation, and amounts of erosion and deposition   [92X] 

#22. CONCEPT 25. Understanding and using the methods of rock relative dating including the meaning, characteristics of, and use of index fossils, rock types and volcanic ash in relative rock dating and correlation.  [91X].

#23. CONCEPT 81. Understanding the relationships among time (solar time and time zone time) and Earth’s rotation (direction of, and rate of [15 degrees per hour]), and relationships to longitude, and daily motion of stars, Moon, planets and Sun. [87X].

#24. CONCEPT 58. Understanding and computing gradient (slope) and using spacing of isolines and the gradient equation in the Earth Science Reference Tables.  [85X].

#25. CONCEPT 102. Understand the Moon phases including causes, timing, apparent shape of Moon, and Sun, Moon, and Earth positions, and phase names. [81X].

#26. CONCEPT 97.  Understanding the source of energy, major locations, features and processes of the Water Cycle or Hydrologic Cycle such as evaporation, transpiration, condensation, infiltration, capillarity, runoff, ground water flow, water table, rising air, cooling air, and different precipitation types.  [81X].

I hope each of the working earth science teachers have a successful/rewording school year and that my friends in the teacher retirement community stay in good health and happiness.

Some resource links that may be helpful as you transition from Earth Science to the Earth and Space Sciences course.

• Science Standards Implementation Resources 

https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/science-standards-implementation-resources

• New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) - High School Standards

Science Standards Implementation Resources

https://thewonderofscience.com/nyssls-hs-standards

• Course Map and Performance Expectations (PE’s) for NYS Earth and Space Sciences

The following document identifies and outlines a Course Map and Performance Expectations (PE’s) for the various topics that need to be taught in the new NYS Earth and Space Sciences regents course.

https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/ess.pdf

• New York City, New Visions has developed a map for a high school Earth & Space Sciences course fully designed to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS).

Link: https://curriculum.newvisions.org/science/course/earth-space-science/

Blended Component for Unit 1 of Earth and Space Science: https://curriculum.newvisions.org/science/resources/resource/discovering-new-worlds-revised-unit-1-blended-instruction-sy-2020-21/

• NYS Education Department Science Link:

https://www.nysed.gov/state-assessment/high-school-sciences