{"item_id": "CR557Q03", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "1", "cognitive_process": "Represent literal meaning", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 323, "difficulty_level": "1b", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Farm to Market", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question": "According to the IDFA, with which statement do leading health professionals and organizations agree?", "options": {"A": "Consuming milk and milk products leads to obesity", "B": "Milk is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals", "C": "Milk contains more vitamins than minerals", "D": "Drinking milk is a leading cause of osteoporosis"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "The unit starts with an item that requires the student to represent the literal meaning of the information presented by the IDFA. Specifically, the student needs to understand that the IDFA suggests \"many health professionals and groups would also agree\" that \"Milk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients\" and goes on to list vitamins that occur in milk. Thus, the question stem connects fairly directly with the sentence in the webpage that introduces the quote from the IDFA and option B provides a paraphrase of the first two sentences in the quotation. The student does not have to go beyond the literal meaning presented in the webpage to find that the correct answer is (B) Milk is a good source for essential vitamins and minerals."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q04", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "2", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 452, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Farm to Market", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question": "What is the main purpose of this text?", "options": {"A": "To argue that milk products increase weight loss", "B": "To compare Farm to Market Dairy milk products to other dairy products", "C": "To inform the public of the risks associated with heart disease", "D": "To support the use of Farm to Market Dairy products"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student is asked to identify the main purpose of the webpage. Note that the student is not asked to identify the main idea. Instead, the student must understand the overall meaning of the webpage and then consider why it is being presented and how it has been written. The student must reflect on the content and form of the text. Here, the correct answer is (D) To support the use of Farm to Market Dairy products."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q07_1", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 539, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Just Say No", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Could the following statements represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article?", "question": "To question the benefit of dairy products on general health", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each row of the table could represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article. The student must first understand the overall meaning of the article, then reflect on the content of the article and how it is presented. Then, the student must evaluate whether each statement in the table accurately represents a purpose for writing the article. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 3 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q07_2", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 539, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Just Say No", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Could the following statements represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article?", "question": "To discuss various research findings about cow's milk", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each row of the table could represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article. The student must first understand the overall meaning of the article, then reflect on the content of the article and how it is presented. Then, the student must evaluate whether each statement in the table accurately represents a purpose for writing the article. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 3 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q07_3", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 539, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Just Say No", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Could the following statements represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article?", "question": "To point out that milk and other dairy products have not been studied", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each row of the table could represent Dr. Garza's purpose for writing the article. The student must first understand the overall meaning of the article, then reflect on the content of the article and how it is presented. Then, the student must evaluate whether each statement in the table accurately represents a purpose for writing the article. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 3 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q10", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "4", "cognitive_process": "Represent literal meaning", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 398, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Just Say No", "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question": "Dr. Garza presents a few research results which may 'surprise' readers. State one of them.", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Quotes or paraphrases one of the following research results stated in the text", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "Female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures", "paraphrases": ["Women who drank milk had more broken bones"]}, {"answer": "Both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer", "paraphrases": ["People who drink milk had more heart disease and cancer"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "This item asks the student to identify the research results reported in the article and to state one of them. Here, the student needs to represent the literal meaning of information in the article by identifying one of the findings and providing it. Note that in the coding guide used for the Field Trial, there were only two findings that were allowed for this item because there were only two \"surprising\" research results described. The coding guide that was used in the Field Trial is provided below. This item was coded with high reliability in the Field Trial."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q12_1", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 662, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Based on the two texts about milk, are the statements in the table below facts or opinions?", "question": "Recent studies on the health benefits of milk are surprising.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information across both webpages and infer whether the statements in the table represent facts that were presented in the webpages or represent opinions that were presented in the webpages. For this item, full credit was awarded if the student got all 4 correct, and partial credit was awarded if the student got 3 out of 4 correct. The correct answers are: Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q12_2", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 662, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Based on the two texts about milk, are the statements in the table below facts or opinions?", "question": "Studies have shown that drinking milk has detrimental health effects.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information across both webpages and infer whether the statements in the table represent facts that were presented in the webpages or represent opinions that were presented in the webpages. For this item, full credit was awarded if the student got all 4 correct, and partial credit was awarded if the student got 3 out of 4 correct. The correct answers are: Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q12_3", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 662, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Based on the two texts about milk, are the statements in the table below facts or opinions?", "question": "Several studies have questioned the bone strengthening power of milk.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information across both webpages and infer whether the statements in the table represent facts that were presented in the webpages or represent opinions that were presented in the webpages. For this item, full credit was awarded if the student got all 4 correct, and partial credit was awarded if the student got 3 out of 4 correct. The correct answers are: Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q12_4", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 662, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question_stem": "Based on the two texts about milk, are the statements in the table below facts or opinions?", "question": "Drinking milk and other dairy products is the best way to lose weight.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information across both webpages and infer whether the statements in the table represent facts that were presented in the webpages or represent opinions that were presented in the webpages. For this item, full credit was awarded if the student got all 4 correct, and partial credit was awarded if the student got 3 out of 4 correct. The correct answers are: Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q13", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Detect and handle conflict", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 406, "difficulty_level": "1a", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question": "The authors of the two texts disagree on the role of milk in a regular diet. What is the main point the authors disagree on?", "options": {"A": "Milk's effects on health and milk's role in human diets", "B": "The number of vitamins and minerals found in milk", "C": "The best form of dairy to regularly consume", "D": "Which organization is the leading authority on milk"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must understand how each webpage describes the role of milk within a regular diet and must be able to identify the main point on which they disagree. This is a \"Detect and handle conflict\" item, but it is easier than many others presented in the PISA 2018 Field Trial because the item already lets the student know that there is a conflict between the two webpages. We expect the difficulty of these types of items to increase when the student first has to detect whether or not a conflict exists, then determine what the conflict is, and then figure out how to handle the conflict. Here, the correct answer is (A) Milk's effects on health and milk's role in human diets."}
{"item_id": "CR557Q14", "unit_title": "Cow's Milk", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Detect and handle conflict", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 506, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Farm to Market", "Just Say No"], "stimulus_text": "[Farm to Market]\nwww.farmtomarketdairy.com\n\nFARM TO MARKET DAIRY\n\nThe Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!\n\nFarm to Market Dairy milk products contain key nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals make Farm to Market Dairy milk products an important part of a healthful diet. Consuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products every day is a great way to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.\n\nConsuming Farm to Market Dairy milk products increases weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. Milk increases bone strength and density. It even improves cardiovascular health and helps prevent cancer. One glass of milk is packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of health benefits.\n\nAccording to Bill Sears, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, milk contains many important nutrients in one convenient place. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) supports this idea. In fact, the IDFA suggests that many health professionals and groups would also agree.\n\nMilk contains a complete nutrient package of nine essential nutrients. In addition to being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it is a good source of vitamin A, protein and potassium. Dairy is recommended by doctors. Dairy's role in a healthy diet has long been established by the nutrition and science community. This includes the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association's Council of Scientific Affairs and many other leading health organizations.\n\nInternational Dairy Foods Association, September 27, 2007\n\n---\n\n[Just Say No]\nwww.healtharticlestoday.com/milk\n\nHEALTH ARTICLES TODAY\n\nJUST SAY 'NO' TO COW'S MILK!\n\nBy Health Reporter, Dr. R. Garza\n\nCow's milk is a big part of many people's lives in the United States. Babies drink cow's milk in bottles. Children eat cereal drenched in cow's milk. Even adults enjoy a cold glass of milk from time to time. Yes, cow's milk is a huge part of the human diet in many places around the world. However, more and more research is suggesting that milk may not \"do a body good\" as the popular American advertising slogan claims.\n\nThe United States Department of Agriculture, the American Dairy Council, Dairy Management, Inc., and other organizations have worked hard to advocate for milk for many years. They encourage adults to drink at least three glasses of milk a day. However, several studies in the last decade have questioned the bone-strengthening power of milk as well as other claims about the health benefits of milk. The results may surprise you.\n\nOne of the most recent and most important studies on the effects of drinking milk was published in the October 2014 issue of the British Medical Journal. The findings in this study led to some powerful assertions about the consumption of milk. In this study over 100 000 people in Sweden were followed over periods of 20-30 years. Researchers found that the female milk drinkers suffered more bone fractures. Additionally, both male and female milk drinkers were more likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer. These staggering results are similar to findings from other studies.\n\nThe Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) commented on some of the health problems related to the consumption of milk. It claims that milk and dairy products \"have little or no benefit for bones.\" The PCRM goes further to describe some specific problems associated with milk:\n\n\"Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.\"\n\nThese are serious claims and more studies are needed in order to confirm the findings. However, there is mounting proof that drinking cow's milk could be less beneficial to our health than originally thought. If these claims become indisputable facts, it may be time to just say 'no' to cow's milk.", "question": "Anna, Christopher and Sam are talking about the two texts.\n\nChristopher: No matter what the coffee shop owner does, I'm going to keep drinking milk every day. It's really good for you.\n\nAnna: Not me! I'm going to drink a lot less milk from now on if it's not good for you.\n\nSam: I don't know, I think we need to know more before we make a conclusion.\n\nWith whom do you agree? Explain your answer. Refer to information from at least one of the texts.", "options": {"A": "Christopher", "B": "Anna", "C": "Sam"}, "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Selects one of the names and gives an appropriate explanation by referring to one of the texts", "acceptable_answers": [{"choice": "A", "acceptable_explanations": ["Milk contains (key) nutrients/many vitamins/minerals that is important for good health", "Milk increases weight loss/helps maintain a healthy weight", "Milk improves cardiovascular health", "Milk prevents cancer", "The Farm to Market webpage uses support from a doctor", "The Farm to Market webpage cites the International Dairy Foods Association/provides support from the IDFA", "The 'Just Say No to Cow's Milk!' article/second text is not balanced/is not objective or gives an example of how it isn't balanced or objective"], "example_responses": ["A doctor says it contains many important nutrients", "Milk has minerals we need to be healthy"]}, {"choice": "B", "acceptable_explanations": ["Milk may not be as good for you according to new research", "Milk may lead to weaker bones/more bone fractures", "Milk may cause more heart disease/cancer", "The article provides support from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)", "The article talks about growing proof that milk isn't as good for people as originally thought", "A study in Sweden showed that people who drank milk had more heart disease AND/OR cancer AND/OR bone fractures", "The 'Nutritional Value of Milk: Countless Benefits!' or Farm to Market Dairy is a biased source/is trying to sell its products and the claims can't be trusted"], "example_responses": ["They did a study in Sweden that showed that women who drank milk had more broken bones", "That first one is just trying to sell us their milk, so you can't really trust them"]}, {"choice": "C", "acceptable_explanations": ["The 'Just Say No to Cow's Milk!' article/the second text points out that more studies are needed to confirm the research findings", "Milk has been consumed regularly for a long time and the studies mentioned in the second article are new, so more time or research is needed to draw a conclusion", "These are only two texts and more research is needed before a conclusion can be made", "It would be good to verify the information found in each article before making a conclusion", "The two texts contradict one another, so a conclusion cannot be drawn OR provides a specific example of how they contradict one another (one text says milk creates strong bones and the other one says it causes more fractures)"], "example_responses": ["Just Say No says that more studies are needed before we will really know", "I need to make sure that what each article says is true before I can decide"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student reads three stances provided in the item stem: one that supports continuing to drink milk, one that supports drinking less milk and one that says more needs to be known before a conclusion is reached. The student can select any of the three students in the scenario associated with these stances, but the student must provide a reason from at least one of the texts to support his or her selection. The coding guide for this item is provided below, which lists the acceptable ways a student can support their selection for each of the three options. This item focuses mainly on the element of handling the conflict rather than detecting it. By asking the student to come to a conclusion and use the webpage or webpages to support the answer, the student demonstrates how he or she handles the conflict between the information presented in the two webpages. Please note that this item was very challenging to code in the Field Trial, and several countries had difficulty achieving reliable coding. It is not clear to the Test Developers how the coding guide would have been improved, thus, this item would have likely been eliminated for the Main Survey if the unit had not been omitted. However, it is included here for the purpose of illustrating an open response, \"detect and handle conflict\" item."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q01", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "1", "cognitive_process": "Access and retrieve information within a text", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 559, "difficulty_level": "4", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Blog", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question": "According to the blog, when did the professor start her field work?", "options": {"A": "During the 1990s.", "B": "Nine months ago.", "C": "One year ago.", "D": "At the beginning of May."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must locate the correct information within the blog post. Its difficulty is likely driven by the existence of other time-related information within the blog, i.e. the date it was posted and the time period in which the first mystery of the moai was solved (the 1990s). Here, the correct answer is (B) Nine months ago."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q05", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "2", "cognitive_process": "Represent literal meaning", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 513, "difficulty_level": "3", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Blog", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question": "In the last paragraph of the blog, the professor writes: \"Another mystery remained...\"\n\nTo what mystery does she refer?", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Responses refer to the disappearance of the materials used to move the statues (moai)", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "What happened to the plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai?", "paraphrases": ["There are no large trees left that could have moved the moai", "There are grasses, shrubs and some small trees, but no trees large enough to move the large statues", "Where are the large trees?", "Where are the plants?", "What happened to the resources that were needed to transport the statues?"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must understand that the second mystery mentioned in the blog post-what happened to the large trees that once grew on Rapa Nui and were used to move the moai? This is an open response - human coded item, and the coding guide used in the Main Survey is provided below. For this item, the student could provide a direct quotation from the blog (\"What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai?\") or an accurate paraphrase. This item was coded with high reliability in the Main Survey."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q06_1", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 654, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Book Review", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question_stem": "Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Are these statements facts or opinions?", "question": "In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the second text in the unit, a book review of Collapse, which was referenced in the blog post. The student must complete a table by selecting \"Fact\" or \"Opinion\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each statement from the book review is a fact or an opinion. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each statement and then decide if the content was factual or represented the perspective of the author of the review. In this way, the student must focus on the content and how it is presented rather than just the meaning. To receive full credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. For partial credit, students were required to get 4 out of the 5 rows correct. If students got fewer than 4 rows correct, they received no credit. The correct answers are: Fact, Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q06_2", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 654, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Book Review", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question_stem": "Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Are these statements facts or opinions?", "question": "One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the second text in the unit, a book review of Collapse, which was referenced in the blog post. The student must complete a table by selecting \"Fact\" or \"Opinion\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each statement from the book review is a fact or an opinion. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each statement and then decide if the content was factual or represented the perspective of the author of the review. In this way, the student must focus on the content and how it is presented rather than just the meaning. To receive full credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. For partial credit, students were required to get 4 out of the 5 rows correct. If students got fewer than 4 rows correct, they received no credit. The correct answers are: Fact, Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q06_3", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 654, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Book Review", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question_stem": "Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Are these statements facts or opinions?", "question": "They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the second text in the unit, a book review of Collapse, which was referenced in the blog post. The student must complete a table by selecting \"Fact\" or \"Opinion\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each statement from the book review is a fact or an opinion. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each statement and then decide if the content was factual or represented the perspective of the author of the review. In this way, the student must focus on the content and how it is presented rather than just the meaning. To receive full credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. For partial credit, students were required to get 4 out of the 5 rows correct. If students got fewer than 4 rows correct, they received no credit. The correct answers are: Fact, Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q06_4", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 654, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Book Review", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question_stem": "Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Are these statements facts or opinions?", "question": "When the first Europeans landed on Easter Island in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the second text in the unit, a book review of Collapse, which was referenced in the blog post. The student must complete a table by selecting \"Fact\" or \"Opinion\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each statement from the book review is a fact or an opinion. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each statement and then decide if the content was factual or represented the perspective of the author of the review. In this way, the student must focus on the content and how it is presented rather than just the meaning. To receive full credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. For partial credit, students were required to get 4 out of the 5 rows correct. If students got fewer than 4 rows correct, they received no credit. The correct answers are: Fact, Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q06_5", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 654, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Book Review", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "question_stem": "Listed below are statements from the Review of Collapse. Are these statements facts or opinions?", "question": "The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.", "options": {"A": "Fact", "B": "Opinion"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the second text in the unit, a book review of Collapse, which was referenced in the blog post. The student must complete a table by selecting \"Fact\" or \"Opinion\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each statement from the book review is a fact or an opinion. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each statement and then decide if the content was factual or represented the perspective of the author of the review. In this way, the student must focus on the content and how it is presented rather than just the meaning. To receive full credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. For partial credit, students were required to get 4 out of the 5 rows correct. If students got fewer than 4 rows correct, they received no credit. The correct answers are: Fact, Opinion, Fact, Fact, Opinion."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q08", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "4", "cognitive_process": "Access and retrieve information within a text", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 634, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Science News", "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question": "What do the scientists mentioned in the article and Jared Diamond agree on?", "options": {"A": "Humans settled Rapa Nui hundreds of years ago.", "B": "Large trees have disappeared from Rapa Nui.", "C": "Polynesian rats ate the seeds of large trees on Rapa Nui.", "D": "Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui in the 18th century."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student is presented with the third text in the unit, an article from an online science magazine. Note that at this point in the unit, all three texts are available to the student using a tab structure; the student can click on any tab to toggle back and forth between the texts. The item itself remains fixed on the left side of the screen during any toggling action. In this item, the student is required to locate the section of the article that contains the reference to the scientists and Jared Diamond (paragraph 2) and identify the sentence that contains the information agreed upon. While texts are available to the student, this item is not classified with a cognitive process that reflects the use of multiple sources. This is because the student can find the answer within this text, and the item instructions on the upper left corner instruct the student to refer to this article only. Thus, the support from the item instructions eliminates the need to consider the other sources. The difficulty of this item is likely driven by the existence of plausible (but incorrect) distracting information within the paragraph with respect to human settlement. Here, the correct answer is (B) Large trees have disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q09", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Detect and handle conflict", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 597, "difficulty_level": "4", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question": "What evidence do Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt present to support their theory of why the large trees of Rapa Nui disappeared?", "options": {"A": "The rats arrived on the island on settlers' canoes.", "B": "The rats may have been brought by the settlers purposefully.", "C": "Rat populations can double every 47 days.", "D": "The remains of palm nuts show gnaw marks made by rats."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student is required to understand what information in the text supports, or corroborates, the theory put forward by the scientists. The correct answer is (D) The remains of palm nuts show gnaw marks made by rats. Here, the student must go beyond an understanding of the text and identify which element of the text can be used as evidence to support a claim. All other items classified as detect and handle conflict require detecting a conflict between two sources or recognizing that the information in two or more sources and is corroborated. However, in discussing this item prior to the Field Trial, the experts felt that the act of identifying which piece of information supports the theory proposed by Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt was most appropriately identified by the cognitive process of detect and handle conflict. Furthermore, while this item could be classified as requiring only a single source, the requirement for the student to first consider the theory proposed by Lipo and Hunt and then to determine which evidence supports the theory is akin to working with multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_1", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "The moai were carved in the same quarry.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_2", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_3", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "Settlers used canoes to bring Polynesian rats to Rapa Nui.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_4", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "C"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_5", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "Rapa Nui residents needed natural resources to move the moai.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q10_6", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 665, "difficulty_level": "5", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question_stem": "Refer to all three sources. Drag and drop the causes, and the effect they have in common, into the correct places in the table about the theories.", "question": "Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons.", "options": {"A": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond)", "B": "Cause (Supporters of theory: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "C": "Effect (Supporters of theory: Jared Diamond, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt)", "D": "None of the above"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, students must integrate information across the texts with respect to the differing theories put forward by Jared Diamond on the one hand and Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt on the other. The student must identify the shared effect (the disappearance of the large trees) by rejecting information presented in the blog post about where the moai were carved (in the same quarry). Further, the student must understand what each scientist believes is the cause of the disappearance. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all three answers correct. The correct answers are: Cause (Jared Diamond) - Humans cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and other reasons. Cause (Carl Lipo and Terry hunt) - Polynesian rats ate tree seeds and as a result no new trees could grow. Effect (shared) - The large trees disappeared from Rapa Nui."}
{"item_id": "CR551Q11", "unit_title": "Rapa Nui", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Detect and handle conflict", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 588, "difficulty_level": "4", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Blog", "Book Review", "Science News"], "stimulus_text": "[Blog]\nwww.theprofessorblog.com/fieldwork/RapaNui\n\nThe Professor's Blog\n\nPosted May 23, 11:22 a.m.\n\nAs I look out of my window this morning, I see the landscape I have learned to love here on Rapa Nui, which is known in some places by the name Easter Island. The grasses and shrubs are green, the sky is blue, and the old, now extinct volcanoes rise up in the background.\n\nI am a bit sad knowing that this is my last week on the island. I have finished my field work and will be returning home. Later today, I will take a walk through the hills and say good-bye to the moai that I have been studying for the past nine months. Here is a picture of some of these massive statues.\nIf you have been following my blog this year, then you know that the people of Rapa Nui carved these moai hundreds of years ago. These impressive moai had been carved in a single quarry on the eastern part of the island. Some of them weighed thousands of kilos, yet the people of Rapa Nui were able to move them to locations far away from the quarry without cranes or any heavy equipment.\n\nFor years, archeologists did not know how these massive statues were moved. It remained a mystery until the 1990s, when a team of archeologists and residents of Rapa Nui demonstrated that the moai could have been transported and raised using ropes made from plants and wooden rollers and tracks made from large trees that had once thrived on the island. The mystery of the moai was solved.\n\nAnother mystery remained, however. What happened to these plants and large trees that had been used to move the moai? As I said, when I look out of my window, I see grasses and shrubs and a small tree or two, but nothing that could have been used to move these huge statues. It is a fascinating puzzle, one that I will explore in future posts and lectures. Until then, you may wish to investigate the mystery yourself. I suggest you begin with a book called Collapse by Jared Diamond. This review of Collapse is a good place to start.\n\nTraveler_14 - May 24, 4:31 p.m.\nHi Professor! I love following your work on Easter Island. I can't wait to check out Collapse!\n\nKB_Island - May 25, 9:07 a.m.\nI also love reading about your experiences on Easter Island, however, I think there is another theory that should be considered. Check out this article: www.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\n---\n\n[Book Review]\nwww.academicbookreview.com/Collapse\n\nReview of Collapse\n\nJared Diamond's new book, Collapse, is a clear warning about the consequences of damaging our environment. In the book, the author describes several civilizations that collapsed because of the choices they made and their impact on the environment. One of the most disturbing examples in the book is Rapa Nui.\n\nAccording to the author, Rapa Nui was settled by Polynesians sometime after 700 CE. They developed a thriving society of, perhaps, 15 000 people. They carved the moai, the famous statues, and used the natural resources available to them to move these huge moai to different locations around the island. When the first Europeans landed on Rapa Nui in 1722, the moai were still there, but the trees were gone. The population was down to a few thousand people who were struggling to survive. Mr. Diamond writes that the people of Rapa Nui cleared the land for farming and other purposes and that they over-hunted the numerous species of sea and land birds that had lived on the island. He speculates that the dwindling natural resources led to civil wars and the collapse of Rapa Nui's society.\n\nThe lesson of this wonderful but frightening book is that in the past, humans made the choice to destroy their environment by cutting down all the trees and hunting animal species to extinction. Optimistically, the author points out, we can choose not to make the same mistakes today. The book is written well and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about the environment.\n\n---\n\n[Science News]\nwww.sciencenews.com/Polynesian_rats_Rapa_Nui\n\nSCIENCE NEWS\n\nDid Polynesian Rats Destroy Rapa Nui's Trees?\nBy Michael Kimball, Science Reporter\n\nIn 2005, Jared Diamond published Collapse. In the book, he described the human settlement of Rapa Nui (also called Easter Island).\n\nThe book caused a huge controversy soon after its publication. Many scientists questioned Diamond's theory of what happened on Rapa Nui. They agreed that the huge trees had disappeared by the time Europeans first arrived on the island in the 18th century, but they did not agree with Jared Diamond's theory about the cause of the disappearance.\n\nNow, two scientists, Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, have published a new theory. They believe that the Polynesian rat ate the seeds of the trees, preventing new ones from growing. The rat, they believe, was brought over either accidentally or purposefully on the canoes that the first human settlers used to land on Rapa Nui.\n\nStudies have shown that a population of rats can double every 47 days. That's a lot of rats to feed. To support their theory, Lipo and Hunt point to the remains of palm nuts that show the gnaw marks made by rats. Of course, they acknowledge that humans did play a role in the destruction of the forests of Rapa Nui. But they believe that the Polynesian rat was an even greater culprit among a series of factors.", "question": "After reading the three sources, what do you think caused the disappearance of the large trees on Rapa Nui? Provide specific information from the sources to support your answer.", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Includes one or more of the following descriptions: (1) The people cut down or used the trees to move the moai and/or cleared the land for agriculture, (2) The rats ate the seeds of the trees so new trees could not grow, (3) It is not possible to say exactly what happened until further research is conducted.", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "The people cut down or used the trees to move the moai and/or cleared the land for agriculture", "paraphrases": ["People cut too many of them down to move the moai", "People cleared the land for agriculture", "Trees were used to move moai", "People cut the trees down", "It was the people's fault because they wanted to move the moai", "People's fault. They destroyed the environment"]}, {"answer": "The rats ate the seeds of the trees so new trees could not grow", "paraphrases": ["The rats probably caused the most damage by eating the seeds of the trees", "The rats ate the seeds"]}, {"answer": "It is not possible to say exactly what happened to the large trees until further research is conducted", "paraphrases": ["There is no proof that either one is correct, so we have to wait until there is more information"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information from across the texts and decide which theory to support. In this way, the student must understand the theories-and that they are at odds with one another-and must present a response that contains support from the texts. To receive credit, a student could choose to support either theory or could choose neither theory as long as the explanation is focused on the need for additional research. This is an open response - human coded item, and the coding guide used in the Main Survey is provided below. This item was coded with high reliability in the Main Survey."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q02", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "1", "cognitive_process": "Represent literal meaning", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 328, "difficulty_level": "1b", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Forum", "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "What does Ivana_88 want to know?", "options": {"A": "If she can give aspirin to an injured hen.", "B": "How often she can give aspirin to an injured hen.", "C": "How to contact a veterinarian about an injured hen.", "D": "If she can determine the pain level of an injured hen."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must consider Ivana_88's post and understand the literal meaning of the post. The student must match the paraphrase of Ivana_88's initial question (Is it okay to give aspirin to my hen?) to the options in the item. This not simply an \"Access and retrieve information within a text\" item because there is not a direct, verbatim match between the item options and the stimulus. Here, the correct answer is (A) If she can give aspirin to an injured hen. The fact that the forum has posts from different authors created at different times means that the stimulus is a multiple source text. However, this item is classified as requiring a single source because the formulation of the item focuses the students solely on Ivana_88's post. In this way, the student only needs to understand the first post."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q03", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "2", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 357, "difficulty_level": "1a", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Forum", "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "Why does Ivana_88 decide to post her question on an Internet forum?", "options": {"A": "Because she doesn't know how to find a veterinarian.", "B": "Because she thinks the hen's problem isn't serious.", "C": "Because she wants to help her hen as soon as possible.", "D": "Because she cannot afford to go to the veterinarian."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "C"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must understand Ivana_88's post at a deeper level than in the previous item. The student must go beyond what is represented literally in the post (I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone) and the full context of her post to identify the correct answer. Here, the correct answer is (C) Because she wants to help her hen as soon as possible. The student can infer that because her hen is in a lot of pain and she is not able to get a quick response in another way (going to the vet or calling), she has posted on the forum. Similar to the first item, the formulation of the item focuses the student solely on Ivana_88's post which means that a single source is required for the item."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q01_1", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 458, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question_stem": "Is the post relevant to Ivana_88's problem?", "question": "NellieB79's post", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each post in the forum is relevant to the topic. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each post and then reflect on the content and how it relates to the main topic - Giving Aspirin to Chickens. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes. Here, the student must consider the content of Ivana_88's post and then evaluate whether each post in the table is relevant or not. Thus, this item is best classified as requiring multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q01_2", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 458, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question_stem": "Is the post relevant to Ivana_88's problem?", "question": "Monie's post", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each post in the forum is relevant to the topic. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each post and then reflect on the content and how it relates to the main topic - Giving Aspirin to Chickens. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes. Here, the student must consider the content of Ivana_88's post and then evaluate whether each post in the table is relevant or not. Thus, this item is best classified as requiring multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q01_3", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 458, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question_stem": "Is the post relevant to Ivana_88's problem?", "question": "Avian_Deals' post", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each post in the forum is relevant to the topic. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each post and then reflect on the content and how it relates to the main topic - Giving Aspirin to Chickens. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes. Here, the student must consider the content of Ivana_88's post and then evaluate whether each post in the table is relevant or not. Thus, this item is best classified as requiring multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q01_4", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 458, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question_stem": "Is the post relevant to Ivana_88's problem?", "question": "Bob's post", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each post in the forum is relevant to the topic. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each post and then reflect on the content and how it relates to the main topic - Giving Aspirin to Chickens. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes. Here, the student must consider the content of Ivana_88's post and then evaluate whether each post in the table is relevant or not. Thus, this item is best classified as requiring multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q01_5", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 458, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question_stem": "Is the post relevant to Ivana_88's problem?", "question": "Frank's post", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must complete a table by selecting \"Yes\" or \"No\" for each row. The question asks the student to identify whether each post in the forum is relevant to the topic. The student must first understand the literal meaning of each post and then reflect on the content and how it relates to the main topic - Giving Aspirin to Chickens. To receive credit for this item, the student was required to get all 5 rows correct. The correct answers are: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes. Here, the student must consider the content of Ivana_88's post and then evaluate whether each post in the table is relevant or not. Thus, this item is best classified as requiring multiple sources."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q04", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "4", "cognitive_process": "Represent literal meaning", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 328, "difficulty_level": "1b", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Forum", "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "Who has had positive experiences giving aspirin to an injured hen?", "options": {"A": "Ivana_88", "B": "NellieB79", "C": "Monie", "D": "Bob"}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "C"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student is required to understand the literal meaning of the posts by Ivana_88, NellieB79, Monie and Bob. If the student has understood the literal meaning of each, the student would understand that Ivana_88 is asking about whether she can give aspirin to a hen, NellieB79 is warning Ivana_88 about giving medicine to hens, Bob has posted something irrelevant, and it is Monie who has said she has given aspirin to her hen and it was okay. Here, the correct answer is (C) Monie. This item is classified as requiring only a single source because the student can evaluate each post independently with respect to whether each one states a positive experience."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q05", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice - Computer Scored", "difficulty_score": 347, "difficulty_level": "1a", "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Forum", "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "Why does Avian_Deals respond to Ivana_88's post?", "options": {"A": "To promote a business.", "B": "To answer Ivana_88's question.", "C": "To add to Monie's advice.", "D": "To demonstrate expertise with birds."}, "answer": {"type": "single", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must go beyond the literal meaning provided in the text of Avian_Deals's post and make an inference about why this person has made the post. The post by Avian_Deals does not explicitly state that they are promoting their business, thus the student must infer that from the information provided in the post. The correct answer is (A) To promote a business. This item is classified as requiring a single source because ultimately, the student only needs to understand the content of the post by Avian_Deals even though the item refers to Ivana_88's post. No integration is required across posts."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q07", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Assess quality and credibility", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 409, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "Who posted the most reliable answer to Ivana_88's question? Give a reason for your answer.", "options": {"A": "NellieB79", "B": "Monie", "C": "Avian_Deals", "D": "Frank"}, "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Selects any option except Avian_Deals and gives an appropriate explanation supporting why the selection is reliable.", "acceptable_answers": [{"choice": "A", "acceptable_explanations": ["NellieB79's answer implied that Ivana_88 should check with her veterinarian before giving any medicine to her hen"], "example_responses": ["Nellie said she asks her vet first.", "NellieB79 didn't tell Ivana_88 what to do, but she said she checks with her vet before she gives medicine."]}, {"choice": "B", "acceptable_explanations": ["Monie gave aspirin to her own hen, and the hen recovered"], "example_responses": ["Monie gave aspirin to her hen, and the bird got better.", "Monie has a hen that recovered when she gave her aspirin."]}, {"choice": "D", "acceptable_explanations": ["Frank is a veterinarian/bird specialist or has knowledge about treating birds"], "example_responses": ["He's a veterinarian.", "Frank specializes in birds.", "Frank knows the dosage guidelines for chickens.", "Frank talks about a book about bird medicine"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "This item asks the student to consider the elements of quality and credibility of the four posts by NellieB79, Monie, Avian_Deals and Frank, requiring multiple sources to accurately complete the item. The student must first represent the literal meaning of each post and then think about what elements of each post make it a reliable answer to Ivana_88's question. This is an open response - human coded item, and the coding guide used in the Field Trial is provided below. For this item, the student could select any option except Avian_Deals and receive credit provided that the student gave one of the correct elements described below which supports why the selection is reliable. This item was coded with high reliability in the Field Trial."}
{"item_id": "CR548Q09", "unit_title": "Chicken Forum", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences across multiple sources", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": 466, "difficulty_level": "2", "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Forum"], "stimulus_text": "www.chickenhealth.com/forum/aspirin-chickens\n\nChicken Health\nYour online resource for healthy chickens\n\n[About]\n[Forum]\n[Pictures]\n\nGiving Aspirin to Chickens\n\nIvana_88 THREAD STARTER - Posted 28 October 18:12\nHello everyone!\nIs it okay to give aspirin to my hen? She is 2 years old and I think she hurt her leg. I can't get to the veterinarian until Monday, and the vet isn't answering the phone. My hen seems to be in a lot of pain. I'd like to give her something to make her feel better until I can go to the vet. Thank you for your help.\n\nNellieB79 - Posted 28 October 18:36\nI don't know if aspirin is safe for hens or not. I always check with my vet before giving my birds medicine. I know that some drugs that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for birds.\n\nMonie - Posted 28 October 18:52\nI gave an aspirin to one of my hens when she was hurt. There was no problem. The next day I went to the vet but she was already better. I think it might be dangerous if you give too much, so don't exceed the dose limits! I hope she feels better!\n\nAvian_Deals - Posted 28 October 19:07\nHi! Don't forget to check out my super low deals on all bird supplies. I'm having a great sale right now!\n\nBob - Posted 28 October 19:15\nCan someone please tell me how to know if a chicken is sick? Thanks.\n\nFrank - Posted 28 October 19:21\nHello Ivana,\nI am a veterinarian, specializing in birds. It is okay to give injured chickens aspirin if they are showing signs that they are in pain. When prescribing aspirin to birds, I follow the guidelines published in Clinical Avian Medicine. Chickens should receive 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight. You can give this 3-4 times per day until you can see your veterinarian. It is very important to follow up with your vet. Good luck!", "question": "Why can't Frank give Ivana_88 the exact amount of aspirin for her hen?", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "States that the weight or size of the chicken was not provided/is not known.", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "The weight or size of the chicken was not provided/is not known", "paraphrases": ["Ivana_88 didn't include the weight of her chicken in her post.", "Frank doesn't know how much her chicken weighs.", "The chicken's weight is missing.", "The size of the chicken is not known."]}]}}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the student must integrate information from across the posts by Ivana_88 and Frank. The student must understand what Frank has provided in his post (the dosage information - 5mg of aspirin per kg of body weight) and understand what he has not provided (the exact amount of aspirin Ivana_88 should use for her hen). The student must then understand why. This is because Ivana_88 has not provided the weight of her hen, which is what Frank needs to know in order to provide the exact amount of aspirin. This is an open response - human coded item, and the coding guide used in the Field Trial is provided below. This item was coded with high reliability in the Field Trial."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q13", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "1", "cognitive_process": "Search for and select relevant text", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "What do Marine Iguanas eat?", "options": {"A": "A variety of plants", "B": "Tortoise eggs", "C": "Algae", "D": "Small fish"}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "C"}, "item_explanation": "In this item, the answer is not located on the \"About\" webpage, so the student must search through the different webpages to find the answer. By providing the correct answer, the student demonstrates that he or she has selected the relevant text (\"Animals\"). Once the correct text has been located, a simple match is made between the content within the section on the Marine Iguana and the options in the stimulus. Thus, while this item encourages engagement with the different webpages, it does not require a deep level of engagement with the relevant text. The answer is (C) Algae."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q14", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "2", "cognitive_process": "Search for and select relevant text", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Conservation"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "On what island have scientists succeeded in restoring a breeding population of giant tortoises?", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "States Pinzón Island or Pinzón.", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "Pinzón Island", "paraphrases": ["Pinzón"]}]}}, "item_explanation": "This item is similar to the Released Item #1 in that the student is not given information about where the answer to the question is located. Thus, the student must search among the four webpages and select the relevant text (\"Conservation\"). Here, the student must provide the answer in their own words, and the coding guide for the item can be found below."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q08", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "3", "cognitive_process": "Access and retrieve information within a text", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Conservation", "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "According to the Conservation webpage, what was the main goal for why conservationists started a breeding program for tortoises?", "options": {"A": "To save the tortoises from extinction.", "B": "To monitor how tortoises mature.", "C": "To protect tortoise eggs from predators.", "D": "To track tortoises for a long period of time."}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "This item is a good contrast to the previous two items. In the two previous items in this unit, the item did not explicitly identify the relevant text for the student. Thus, searching for the relevant text was required to complete the item accurately. Here, the item explicitly refers to the \"Conservation\" webpage. This should be a strong signal to the student that they need to navigate to the \"Conservation\" webpage to find the answer. Once students are on the correct webpage, they need to match the information in the question stem (started a breeding program for tortoises) and the webpage (launched a breeding program). Option A is also a very close match with what is in the webpage (…to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction). The correct answer is (A) To save the tortoises from extinction. By contrasting this item and the previous two items, one can see the difference between the two cognitive processes of access and retrieve information within a text, and search for and select relevant text."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q06", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "4", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences", "response_format": "Simple Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "What do the Galapagos Tortoise, the Marine Iguana, and the Flightless Cormorant have in common?", "options": {"A": "Their food comes from the ocean.", "B": "They eat the same foods.", "C": "They live a long time.", "D": "Their populations are threatened."}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "D"}, "item_explanation": "For this item, the student begins the task by searching for the relevant text to locate the webpage that discusses animals of the Galapagos Islands. If the student has successfully navigated to the \"Animals\" webpage in the first item, then he or she will likely know where to go to complete this item. However, because the unit would always revert to the \"About\" webpage had it been programmed, this item would have had, at its core, the cognitive process of searching for and selecting relevant text. Unlike the previous items, this item requires the student to engage more deeply with the information in the webpage. Once the student has navigated to the correct webpage, it is necessary to integrate information across all three descriptions to correctly identify the commonality among the three animals. Because this commonality is not explicitly stated in the webpage and requires integration, this is an \"integrate and generate inference\" item. Here, the answer is (D) Their populations are threatened."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q07", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "5", "cognitive_process": "Integrate and generate inferences", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Single", "source_tab": "Conservation", "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "The Conservation webpage cites two examples of programs that were undertaken to protect the giant tortoises.\n\nWhat is the key difference in the approach taken between these two conservation programs?", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Responses indicate that one program focused on the breeding of native species while the other program focused on the eradication of invasive species.", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "One program focused on the breeding of native species while the other focused on the eradication of invasive species.", "paraphrases": ["The first program bred tortoises in captivity, while the second program killed the rats.", "One was about breeding tortoises safely, the other was about removing the rats from the island.", "The breeding program protected tortoises from predators, while the Pinzón program eliminated the predators."]}]}}, "item_explanation": "In contrast to the previous item, the question stem indicates to which webpage the student must navigate in order to find the answer to the question. However, this item shares similarities with the previous item in that it requires the student to integrate information across one webpage and understand information that is not explicitly stated in the webpage. Thus, this is an \"integrate and generate inference\" item. It is an open response - human coded item, and the draft coding guide for the item is presented below."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q11", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "6", "cognitive_process": "Reflect on content and form", "response_format": "Open Response - Human Coded", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["Animals", "Conservation"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question": "The \"Animals\" and \"Conservation\" pages present facts and details about animals and conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands. Why does the Galapagos Preservation Society focus on this information on the two pages?", "answer": {"type": "open", "full_credit": {"criteria": "Responses indicate that the society uses the facts and details to encourage people to support programs to save the animals and the islands.", "acceptable_answers": [{"answer": "The society uses the facts and details to encourage people to support programs to save the animals and the islands.", "paraphrases": ["To get people interested in volunteering or donating money to help conserve the animals.", "They want to show people why the animals need protecting so they will support conservation efforts.", "To raise awareness about the threatened animals and encourage people to help."]}]}}, "item_explanation": "This item explicitly tells the student to consider the information presented on two specific webpages, which limits the amount of searching a student needs to do in order to complete the item. To correctly answer this item, the student must understand the content of both webpages with respect to how each discusses the animals and conservation efforts on the islands. The student must go beyond understanding the content and reflect on the way its presentation shapes its purpose. This item represents how the cognitive processes in the Reading Literacy assessment can build upon one another. First, the student must understand the literal meaning of sentences and paragraphs in the webpage. Then the student has to integrate the information within each webpage as well as across both webpages. Finally, the student must think about how the content is presented to consider a purpose for which the texts may be used. The draft coding guide for this item is presented below."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q12_1", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Assess quality and credibility", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals", "Conservation", "Volunteer"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question_stem": "After reviewing the pages, you decide to send a list of suggestions to Alejandro and Cristina about how to improve the credibility of the website. Which of the changes listed in the table below make the website more credible for people who want to learn about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society? Click on either Yes or No for each statement in the table below.\n\nDoes this change improve the credibility of the website?", "question": "Provide testimonials from tourists who have visited the Galapagos Islands.", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "For the final item in the unit, the student must consider the content of the full website and how it could be improved to present the information in a more credible way for future readers whose purpose is to find out more about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society. This item relies on knowledge of what makes a source more credible. The first statement describes a way to promote tourism to the islands but does not address aspects of credibility with respect to learning more about the islands and the conservation society. The correct answer is No. The second statement addresses a way in which the content could be organized in order to improve the readability of the website but not the credibility. The correct answer is No. The third statement is a clear way to make a website or text more credible. The correct answer is Yes. Finally, the fourth statement could improve the quality and credibility of the website because a clearly-stated description of the society and its mission might allow readers to better contextualize the content within the pages. Readers would know that the society's goal is rooted in science and aims to preserve the islands' ecosystem. Without this knowledge, readers are less aware of who the author is and whether or not there is inherent bias in the information presented. The correct answer is Yes."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q12_2", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Assess quality and credibility", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals", "Conservation", "Volunteer"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question_stem": "After reviewing the pages, you decide to send a list of suggestions to Alejandro and Cristina about how to improve the credibility of the website. Which of the changes listed in the table below make the website more credible for people who want to learn about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society? Click on either Yes or No for each statement in the table below.\n\nDoes this change improve the credibility of the website?", "question": "Include more sub-headings.", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "B"}, "item_explanation": "For the final item in the unit, the student must consider the content of the full website and how it could be improved to present the information in a more credible way for future readers whose purpose is to find out more about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society. This item relies on knowledge of what makes a source more credible. The first statement describes a way to promote tourism to the islands but does not address aspects of credibility with respect to learning more about the islands and the conservation society. The correct answer is No. The second statement addresses a way in which the content could be organized in order to improve the readability of the website but not the credibility. The correct answer is No. The third statement is a clear way to make a website or text more credible. The correct answer is Yes. Finally, the fourth statement could improve the quality and credibility of the website because a clearly-stated description of the society and its mission might allow readers to better contextualize the content within the pages. Readers would know that the society's goal is rooted in science and aims to preserve the islands' ecosystem. Without this knowledge, readers are less aware of who the author is and whether or not there is inherent bias in the information presented. The correct answer is Yes."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q12_3", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Assess quality and credibility", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals", "Conservation", "Volunteer"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question_stem": "After reviewing the pages, you decide to send a list of suggestions to Alejandro and Cristina about how to improve the credibility of the website. Which of the changes listed in the table below make the website more credible for people who want to learn about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society? Click on either Yes or No for each statement in the table below.\n\nDoes this change improve the credibility of the website?", "question": "Cite authoritative sources.", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "For the final item in the unit, the student must consider the content of the full website and how it could be improved to present the information in a more credible way for future readers whose purpose is to find out more about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society. This item relies on knowledge of what makes a source more credible. The first statement describes a way to promote tourism to the islands but does not address aspects of credibility with respect to learning more about the islands and the conservation society. The correct answer is No. The second statement addresses a way in which the content could be organized in order to improve the readability of the website but not the credibility. The correct answer is No. The third statement is a clear way to make a website or text more credible. The correct answer is Yes. Finally, the fourth statement could improve the quality and credibility of the website because a clearly-stated description of the society and its mission might allow readers to better contextualize the content within the pages. Readers would know that the society's goal is rooted in science and aims to preserve the islands' ecosystem. Without this knowledge, readers are less aware of who the author is and whether or not there is inherent bias in the information presented. The correct answer is Yes."}
{"item_id": "CR571Q12_4", "unit_title": "The Galapagos Islands", "released_item": "7", "cognitive_process": "Assess quality and credibility", "response_format": "Complex Multiple Choice", "difficulty_score": null, "difficulty_level": null, "source_requirement": "Multiple", "source_tab": ["About", "Animals", "Conservation", "Volunteer"], "stimulus_text": "THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - A NATURAL TREASURE\n\n[About] Located 1000 kilometres west of the South American coast lie the Galapagos Islands - one of the most fascinating places in the world.\n\nThere are currently 95 indigenous species of animals that exist solely on the various islands of the archipelago. Many people travel to the Galapagos Islands to observe these special animals in their natural habitat. The islands are often referred to as a \"living laboratory\" because they offer scientists great research potential. Being near the equator, the islands receive ample sunshine, while the strong ocean currents provide cool breezes. Many plants and animals thrive in this environment. Tourists and scientists alike are fascinated by the animals who seem just as curious about humans as we are about them. Galapagos animals evolved for centuries without human interference or predation and consequently, when approached by humans, they don't show fear like most animals throughout the world. They often wander up to visitors! This behavior creates amazing photo opportunities, but it has made the animals very vulnerable.\n\nOver the years, the ecosystem surrounding the Galapagos Islands has been threatened due to human activity on the islands. Damage to the ecosystem has had negative consequences on populations of many of the Galapagos animals. Thankfully, with the work of committed researchers, the ecosystem is slowly recovering.\n\n---\n\n[Animals]Learn interesting animal facts about the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands! More animals coming soon!\n\nName: Galapagos Tortoise\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nGiant tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and weigh more than 230 kilos. They eat a variety of plants and can survive an entire year without any food or water.\n\nIguanaName: Marine Iguana\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nA marine iguana's diet mostly consists of algae found in the ocean. They spend so much time in the ocean that salt water builds up in their bodies. Marine iguanas remove it by sneezing and expelling it out their nostrils.\n\nCormorantName: Flightless Cormorant\n\nStatus: Vulnerable\n\nFlightless Cormorants cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. They can dive for food for more than 3 minutes under water and up to 100 meters away from shore. There are less than 2000 of them left on the Galapagos Islands, their only home.\n\n---\n\n[Conservation]There are many interesting examples of conservation programs taking place on the Galapagos Islands. Check back regularly to read about new success stories as we update our page!\n\nA Conservation Program for Tortoises\n\nBy 1965, the giant tortoise population had severely declined and several tortoise species had become extinct. Humans who visited and settled the islands had introduced invasive species such as rats that preyed on tortoise eggs and young tortoises. It had become impossible for tortoises to reach maturity in the wild. In response, conservationists launched a breeding program to save the rest of the tortoises from extinction. They began by capturing adult tortoises and transporting them to a facility where they could lay their eggs safely away from rats and other predators. Once the young tortoises were large enough to defend themselves, they were released back to their native island. Numbers were painted on their shells so they can be monitored as they aged in their natural environment. This type of conservation has been critical for maintaining and improving current tortoise populations, but until the giant tortoises can reproduce without the help of humans, they are considered extinct in the wild.\n\nPinzón Island - A Success Story\n\nConservationists realized a second approach was necessary to fully restore a breeding population of giant tortoises on Pinzón Island. A massive population of invasive black rats made it impossible for tortoises to reach maturity on the island. The only way forward was to eradicate the rats. Otherwise, no tortoises would be able to safely hatch and survive their most vulnerable years in their native home.\n\nA large-scale rat eradication program was launched in 2012 on the island. Helicopters dropped over 20 tonnes of poison. The poison was designed to be attractive to rats, but not to the native species that also live there. Soon after, Pinzón Island was declared rat-free. Additional proof of the program's success was discovered in December, 2014. A team of scientists found young tortoise hatchlings on the island that had been born in the wild! This is an encouraging finding that suggests the native tortoise population on Pinzón Island may be able to sustain itself naturally after so many years.\n\n---\n\n[Volunteer]  This page is under construction.\n\nWe expect to have descriptions of volunteer opportunities and a secure way to donate money to the Society.", "question_stem": "After reviewing the pages, you decide to send a list of suggestions to Alejandro and Cristina about how to improve the credibility of the website. Which of the changes listed in the table below make the website more credible for people who want to learn about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society? Click on either Yes or No for each statement in the table below.\n\nDoes this change improve the credibility of the website?", "question": "Include a description of the Galapagos Conservation Society and its mission.", "options": {"A": "Yes", "B": "No"}, "answer": {"type": "simple", "correct": "A"}, "item_explanation": "For the final item in the unit, the student must consider the content of the full website and how it could be improved to present the information in a more credible way for future readers whose purpose is to find out more about the islands and the Galapagos Conservation Society. This item relies on knowledge of what makes a source more credible. The first statement describes a way to promote tourism to the islands but does not address aspects of credibility with respect to learning more about the islands and the conservation society. The correct answer is No. The second statement addresses a way in which the content could be organized in order to improve the readability of the website but not the credibility. The correct answer is No. The third statement is a clear way to make a website or text more credible. The correct answer is Yes. Finally, the fourth statement could improve the quality and credibility of the website because a clearly-stated description of the society and its mission might allow readers to better contextualize the content within the pages. Readers would know that the society's goal is rooted in science and aims to preserve the islands' ecosystem. Without this knowledge, readers are less aware of who the author is and whether or not there is inherent bias in the information presented. The correct answer is Yes."}