Criteria  Analyze a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Non performance  Does not analyze a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Basic  Describes but does not analyze a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Proficient  Analyzes a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Distinguished  Evaluates a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Criteria  Analyze a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population.  Non performance  Does not analyze a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Basic  Describes but does not analyze a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Proficient  Analyzes a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Distinguished  Evaluates a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and population. Criteria  Analyze how advances in technology have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and fair usage. Non performance  Does not analyze how advances in technology have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and fair usage. Basic  Describes but does not analyze how advances in technology have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and fair usage. Performance  Analyzes how advances in technology have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and fair usage. Distinguished  Evaluates how advances in technology have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and fair usage. Criteria  Implement referencing, heading, and format elements of current APA style.  Basic  Does not implement referencing, heading, and format elements of current APA style. Proficient  Implements some referencing, heading, and format elements of current APA style, but there are many deviations or omissions. Distinguished  Implements referencing, heading, and format elements of current APA style. Implements referencing, heading, and format elements of current APA style, the writing reflects the quality and expertise expected for doctoral-level work. EL NIÑO & THE SOUTHERN OSCILLATION: MONITORING A GLOBAL PHENOMENON WITH LOCAL DATA Purpose This activity will address the effects of El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) across spatial scales, with particular attention directed to the influence of this phenomenon in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Learning Outcomes • Distinguish the differences between El Niño and La Niña in.

1. Criteria
Analyze a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and
fairness for its intended purpose and population.
Non performance
Does not analyze a test's items and procedures for
appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and
population.
Basic
Describes but does not analyze a test's items and procedures for
appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and
population.
Proficient
Analyzes a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and
fairness for its intended purpose and population.
Distinguished
Evaluates a test's items and procedures for appropriateness and
fairness for its intended purpose and population.
Criteria
Analyze a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for
its intended purpose and population.
Non performance
Does not analyze a test's materials for appropriateness and
fairness for its intended purpose and population.
Basic
Describes but does not analyze a test's materials for
appropriateness and fairness for its intended purpose and
population.
Proficient
Analyzes a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for
its intended purpose and population.
Distinguished
Evaluates a test's materials for appropriateness and fairness for
its intended purpose and population.
Criteria

2. Analyze how advances in technology have been utilized to
address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and
fair usage.
Non performance
Does not analyze how advances in technology have been
utilized to address issues of test items, procedures, and
appropriate and fair usage.
Basic
Describes but does not analyze how advances in technology
have been utilized to address issues of test items, procedures,
and appropriate and fair usage.
Performance
Analyzes how advances in technology have been utilized to
address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and
fair usage.
Distinguished
Evaluates how advances in technology have been utilized to
address issues of test items, procedures, and appropriate and
fair usage.
Criteria
Implement referencing, heading, and format elements of current
APA style.
Basic
Does not implement referencing, heading, and format elements
of current APA style.
Proficient
Implements some referencing, heading, and format elements of
current APA style, but there are many deviations or omissions.
Distinguished
Implements referencing, heading, and format elements of
current APA style. Implements referencing, heading, and format
elements of current APA style, the writing reflects the quality
and expertise expected for doctoral-level work.

3. EL NIÑO & THE SOUTHERN OSCILLATION: MONITORING
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON WITH LOCAL DATA
Purpose
This activity will address the effects of El Nino and the
Southern Oscillation (ENSO) across spatial scales, with
particular attention directed to the influence of this phenomenon
in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Learning Outcomes
• Distinguish the differences between El Niño and La Niña
indicators • Gain familiarity with the website:
http://www.noaa.gov • Accurately interpret data presented in
figures, tables, and graphs • Recognize relationships between
ENSO and weather in our region • Consider the biological
impacts of the abiotic ENSO phenomenon
Background on ENSO
El Niño (EN) is characterized by unusually warm ocean
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, as opposed to La Niña,
which characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the
Equatorial Pacific. El Niño is an oscillation of the ocean-
atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important
consequences for weather around the globe. These phenomena
are often analyzed in conjunction with the Southern Oscillation
(SO), a comparison of atmospheric pressures in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean to those in the southeastern Pacific
Ocean.
ENSO news reports often focus on the phenomenon’s impact on
South American weather, wildlife, and commerce. While it is
important to remember that El Niño brings Peru rain, mudslides,
and poor fishing (while La Niña produces the opposite),
scientific research suggests broader meteorological impacts.
What impacts the atmosphere, ultimately affects the biosphere.
Part I: A National Perspective
The figures below show “winter” snowfall values for the
contiguous United States for the years 1948–2006.
The top map shows mean snowfall amounts based on the 38
“neutral years” (i.e., neither El Niño nor La Niña years). The

4. map on the lower left shows the average departure from that
mean during the ten El Niño years, while the map on the lower
right shows average departures for the eleven La Niña years. All
values are in inches.
Maps available at: www.noaa.gov
1. Snowfall amounts in the Pacific Northwest and Northern
Rockies were greater than the “neutral year mean” during El
Niño / La Niña years between 1948 and 2006. (Circle One)
2. What topographic feature along the border of North Carolina
and Tennessee is responsible for the relatively high snowfall
amounts this area receives compared to other locations within
the Southeast? ______________________
3. Virginia and western North Carolina received less snowfall
during El Niño / La Niña years between 1948 and 2006. (Circle
One)
4. How could land managers and wildland firefighters use this
information to prepare for the location and intensity of summer
fires?
Part II: Access Local Data
Go to the website: http://www.noaa.gov. Spend a moment
looking at the home page of this site.
5. The acronym NOAA (pronounced, “Noah”) is short for the
National ____________________ ___________________
Administration.

5. 6. NOAA is a division of the United States Department of
________________.
The NOAA website allows access to information about dozens
of research topics including weather, climate, ecology, and
hydrology.
You will investigate local ENSO effects by accessing data from
an affiliate of NOAA called the National Operational
Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. Go to their snow analysis
website: http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
7. Today’s date is ______________________. Looking at the
“Automated Model Discussion,” you notice that ________% of
the sample area is covered by snow.
8. Scroll through selection fields titled “Select Region and
Date.” Data for the “National” region is available back to what
year? ___________
Data from this site will allow you to compare snow conditions
for the Southern Appalachian Mountains during the El Niño
winter of 2009-2010 and the La Niña winter two years (2007-
2008) earlier. Under the selection field titled “Region,” select:
“Southern Appalachia”.
9. What percent of the Southern Appalachia region was covered
by snow on February 1, 2010? ___________ What was the
average snow depth? __________
10. What percent of the Southern Appalachia region was
covered by snow on February 1, 2008? __________ What was
the average snow depth? __________
11. A. Why is it difficult to contrast El Nino vs. La Niña snow
conditions in Southern Appalachia based solely on these two
observations?

6. B. How would you use this website to formulate a testable
hypothesis?
12. Choose two organisms that are native to Southern
Appalachia. Write a paragraph about each organism that
addresses how local snowfall variability, which is partially
influenced by ENSO, could affect their habitats and the health
and reproduction of the organisms.
Example organisms are the spruce-fir moss spider, northern
flying squirrel, Frasier fir, eastern hemlock, black bear, rabbit,
deer, wild turkey, or wild brook or speckled trout. Look up their
scientific names online.
Organism A ___________________ Scientific Name
________________________
Organism B ____________________ Scientific Name
________________________