HS-ESS2-7 | Coevolution of Earth and Life · NYS standard · Regents questions
Construct an argument based on evidence about the coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between the biosphere and Earth’s other systems, whereby geoscience factors control the evolution of life, which in turn continuously alters Earth’s surface. Examples include how the outgassing of water from Earth’s interior caused the development of Earth’s early oceans leading to the evolution of microorganisms and stromatolites; how photosynthetic life altered the atmosphere through the production of oxygen, which in turn increased weathering rates and allowed for the evolution of animal life; how microbial life on land increased the formation of soil, which in turn allowed for the evolution of land plants; or how the evolution of corals created reefs that altered patterns of erosion and deposition along coastlines and provided habitats for the evolution of new life forms.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of how the biosphere interacts with all of Earth’s other systems.
Note: this is a performance expectation for both HS Earth & Space Science and HS Biology. For biology, the focus is on "changes in the atmosphere from plants and other organisms related to carbon cycling and feedback mechanisms related to co-evolution". For Earth & Space Science, the focus is on "changes in the atmosphere from plants and other organisms along with feedback mechanisms" (as per the NYSED high school course maps).
Reference Tables
Relevant reference tables:
Regents Exam Questions
Released New York State Regents exam questions that assess HS-ESS2-7 are listed here by exam and question cluster. Each link opens the question with its answer key.
Biology
Earth & Space Science
Vocabulary
Terms that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it, listed by subject. Biology terms are from the Biology Glossary; Earth & Space Science terms are from the Earth & Space Science Glossary.
Biology
- argument
- atmosphere
- biosphere
- carbon
- climate
- coevolution
- constraint
- erosion
- evolution
- feedback mechanism
- habitat
- microorganism
- ocean
- oxygen
- soil
- stability and change
- stromatolite
- weathering
- amphibian – Sample 2024
- Carboniferous period – June 2026
- competition – June 2026
- cycling of carbon – Aug 2026
- Devonian period – Sample 2024
- ecosystem – Aug 2026
- negative feedback – Aug 2026
- nitrogen – Aug 2026
- organic matter – Aug 2026
- permafrost – Aug 2026
- photosynthesis – June 2026
- positive feedback – Aug 2026
- respiration – Sample 2024
- root – Aug 2026
Earth & Space Science
- argument
- atmosphere
- biogeology
- biosphere
- biosphere feedback
- carbon
- carbon dioxide
- coevolution
- constraints
- coral reefs
- deposition
- dynamic causes and effects
- Earth
- Earth’s early oceans
- Earth’s interior
- Earth’s surface
- Earth’s systems
- erosion
- evolution of life
- feedback
- geoscience factors
- habitats
- land plants
- microbial life
- microorganisms
- ocean
- outgassing
- oxygen
- oxygen production
- photosynthetic life
- reefs
- soil
- soil formation
- stromatolites
- weathering rates
- algae – Aug 2025
- atmospheric oxygen – Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- bacteria – Aug 2025
- biodiversity – Aug 2026
- climate change – Jan 2026
- coal – June 2025
- cryosphere – Jan 2026
- cyanobacteria – Jan 2026
- deforestation – Jan 2026
- fossils – Jan 2026
- glaciation – Jan 2026
- gravitational force – Aug 2025
- helium – Aug 2025
- hydrogen – Aug 2025
- hydrosphere – Jan 2026
- ice – Jan 2026
- iron – June 2025
- irrigation – Aug 2026
- lakes – Aug 2026
- mantle – Aug 2025
- methane – Jan 2026
- model – Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- molten rock – Aug 2025
- Pangea – Jan 2026
- photosynthesis – Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- reflection – Jan 2026
- respiration – Jan 2026
- river – Aug 2026
- salinity – Aug 2026
- sea level – Aug 2026, Jan 2026
- supercontinent – Jan 2026
- transpiration – Jan 2026
- volcanic eruptions – Aug 2025
- volcano – Aug 2025
Performance Level Descriptions
Every Regents exam question on HS-ESS2-7 is written to match one of the performance level descriptions (PLDs) below.
NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation HS-ESS2-7 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Engaging in Argument from Evidence
- Construct an oral and written argument or counter-arguments based on data and evidence.
- ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
- Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen.
- ESS2.E: Biogeology
- The many dynamic and delicate feedbacks between the biosphere and other Earth systems cause a continual co-evolution of Earth's surface and the life that exists on it.
- Stability and Change
- Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.