Nature of Science
A student was birdwatching in a park. She wrote down statements in a notebook about the birds she saw. Some of the statements were facts, while others were opinions. Which statement is an opinion?
A. The red bird has an orange beak.
B. The red bird is prettier than the blue bird.
C. The brown bird is smaller than the blue bird.
D. There are more brown birds in the tree than there are red birds.
What is ______?
B. The red bird is prettier than the blue bird.
This statement is an opinion because it is based on what a person thinks of the bird, not what can be proven as fact.
Use the list below to answer the question.
Steps in a Process That Occurs in Humans
Step 1: Air with oxygen is inhaled through the nose and mouth. Step 2: Air enters the lungs. Step 3: Oxygen from air is carried to body cells. Step 4: Body cells return carbon dioxide to the lungs to be removed from the body. Step 5: Air with carbon dioxide is exhaled into the environment.
The list shows the steps that occur in a process of the human body. How can this process best be identified?
A. digestion
B. growth
C. reproduction
D. respiration
What is D - Respiration involves the lungs and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air.
Which two physical properties of matter describe a wire made of iron?
A. It is a solid and it is magnetic.
B. It is a liquid and it conducts heat.
C. It is magnetic and it is an insulator.
D. It is an insulator and it has a black color.
What is A - An iron wire is solid and magnetic
Cement is made of Earth materials, including limestone and gypsum. Concrete is made by mixing cement with other materials, such as sand or gravel. Where would a person most likely observe cement and concrete products being used?
A. at a farm where food is being grown
B. at a factory where clothing is being produced
C. at a site where a new building is being constructed
D. at a location where a natural ecosystem is being preserved
What is C. - Concrete and cement products are typically used as building materials to make or repair structures such as walls, floors, roads, and curbs.
Use the diagram to answer the following scenario:
A student builds a model to show some of the steps in the water cycle . Which steps in the water cycle is the student most likely modeling?
A . precipitation and runoff
B . runoff and condensation
C . evaporation and precipitation
D . condensation and evaporation
What is A -This model shows water sprinkling out of a can (precipitation) and water flowing across the sand surface (runoff)
In the past, typing or handwriting letters and putting them in the mail was the most popular way of delivering messages over long distances. Today, electronic tools, such as computers and phones, are used to send messages. In which way has this change in communication most likely had a positive impact on people?
A. Messages can be sent faster.
B. The amount of waste is reduced.
C. Messages cannot be lost or damaged.
D. More energy is needed to communicate.
What is ____________?
A. Messages can be sent faster.
Electronic tools have allowed messages to be sent faster than methods in the past, such as paper letters, allowed.
In the past, people built dams on rivers to produce electricity. Today, many of those dams are no longer in use. A water power company wants to remove some dams that are no longer used to make electricity. Which statement explains how removing the dam would most likely affect the river ecosystem?
A. The water in the river would dry up over time.
B. Fish would be able to travel along the river more easily.
C. The river water would move too fast for any organisms to survive.
D. New predators would move into the river habitat and eat all of the fish.
What is B - The removal of a dam could allow some fish to reach parts of the river they may not have been able to reach when the dam was in place.
Which sentence describes a parallel circuit?
A. It must have two or more batteries for electricity to flow through.
B. It must have two or more pathways for electricity to flow through.
C. It must have two or more light bulbs and a single pathway for electricity to flow through.
D. It must have the number of batteries and light bulbs equal to the number of pathways for electricity to flow through.
What is B. - A parallel circuit has more than one path for electricity to return back to the battery.
Which statement best describes a pond?
A . It is made of salt water that is frozen .
B . It is made of salt water that is flowing .
C . It is made of fresh water that does not flow .
D . It is made of fresh water that does not freeze
What is C . - A pond is a standing body of fresh water
About how much will the diameter of the tree’s trunk most likely increase between year 200 and year 230?
A . 1 cm
B . 10 cm
C . 25 cm
D . 50 cm
What is B . - The pattern suggests the tree will grow 10 cm in diameter over 30 years
Use the list below to answer the question.
1. Pour two 1-liter samples of water into two flasks. 2. Stir 10 grams of salt into the water in one flask. 3. Place a thermometer into the water in each flask. 4. Heat the water in each flask until it boils.
A student follows the steps shown. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer?
A. What is the weight of a sample of water?
B. What is the volume of a sample of water?
C. Does mixing salt with water change its temperature?
D. Does mixing salt with water change its boiling point?
What is D. Does mixing salt with water change its boiling point?
The only difference between the two flasks is that salt was added to one flask but not to the other flask. The scientific question being asked is whether salt changes the boiling point of water.
Erie National Wildlife Refuge has many creeks, ponds, and marshes . It attracts over 200 types of birds . Which birds depend most on the water in the refuge?
A . birds that eat fish
B . birds that hibernate
C . birds that eat snakes
D . birds that build nests
What is A - Birds that eat fish depend on water habitats to support the fish
A person riding a bicycle down a hill does not have to keep pedaling to move. Which statement best explains why the person does not have to pedal when moving downhill?
A. Magnetic force pulls the bicycle downhill.
B. Gravitational force pulls the bicycle downhill.
C. Stored energy in the bicycle’s chain pushes the bicycle downhill.
D. Stored energy in the bicycle’s wheels pushes the bicycle downhill
What is B. - The force of gravity is pulling the bicycle down the hill toward the center of Earth
In late spring, a student notices very tall, puffy clouds forming quickly in the sky . The clouds seem to be getting taller and are turning dark gray . Which weather forecast can best be made from these observations?
A . Cirrus clouds are forming and fair weather is expected .
B . Cumulus clouds are forming and dry, cold weather is expected .
C . Cumulonimbus clouds are forming and a thunderstorm is likely .
D . Stratus clouds are forming and a late-season snowstorm is likely
What is C . - Cumulonimbus clouds are thunderstorm clouds—they grow tall and become dark gray before producing severe weather events
The drawing shows a great blue heron in a wetland environment. Identify an adaptation that allow the great blue heron to survive in the wetland environment, and explain how the adaptation helps the great blue heron survive in the wetland environment.
Name an adaptation and how it helps it to SURVIVE.
What is... *Acceptable correct responses include:
Adaptation: long legs Helps Survival: The heron has long legs that help it wade in shallow water. Also, its long legs allow the great blue heron to stand above the water while looking for prey.
Adaptation: long, pointed beak Helps Survival: This type of beak helps the heron spear and grasp its prey, such as fish, frogs, and crustaceans.
Adaptation: long, flexible neck Helps Survival: The great blue heron’s long and flexible neck helps the great blue heron move quickly to spear prey in the water.
Adaptation: wide talons Helps Survival: Wide talons help the great blue heron balance in the shallow mud.
Three different containers are each filled with 25 milliliters of water. They are placed in the sunlight for one week. Which tools should a student use to measure the change in volume and change in temperature in each of the containers?
A. volume: beaker temperature: ruler
B. volume: balance scale temperature: hand lens
C. volume: beaker temperature: thermometer
D. volume: balance scale temperature: thermometer
What is C - volume: beaker, temperature: thermometer
A beaker can be used to measure the volume of a liquid, and a thermometer is used to measure temperature
Which sequence shows the most likely steps humans use to produce lumber from trees for construction purposes?
A . growing harvesting shipping processing planting
B . planting harvesting growing shipping processing
C . growing shipping processing planting harvesting
D . planting growing harvesting processing shipping
What is D . This sequence shows how humans produce lumber from trees
A log burns in a fireplace. Nearby, a light bulb is glowing. How are the fire and the light bulb alike?
A. Both create new energy.
B. Both absorb light energy.
C. Both release light energy.
D. Both use electrical energy.
What is C. - The fire and the light bulb both release energy in the form of light.
Which statement best describes the Sun-Earth-Moon system?
A. Earth orbits both the Sun and the Moon.
B. Earth orbits the Moon, and the Sun orbits Earth.
C. The Moon orbits Earth, and Earth orbits the Sun.
D. The Sun orbits Earth, and the Moon orbits the Sun.
What is C. - The Moon orbits Earth, and Earth orbits the Sun
Which change is necessary for this circuit to work?
A . Add a source of power .
B . Add a second light bulb .
C . Move the switch farther away from the light bulb.
D . Replace the copper wire with a different type of metal wire
What is A. - A working circuit requires a power source to provide electric current
A student places a terrarium on a window ledge in the sunlight. How does the sunlight affect the terrarium system?
A. It is a living component that provides energy to the terrarium system.
B. It is a living component that provides nutrients to the terrarium system.
C. It is a nonliving component that provides energy to the terrarium system.
D. It is a nonliving component that provides nutrients to the terrarium system
What is C - It is a nonliving component that provides energy to the terrarium system.
Sunlight is a nonliving component that provides light energy to this system.
How do the human nose and lungs work together?
A. The nose filters air that is processed in the lungs.
B. The nose brings in food that is digested in the lungs.
C. The nose lets out energy that is produced by the lungs.
D. The nose senses odors that are understood by the lungs.
What is A - Air is inhaled through the nose, filtered, and then processed in the lungs
A song is playing on a radio. Which statement describes the change in the fl ow of energy?
A. Electrical energy is changed to light energy.
B. Electrical energy is changed to sound energy.
C. Sound energy is changed to light energy.
D. Sound energy is changed to electrical energy
What is B - Electrical energy is converted into sound waves by causing vibrations within the radio’s speakers.
A student observes a handful of soil. Which statement best describes the soil?
A. It is made of large rock pieces and living organisms.
B. It is made from rock that was carried to the shore by waves.
C. It is made of small rock pieces and decomposed organisms.
D. It is made from hardened lava that formed from a volcanic eruption.
What is C. - Soil is composed of small pieces of rock and decomposed matter from organisms that were once alive.
Some bicycles have brake pads that squeeze the sides of the wheels . Which statement best describes how the motion of a bicycle changes when the brakes are used?
A . The bicycle speeds up due to the friction between the brake pad and the wheel .
B . The bicycle slows down due to the friction between the brake pad and the wheel .
C . The bicycle speeds up due to the magnetism between the brake pad and the wheel .
D . The bicycle slows down due to the magnetism between the brake pad and the wheel
What is B . - Frictional force between the brake pad and the wheel causes the bicycle to slow down.