End of Year Science Practice 5 (Graham)

Nature of Science

Life Science

Earth and Space

Physical Science

Random

100

While exploring a local park, May discovers a unique organism she has never seen before and becomes curious about how it grows and changes over time. To ensure she gathers accurate, reliable information about the specific life cycle of this organism, which of the following actions should she take to conduct a proper scientific inquiry?

A. make observations

B. ask her teacher about it

C. watch a TV show about it

D. investigate using scientific sources

100

Reid started creating a diagram to compare reptiles and birds. Which physical characteristic could he add to describe both reptiles and birds?

A. They have scales

B. They keep their young in pouches

C. They have scales on some part of their body

D. They have feathers on some part of their body

C. They have scales one some part of their body

100

Molten rock is called magma. The illustration below shows how magma can rise to Earth’s surface. As it cools, magma turns into solid rock on the surface. What type of rock does magma form as it cools?

A. Igneous

B. Metamorphic

C. Sedimentary

D. Fossil

A. Igneous

100

On a sunny day, Elena is cutting branches from a tree in her yard. At midday, she takes a break, leaving a pile of branches and leaves on the ground. When she returns and gathers the branches, she notices the leaves are wilted and crisp. Which of the following correctly describes what happened to the leaves?

A. The trees had not received water for a long time before being out.

B. The warm temperature caused moisture to evaporate from the leaves.

C. The nutrients cannot reach the leaves if the tree's branches are not upright.

D. The leaves had been covered in frost the week before, but had not wilted until now.

B. The warm temperature caused moisture to evaporate from the leaves.

100

Which characteristic is true of all mammals?

A. They lay eggs

B. They nurse their young.

C. They are cold-blooded

D. They breathe underwater

C. They nurse their young.

200

Two different groups of students are observing the number of animals they can see in an environment.They have presented their data in the following charts. What is a possible reason for the differences in the two charts?

A. Group 2 was observing mostly fish.

B. Group 2 was observing mostly mammals

C. Group 1 was observing an environment with more land

D. Group 1 was observing an environment with more water.

200

In the winter, some species of birds fly to warmer climates. Which animal behavior is this an example of?

A. dormancy

B. hibernation

C. pollination

D. migration

200

Within one month, the moon’s surface changes as seen from Earth. The entire surface of the moon may be lit, or only a small part may be lit. What causes these changes?

A. the moon's size

B. the moon's shape

C. the moon's revolution

D. the moon's distance from Earth

C. the moon's revolution

200

While playing at the park, Erica and her sister take turns going down the slide and playing on the swings. Which of the following is an example of change that is caused by applying energy?

A. Erica continues to swing back and forth without trying

B. When Erica pushes her sister, her sister slides down the slide.

C. Erica sits at the top of the slide, and waits for her sister to finish her turn.

D. When Erica stops pushing her sister on the swings, the swing eventually comes to a stop

B. When Erica pushes her sister, her sister slides down the slide.

200

The picture below shows a group of stars called the Big Dipper. Some stars look bigger and brighter than others. What could cause a star to look bigger and brighter than another star?

A. The star is hotter

B. The star is closer to Earth

C. The star has more planets around it

D. The star is closer to the center of the group

B. The star is closer to Earth

300

To ensure a fair test, three students are designing an experiment to determine who can kick a ball the greatest distance. They plan to perform three trials for each student to collect enough data. To make sure their results are valid and that they are only testing the "kicking ability" of the person rather than the equipment, which variable is most important for them to keep constant throughout every trial?

A. the sequence in which the students kick the ball

B. the type of ball they use

C. the force with which the students kick the ball

D. the color of the ball they use

B. the type of ball they use

300

Which animal is an example of an invertebrate?

A. dog

B. elephant

C. human

D. jellyfish

300

During the day, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. During the night, the moon and stars appear to move across the sky. What makes the sun, moon, and stars appear to move across the sky?

A. Earth's rotation

B. the sun's rotation

C. Earth's revolution

D. the moon's rotation

A. Earth's rotation

300

Which of the following materials would be a poor conductor of electricity?

A. aluminum

B. copper

C. rubber

D. steel

C. rubber

300

Kyle and Jan are comparing two samples of matter. They make a table of the properties of each sample. Which property provides the best evidence that both samples are solids rather than liquids?

A. Color

B. Mass

C. Shape

D. Volume

C. Shape

400

Anita is brainstorming several potential topics for her upcoming science fair project, but she needs to choose one that can be measured with objective data. In science, some things are "testable" and some things are "opinion-based." Which of Anita’s brainstormed ideas would be the most difficult to test using the scientific method because it relies on personal feelings rather than measurable facts?

A. how many times a ball will bounce when dropped from a certain height

B. how long young children will play with differently colored balls

C. how much fun young children have when playing with a ball

D. how far a ball will roll when released down a ramp

C. how much fun young children have when playing with a ball

400

Plant pollen travels from the stamen to the stigma. Which step comes next in the pollination process?

A. A new seed forms.

B. Germination happens

C. The flower begins to bloom.

D. Fertilization occurs in the ovary

400

Cho finds two different kinds of sedimentary rock while on a rock hunt. How is sedimentary rock formed?

A. pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms

B. formed from heat and pressure

C. formed from molten rock

D. erosion

A. pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms

400

Stephanie started pushing a bookcase across the room, as shown in picture 1. Then, she removed the books and continued pushing with the same force and direction, as shown in picture 2. How does removing the books affect the motion of the bookcase?

A. the mass is decreased, making the bookcase move faster

B. The gravity is increased, making the bookcase move slower

C. The friction is increased, making the bookcase move slower

D. The mechanical energy is decreased, making the bookcase move faster

A. The mass is decreased, making the bookcase move faster

400

Carmela is conducting a long-term botanical investigation where she observes a plant growing exactly 1 inch every week for a month. To help her classmates understand her findings, she creates a detailed series of drawings that illustrate the physical changes in the plant's height and structure over those four weeks. When she presents these visual representations to her peers to share her data, which scientific skill is she primarily utilizing?

A. Communication

B. Inference

C. Observation

D. Variables

A. Communication

500

A team of marine biologists in China has found a shark that possesses physical traits they have never seen before, leading them to believe it might be a brand-new species. Because scientific knowledge is built on collaboration and verification, what is the most professional and effective next step for these scientists to take to confirm their discovery?

A. develop a movie about the shark

B. publish an article about the new species of shark

C. communicate with the government about their new findings

D. communicate with other scientists to see if they know about this shark already

500

Organs in the human body carry out different functions. Which human organ breaks down food into nutrients that can be used by the human body?

A. Stomach

B. Heart

C. Kidney

D. Bladder

A. Stomach

500

Wind, water, and ice are involved in both weathering and erosion. However, weathering and erosion are two different processes. Which sentence states a difference between weathering and erosion?

A. Erosion moves rocks to a new location.

B. Weathering moves rocks to a new location.

C. Erosion breaks down rocks but doesn't move them.

Weathering moves rocks without breaking them down.

A. Erosion moves rocks to a new location

500

Dani adds 10 grams (g) of salt to a jar of water. She then adds 10 g of sand to a second jar of water. She covers and shakes both jars and sets them on the table for five minutes. The materials Dani used are shown below. What should Dani expect to observe after those five minutes?

A. Both the salt and sand dissolved in the water

B. Both the salt and the sand settled to the bottom of the jar

C. The salt settled to the bottom of the jar and the sand dissolved in the water

D. The salt dissolved in the water, and the sand settled to the bottom of the jar

500

Seiji notices that while the bushes in his neighborhood are thriving, the flowers he planted in his own backyard garden are wilting and failing to grow. He begins to think about the soil quality, the amount of sunlight, and the water schedule to try and understand the cause of this problem. By identifying this specific problem and seeking a reason for it, which initial stage of the scientific inquiry process is Seiji demonstrating?

A. Making a prediction

B. Asking a question

C. Drawing a conclusion

D. Conducting an investigation

B. Asking a question