SCIENCE PRAXIS

DrDoctor. Ortez-Gonzalez would like to provide students with resources to help them understand different strategies that will mitigate damage and potential injuries from natural, hazardous events such as volcanic eruptions, violent storms, and floods. Match the resource that best aligns with each of the three concepts listed. Each resource can only be used once.

Concept Structures near the ocean should incorporate features that minimize the effects of frequent storms. Structures can be built near major waterways to mitigate flood conditions People should prepare for tsunamis and have plans in place for moving out of danger. Resource B.A brochure that describes the requirements that beachfront property needs to meet to be eligible for flood insurance Order as 1, first smallest value: A.A set of pictures showing various kinds of levees and dry drainage channels, such as the Los Angeles River Order as 2, second smallest value: D.A map describing an evacuation plan for a popular barrier island designed to be posted in public areas

Students are presenting reports on why certain organisms survive better in certain environments. One student reports on the Arctic environment. Of the four underlined terms, click on the one improperly used in the student's report. Question: Listen to the sentence that follows: Polar bears can survive in the cold and ice because of their adaptations. They have thick fur and are white. If any black polar bears are born, they evolve after they're born and become white. The bears are carnivores because there are no plants growing where they live. Their prey include penguins and seals.

Evolve is the correct selection. An individual bear does not "evolve" from one color to another. The student is misusing the word, and the phenomenon described does not occur.

MsMiss. Reifschneider has her students observe a four-color pinwheel. She asks them to describe what they see, specifically which color is on the top, right, bottom, and left. She then holds up a sheet of cardboard in front of the pinwheel and asks the students to describe the pinwheel.One student says, "I can't see anything through the cardboard." Another student says, "I can't see the pinwheel, but I remember what it looked like and where the colors were on it." MsMiss. Reifschneider is most likely introducing a unit on which of the following concepts? A.Animals use memories to guide their actions. B.Animals use light to guide their actions. C.Perception of color is important for survival. D.A perception is only remembered if it is used to make a decision.

Option (A) is correct. Animals will use memories of familiar objects to recall information, just as the student will remember the colors without seeing the pinwheel.

Prior to a lesson on predicting weather outcomes, MsMiss. Monroy presented her students with two bar graphs, shown below, that contain data on average monthly precipitation in Anchorage, Alaska, and in Bakersfield, California. She asked her students to compare the amount of rain each location received in November and December. The objective was for her students to realize that there was more precipitation in Anchorage in those two months than there was in Bakersfield.One student, Sarah, responded, "Bakersfield, California, had slightly more precipitation in November and December than did Anchorage, Alaska." Based on Sarah's response, how should MsMiss. Monroy proceed in order to correct Sarah's analysis of the data? A.Ask Sarah to compare the y-axis scales of the two bar graphs. B.Ask Sarah to measure the heights of the bars with a ruler. C.Ask Sarah to make a similar comparison of the data for January and February. D.Ask Sarah whether the type of precipitation that falls in each location is the same.

Option (A) is correct. Comparing the y-axis scales of the two bar graphs will help Sarah correct her analysis. Sarah probably compared the heights of the bars in the two different graphs without noticing that the graphs have different y-axis scales.

Students completed a simulation examining the erosion of soil by water and made several conclusions. Which of the following student conclusions presents a misconception? A."Erosion is always harmful to the environment." B."Erosion involves the movement of material from one place to another." C."The slope of the land affects erosion." D."The amount of vegetation affects erosion."

Option (A) is correct. Erosion has several environmental benefits, such as the creation of new soil, the formation of new habitats, and the transport of carbon to wetland areas.

Students pour a measured amount of water onto the higher end of a tray of soil that is tilted at a small angle. The lower end of the tray has a drain that will collect the water and any soil carried by the water. The students measure and record the amount of soil that washes off the tray. The students repeat the investigation several times, each time increasing the slope of the incline. Finally, the students compare the amount of soil washed down in each trial and find that the amount of soil increases as the tray is tipped up more. Which of the following student statements indicates the most effective application of the data collected from manipulating the model to a real-world problem? A.Evelyn states, "Walls of a steep canyon have the potential to erode more and become wider over time because they are at a steeper angle than those with a gradual slope." B.Keith states, "Rocks in a river will become smooth over time because they tumble over each other. As they travel down the river, they will collect at the river's mouth." C.Steve states, "Rainfall on a steep roof will travel to the lowest point, toward the gutter, and drain away from the house." D.Anagha states, "In a rainstorm, the rocks on a steeper hill will prevent more soil from washing away when compared to a rock on a less steep hill."

Option (A) is correct. Evelyn's response is the most effective application of the data because in the investigation, students explored how a steeper incline will cause more erosion.

While teaching a unit on light, a teacher asks her students to use pictures and words to explain how they can see the apple on her desk. One of her students draws a picture of the apple with arrows going away from it and toward the eyes drawn on a stick figure. The student explains that the apple glows and sends light to our eyes. What follow-up question would help the student overcome this misconception? A.If you turned off the lights, would you still be able to see the apple? B.How does the color of the apple affect the type of light it creates? C.Why does light travel in a straight line? D.How would your picture change if the apple was behind a window?

Option (A) is correct. It would allow the student to realize that the light must be reflected off the apple.

Which of the following describes a student-created model that best represents the movement of matter through an ecosystem? A.An interconnected web showing the movement of matter between plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment B.A pyramid model showing the relative biomass at each trophic level C.A linear model showing the movement of matter from plants to animals to decomposers to the environment D.A concept map diagramming how a plant uses water, soil, and decomposed materials to grow and reproduce

Option (A) is correct. The movement of matter through an ecosystem is best represented by a model that shows connections between all the organisms in the ecosystem and between the organisms and their environment.

Students are studying various aspects of magnetism. Which of the following questions could upper-elementary students be able to answer experimentally with classroom resources? A.What would cause a compass to not point to the north? B.Why do all magnets have a north and south pole? C.Is navigation using a compass more accurate than using the Sun and stars? D.Why are magnets made of particular materials?

Option (A) is correct. This question can be investigated empirically inside the classroom with compasses, magnets and other objects.

Mr. Shope has his students mix one cup of warm water, one tablespoon of borax powder, and one-fourth cup of glue. After a period of thorough mixing, the students are left with a puttylike substance commonly referred to as slime. The students spend some time determining the properties of their substance and recording their observations. Mr. Shope asks students to determine whether they created a mixture or a new substance and to support their claim with evidence from their observations. Which student made the best use of evidence to support his or her claim? A.Alyssa, who wrote that they had created a new substance because the slime has properties that are different from the properties of the three ingredients B.Max, who wrote that they had created a mixture because all three ingredients were mixed together C.DeShawn, who wrote that they had created both a mixture and a new substance because they mixed the ingredients together and that by mixing them in water, they could not get the ingredients back again D.Alessandro, who wrote that they had created a mixture because the original ingredients could be brought back to their original form

Option (A) is correct. This question tests your ability to critique students' work on the basis of how well the students used evidence to support a scientific claim. The student described in (A) correctly cited the properties of the slime that are different from those of the original ingredients as evidence that a new substance had been formed in the activity.

After experiencing the shade from the leafy branches of a large oak tree on the school playground, Ms. Jenkins' kindergartners work together to design and build a model structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area. Which of the following sets of materials is most appropriate for kindergartners to successfully engage in and complete these tasks? A.A few sheets of blank paper and crayons B.A bag of materials such as craft sticks, construction paper, glue, tape, and clay C.A box with scrap wood, nails, roof shingles, hammers, staples, and staple guns D.A collection of pictures showing children playing under an umbrella on the beach and on a covered porch

Option (B) is correct. A bag of such materials will provide students working in teams the supplies needed to build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of the Sun on an area.

Students in an upper elementary classroom are studying fossils. Which resource would best support the idea that fossils provide evidence that ecosystems can change over time? A.Actual samples of fern fossils found in a swamp B.Pictures of sea shell fossils found in a desert C.A map showing locations in a forest where scientists have discovered wooly mammoth fossils D.A chart listing the number of extinct shark teeth found at different shorelines around the world

Option (B) is correct. Marine life cannot exist in a desert. Showing students pictures will enable them to see that the shells look out of place and that the desert environment must have been a sea many years ago.

The following activity was intended to demonstrate that matter is conserved during a change of state. A student weighed an empty glass beaker and then filled it with water before weighing it again so that she could find the weight of the water. She then poured the water from the beaker into an ice-cube tray and placed it in a freezer. After the water had frozen, the ice cubes were removed from the tray and weighed. This was repeated five times. Each time the weight of the ice cubes was slightly less than the initial weight of the water. The student concluded that freezing the water reduced its mass. Which of the following procedure modifications would best remove the error that affected the student's data? A.Removing the water from the beaker and the ice cubes from the tray using a spatula B.Weighing the water after it is placed in the tray and the ice cubes before they are removed from the tray C.Repeating the experiment three times instead of five times D.Drying the beaker and ice-cube tray with a paper towel before water is added

Option (B) is correct. Modifying the procedure by weighing the water after it is placed in the tray and weighing the ice cubes before they are removed from the tray would most likely eliminate the error. Transferring the water twice for weighing probably led to a systematic loss of mass.

The students are looking at a profile of a local canyon wall. Sandy says, "I didn't realize this area was once an ocean." The teacher asks the other students to explain why they think Sandy may have come to this conclusion. Which student response indicates a lack of understanding about the evidence and geologic history? A."I can see a layer of rock with all kinds of shells in it." B."The layers of rock are in different colors in the shape of an ocean wave." C."Two of the layers are sand, with a layer of shells between them." D."The fossils we can see are from species that lived in the ocean."

Option (B) is correct. The student lacks an understanding of the evidence because the appearance of different colored layers of rocks is not evidence that the area was once covered by an ocean.

Lower-elementary students are asked to use small building blocks to create a model town on a hill along with a brick road leading to a river. The teacher then asks the students to build a bridge across the river by reusing blocks from the town and road. Next, the teacher has students explain how they made the bridge. Which of the following student responses lends the best evidence that students built the bridge according to the constraints laid out by the teacher? A."We used a sheet of construction paper to serve as the bridge." B."We made the road narrower and used those bricks so now you can get across the river." C."We used some leftover bricks to build a dam above the city." D."We made some buildings shorter and used those bricks so now the road is wider."

Option (B) is correct. The students have reused material to create a bridge as indicated in the constraints laid out by the teacher

Mr. Jones is teaching his class a unit on energy conversions between mechanical, electrical, and light energy. Which of the following demonstrations would best provide the class with an example of a process that converts one of these energy types into another of these types? A.Lifting a heavy box with a mechanical lever B.Opening and closing a switch in a circuit containing a battery and a lightbulb C.Producing sound by striking a drum with a stick D.Placing a closed container of cool water in a larger container of hot water

Option (B) is correct. This demonstration shows electrical energy being converted to thermal and light energy.

A student presents a project to the class describing the relationship between flowering plants and bees. The student concludes the presentation by stating, "Flowers have bright colors so they can trick bees into helping them reproduce." Which of the following responses by the teacher would best help the student develop a more accurate view of the relationship between bees and flowers? A.Have you considered the role of other animals in helping plants reproduce? B.Have you considered a benefit for bees when they help flowers reproduce? C.What benefits do humans receive from this bee-flowering plant relationship? D.Do flowering plants produce more pollen when bees are present?

Option (B) is correct. This question will direct students toward a more accurate view of the relationship between bees and flowers by adding a missing component to the model and to the explanation.

MsMiss. Khouri holds a helium-filled balloon in one hand and a rubber ball in the other. She asks her fifth-grade students what will happen when she lets go of the objects. All of the students agree that the balloon will rise to the ceiling and the ball will fall to the ground. When MsMiss. Khouri asks why, one student responds that it is because the balloon is light and the ball is heavy. Which of the following demonstrations would best challenge the student's misconception that only heavy objects fall to the ground? A.Tying the ball to the helium-filled balloon with a light string and releasing them together B.Simultaneously releasing the helium-filled balloon and throwing the ball up toward the ceiling C.Simultaneously releasing a helium-filled balloon and an identical, but uninflated, balloon D.Having the students use stopwatches to time how long it takes for the balloon to reach the ceiling and for the ball to reach the ground

Option (C) is correct. By presenting the student with two light objects, one rising and one falling, the student must find another explanation.

Students are conducting an investigation on dissolving solids in a liquid. After mixing a spoonful of salt into a large container of water, a student says, "I can no longer see the salt in the water because the salt is gone." What can the teacher do to clarify this misconception? A.Add another teaspoon of salt to the water and stir. B.Show the students that other substances also can dissolve by mixing sugar and water together. C.Evaporate the water and show that the salt still remains. D.Give the students a magnifying glass and allow them to inspect the sample.

Option (C) is correct. Evaporating the water will show that the salt still remains in the container.

A student researched the distribution of water on Earth and produced the graph above. The student concluded that most of the water on Earth is salt water and that there is not much difference in the amounts of freshwater between surface water, groundwater, and water in glaciers and ice caps. would best help the student overcome this misinterpretation of the data? A.Use a pie chart instead of a bar graph to represent the data. B.Use a line graph and connect the points to represent the data. C.Graph only the data for freshwater and set the y-axis range to go from 0 to 3 percent. D.Combine all the freshwater data into one bar, and graph only the data for salt water and the combined freshwater.

Option (C) is correct. Graphing only the freshwater data would help the student observe the difference in the amounts of freshwater.

To assess the students' mastery of providing explanations, the teacher of a third-grade class asks students to select a particular species that lives in groups and write an explanation of how a particular type of interaction within the group helps increase the likelihood that individuals will survive to grow and reproduce. Which student explanation best meets the objective? A."Whales live in pods. Whales migrate to warmer waters to survive." B."Bees live in colonies. Each bee has a specific duty to maintain the colony." C."Fish live in schools. By being one of a large number of fish, each individual has less chance of being eaten." D."Elephants travel in herds. The calves run slower and are surrounded by the older elephants."

Option (C) is correct. In this explanation, the student describes a specific behavior to support the claim and makes a connection to how the school provides protection for all its members.

A teacher shows students a short video of a ball being thrown vertically upward, momentarily coming to rest, and falling back down toward the ground. When asked about the force of gravity on the ball throughout its motion, a student says that gravity pulls down on the ball at all times except for when the ball stops briefly before reversing direction. Which of the following responses by the teacher will best help the student overcome the misconception about gravity? A.Showing the video again but in slow motion B.Posing a follow-up question: How does a parachute change the motion of a skydiver in free fall? C.Posing a follow-up question: If gravity is not pulling on the ball when it stops, why does it start to fall back down? D.Showing a video highlighting variations in gravity between Earth and the Moon and at different altitudes on Earth

Option (C) is correct. It will help the student overcome the misconception by knowing that an object can change direction only if there is a force acting on it. This response will show the student why gravity is still pulling on the ball even when it is momentarily at rest.

During an investigation, students recorded the temperature of an ice cube in a shallow tray in a room that was 22°C22 degrees Celsius. The students repeated their measurements three more times during the day as the ice cube melted. Which of the following questions would best determine whether the students understand the relationship between temperature and the states of matter? A.What might the temperature of the sample have been at 1:00 PM? B.How many degrees warmer is the water at 2:30 PM than the ice at 8:30 AM? C.Other than -5°C negative 5 degrees Celsius, at what temperature will the ice remain solid and not melt? D.How is a liquid different from a solid?

Option (C) is correct. It would help students make a connection between the state of matter and changes in temperature.

Upper-elementary students were asked to interpret the results of a study carried out by a team of paleontologists. The students were then asked to formulate a scientific explanation of the paleontologists' observations. In which of the following responses does the student best use the paleontologists' observations to support a claim about the history of Earth? A."The paleontologists first found a layer of plant fossils covered by many rock layers. On top of that were land fossils. Then there were more rock layers." B."The paleontologists found some patterns in the rocks. They first found land fossils and then they found plant fossils. Then they found marine fossils. This shows that the land was dry and then it had been covered by water." C."The paleontologists found a rock layer containing shells and fish below a rock layer containing fossils of land animals and plants. This shows that the land had been covered by water and later it was dry land." D."The paleontologists found marine fossils and plant fossils in the rock layers. This means the land was once covered by water and once it was dry."

Option (C) is correct. The student explains the core idea that the landscape had been covered by water at one point and that later it became dry land. The explanation is correct and specifies the sequence of events.

Mr. Cooper asked the class to illustrate a food chain that includes some or all of the species pictured and to show how they are interrelated, from producer to consumer. TJT J drew his food chain as follows: mouse →→ snake →→ hawk. Which feedback from Mr. Cooper would best help TJT J overcome his misconception about the movement of materials in a food chain? A.Asking him to add a fourth organism to his food chain B.Asking him to arrange the organisms in a circle C.Asking him to show how the energy first entered his food chain D.Asking him to use organisms from a different biome

Option (C) is correct. The student should show how energy entered the web by including the Sun and producers in the model.

During a class demonstration, a teacher floats a small toy boat in the center of a long, narrow rectangular tank filled with water. Initially, the water is still and the boat is not moving. A student is instructed to predict what will happen if he uses his hand to create a wave crest that travels toward the other end of the tank, as shown in the figure. The student predicts the boat will be carried by the wave to the other end of the tank. Which of the following statements indicates a misconception that the student most likely has about water waves? A.Water waves get smaller as they get further away. B.Water waves transfer energy from one location to another. C.Water particles at the surface move along the surface with the wave. D.Water waves slow down when they encounter an obstacle.

Option (C) is correct. This statement indicates a misconception that water moves along with waves and will take the boat with it.

During a class discussion about stars, a student claims that the Sun is the largest and brightest star in the universe. Which of the following activities is most likely to help the student appropriately compare the Sun and other stars? A.Looking at posters of the day and night skies to compare the size and brightness of the Sun and other stars B.Researching how Earth's atmosphere affects the apparent size and brightness of the Sun and other stars C.Viewing a brightly lit sphere close up and then from farther away down a long hallway D.Shining a high-power flashlight and then shining a low-power flashlight onto the classroom wall

Option (C) is correct. Viewing the sphere from two separate distances will allow students to see that a bright object will appear smaller and dimmer when viewed from farther away.

MsMiss. White's students are investigating why some stars appear to be brighter than others in the night sky. They take observational notes about the apparent brightness of two different-sized flashlights shining from various distances onto a wall in the front of the room. After the investigation, Bobby states his conclusion that stars that appear brighter in the night sky must be larger than stars that appear dimmer. Which activity will provide the best data for directing Bobby toward a more accurate conclusion? A.Repeating the investigation, aiming the flashlights at black construction paper taped to the wall B.Combining the observations made by all members of the class C.Repeating the investigation, measuring the diameter of the circles of light produced at various distances D.Repeating the investigation, using two flashlights of the same size

Option (D) is correct. Bobby focused on the size of the flashlights rather than the change in apparent brightness as the distance changed. If the flashlights are the same size, that variable will be removed and he will see that the apparent brightness changes with the distance of the flashlight.

An elementary school class has been learning about how animals can change the environment to meet their needs. After viewing a video of a beaver building a dam, the students are asked to explain how changing its environment helps the beaver to support its needs. Their explanation needs to be supported by evidence. Which explanation responds to the teacher's direction and is most likely to be supported by evidence from a video about beavers? A."When the dam is built, the flow of water in the river changes, and a lake is formed." B."Dams are good for beavers, and beavers that build dams are better off than beavers without dams." C."Beavers are very good swimmers and can stay underwater for long periods of time." D."Because the beaver lives in a lodge in the lake formed by the dam, it is protected from predators."

Option (D) is correct. In this explanation, the student provides a claim and links the claim to a scientific reason.

Which of the following activities would best introduce students to a method of erosion control? A.Students form mounds of soil that vary in height. After pouring water on the mounds, they compare the amount of erosion in each sample. B.Students blow through a straw on a tray of sand. They blow with varying force and compare the amount of sand that is blown away after each test. C.Students pour a different amount of water onto each of three identical trays of soil set at various slope angles, graphing the relationship between the amount of runoff and the slope angle. D.Students are presented with two trays of soil set at a slight angle, one containing growing grass. The students pour water on both samples and compare the amounts of soil lost.

Option (D) is correct. Planting grass or other plants is one of the best ways to prevent erosion. Students will notice that in the sample with vegetation, there was less soil lost.

Students recorded the daily low temperature during the months of October, November, and December. Their teacher produced the following line graph using the student temperature data. The teacher asks the students to make predictions about temperatures in January through June. One student, Lani, responds that since the low temperature seems to be dropping, it will probably continue to drop. What resource can the teacher provide to help this student modify her prediction? A.A graph with only the monthly average temperatures for the October to December time period B.A graph with average daily temperatures for the October to December time period, and a smoothened trend line C.A graph of the daily low temperatures for the October to December time period based on national weather data D.A graph made from similar data collected during the previous February through May by another class

Option (D) is correct. Providing more data will help the student modify her prediction. The length of time for the data recording was not long enough to show the rising temperatures of the spring months. The student will have a better understanding of the seasonal weather changes if she records and graphs data over multiple seasons.

Which of the following activities provides fourth-grade students with the best opportunity to make and test predictions about the transfer of kinetic energy between objects? A.Dropping a soccer ball from the roof of a building and measuring the height of the rebound B.Placing two soccer balls touching each other on the floor with both balls at rest C.Measuring the distance traveled by a soccer ball when it is allowed to roll down a ramp and onto a smooth, flat surface D.Rolling one soccer ball along the floor into another that is not moving

Option (D) is correct. The activity involves the transfer of kinetic energy between soccer balls. Because the activity is easy to observe and easy to repeat, it offers fourth-grade students an excellent opportunity to test their predictions about the transfer of kinetic energy between objects.

A teacher provides students with several rectangular samples of flexible materials, with the same length and width but varying thickness. The students are asked what causes the difference in stiffness among the materials. A student picks up a thin sample that is very flexible and a thick sample that is much stiffer. The student concludes that the thick sample must be made of a stiffer material since it is harder to bend. Which of the following sets of samples should the teacher provide to allow the student to determine that both the type of material and the thickness of the material can affect stiffness? A.Two samples of the same material of equal thickness B.Samples of the same material but of varying thickness C.Thick samples of one material that can be peeled in layers D.Samples of two different materials with two thicknesses each

Option (D) is correct. The four samples will allow the student to determine that both the thickness of the material and the type of material the sample is made of can affect stiffness.

Mr. Yu presents his class with a series of pictures of four different ecosystems: grassland, tundra, desert, and tropical rain forest. He instructs the students to count the number of different kinds of plants and animals they can find in the pictures of each ecosystem. The class data is placed on the board and discussed. Which concept does the activity most directly support? A.Different environments require different adaptations. B.Humans have affected many different natural habitats. C.Rainfall and temperature will affect species diversity. D.Different habitats support different levels of diversity.

Option (D) is correct. The other responses would require additional data, which were not collected during the activity. Only the names and diversity levels of the habitats were available at the end of the activity.

In an outdoor class activity to investigate forces, students kicked soccer balls along thick grass, short grass, and smooth pavement. The teacher asked students to respond to the following statement. "Moving objects slow down and eventually stop because they have used up all the force from the initial push that started the motion." One student responded by saying, "I agree with this statement because the ball rolled after I kicked it. The force of my leg made the ball move. When that force was gone, the ball stopped rolling." Question: Based on the student's response, the teacher should focus on which of the following concepts to correct the student's misunderstanding? A.A force can change the direction in which an object is moving. B.A push or pull can cause an object to start moving. C.A heavier object can require a larger force to start it moving. D.An object will continue moving at a constant velocity unless a force is exerted on it.

Option (D) is correct. The student may be confusing the concepts of energy and force. The student indicates understanding that the kick force affects the ball only when there is contact with the ball. But the student indicates lack of understanding of the concept that motion continues unchanged unless there is a force such as friction that slows down and stops motion.

Lower elementary students are investigating what bean plants need in order to grow. The students plant bean seeds and, after germination, measure and record the height of each plant for several days. The students' results are shown. After recording their observations, the teacher then prompts the students to use the data to determine the bean plants' needs for growth. Which student response features an incorrect conclusion because the student has misinterpreted data in the table? A."Plants need sunlight and water to grow because plant 1 grew the most." B."Plants need both sunlight and water because plant 4 was the tallest at the beginning of the experiment." C."Plants only need light or water because plants 3 and 4 had the same ending height." D."Plants do not need water or light because plant 4 was the tallest at the end."

Option (D) is correct. The student misinterpreted the data by mistaking the beginning height for the ending height.

MsMiss. Keane had her students plant seeds in pots of soil. As the seeds began to sprout, the students cared for them in class and observed their growth. The plants were placed in two locations, some directly on a sunny windowsill and some across the room on a table out of direct sunlight. After a weeklong break, the returning students found that some of their plants were wilted and some were dead. MsMiss. Keane asked the students to suggest a way to investigate why some of the plants had died and others had not. Which student plan will allow the students to collect data that can be used to determine why some of the plants died? Each plan includes collecting daily observations of the plants. A.Move all of the plants to the windowsill and water them the same amount each day. B.Move all of the plants to the dark and water half of them daily and half of them weekly. C.Examine the pots to determine whether the soil is dry and water each plant when the soil feels dry. D.Place new groups of plants in the original locations and water half of the plants in each group daily and water the other half weekly.

Option (D) is correct. This plan will allow students to test only the water variable while keeping the plants alive and allowing a comparison between groups of plants in different locations.

Groups of students in a second-grade class are each given a square sheet of aluminum foil and a basin of water. The groups are directed to manipulate the shape of the sheet of aluminum foil so that it floats in the basin of water, and to then manipulate the shape so that it sinks. Most of the groups begin making plans and testing various shapes, but one group is struggling to come up with a plan. Which of the following questions should the teacher ask to point the group toward a strategy to complete the assignment? A.How fast does aluminum foil absorb water? B.Why are we using aluminum foil rather than paper for this activity? C.Why are some boats made of wood while others are made of metal? D.Which is heavier, a hollow or a solid object of the same size and material?

Option (D) is correct. This question will most directly motivate students to shape the aluminum foil to enclose air by making a boat and to shape the foil to exclude air by crushing it into a solid object that sinks.

Students in two second-grade classrooms, both located on the east side of the school building, are learning about seeds and plants. The teachers in both classrooms have students place lima bean seeds into clear plastic bags and attach the bags to the classroom window so the students can watch the roots grow and the seeds germinate. Each day, the students record their observations and give their seeds a dropper of water. After two weeks, the lima beans in one classroom have all sprouted and grown into plants. The lima bean seeds in the other class have not all germinated and have not grown as quickly, and the teacher in that classroom asks the following question: "How would you explain why many of our seeds didn't grow as well as the seeds in the classroom next door did?" Select the student response that best demonstrates understanding of the concepts involved in the activity. A."The plants did not grow because the seeds did not germinate." B."The plants did not grow as well because we did not give them enough water." C."The plants did not grow because there was no soil and without the soil they cannot live." D."The plants did not grow as well because the tree outside our classroom blocks a lot of our sunlight."

Option (D) is correct. This response shows that the student understands the concept that the environment has an effect on the traits an organism develops and that the amount of sunlight was not the same in the two classrooms.

MsMiss. Pellegrino divides her class into four groups and gives each group a dozen bean seedlings to monitor for the semester. She asks each group to use the seedlings to investigate whether plants need sunlight to grow. Although she wants each group to develop its own procedure, she wants to prevent errors that will result in the collection of unusable data. Which of the following is a procedural error that MsMiss. Pellegrino should correct to prevent the collection of unusable data? A.Measuring plant height in inches instead of centimeters B.Not having a backup plan if all the students in the group are absent for one day C.Recording data on loose-leaf paper instead of in a bound laboratory notebook D.Measuring the final heights of the plants but not the initial heights

Option (D) is correct. To rely on changes in plant height as an indicator of plant growth, the students will need to measure both the initial height and final height of each plant in their investigation.

The kindergarten students are too short to use the wall-mounted water fountain in the hallway next to their classroom. Their teacher would like the class to formulate a solution to this problem. The teacher points out that answering questions can help solve problems and directs the class to come up with questions about the problem. Which two questions would most likely stimulate discussions that would lead to the class generating possible solutions to this problem? A.Can the water fountain be moved? B.Why are we thirsty all the time? C.Was this always the kindergarten classroom, or did our room use to have bigger kids? D.Is there enough space around the water fountain to place a step that people won't trip over? E.What's wrong with just taking a cup into the bathroom to get water from the sink?

Options (A) and (D) are correct. Answering (A) would determine whether a solution involving lowering the fountain is feasible. The answer to the question in (D) would determine whether adding a permanent or temporary step would solve the problem without creating additional problems.

MsMiss. Egbuniwe wants her students to analyze information and provide evidence that individuals inherit traits from their parents but with variation between the individuals and their parents. She would like to provide them with resources that contain appropriate evidence for an upper-elementary student. Of the following, which two would provide the best evidence? A.A picture of a female cocker spaniel, with her litter of eight puppies, some black, some golden, some brown B.A diagram showing the evolution of the modern horse over geologic time, including pictures of older, extinct species in the horse family C.A picture of a large tree, surrounded by shoots sprouting from its roots D.A diagram that shows a corn plant with red kernels and a corn plant with yellow kernels that have produced offspring containing both red and yellow kernels

Options (A) and (D) are correct. These two resources clearly show a parent, its offspring from sexual reproduction, and both similarities between and variation among all the individuals.

A student is designing an experiment that will demonstrate how a mixture of three substances (iron filings, salt, and sand) can be separated into its component parts. The student is planning to use water to separate the substances. What two additional materials should the teacher provide for the student to be able to separate the substances? Assume the student has access to common lab equipment, such as beakers, stirring rods, etcet cetera. A.Ice B.A very fine filter C.A magnet D.A chemical solvent E.A magnifying glass

Options (B) and (C) are correct. A very fine filter can be used along with water to separate the sand from the salt. Because iron filings are attracted to a magnet, the magnet can be used to separate the iron filings from the three-substance mixture.

DrDoctor. Washington has designed the checklist shown so her lower elementary class can record daily qualitative weather conditions. She has reviewed the meaning of all the terms, and the class has collected data for the three months of March, April, and May. Which two questions can best be answered with the data collected by the class? A.Is it warmer in the winter or the summer? B.Do cloudy days feel warmer or cooler than sunny days? C.Is April really rainier than March or May? D.Is temperature affected by the direction of the wind? E.Does it rain harder in the morning than in the afternoon?

Options (B) and (C) are correct. The data collected includes information on cloud cover and temperature, which are necessary to answer the question in option (B). The question in option (C) can be answered by comparing the number of rainy days per month.

Mr. Wilson's upper elementary class is researching the positive and negative effects of pesticide and herbicide use in local agriculture. The class has already spent many hours searching on the Internet but has collected very little information. He would like to provide two additional opportunities for the students to collect information that would be the most useful. Which two activities would provide the best opportunities to collect useful information? A.Mr. Wilson can schedule a trip to a local soybean farm. The students will tour the farm and interview the farmer for information on his farming practices. B.Mr. Wilson can schedule a trip to a pesticide production plant. The students will have a chance to interview the scientists employed by the company and receive materials that may not be present on the Internet. C.Mr. Wilson can meet with the school librarian, outlining his objectives and requirements. He can then bring his class to the library for several research periods after the librarian has had a chance to collect and lay out relevant journals, newspapers, and books. D.Mr. Wilson can schedule a panel discussion with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the local extension service. They can provide materials that may not be available on the Internet, provide suggestions for additional resources, and answer student questions.

Options (C) and (D) are correct. They describe good sources of unbiased, authoritative information. The other options would present limited, possibly biased, information.

MsMiss. Madison is evaluating a student model that describes how an organism senses its environment, processes the information, and takes action. Which two refinements to the model would provide information most useful to understanding how these organs interact? A.Labeling each sense organ with its correct scientific name B.Adding a picture of the structure of each sense organ C.Adding arrows that show the direction of information movement in the nerves D.Making the lengths of each of the nerves in the model proportional to the lengths of the actual nerves E.Color-coding the sensors and the effectors

Options (C) and (E) are correct. They are enhancements to the model that clarify understanding. By showing the direction of impulse movement and classifying sensors and effectors by color, the focus of the model is on the integration of the parts rather than on the minute details of structure and nomenclature.

Anthony is presenting evidence that the matter taken in by plants for growth and repair is mostly carbon dioxide (a gas) and water. He has recently completed a series of inquiries and is using his results to support his claim. "My investigations involved growing plants under different levels of light and watering. All the plants started out weighing 25 grams. At the end of the experiment, the plants that received the most light grew the most, ending up at about 110 grams, and the ones with the least amount of water and light grew the least, ending at about 50 grams. The pots all started out with 200 grams of soil, and each pot lost about 5 to 10 grams of soil." Anthony has made the list of five reasons to support his claim that plants use light energy to make matter from air and water. Select the three reasons that would be considered valid evidence. "Based on this information, I think that plants make materials from air and water, for the following reasons: A.The plants given more water grew more. B.The fact that more light made a difference means that the plant is using photosynthesis. C.My friend told me that photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, so that must be the gas that was used. D.After watering there were small particles of soil under the pots, which is why the soil in the pot weighed less at the end. E.Unfortunately, since gas has no weight, there is no way to test this."

Reasons A, B, and D are correct and would be considered valid evidence.