Practice Science - CKT Test Questions
Mr. Mikeska wants his students to understand that the preserved remains of plants and animals can provide information about how a particular location on Earth has changed over long periods of geologic time. To illustrate the concept, Mr. Mikeska will guide his students through a classroom activity on the Atacama Desert region in western Chile. Which of the following materials for the activity will best help Mr. Mikeska's students achieve the stated learning objective? (A) Photographs of the Atacama Desert that show fossils of fish in a rock layer (B) A short video showing archaeologists excavating a site in the Atacama Desert (C) An interview with astronomers who work at the new observatory in the Atacama Desert (D) Clay models that show the special adaptations of different types of Atacama Desert plants
A The correct answer is (A). This question tests your ability to develop activities that will help students achieve specific learning objectives. The materials described in (A) will best help the students achieve the stated learning objective because the students will have an opportunity to link the observation of fossils, such as fish fossils found in an area that has become a desert, to the idea that fossils can provide evidence of environmental change over time. The other choices describe materials that are more appropriately linked to ideas outside the teacher's stated learning objective. The materials described in (B) are more appropriate for a lesson on the study of human history by archaeologists. The materials described in (C) are more appropriate for a lesson on the methods astronomers use to study celestial objects and phenomena. The materials described in (D) are more appropriate for a lesson on how plants are adapted to their environments.
A student's shadow was traced at various times throughout the day. The following image shows the results. When interpreting the patterns, one student stated that the tracing for number 4 was drawn at midday because it is the longest and faces more toward the east. Which two of the following questions could the teacher ask to help the student clarify his thinking about the relationship of the shadows to the daily movement pattern of the Sun in the sky? (A) In what direction does the Sun set? (B) How does the height of the student affect the difference in the four tracings? (C) Why are some shadows longer than others? (D) How would your shadows look different in the middle of winter? (E) How do your drawings compare with those of other students?
A and C The correct answers are (A) and (C). This question tests your understanding of how to guide students toward correcting misconceptions. In the activity described, a student has incorrectly concluded that the longest of four shadows was created at midday, when the Sun was high in the sky. By responding to the question posed in (A), the student will have an opportunity to realize that the shadows cast by the student always pointed away from the Sun's position in the sky, and that the longest of the four shadows pointed to the northeast. By responding to the question posed in (C), the student will have an opportunity to realize that the longest shadows observed in the activity were cast when the Sun was low in the sky. Responding to the questions posed in the other choices will not help the student understand how the Sun's position in the sky affects shadow length. The question posed in (B) is more appropriate for clarifying that the height of the student casting the shadows did not change during the activity. The question posed in (D) is more appropriate for understanding how the Sun's position in the sky changes with the seasons. The question posed in (E) is more appropriate for identifying a potential source of error in the investigation.
Four teams of students worked with two bar magnets each. Each team performed three trials testing one magnet's ability to attract the other through the following objects: a single index card, a stack of four index cards, and a box containing four crayons. The experimental design is represented in the figure. All four teams observed that the magnetic attraction was weaker as the number of index cards was increased and even weaker when the box of crayons was used. The students then proposed questions that they felt would help them interpret their results. Investigating which two of the following questions will provide the students with the most useful information? (A) Would replacing the box of crayons with the same thickness of index cards make a difference? (B) How are bar magnets different from horseshoe magnets? (C) Did we follow the step-by-step directions for the experiment correctly? (D) Will increasing the distance between the magnets affect the attraction even if nothing is placed between the magnets? (E) What would happen if we put the crayons inside the box in a different order from left to right?
A and D The correct answers are (A) and (D). This question tests your ability to identify scientific questions that will lead to a better understanding of a natural phenomenon. In the activity described, students are designing experiments to investigate how different factors affect the attraction between two bar magnets. By investigating the scientific question posed in (A), the students will test whether they introduced an uncontrolled variable into their initial experiment by using different objects (index cards and a box of crayons) to separate the two bar magnets. By investigating the scientific question posed in (D), the students will test whether changing the distance between the two bar magnets will affect the strength of the magnetic attraction even when no objects are placed between the magnets. Investigating the questions posed in the other choices will not help the students interpret their results. The scientific question posed in (B) is not relevant to the investigation because it focuses on the differences between bar magnets and horseshoe magnets. Investigating the scientific question posed in (C) will not generate new information because the students already know that the four teams obtained similar results, indicating that human error was not a contributing factor. Investigating the question posed in (E) will not generate new information because the experiment will be the same as before, especially if the bar magnets are the same distance apart and are separated by the same box of crayons.
A group of students builds the circuit shown in the diagram. A group of students builds the circuit shown in the diagram. In which of the following statements does the student provide evidence that energy transfer occurs in the circuit? (A) Bryan: The battery is a source of stored energy, and the energy inside the battery is able to flow through the circuit when everything is connected properly. (B) Taira: I know energy was transferred because the lightbulb was lit. Energy from the battery was transferred into light energy. (C) Ravi: Since the switch is closed, energy can travel from the battery through the whole circuit. (D) Natalie: The wires are metal so they are conductors. This lets them transfer energy from the battery through the circuit.
B The correct answer is (B). This question tests your ability to identify statements that cite relevant evidence in support of a claim. The statement in (B) correctly cites the lit lightbulb as evidence that energy stored in the battery was transformed into light energy. In contrast, the statements in (A), (C), and (D) cite prior knowledge about circuits but do not cite evidence to support the claim that energy transfer occurred in the circuit.
A lower elementary grade class has been studying the weather. Below are some data that the students have collected. Class Weather Data Which of the following representations would best help the students describe the relationship between time of day and temperature?
B The correct answer is (B). This question tests your ability to select a graphical representation of data that will reveal a possible relationship between two specific variables. For the activity described, the graph in choice (B) is the best representation of the students' data because it reveals how temperature changed during the day for each of five different days, which will allow the students to identify the relationship between time of day and temperature. In contrast, the other graphs are not as useful for revealing the relationship between time of day and temperature. The graph in choice (A) shows the average temperature for each of five different days but does not reveal how the temperature changed during any of those days. Similarly, the graph in choice (C) shows the morning temperature for each of five different days but does not reveal how the temperature changed during any of those days. The graph in choice (D) shows how the temperature at a particular time of day changed over five consecutive days, but the graph is not the best representation for identifying a pattern in how the temperature changed during each of those days.
Which of the following sets of resources will best support a lower elementary investigation of shadows cast by different materials? (A) Three students of different heights and a meterstick to measure the lengths of the shadows cast by the students at different times of the day (B) A light source, sheets of clear plastic, different colored plastics, paper, and cardboard to use for casting shadows against a wall in a darkened classroom (C) A light source, three different wooden objects, and a ruler to measure the varying lengths of the shadows cast by the objects as they are repositioned closer or farther away from the light source (D) Sheets of black paper to use to draw and cut out silhouettes that are then pasted on sheets of white paper
B The correct answer is (B). This question tests your ability to select the resources needed for an investigation of shadows cast by different materials. The resources presented in (B) are sufficient for the investigation because they include a light source and objects made of different materials, including plastic, paper, and cardboard. The resources presented in (A), which are more appropriate for an investigation of how the Sun's position in the sky affects shadow length, do not include a light source or objects made of different materials. The resources presented in (C), which are more appropriate for an investigation of shadows cast by objects with different shapes, include only objects made of wood. The resources presented in (D), which are more appropriate for reinforcing the idea that shadows are two-dimensional representations of three- dimensional objects, do not include a light source or objects made of materials other than paper.
Students are provided with the data table shown below and are asked to create a pie chart showing how much of Earth's freshwater is available for drinking. Which of the following points will best help students decide how to organize their charts? Select three points. (A) Some lakes are freshwater and some lakes are salt water. (B) Reservoirs that do not contain freshwater can be left out of the chart. (C) The water in the Arctic Ocean is mostly under the Arctic ice cap. (D) Some freshwater is not available for use by organisms. (E) Several reservoirs with small volumes can be combined.
B, D, and E The correct answers are (B), (D), and (E). This question tests your ability to identify information that will help students create a graphical representation of data. The students are given a task of creating a pie chart showing the portion of Earth's freshwater that is available for drinking. The information in (B) is relevant to the task because the students should create the pie chart using the data about freshwater but not about salt water. The information in (D) is relevant to the task because the students need to determine which reservoirs listed in the data table contain freshwater that is available for drinking. The information presented in (E) is relevant to the task because the pie chart created by the students will be easier to interpret if the students combine the data about reservoirs containing similar types of freshwater. The information in (A) is not relevant to the task because the students should not use the data for saline lakes when creating the pie chart. The information in (C) is not relevant to the task because the students should not use the data for oceans, which contain salt water, when creating the pie chart.
A teacher presents the following challenge to teams of second-grade students. 1. Build a bridge using 100 building bricks only. 2. Test the bridge to see how much weight it can hold. 3. Record your data. 4. Refine your bridge design so that it can carry more weight. The teacher visits teams of students as they work and asks how they might improve their design. Which student response most clearly shows an understanding of the design problem and its constraints? (A) "We need to use a lot more building bricks to make the bridge stronger." (B) "We think taping the building bricks together would make it hold more." (C) "We could make the sides of the bridge thicker and the road narrower." (D) "We want to change from using building bricks to using wood blocks."
C The correct answer is (C). This question tests your ability to evaluate students' ideas for solving a particular problem using an engineering design process. The response presented in (C) shows the best understanding of the design problem and its constraints because the student proposes a change to the design that could be implemented without additional materials. The changes proposed in the other responses would require additional materials, such as more building bricks (A), tape (B), or wood blocks (D). By proposing changes to the design that would require additional materials, the students are demonstrating that they do not understand the constraints of the teacher's challenge.
Ms. Ling is designing an inquiry activity for her early elementary classroom that will require students to make physical models of bird beaks using spoons and toothpicks. The students will use the models to pick up objects of different sizes and shapes that represent different types of food. Students will use their observations to determine which beak model is best to pick up each food type. This activity will best reinforce which of the following ideas? (A) Plants and animals have different requirements depending on where they live. (B) Plants and animals can change the environment to meet their needs. (C) Matter cycles through plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. (D) Plants and animals have specialized characteristics that help them perform specific tasks.
D The correct answer is (D). This question tests your ability to link an idea with a particular classroom activity. The idea presented in (D) is appropriately linked to the activity described in the question because the activity provides students with an opportunity to investigate how beak shape and size, which are specialized characteristics, affect a bird's ability to pick up different objects, which is a specific task. The ideas presented in the other choices are not appropriately linked to the activity described. For example, the activity does not provide students with an opportunity to compare the requirements of birds living in different places (A), to investigate whether birds can change their environment to meet their needs (B), or to explore how matter cycles through different ecosystems (C).
Ms. Smith is beginning an instructional unit on where the energy for living things comes from for her lower elementary grade students. She has found several diagrams available online to help introduce the unit, but she only has time to use one diagram in her class lesson. Which diagram should Ms. Smith use for her class presentation, and what is the best rationale for using the diagram? (A) Diagram A, because it shows many relationships between the animals and food sources. (B) Diagram A, because all energy in animals' food starts with plants. (C) Diagram B, because hand-drawn pictures are more accessible to students. (D) Diagram B, because all energy in animals' food was once energy from the Sun.
D The correct answer is (D). This question tests your ability to select instructional materials that sufficiently address a specific scientific concept. As described in the question, a teacher is trying to decide which of two diagrams is more appropriate for an instructional unit on the energy sources that support living things. Choice (D) correctly identifies diagram B as more appropriate for the unit and provides a rationale that the diagram explicitly represents the Sun as the source of the energy flowing through a food chain. Choice (A) incorrectly identifies diagram A as more appropriate and provides an irrelevant rationale that the diagram represents many different feeding relationships. Choice (B) incorrectly identifies diagram A as more appropriate and provides an incorrect rationale that plants are the ultimate source of the energy flowing through all ecosystems. Choice (C) correctly identifies diagram B as more appropriate but provides an irrelevant rationale that hand-drawn pictures are more accessible to students.
