Science Content

A third-grade teacher is planning a unit on physical science which of the following physical science activities would be most appropriate for this grade level according to the Indiana Revised Academic Standards for Science? • Measuring the energy changes that occur as water goes from the liquid to the solid state • Investigating the propagation of light waves with lenses, mirrors, and prisms • Experimenting with how an object's speed or direction is changed by a force acting on it • Comparing and contrasting different forms of kinetic and potential energy

• Investigating the propagation of light waves with lenses, mirrors, and prisms

A large piece of debris is orbiting Earth 2,000 km from Earth's surface at a velocity of 25,000 km/hr. Which of the following explains the primary reason why the orbital debris will likely not strike Earth for many years? • It is above the point where Earth's gravity can directly influence its direction of motion. • It is pushed away from Earth by centrifugal force acting in response to gravity • It is acted on by the sun's gravitational field in opposition to Earth's gravitational field. • It is falling toward Earth at close the same rate the Earth's surface curves away from it.

• It is falling toward Earth at close the same rate the Earth's surface curves away from it.

Which of the following is primary responsible for the facet that sound travels faster in warm air than cold air? • Molecules in war air bump into each other more often because of their greater kinetic energy, helping sound waves propagate. • The thermal energy in warm air increases both the amplitude and frequency of sound waves. • Closer packing of molecules in warm air causes them to collide with more force, reducing the energy required to transmit sound waves. • The lower moisture content of warm air reduces the force needed to transfer sound waves.

• Molecules in war air bump into each other more often because of their greater kinetic energy, helping sound waves propagate.

During the early and middle childhood stages of development, which of the following influences is likely to have the greatest impact on the extent to which a child participates in physical activity? • The physical activity preferences and habits of same-age peers • The availability of various digital technologies and formats in the home environment • Parent/guardian values and beliefs in relation to physical activity • The way in which popular media portray and cover physical activity, fitness, and sports

• Parent/guardian values and beliefs in relation to physical activity

Which of the following physical activities would be appropriate for promoting second graders' object control/manipulative skills? • Passing a beach ball to a partner over a five- to sex-foot-high net • Running and leaping over a series of low obstacles • Traveling over tires while carrying a small hoop extended overhead • Crossing a balance beam placed on the ground

• Passing a beach ball to a partner over a five- to sex-foot-high net

In which of the following ways has the development of the World Wide Web increase elementary school students' ability to practice scientific inquiry skills? • Improving students' access to information about the history and nature of major scientific breakthroughs • Allowing students to use real data available from scientific investigation to develop their own hypotheses • Identifying blogs where student can share ideas and post opinions about scientific controversies • Providing students with interactive simulations of hands-on activities that support the science curriculum.

• Providing students with interactive simulations of hands-on activities that support the science curriculum.

A scientist at a respected university announces in a press conference the discovery of a new compound that can kill sever types of cancer cells with minimal harm to healthy cells. Many cancer researchers are unimpressed by the announcement. Which of the following actions taken by the scientist would convince the larger community of cancer researchers to take this claim seriously. • Publishing the date and methodology from the work so it can be replicated • Releasing documents showing the source of funding for the research on cancer drugs • Having another scientist affiliated with the investigation corroborate the results • Submitting a detailed summary of the cancer research to the national Institutes of Health

• Publishing the date and methodology from the work so it can be replicated

Vitamins have which of the following functions in the human body? • Transporting nutrients throughout the circulatory system for delivery to cells and tissues • Controlling digestion and providing the body with thermal insulation and protection from shock • Converting sugars to glucose and glucoses to glycogen for storage in the liver and muscles • Regulating cell tissue growth and assisting enzymes with metabolism and energy production

• Regulating cell tissue growth and assisting enzymes with metabolism and energy production

As part of a unit on Earth a space science, a teacher has students build weather vanes and rain gages to measure and record wind direction and rainfall amounts near their homes. According to the Indiana Revised Academic Standards for Science, at which for the following grade levels should this activity by part of the elementary science curriculum? • Fifth grade • Fourth grade • Third grade • Second grade

• Second grade

According to research, which of the following factors is most highly correlate with a student's ability to maintain mental and emotional well being and healthy day-to-day functioning? • The absence of major illness and disease within the student's family • Secure bonds with family and strong feelings of school connectedness • Reliance on intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation to achieve personal and academic goals • The presence of many educational recreational resources at the student's home (technology, sports equipment)

• Secure bonds with family and strong feelings of school connectedness

During a health and wellness lesson, small groups of student examine the nutritional content of common foods and meals. Each group reviews three meal plans, which specify the type of food and portion size for each meal plan item. Students research the nutrient content of the food items in each meal plan, compare the meal plans in terms of nutrient density and nutritional worth, determine in which meal plan is in the healthiest option, and explain why they chose that meal plan. This activity is likely to particularly effective in providing students with experience in • Developing self-advocacy strategies to access and evaluate health-related services • Identifying ways in which peers and media influence personal health behaviors • Creating short-term health goals based on personal strengths and needs • Using critical-thinking and decision-making skills to enhance personal health

• Using critical-thinking and decision-making skills to enhance personal health

After reading up on safe and appropriate classroom pets, a second-grade teacher decides that a domestic rabbit would make a good classroom pet that he can care for when school Is not in session. Which of the following questions is most important for the teacher to answer before purchasing the rabbit? • How will the teacher ensure that all students have the opportunity to care for the rabbit? • Are rabbits active enough during the daytime to be interest to students? • Will some students have difficulty concentrating if the rabbit is noisy during quiet activities? • What will the rules be handing, petting, and interacting with the rabbit?

• What will the rules be handing, petting, and interacting with the rabbit?

Elementary school-based tobacco prevention program have been shown to be most successful in significantly reducing or delaying adolescent smoking when they emphasize which of the following instructional strategies? • Working with students to identify social influences that promote tobacco use among youth and teaching students skills and techniques for resisting such influences • Examining print advertisements for tobacco products with students and teaching them to identify the persuasive marketing techniques used in advertisements • Focusing students on the long-term effect of tobacco use, including the resulting disease and medical and financial consequences that individuals face decades after they begin using tobacco • Familiarizing students with current state- and community-level tobacco prevention initiatives and policies as well as related public health campaigns and messages.

• Working with students to identify social influences that promote tobacco use among youth and teaching students skills and techniques for resisting such influences

1. Mosquitoes undergo complete metamorphosis as part of their life cycle. The juveniles, or larvae, are sexually immature and live in freshwater, feeding on bacteria, algae, and detritus. Once the larvae pupate, they emerge as sexually mature adults that fly and feed on the blood of mammals and the fluids of plants. The primary advantage of a life cycle in which the larva and adult have such different characteristics is that it: a. enables the species to survive seasonal temperature extremes. b. allows the species to exploit different habitats and resources. c. makes it possible for the species to live longer. d. ensures that the species will maintain sufficient genetic diversity.

1. B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts and processes of life science, including characteristics, classification, and life cycles of organisms; the relationships of organisms to each other and their environment; and major characteristics of and factors affecting ecosystems and biomes. The life cycles of many organisms include a distinct juvenile stage in which the juvenile's habitat, diet, and behavior may be different from adults of the species. With mosquitoes, this difference ensures that juveniles and adults do not compete for limited resources and habitat.

2. Before beginning a hands-on life science unit, a fifth-grade teacher assesses the class on their foundational science skills and their understanding of scientific inquiry. The resulting assessment data indicate that several of the students do not meet grade-level expectations. Given these assessment results, the Response to Instruction (RtI) procedures recommend that instruction for these students should be modified in which of the following ways? a. Individualized, intensive instruction in the fundamental concepts of life science should replace participation in the life science unit. b. The core classroom instruction should be covered in addition to individualized homework and classroom assignments on related topics. c. In-class remedial help should be given to support success with a life science curriculum that covers similar topics at a lower level. d. The core classroom instruction should be differentiated to support the students' learning styles while their progress is monitored.

2. D. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies and skills for effectively assessing students' understanding and mastery of essential science concepts and skills, using ongoing assessment to monitor progress and inform instruction, and applying Response to Instruction (RtI) procedures. The definition of RtI cited by the Indiana Department of Education is as follows: RtI is the practice of (1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs and (2) using learning rate over time and level of performance to (3) make important educational decisions. In the question, some students are assessed as not meeting grade-level expectations. An appropriate RtI approach would be to modify the core classroom instruction to meet these students' needs and to monitor their learning progress over time to determine the efficacy of the instructional modifications.

3. To enhance students' ability to use communication techniques that help maintain healthy interpersonal relationships, a third-grade teacher introduces students to "I" messages. The teacher provides examples of "I" messages, contrasts them with "you" messages, and then asks students to role-play with a partner and practice using "I" messages to express how they feel during stressful interactions. The primary purpose of teaching students this communication strategy is to help them learn how to: a. reflect back and acknowledge the feelings of a speaker in a conversation so that the speaker feels heard and understood. b. de-escalate potential interpersonal conflicts and facilitate constructive dialogue without attacking or blaming the other person. c. check for understanding in an interpersonal conversation by restating in their own words what they think a speaker has just said. d. explore both sides of a disagreement and arrive at a consensus that takes into consideration opposing perspectives on an issue.

3. B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of interpersonal relationships and strategies for maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships that enhance health and wellness. In interpersonal communication, "I" messages, or I-statements, are used to communicate with another person about a problem, a feeling, or a belief, without blaming, accusing, or insulting the other person. The primary purpose of teaching this important communication skill is to promote students' ability to express emotions appropriately, address an interpersonal problem, or offer constructive criticism without escalating a tense situation or conflict. In contrast to negative and argumentative "you" statements, which create hostility, "I" statements can be used to calmly but assertively describe an intense emotion, the behavior or condition that has led to that emotion, and why the behavior or condition is causing that emotion.

In which of the following examples does a lever reduce the force required the force required to complete a task by increasing the distance over which the force is applied? • A bottle opener is used to pry off the cap to a bottle. • A rake is used to rake up leaves under a tree. • A single-wheel pulley is used to lift a box up to a roof. • A shovel is used to move a pile of loose dirt.

• A bottle opener is used to pry off the cap to a bottle.

Insects, spiders, and crustaceans share which of the following characteristics? • A circulatory system that uses copper to transport oxygen in the blood • A body plan divided into a thorax, abdomen, and head • A respiratory system that included both gills and primitive lung cavities • A segmented exoskeleton that is replaced during molting

• A segmented exoskeleton that is replaced during molting

The questions scientist choose to investigate and the conclusions hey draw from their investigations often reflect their cultural backgrounds. This phenomenon is more produced in some areas of research than others. In which of the following scientific investigations would the cultural background of a researcher be most likely to affect the conclusion the researcher draws from the investigation? • A wildlife biologist's field study of the social behavior of mountain gorillas • A chemist's analysis of environmental contaminants in the water supply • An astrophysicist's simulation of the formation of elements in massive star • A geologist's study of potential effect of a major earthquake on a city

• A wildlife biologist's field study of the social behavior of mountain gorillas

When runoff and drainage from farms and septic fields carry nitrogen and phosphorus into ponds and lakes, the excess nutrients cause the population of phytoplankton to explode, reducing the clarity of the water necessary for the growth of submerged aquatic vegetation. This process eventually leads to a drop in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water. Which of the following best describes how the change in a pond or lake ecosystem can eventually lead to a drop in concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water. • Primary productivity of the ecosystem rises significantly, increasing fish and amphibian populations that breathe oxygen dissolved in the water. • Bacteria and microorganisms deplete the available dissolved oxygen as they break down and consume the decaying remains of plants and algae. • Seasonal circulation that would normally introduce oxygen from the atmosphere is substantially reduced by the abundance of plants and algae. • Hydrogen ions produced by rapidly growing vegetation chemically combine with dissolved oxygen, reducing its concentration in the water column.

• Bacteria and microorganisms deplete the available dissolved oxygen as they break down and consume the decaying remains of plants and algae.

A fall storm system begins o form over the Ohio Valley. Which of the following atmospheric patterns is an essential part of the development of this storm? • Higher wind speed toward the center of the developing storm • Counterclockwise rotation of air around a strengthening area of low pressure • Converging winds above the center of the developing storm • Strong downdrafts of relatively warm moist air into colder air at the surface.

• Counterclockwise rotation of air around a strengthening area of low pressure

Geologists often use characteristics of minerals that make up igneous rocks, like granite and basalt, to analyze how they formed. The large size of crystals in an outcrop of granite indicates that the minerals most likely formed under which of the following conditions? • Just below Earth's surface in a low-pressure environment • In an aqueous solution within a relatively short period of time • Deep below Earth's surface in a slow-cooling body of magma • In gas-rich magma that was rapidly erupted from a volcano

• Deep below Earth's surface in a slow-cooling body of magma

Elementary school teachers plan to implement a skill-based pedestrian safety-educating unit for second and third graders. Unit activities will include leading student on closely supervised walks in the school neighborhood to provide them with hands-on pedestrian safety experiences. The teachers will guided students in safely walking on sidewalks, crossing at marked and unmarked crosswalks, using a pedestrian signal, and crossing driveways. Which of the following types of activities would be most important for teachers to carry out first before leading students on the on-street safety walks? • Asking students to draw or write about pedestrian safety and sending the students' work home to families • Engaging students in perceptual skills training and pedestrian safety simulations using visual aids • Reviewing with student the connections between walking, fitness and health, and environmental quality • Involving students in interactive games such as traffic signal flash card activities and "Red Lights, Green Light"

• Engaging students in perceptual skills training and pedestrian safety simulations using visual aids

A student would like to design a basket for her bicycle to carry various school items. The student looks up several commercial designs on the Internet and decides she can make a less expensive basket using materials from a hardware store and from around her home. The next step in the design process would be to: • Brainstorm ideas on different shapes, sizes, and colors the basket could be a whether or not it should have a lock • Collect materials needed to build the basket, including whatever materials will be used to hold the basket in place. • Figure out how much weight the basket need to carry, what size it practical, and whether it should be in the front or in back • Develop a model prototype to determine just how much of each material will be needed to build the basket.

• Figure out how much weight the basket need to carry, what size it practical, and whether it should be in the front or in back

Which of the following practices provides the best example of the use of formative assessment in an elementary science unit? • Requiring students to identify and explain real-world examples of Newton's law of motion • Giving students feedback to support their understanding of phase changes with an end-of-unit or end-of-chapter test • Measuring student understanding of phase changes with an end-of-unit or end-of-chapter test • Evaluation students' academic growth by reviewing all the work completed during the month-long study of the solar system

• Giving students feedback to support their understanding of phase changes with an end-of-unit or end-of-chapter test

A student is conducting an experiment to determine how the salinity of water affects the growth of bean pants. The student prepares three large containers for growing the bean plants with ten seeds planted in each container. The student also prepares three separate, increasingly concentrated salt solutions to distinguish the affects of the different salt solutions on the plant growth. Three weeks later, the student harvests the plants by cutting them off at the bottom of the stem and separate weighing the leaves and stems of the ten plans in each container to see how the different salt solutions affected plant growth. Which of the following changes to the student's experiment would most improved its design? • Increasing the time plans are allowed to grow • Growing one container of ten plants with regular tap water • Planting each of the 30 bean seeds in a separate container • Weighing the root as well as the aboveground biomass.

• Growing one container of ten plants with regular tap water

Which of the following activities provides the conceptual foundation for introducing students to the fundamental scientific principle underlying the operation of an electric motor? • Having students build a electrical circuit using lemons, copper pennies, galvanized nails, and a light-emitting diode • Having students observe how a magnetic compass is affected by the flow of electric charge in nearby copper wire. • Having students feel the heat produced by a copper wire connected to the positive and negative and terminals of a battery. • Having students repeatedly rube a permanent magnet along the side of a large iron nail to magnetize the atoms in the nail

• Having students observe how a magnetic compass is affected by the flow of electric charge in nearby copper wire.

Fifth graders are participating in a 4-week wellness project. Students have created individualized physical activity plans that specify a cardiorespiratory activity of their choice, how often they will participate in the activity, how long each activity session will last, and the target hear rate they wish to achieve during the activity session. For example, one student has decided to cycle three days a week fro 40 minutes per session, with a goal of attaining a target hear rate of 70%-80% of maximum hear rate while cycling. Student will use journals to record their progress in meeting initial goals. This wellness project is likely to be most effective for increasing students' understanding of: • How to use the F.I.T.T (frequency, intensity, type) principle of exercise • The attributes of skill-related fitness (speed, agility, balance, coordination) • How to promote strength and build muscle mass using anaerobic exercise. • To components of health-related fitness) cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition)

• How to use the F.I.T.T (frequency, intensity, type) principle of exercise

A fourth-grade teacher would like to support students' observational skills as part of the science curriculum. Participating in which of the following activities would most effectively train the students to be good observers? • Describing how the time of sunset and sunrise changes during the fall • Measuring the density of a variety of rocks and minerals brought in by the teacher • Identifying common trees growing around the school using a dichotomous key • Testing the ability of bridges made in class to support increasingly heavy weights

• Identifying common trees growing around the school using a dichotomous key

Student participation in which of the following activates would most effectively promote critical-thinking skills in fifth graders? • Discussing a contemporary topic in the sciences that is intrinsically interesting to the class • Simplifying the language in an article from a science magazine using a textbook glossary • Summarizing an article eon the potential effect of climate change in different countries • Identifying the underlying assumptions in an essay on agriculture's effect on ecosystems

• Identifying the underlying assumptions in an essay on agriculture's effect on ecosystems

In a school that uses a three-lined Response to Instruction (RTI) system, a few fourth grade students have been identified as being at risk for poor health and wellness learning outcome. As part of secondary prevention efforts, teachers plan to implement evidence-based interventions for these students in the form of small-group instruction. Which of the following is an essential component of implementing a Tier 2 intervention in a three-tiered RTI system? • Implementing only those instructional intervention that have previously been effective will students whose cultural and linguistic characteristics are similar to those of the struggling students • Increasing the intensity of interventions a regular intervals by lengthening the duration of small-group instruction time and increasing the frequency of instructional sessions • Using continuous formative data as well as summative data to determine whether the struggling students are responding to targeted instructional interventions • Reading universal and other screening with the same assessment tools used in Tier 1 to identify any additional student learning difficulties that should be addressed.

• Increasing the intensity of interventions a regular intervals by lengthening the duration of small-group instruction time and increasing the frequency of instructional sessions

Which of the following demonstrations provides the best analogy for improvising a third grader's understanding of the mechanisms underlying the propagation of sound? • Lining up students and having them pass a ball down the line until it reaches the last person, who then sends the ball back down the line • Driving a water wheel with the flow of tap water and then reducing the flow to slow the rotation of the water wheel • Setting up a row of dominoes half an inch apart facing each other so that when the first one is knocked over the others fall in sequence • Placing several plastic boats at one end of a water table and then using a fan to blow them across the water

• Setting up a row of dominoes half an inch apart facing each other so that when the first one is knocked over the others fall in sequence

After 6th grade students participate in cooperative physical activities and group games, an elementary school teacher often leads a brief follow-up discussion in which each student is asked to express a positive contribution made by another group member to the activity or game. This technique best exemplifies an appropriate way of promoting students' application of which of the following Indiana Academic Standard for Physical Education • Students value physical activity fore health, enjoyment, challenge, self expression, and/or social interaction • Students demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities. • Students exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings. • Students demonstrate an understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.

• Students value physical activity fore health, enjoyment, challenge, self expression, and/or social interaction

Class activities will include discussions about problems or conflicts that can occur in daily life and how different emotions and reactions can make a conflict or a problem better or worse. Which of the following additional activities would be most important to carry out with students to prepare them for steps 2 and 3 of the protocol. • Familiarizing students with appropriate responses to peer pressure and having them participate in group role-plays using the techniques • Assigning pairs of students to work on collaborative tasks or projects in class and rotating partners frequently • Reading familiar stories about characters in conflict and engaging students in think-alouds about how the characters might be feeling • Teaching students how to use the "I" message and active listening techniques and having them practice these skills in class

• Teaching students how to use the "I" message and active listening techniques and having them practice these skills in class

Keystone species are organisms that have a very large effect on their ecosystem relative to the size of their population. Keystone species are central to their ecosystem because other species depend on the way the keystone species maintains the structure of the ecosystem. Which of the following correctly describes a keystone species and its effect on its ecosystem? • The wild turkey consumes seeds, nuts, and insects, preventing the overpopulation of competing species that are omnivores. • The eastern coyote consumes small squirrels, chipmunks, and mice, helping control rodent populations. • The African elephant consumes tree leaves and branches, killing trees discouraging the spread of forests in the savanna. • The American bullfrog consumes insects and insect larva, reducing the summer population of mosquitoes.

• The African elephant consumes tree leaves and branches, killing trees discouraging the spread of forests in the savanna.

The most important facto controlling the change of seasons on Earth is in the change in: • Earth's distance from the sun during its elliptical orbit. • The angle of tilt of Earth's axis of rotation relative to is orbital plane. • Earths orbital velocity at different times of the year. • The direction that Earth's axis of rotation points toward during its orbit.

• The direction that Earth's axis of rotation points toward during its orbit.

Which of the following explains why an uncovered pot of water being heated on a stovetop burner does not change temperature once it has reached its boiling point? • Any additional heat added to the system at the boiling point does work breaking the bonds between oxygen and hydrogen atoms. • The heat lost to convection at the temperature balances the capacity of water to absorb and hold thermal energy. • The kinetic energy lost by the escape of fast-moving water vapor molecules the boiling point match the input of heat energy. • Any thermal energy coming into the system at the temperature only increases the rate of heat loss by conduction.

• The kinetic energy lost by the escape of fast-moving water vapor molecules the boiling point match the input of heat energy.

Certain metals, such as copper, gold, and silver, are excellent conductors of electricity. Which of the following characteristics of these materials makes them such good conductors of electricity? • The atoms of these elements are chemically inert and do not react to the flow of electrons in current. • The positive charge of these elements' atoms allows them tot transfer electrons between atoms with little electrical resistance. • The single electron from the outermost shell of these elements moves easily between atoms in a piece of metal. • The filled atomic energy levels of these elements prevent electrons from being held tightly by protons in the nucleus.

• The positive charge of these elements' atoms allows them tot transfer electrons between atoms with little electrical resistance.

Two teachers are planning a field trip to a zoo and a museum for their third-and fourth-grade classes. Which of the following preparation for the filed trip is most important for the teachers to make to ensure the safety of the students? • Training sufficient parent/guardian volunteers or aids to help manage students on the field trip • Using the buddy system so that fourth-grade students are required to stray with a third-grade buddy • Verifying the student will be attending the field trip do not have any food allergies • Requiring students to sign ta field trip contract defining acceptable and unacceptable behavior

• Training sufficient parent/guardian volunteers or aids to help manage students on the field trip