MCAS Small Group Practice Test

Science MCAS Practice Test!

welcome! let's have fun!!

8th grade is the best grade!

Today's Objective:

Students will become familiar with the content on the practice test for the 8th Grade Science and Technology MCAS.

Rank these flavors 1-5 in order of preference!

Directions

1. First, you will have 2 minutes to read the question and select your answer.

2. Then, as a group, we will discuss which is the right answer and why. This is a discussion in order to build understanding of how we can approach each of these questions.

1. Read the question and ALL of the response options

2. Eliminate obviously wrong answers

3. Re-read the question

4. Select an answer

5. Decide on a correct answer and why.

How to Select an Answer

Categorize

Options (3)

zooplankton & menhaden

osprey & striped bass

tern & striped bass

The diagram shows a part of a food web from the Chesapeake Bay.

Each pair of organisms has either a predatory or competitive relationship. Drag and drop ​ pair into the correct box.

Predatory Relationship

Competitive Relationship

Hotspot

From the four locations circled on the diagram, select the two locations where it is summer on Earth.

Hotspot

Select the part of the cell that is responsible for releasing energy during cellular respiration.

Multiple Choice

Choose the model that shows the correct appearance and position of the Moon, Earth, and Sun during a total lunar eclipse.

The following section focuses on how rust forms. Read the information below and use it to answer the questions that follow.

At the beginning of summer, some paint was scratched off a student's bicycle. The exposed metal where the bicycle was scratched had a shiny, silvery color. The student kept the bicycle outside all summer. By the end of summer, the exposed metal had changed to rust, which is dark orange in color.

The student did some research to find out what happened to the metal and learned that the bicycle is made of steel, which contains mostly iron. The student conducted two investigations to learn more about the process that changed steel to rust.

The student placed equal amounts of iron filings (small pieces of iron) into beakers X, Y, and Z. At the start of the investigation, all of the filings were gray. The student added nothing else to beaker X, water to beaker Y, and table salt (NaCl) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to beaker Z. The student's observations over a two-day period are shown in the table.

​Investigation 1

The student combined table salt and hydrogen peroxide in a beaker, added small pieces of steel, and placed a thermometer in the beaker. After one minute, the student measured the mass of the contests in the beaker. The student measured the contents in the beaker again at 10 minutes and discovered the mass had decreased slightly. The student's observations are shown in the table.

​Investigation 2

Multiple Select

Select ALL beakers from Investigation 1 that show evidence of a chemical change.

• Beaker X

• Beaker Y

• Beaker Z

Multiple Choice

When hydrogen peroxide reacts with iron, hydrogen peroxide first breaks apart to form water and oxygen. In the diagram shown, hydrogen atoms are white and oxygen atoms are gray.

Use the law of conservation of mass to determine the number of water and oxygen molecules produced in the reaction. Choose the option with the correct number of water and oxygen molecules.

Multiple Choice

In Investigation 2, an exothermic reaction occurred as energy was released. What is the best evidence that an exothermic reaction occurred in the beaker?

• The mass decreased.

• The bubbling stopped.

• There was a change in color.

• There was an increase in temperature.

Open Ended

Rust is produced when iron reacts with oxygen. The table shows some characteristics of a sample of iron and of a sample of rust.

Identify the three characteristics from the table above that can be used to support the claim that iron and rust are different substances.

Open Ended

Rust is produced when iron reacts with oxygen. The table shows some characteristics of a sample of iron and of a sample of rust.

Explain why the characteristics you identified during the previous question help support the claim that iron and rust are different substances.

Open Ended

Rust is produced when iron reacts with oxygen. The table shows some characteristics of a sample of iron and of a sample of rust.

The model shown represents the reaction between iron and oxygen that results in rust. Based on the model, explain why iron and rust are different substances.

Multiple Choice

The path of two air masses, X and Y, are shown in the diagram.

Air mass X is a cold air mass. Air mass Y is a warm air mass. When the air masses meet, winter storms may be produced.

Which of the following most likely contributes to the formation of these storms?

• Cold air mass X moves over warm air mass Y, and evaporation occurs.

• Warm air mass Y moves over cold air mass X, and condensation occurs

• Cold air mass X mixes with warm air mass Y, and the overall temperature increases.

• Warm air mass Y mixes with cold air mass X, and the overall temperature decreases.

Dropdown

Select from the drop-down menus to correctly complete the sentence.

The ocean tides in Massachusetts are primarily caused by ​

Select answer

from​ ​ ​ ​

Select answer

Hotspot

Select the part of the diagram that represents the foundation of the building.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the foundation?

• It is a flat surface that people can walk on, but it does not help support the building.

• It is a part that the entire building is built upon, and it keeps the building from sinking into the ground.

• It is a vertical wall that blocks access and visibility, but it provides structural support for the building.

• It is a cover that protects the building, and it shields anything inside from sunlight and precipitation.

A student is investigating waves using a piece of rope. The student places the rope on the floor and then moves one end of the rope back and forth, as shown. The wave the student makes has a specific amplitude, frequency, and wavelength.

Labelling

Drag and drop two labels into the correct boxes to identify the different parts of the wave.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Wavelength

Amplitude

Frequency

Open Ended

Describe how the student's hand motion could be changed to make a wave with greater frequency.

Open Ended

Describe how the student's hand motion could be changed to make a wave that carries more energy in each wavelength. Explain your reasoning.

Multiple Choice

The map shows a ridge on the ocean floor. The dashed lines on either side of the ridge represent different parts of the ocean floor. The parts of the ocean floor are labeled with their ages in millions of years.

Based on the information in the map, which of the following best describes the ridge?

• The ridge is a young volcanic mountain range formed by two plates colliding.

• The ridge is a boundary between two plates that are moving away from the ridge.

• The ridge is an ancient volcanic mountain range located in the middle of an oceanic plate.

• The ridge is a boundary between two plates that are sliding back and forth along the ridge.

Labelling

A student uses a keyboard on a laptop to type a message into an instant messaging program. The processor in the laptop runs the instant messaging program's commands. The laptop uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. Another student reads the message on a phone. Drag and drop each term into a box to categorize the parts of the communication system.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

phone

keyboard

WiFi

laptop's processor

Reorder

Rock layers W, Y, Z, and fault X are shown. The rock layers and the fault were formed at different times.

Reorder the letters in order of formation from OLDEST to YOUNGEST. 4= oldest, 1=youngest

• W

• Y

• Z

• X

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Open Ended

A farmer tested the effect of fertilizer on the growth of 1000 pea plants. The farmer recorded the observations in the chart.

Based on the observations, identify one characteristic of the pea plants that was mainly influenced by genetics. Support your answer with evidence from the information in the table.

Open Ended

Based on the observations, identify one characteristic of the pea plant that was influenced by both genetics and the environment. Support your answer with evidence from the information in the table.

Reorder

Reorder the following to best show the structure of the universe from BIGGEST to SMALLEST. (5=largest 1=smallest)

• Universe

• Milky Way

• Solar System

• Earth

• Massachusetts

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Dropdown

A manufacturer is considering using four different materials to construct a pan for cooking on a stove. The table shows the thermal conductivity and melting point of each material. A material with a higher thermal conductivity value conducts more thermal energy.



Select from the drop-down menus to correctly complete the sentence based on the information.

The manufacturer should use ​​

Select answer

for the bottom of the pan and ​

Select answer

for the handle.

Labelling

A plant species produces two types of seeds, rounded seeds and wrinkled seeds. The allele for rounded seeds (R) is dominant to the allele for wrinkled seeds (r). A plant heterozygous for this trait (Rr) is crossed with a homozygous plant (rr).

Complete the Punnett square for this cross.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

rr

R

Rr

RR

r

RR

rr

Rr

r

r

Multiple Choice

A plant species produces two types of seeds, rounded seeds and wrinkled seeds. The allele for rounded seeds (R) is dominant to the allele for wrinkled seeds (r). A plant heterozygous for this trait (Rr) is crossed with a homozygous plant (rr).

What is the probability that an offspring will have rounded seeds?

• 0

• 1/4

• 1/2

• 3/4

• 1

Multiple Choice

A computer touch screen allows users to enter information. Users have complained that the touch screen is too difficult to operate because the system does not indicate when a choice has been selected.

The complaints are which element of the universal systems design model?

• feedback

• goal

• inputs

• processes

Multiple Choice

Methane and propane are two compounds that are composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The table shows some of the properties of these two compounds.

Which of the following conclusions is BEST supported by the information in the table?

• When two elements combine, the mass of each element changes.

• When two compounds are mixed, the state of matter of the mixture changes.

• Two elements can combine to produce different substances with different properties.

• Two compounds can be mixed together to produce different materials with different properties.

Multiple Choice

A student makes this particle model of atoms that make up part of the bridge. The model shows the atoms when the bridge is at 18 degrees Celsius.

The student wants to make a new model to show the atoms when the bridge is heated to 23 degrees Celsius.

Which of the following changes should the student include in the new model?

• make the atoms bigger

• making the atoms a different shape

• making larger spaces between the atoms

• making chemical bonds between the atoms

Multiple Choice

In which of the following situations is a sugar cube undergoing a chemical change?

• when it is burned

• when it is crushed

• when it is mixed with salt

• when it is dissolved in water

Multiple Choice

The diagrams represent the movement of particles in two samples of the same gas. The samples are in identical, closed, glass containers. The length of an arrow represents the speed of a gas particle.

Which of the following must be different between the two samples?

• color

• mass

• temperature

• volume

Multiple Choice

A teacher performs an investigation by heating a 5.4g piece of aluminum and placing it into a beaker of water. The table shows the temperatures before and after the aluminum was placed in the water.

The teacher repeats the investigation using a larger, 20g piece of aluminum heated to 100 degrees Celsius. Which of the following best explains what will happen to the final temperature of both the water and the 20g piece of aluminum?

• The temperature will be 28 degrees Celsius because both pieces of aluminum transfer heat energy at the same rate.

• The temperature will be 28 degrees Celsius because both pieces of aluminum heated to the same initial temperature.

• The temperature will be lower than 28 degrees Celsius because the smaller piece of aluminum transfers heat energy more quickly than the larger piece of aluminum.

• The temperature will be higher than 28 degrees Celsius because the larger piece of aluminum transfers more heat energy to the water than the small piece of aluminum.

Multiple Choice

A student created the two diagrams shown.

Which of the following are represented by these diagrams?

• two different elements

• two different compounds

• two different forms of the same mixture

• two different forms of the same compound

Multiple Choice

Millions of years ago, a small population of birds lived on the Hawaiian Islands.

Over time, this population evolved into more than 54 separate species, each with

different colors, beak shapes, and food sources.

Which of the following best explains why the original population of birds evolved

into so many different species?

• A. Many of the birds were killed each time a volcano erupted on the

  Hawaiian Islands.

• B. The Hawaiian Islands had few predator species to decrease the lifespan of

  the birds.

• C. The bird population moved into and adapted to many different environments

  on the Hawaiian Islands.

• D. The climate of the Hawaiian Islands rarely changed, which helped the bird

  population to increase in size.

Multiple Choice

Polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere and need a large amount of

Arctic ice to hunt. Which of the following is most likely to occur if the

amount of Arctic ice in polar regions decreases significantly over a short

period of time?

• A Polar bears will migrate south.

• B Polar bears will become extinct.

• C Polar bears will develop a larger body size.

• D Polar bears will adapt to water environments.

Multiple Choice

Hawks and owls are both birds of prey and often live in the same areas.

Which of the following factors most likely limits competition for prey

between hawks and owls living in the same area?

• A Hawks and owls have different predators.

• B Hawks have speckled eggs and owls have white eggs.

• C Hawks and owls are camouflaged by different feather colors.

• D Hawks are active during the day and owls are active during the night.

Multiple Choice

A student observes trout, a type of fish, living in two ponds, pond X and

pond Y. The average size of trout in pond X is larger than the average size

of trout in pond Y. The student makes a list of factors that could affect the

size of the trout in each pond, as shown.

1. Pond X is three times the size of pond Y.

2. There is more food available for trout in pond X than in pond Y.

3. The trout in pond X have different genes than the trout in pond Y.

4. Pond X has a different species of predator that preys on trout than pond Y.

The student will determine which factors are environmental and which are

hereditary.

Which of the factors in the student’s list are environmental factors?

• A factors 1 and 3 only

• B factors 2 and 4 only

• C factors 1, 2, and 3

• D factors 1, 2, and 4

Multiple Choice

Sharks are large fish that live in the ocean. Hammerhead sharks are a part of a marine ecosystem, as shown in the food web.

Which of the following best describes the role that hammerhead sharks play in the ecosystem?

• A The sharks act as a food source for clams, oysters, and scallops.

• B The sharks compete with cownose rays for access to nutrients in the

  environment.

• C The sharks break down the remains of zooplankton and phytoplankton,

  returning nutrients to the environment.

• D The sharks limit the population size of cownose rays, preventing them

  from overfeeding on clams, oysters, and scallops.

Multiple Select

Sharks are large fish that live in the ocean. Hammerhead sharks are a part of a marine ecosystem, as shown in the food web.

In recent decades, overfishing has led to large decreases in the sizes of

shark populations. Biologists studying the effects of overfishing on marine

ecosystems have hypothesized that a decrease in hammerhead sharks has

led to a decrease in bay scallops.

Select two pieces of data that the biologists would most likely use to test

their hypothesis.

• A the population counts for bay scallops

• B the number of times hammerhead sharks reproduce each year

• C the number of offspring produced from one mating between bay scallops

• D the number of hammerhead sharks in each of the marine ecosystems

  over time

• E the temperature of the water in which hammerhead sharks and bay

  scallops live

Multiple Choice

A student is studying mitochondria in plant cells. Which of the following best describes the basic function of mitochondria in a plant cell?

• to store water in the cell

• to provide energy for the cell

• to remove wastes from the cell

• to provide carbon dioxide to the cell

Multiple Select

When a person eats a sandwich, the person’s digestive system breaks down the sandwich into food molecules. Select two statements that describe how the food molecules are used by the person’s body.

• The food molecules deliver oxygen and remove wastes from cells.

• The food molecules are used to produce energy for cell processes.

• The food molecules store genetic information that is used to direct cell division.

• The food molecules are assembled into larger molecules that are used for cell growth.

Multiple Choice

Before a race, a runner eats a banana. The banana provides nutrients that help the runner complete the race. Identify the two body systems involved in getting the nutrients from the banana to the rest of the body and describe how they work together.

• Digestive and circulatory systems: The digestive system extracts nutrients from the food, and the circulatory system distributes them to various parts of the body.

• Respiratory and nervous systems: The respiratory system supplies oxygen, while the nervous system coordinates body responses.

• Muscular and skeletal systems: The muscular system enables movement, and the skeletal system provides structural support.

• Integumentary and immune systems: The integumentary system protects the body, and the immune system fights infections.

Multiple Choice

Circle the part of the plant cell responsible for producing sugars.

• Chloroplast

• Mitochondrion

• Cell Wall

• Nucleus

Multiple Choice

Which of the following diagrams best represents the levels of organization of multicellular organisms?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Choice

Most nutrient absorption occurs in the ________________ .

• mouth

• stomach

• large intestines

• small intestines

Multiple Choice

Mason, Benjamin, and Olivia had a big meal at a restaurant. How does their digestive system help them in the absorption of nutrients from the food they ate?

• By transporting nutrients to their stomach

• By excreting waste products from their body

• By breaking down the food they ate into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into their bloodstream.

• By converting the food they ate into energy for their body

Multiple Choice

When your digestive system absorbs nutrients, where do the nutrients go?

• The nutrients stay in the stomach.

• The nutrients stay in the intestines.

• The nutrients go to the liver.

• The nutrients go to the bloodstream.

Multiple Choice

Use the image to answer the question

• F

• G

• H

• J

Multiple Choice

From least complex to most complex, the levels of organization in a multicellular organism include

• cells, organ, tissue, and organ systems.

• cells, tissues, organ systems, and organs

• cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.

• tissues, cells, organs, and organ systems.

Multiple Choice

A certain chromosome in humans contains genes that affect eye color. This chromosome is located in the ​_______ of ​ _______ cells.

• nucleus, all body
• cytoplasm, all body

• membrane, only hair and eye

• mitochondria, only hair and eye

Multiple Choice

Two children from the same parents have different eye colors. One child has blue eyes, and the other has brown eyes.

Each child has a different eye color because each inherited _________.

• a different number of genes

• a different number of chromosomes

• chromosomes that produce different kinds of fat

• genes that cause different proteins to be produced

Multiple Choice

Antibiotics are a type of medicine used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria that are killed by an antibiotic are said to be sensitive to that antibiotic. Sensitivity to antibiotics is an inherited trait in bacteria. The graph shows the change over time in the percentage of a certain species of bacteria that are sensitive to an antibiotic.

Which of the following best explains the change in the sensitivity of the bacteria to the antibiotic?

• The bacteria are becoming more sensitive to the antibiotic because bacteria were killed each time they were exposed to the antibiotic.

• The bacteria are becoming more sensitive to the antibiotic because the bacteria changed their genes to protect themselves from the antibiotic.

• The bacteria are becoming less sensitive to the antibiotic because some bacteria were able to survive and pass on traits that protect them from the antibiotic.

• 
  The bacteria are becoming less sensitive to the antibiotic because some bacteria reproduced very rapidly when they were aware of the antibiotic in their environment. 

Multiple Choice

The graph shows the number of groups of marine species from 600 million years ago (MYA) to the present.

Which of the following claims can be supported by the change in the graph that occurred 250 MYA?

• New species of marine organisms evolved 250 MYA.

• Biodiversity of marine organisms decreased 250 MYA.

• Many marine organisms migrated to live on land 250 MYA.

• Many species of marine organisms adapted to environmental changes 250 MYA.

Multiple Choice

A scientist is studying mutations in bacteria. Which of the following describes something the scientist could do to determine whether a mutation in a bacterial cell causes changes to a trait in the bacterial cell?

• make changes to the cell’s genes and then look for changes in the proteins created

• make changes to the nutrients available to the cell and then look for changes in the nucleus

• make changes to the cell’s color using dye and then observe whether the cell changes shape

• make changes to the air temperature surrounding the cell and then observe whether the cell changes size

Multiple Choice

Two pea plants are crossed. Each parent plant has a dominant allele for height (H) and a recessive allele for height (h).

What is the expected percentage of each genotype for the offspring of these parents?

• HH: 25%

  Hh: 50%

  hh: 25%

• HH: 50%

  Hh: 25%

  hh: 25%

• HH: 50%

  Hh: 50%

  hh: 0%

• HH: 60%

  Hh: 20%

  hh: 20%

Multiple Choice

The diagram below represents the chromosome pairs present in the body cells of a fruit fly.

Fruit flies reproduce sexually. Exactly how many chromosomes does a fruit fly offspring normally inherit from each parent?

• • 1 chromosome

• • 2 chromosomes

• • 4 chromosomes

• • 8 chromosomes