MTTC science

A teacher is assessing students' use of the inquiry process during a unit on electricity and magnetism. Which assessments would be most effective for this purpose?

• having students answer open-response questions at the end of the unit

• observing the students and taking notes while they are engaged in investigations

• filling out a KWL chart with students at the beginning of the unit

• giving the students a multiple-choice test

A third-grade teacher is using an activity that she found on the internet. When she looks at the materials needed for the activity, it says, "caustic" on it. Why can't the teacher use this activty in the classroom

• it causes severe allergic reactions

• it rapidly combusts

• it causes chemical burns on the skin or eyes

• it emits toxic vapors that may be bad if inhaled.

A researcher is trying to determine why hemlock trees in an area are dying but others are unnaffected. What testable hypothesis can help determine the cause of the decline of Hemlock trees?

• a pest that infests the trees but does not attack others has spread into the area.

• the relationship of hemlock trees and other organisms that make up biotic community changed over time.

• Global climate change has caused this.

Hypothesis: Aphids are more likely to attack plants that are experiencing environmental stress than plants that are growing in a less stressful environment.

Which is the most effective way to test this hypothesis?

• place 10 pairs of pots containing plants at random locations in a garden. Water one pot in each pair adequately and the other pot only when it wilts. Count and compare the number of aphids that attack each plant.

• Measure how tall the plants are. Group them into two categories (tall and short). Count and compare which plants aphids are eating.

• Plant 10 plants in a sunny area. Plant another 10 in a dark room. Count and compare how many aphids attack each plant.

A scientist would need both a graduated cylinder partially filled with water and an electronic scale to determine the

• a mass of a rock sample

• surface area of a flight feather

• volume of the oil

• density of a bone

A newspaper headline reads, "Common Garden Herb Fights Cancer". The magazine showed 3,000 people regularly used a common herb and had 30% less stomach cancer. Which explains why the magazine is misleading?

• individuals in the study may have shared other factors which lowered their risk of stomach cancer.

• The sample size was too small to tell if there is correlation between the herb and the cancer

• The herb was only used by magazine subscribers so it is not valid.

Which of the following is the primary environmental problem associated with using nuclear power to generate electictiy?

• production of hazardous waste that requires long-term storage

• release of airborne pollutants causing acid rain

• discharge of heavy metals in the waterway

• emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming

Which terms describes the relationship between the events identified in column 1 and those in column 2?

• system and subsystem

• stimulus and feedback

• order and organization

• constancy and change

When a class is planting seeds in a cup of soil, some students overwatered their seeds. How can the teacher promote scientific analysis and reflection skills?

• Sprout the seeds in wet paper towels rather than soil so they can see the germination process

• ask students to brainstorm ideas as to why the seeds failed to germinate

• explain to the class that some students failed because they over watered their seeds

Which of the following best describes the function of the lamellae of fish gills?

• increasing surface area available for oxygen absorption.

• slow movements underwater as it passes the gills

• provide support for the gills arches