Life Science STAAR Review

Nora and Sophia are observing bumblebees in their garden. Which pair of activities are examples of bumblebees interacting with living parts in their environment?

• Collecting pollen from flowers; Building a nest on the side of a shed

• Drinking water from a water trough; Staying underground during cold months

• Passing stored nectar from one worker to another worker; Forming a nest in a hole in a tree

• Queen bee laying eggs; Worker bees using wax to make a hive

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights bumblebees interacting with living parts: passing nectar involves communication among bees, and forming a nest in a tree utilizes a natural habitat, both essential for their survival.

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NGSS.3-LS2-1

Which sentence describes the interaction of a white-tailed deer with both living and nonliving parts of its ecosystem?

• The white-tailed deer hides behind a rock and uses the heat from the sun to stay warm.

• The white-tailed deer protects its fawn from predators and shows the fawn how to find food.

• The white-tailed deer rubs its antlers on a tree and eats leaves from the tree.

• The white-tailed deer eats grass in a field and drinks water from a pond.

Answer explanation

The correct choice describes the white-tailed deer interacting with both living (grass) and nonliving (pond water) parts of its ecosystem, showcasing its role in the food web and dependence on water.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Grace and David are observing a frog in its natural habitat. Which of their observations show the frog interacting with nonliving elements in its environment?

• 1 and 4

• 2 and 5

• 3 and 6

• 6 and 1

Answer explanation

Observations 3 and 6 show the frog interacting with nonliving elements, such as water and rocks, while the other options do not clearly indicate such interactions. Therefore, 3 and 6 are the correct choices.

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NGSS.4-ESS2-1

NGSS.4-LS1-1

Zoe and Avery found a rock with fossils in a dry streambed. Which question can MOST LIKELY be answered by identifying the fossils in the rock?

• How deep was the water millions of years ago where the fossils are located?

• What types of organisms now live in the stream when it rains hard and fills with water?

• What was the environment like millions of years ago in the area of the dry streambed?

• How many different organisms are now living in the area of the dry streambed?

Answer explanation

Identifying the fossils helps determine the ancient organisms and their habitats, revealing what the environment was like millions of years ago, making this the most relevant question.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

During a hiking trip, Grace and Ethan found seashell fossils on a mountain. Which statement BEST explains why these fossils can be found there?

• The rocks formed under water.

• Rivers carried the rocks up the mountains.

• The area was a sand dune that hardened as it was covered by water.

• The mountains split to form canyons that contained organisms with shells.

Answer explanation

Seashell fossils are found on mountains because the rocks containing them formed under water, indicating that these areas were once submerged, allowing marine organisms to leave their shells behind.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

William, Kai, and Lily found a rock with fossils in a dry streambed. Which question can MOST LIKELY be answered by identifying the fossils in the rock?

• How deep was the water millions of years ago where the fossils are located?

• What types of organisms now live in the stream when it rains hard and fills with water?

• What was the environment like millions of years ago in the area of the dry streambed?

• How many different organisms are now living in the area of the dry streambed?

Answer explanation

Identifying the fossils helps determine the ancient organisms that lived in the area, providing insights into the environment millions of years ago, making this the most relevant question.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

During a hiking trip, Oliver found seashell fossils on a mountain. Which statement BEST explains why these fossils can be found there?

• The rocks formed under water.

• Rivers carried the rocks up the mountains.

• The area was a sand dune that hardened as it was covered by water.

• The mountains split to form canyons that contained organisms with shells.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'The rocks formed under water,' explains that seashell fossils are found in mountains because these rocks were originally deposited in marine environments, later uplifted to form mountains.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Anika and Henry are studying different plants in their biology class. They notice that apple trees and mosses have different ways of surviving in their environments. Which statement BEST describes a survival advantage apple trees could have compared to mosses in certain environments?

• Apple trees have easier access to surface water.

• Apples can be transported more easily by wind.

• Apple trees have shorter life spans.

• Apple seeds are eaten and moved to faraway locations by animals.

Answer explanation

Apple seeds being eaten and moved by animals allows for greater dispersal, giving apple trees a survival advantage in various environments compared to mosses, which rely on more limited reproduction methods.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Maya is studying how apple trees grow in an orchard. Which statement BEST supports the answer to Part A?

• Wind easily moves apples to multiple locations away from the parent trees.

• Shorter life spans lead to increased growth and development of the apples.

• Apple seedlings will be less likely to compete with the parent tree for resources.

• Competition for water is not likely to occur, since the tree uses the surface water before the moss does.

Answer explanation

The statement "Apple seedlings will be less likely to compete with the parent tree for resources" best supports the answer as it highlights the advantage of seedling growth away from the parent, reducing resource competition.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

During a class discussion, Abigail asked, "Which statement explains an advantage of a bone in the macaw’s tongue that the hornbill does NOT need?"

• It helps macaws catch and chew small mammals and crustaceans.

• It helps macaws break open and eat tropical fruits and nuts.

• It helps macaws make large holes in trees to reach insects to eat.

• It helps macaws swallow whole prey.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that macaws have a specialized bone in their tongue to help them break open and eat tropical fruits and nuts, which is an advantage not needed by hornbills, as they have different feeding habits.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2