Unit 11 and 12 Scientific Knowledge and Evolution

The pictures below show the continents moving on Earth's surface over time. Use the picture to answer any questions that follow. Which theory does this picture depict?

• the theory of evolution

• the theory of superposition

• the theory of buoyancy

• the theory of plate tectonics

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

About 1.5 million Americans are afflicted with a disorder called Alzheimer's disease. The disease is associated with memory loss and dementia. When scientists began studying the disease, they found that Alzheimer's patients had elevated levels of aluminum in their brains. This caused some people to believe that ingesting aluminum leads to Alzheimer's. Some people quit drinking out of aluminum cans; others threw away their aluminum cookware. Later research found that certain proteins are more closely associated with Alzheimer's than the concentration of aluminum in the brain. Which of the following does this example best illustrate?

• Science is a static field that does not accept new theories.

• Science is an ever-changing field in which new evidence can invalidate existing theories.

• Science is a static field in which data are collected to fit existing theories.

• Science is an ever-changing field in which new theories are always more valid than old theories.

Many early medical practitioners believed that illness and disease were caused by evil spirits. Many patients suffered from treatments that were more deadly than their original illnesses. Researchers who supported the germ theory of disease were often ridiculed during these early times. Many scientists had to be convinced that germ theory was correct before the crude medical practices were stopped. Which of the following best describes what this story illustrates?

• Evil spirits correctly explained the pathology of most diseases until germs were discovered.

• Early medical practitioners did not care about the health and well-being of their patients.

• Society is to blame for most medical errors.

• Changes in accepted scientific theories occur slowly and require consensus in the scientific community.

Which statement correctly compares a scientific theory with a scientific law?

• A scientific theory is an observation of specific natural events under given circumstances, while a scientific law is a broad explanation of how all objects behave.

• A scientific theory is a broad explanation of phenomena, while a scientific law is an observation of specific natural events under given circumstances.

• A scientific theory is a vague idea about the natural world, while scientific law is based on rigorous testing involving multiple experiments.

• A scientific theory is a specific explanation of a single event, while scientific law is a broad description of many events happening in a row.

The picture below shows a mole rat, a mammal that lives underground, that still has eyes but is blind. The presence of useless eyes on a mole rat is evidence of which scientific theory?

• the theory of cells

• the theory of relativity

• the theory of evolution

• the theory of superposition

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

The table below shows four opinions about the discovery of a fossil with air sacs. Use the table to answer any questions that follow.

AIR SACS IN A FOSSIL

Name of Scientist Opinion

Marley-"The bone is from a dinosaur that flew because of the air sacs."

Evelyn- "The bone has air sacs in it due to the bone decomposing."

Manson- "The bone is from an ancient bird because it has air sacs."

Sheldon- "The bone has air sacs in it from organisms eating it."

What is the best way for the scientists to gain confirmed scientific knowledge about the fossil?

• by comparing the dinosaur fossil to any other bone in a collection of dinosaur bones at a museum

• by reading a paper published by a professor at a university and basing all further decisions about the fossils on only that one paper

• by picking one expert on fossils to decide which scientist came up with the best idea about the fossil

• by including additional scientists from around the world into an open discussions to contribute and add knowledge about the fossil until a universal decision is made

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which statement is correct about the theory of evolution, which is a piece of scientific knowledge that explains that all organisms have one common ancestor?

• All scientists agree on the theory of evolution.

• It was and still is a highly debated topic among scientists.

• It was one of the fastest theories to form as evidence for it plentiful.

• All scientists choose to disprove the theory of evolution because most evidence does not support it.

Read the passage " Heliobacter pylori". Use the passage to answer any questions that follow.

HELIOBACTER PYLORI

It was previously believed that gastritis leading to painful stomach ulcers was the result of anxiety, lifestyle, and diet. In 1989, Dr. Barry Marshal and Dr. Robin Warren discovered a bacterium in the stomach of affected people called Heliobacter pylori. Many trials were done on laboratory mice proved the bacterium was responsible for the illnesses, but ethical reasons did not allow for experiments on humans. Dr. Marshal did something unusual when he created a broth that contained the bacterium, drank it himself and became sick with gastritis within days. Dr. Marshall and Dr. Warren's findings are now widely accepted, and they received the Nobel prize in 2005.

How were Dr. Marshal and Dr. Warren's results confirmed?

• by the experiment being replicated by other scientists who experienced the same results

• by Dr. Warren repeating his experiment to show that his results were accurate

• by the experiment on the mice being repeated again multiple times by the original team

• by Dr. Warren convincing other scientists to share his opinion about the results

How is universal confirmation achieved about a scientific topic?

• through many replications of an experiment and debate by other scientists who observe the results of the original experiment

• through many repetitions of an experiment by the original scientist observing the same results

• through five scientists observing a result that was predicted and repeating an experiment to confirm that result, which they then debate

• through the decisions made by only the top experts in the fields of specific scientific topics

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

One day while hiking, Maria found a rock in the wall of a canyon. In the rock, she noticed an impression of a leaf. Which answer best describes what Maria has found?

• DNA

• fossil

• genetic evidence

• developmental pattern

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1