4th Grade: Nature of Science Review

Students are choosing a tree to use for a wildlife project to attract insects. The students use observations to help them decide which tree to choose for the project.  Which of these questions can be answered through scientific investigation?

• Which tree has the prettiest leaves?

• Which tree has the biggest flowers?

• Which tree has flowers that smell the best?

• Which tree has leaves with the best shape?

Four students are conducting an experiment about how the temperature of water affects the rate at which a sugar cube will dissolve.

• Julia sets up four beakers with water of different temperatures.

• Whitney measures the temperature of each beaker.

• Phil places the cubes in the beakers and records the time they take to dissolve.

• Sarah records the data and writes a conclusion.

Which student is analyzing the results of the experiment?

• Julia

• Whitney

• Phil

• Sarah

After completing the investigation to determine how many drops of water a penny can hold in her classroom Arsha put her data into a table and then graphed it.  When she shared her results with the classroom her data set was very different from her fellow classmates.  Which reason best explains why her results are different from her classmates?

• Arsha did not make her observations correctly.

• Arsha was not paying enough attention when collecting the water.

• Arsha did not follow the steps of the procedures in the correct order.

• Arsha is bad at science.

Jay conducts an experiment that tests the effects of different types of soil on the growth of cactus plants. His results do not match his prediction. What should Jay do?

• Change his prediction

• Change the steps in his experiment

• Repeat the experiment to see whether it is valid

• Change the data to match his prediction

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

In the Scientific Process, what is the next step after "Ask a Question"

(a)  

Which is NOT one way that scientists investigate scientific questions?

• Make a prediction

• Plan and conduct an experiment

• Gather and analyze data

• Change results to match a prediction

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Some students want to test how light affects the growth of seedlings. They must decide which method they will use to conduct this investigation. Which of the following should they perform?

• get books from the library about how to grow plants

• observe the seedlings and plants in the school yard

• set up a controlled experiment using a lamp and a dark place

• set up a number of plants in different windows in the classroom

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

Amy is doing research on the growth of plants in order to help her grow better vegetables in her garden.  Which of the following resources would be the most reliable in helping her find information on growing plants the best way possible?

• A book written by a famous gardener.

• A website hosted by a gardening club.

• A website run the US Agricultural Department.

• A survey of the best plant fertilizers from a gardening magazine.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Four students are each conducting an experiment in science class. Three of the students all get similar results. Dev, the fourth student, has results that are very different from the others. 

 Which of the following best describes why Dev had such different results?

• Dev did not follow proper safety procedures.

• Dev followed a different procedure than instructed.

• Dev did his experiment in a different part of the lab.

• Dev did the experiment correctly, and the other students did not.

Ms. Radulski’s science class uses both observation and controlled experiments to investigate science. Which of the following statements BEST describes how the two methods are alike?

• They both use controls and variables

• They both involve making a hypothesis

• They both are ways of gathering evidence

• They both involve the display of data in graphs or charts