Nature of Science Test Review

Yoko wanted to learn how much a blue buttonwood bush might grow in a month.  Every day, she took notes on three blue buttonwood bushes in a row in her garden.  Which of her notes is a personal opinion?

• The bush in the middle has grown by one inch.

• The bush on the left doesn't seem to have grown as much as the other two.

• The bush on the right has three new shoots today.

• All of the bushes grew two inches in the past week.

A scientist wanted to determine how long it would take to charge a new type of battery.  He placed the battery in a charger and noted his observations.  Which of his notes is a personal opinion?

• After five hours, the battery was no longer charging.

• The charging process took less time compared to charging the old type of battery.

• The charging process took a long time.

• After two hours, the battery was 90% charged.

Libby did an experiment to see what type of food her parrot liked best.  Each day, she fed her parrot the same amount of food at the same time.  She gave her parrot four different brands of seed mixes: one each week, for four weeks.  She measured how much of the seeds were not eaten each day. What procedures in Libby's experiment allowed her to collect accurate data?

 

• She kept the conditions for the experiment constant.

• She didn't stop the experiment once she had started it.

• The mixes all contained the same type of seeds.

• She used her pet parrot instead of a wild parrot as the test subject.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Avi is comparing two brands of batteries.  He uses two identical flashlights to see which battery lasts longer.

Why is it important for this experiment to be repeated?

• To check whether the results are consistent.

• To make sure the flashlights were not broken.

• To check that no one turned off one of the flashlights.

• To make a prediction about a different brand of battery.

Sam and Will are investigating the kinds of flowers that attract butterflies. They identify a common butterfly species that lives in their area and has been identified on their school campus. They visit the school's butterfly garden and count the number of times these butterflies visit three different types of flowers.  What is the best reason they should take careful notes about how they carry out their investigation?

• So they don't leave out any steps.

• So they can take out information they do not like.

• So their conclusions can be checked by another student team.

• So they can decide whether they want to finish their investigation.

Max conducted an investigation to determine whether laurel oak trees would grow in very cold weather.

Which of his observations is scientifically testable?

• The bark of young laurel oak trees feels particularly smooth in very cold weather.

• Young laurel oak trees do not grow to look as nice in cold weather as when the weather is warm.

• Young laurel oak trees do not like frost.

• Young laurel trees produce fewer new leaves in very cold weather, rather than in warm weather.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Jason performed an experiment to find out how well mold grows on different types of food.  He left a piece of bread, a piece of cheese, and an apple cut in half on the lab table in his science classroom.  Every day when he went to science class, he observed the mold growing on the different samples.  Then he wrote down his observations.  His data showed that the cheese and bread were nearly covered in mold after a week.  Jessica decided to repeat Jason's experiment.  Her data showed that after two weeks, there was no mold on any of her samples.  Which of the following should Jessica do first?

• Repeat her experiment until she gets the same results as Jason.

• Research mold on the Internet.

• Review the records of both experiments to see whether they used the same procedures.

• Write a paper on her findings and present it to her science class.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

A scientist conducted an experiment to determine whether dogs that eat sugary foods will develop more health related illnesses.  Which of his observations is scientifically testable?

• Dogs that eat sugary food become less friendly.

• Dogs that eat sugary food get sick more often.

• Dogs that eat sugary food do not grow beautiful hair.

• Dogs that eat sugary food get smarter.

Shelly is doing an experiment to determine the effect of fertilizer on bean plants.  She is going to test four plants as shown in the table.

Which variable is Beth testing?

• Brand of fertilizer used.

• How often the plant is fertilized.

• Amount of fertilizer used.

• Time of day the plants are fertilized.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Elijah wanted to record how two mockingbirds in his backyard were competing with one another for food and space.  He observed and recorded data on the interactions between the two mockingbirds every week for a month.  Which of his notes provides evidence to support his question?

• The mockingbird with the bigger beak chased off the other mockingbird more often.

• The mockingbird with the bigger beak doesn't like me watching them.

• The mockingbird with the smaller beak seemed less hungry.

• The mockingbird with the smaller beak never sings.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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