STAAR Everything

Imagine James, Mason, and Abigail are experimenting with water in their science lab. They're super curious about what happens when water changes from one state to another. Can you help them figure it out?

• As water is cooled, it freezes and changes from a solid to a liquid.

• As water is cooled, it condenses and changes from a gas to a liquid.

• As water is heated, it evaporates and changes from a liquid to a solid.

• As water is heated, it melts and changes from a gas to a solid.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

David, Priya, and Avery are super detectives observing a mysterious case of a glass filled with ice and water. The glass was completely dry on the outside. But, as if by magic, after ten minutes, they spotted drops of water forming on the outside of the glass.

Which statement best solves this chilly mystery?

• The water vapor in the air turns into a liquid when it makes contact with the cold glass, like a mini weather system!

• The cold water inside the glass gets adventurous, climbs up, and then slides down the outside of the glass.

• The ice inside the glass decided to go on a melting spree, causing the water to overflow the glass.

• The water sneaks to the outside surface through tiny, invisible holes in the glass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Maya, Aria, and Benjamin are on a science adventure! They're curious about the world around them and have a challenge for you. Can you help them rank these items from most dense to least dense?

• Cork, oil, plastic paper clip, water, penny

• Water, penny, oil, plastic paper clip, cork

• Penny, water, plastic paper clip, oil, cork

• Oil, penny, cork, plastic paper clip, water

Students use a circuit to investigate the properties of six objects. The buzzer makes a sound if an object completes the circuit. The circuit and observations are shown.

• Eraser, toothpick, cotton ball

• Toothpick, paper clip, safety pin

• Eraser, paper clip, safety pin

• Paper clip, safety pin, aluminum foil

Evelyn is on a fun science adventure, classifying various objects. Which question should she ask to discover if an object is a shiny, cool metal?

• What is its mass?

• What is its physical state?

• Does it conduct thermal energy?

• How quickly does it dissolve in water?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-3

Which conclusion can be made about the samples based on the table?

• Sample 1 is made of plastic.

• Sample 2 is made of metal.

• Sample 3 is attracted to magnets.

• Sample 4 is less dense than water.

A group of students is given four small cubes of the same size and instructed to place them in a beaker of water. One cube floats to the surface of the water. Two of the cubes float in the middle of the beaker under the surface of the water. The last cube sinks to the bottom of the beaker. Which conclusion is best supported by what the students observed?

• Two of the four cubes are soluble in water.

• All four cubes have different masses.

• Each cube is made of a different type of solid material.

• One of the cubes is more dense than the other three.

The pictures show tools that can be used for separating mixtures. Which mixture is paired with the best tool for separating the materials?

• Salt and pepper | Tweezers

• Pieces of cork and pebbles | Beaker of water

• Safety pins and iron nails | Magnet

• Sand and iron filings | Colander

Imagine Arjun, Samuel, and Anika are conducting an experiment in their school's science lab. They follow a four-step procedure:

1. They grind 50 grams of breakfast cereal into a fine powder. 2. They dissolve the powdered cereal in 500 milliliters of warm water, forming a solution. 3. Using a strong magnet, they explore the solution at the 250-milliliter mark of the beaker. 4. They stir the mixture for three minutes, observing the changes.

What are these curious students attempting to extract from the cereal?

• Sugar

• Iron

• Salt

• Wheat

Imagine Nora and Emma are on a fun science adventure! Nora decides to experiment by pouring 14 grams of sugar into a jar filled with 500 milliliters of water. With a big smile, Emma helps Nora stir the sugar and water thoroughly to make a magical solution. What enchanting change most likely happens to the sugar when it joins the water party?

• The sugar breaks down to form a new, mysterious substance in the solution.

• The sugar casts a spell, changing water into a new, wondrous substance in the solution.

• The sugar decides to float on the surface of the water, like a boat on a magical lake.

• The sugar completely dissolves, disappearing into the solution like a vanished ghost.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2