Science STAAR Released Test

What most likely happened to the dead plants and animals?

• They were eaten by scavengers.

• G They became fossil fuels.

• H They were washed away by water

• J They became an underground aquifer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Based on this information, what is most likely an advantage of the bony fish tail fin over the shark tail fin?

• It is easier for a bony fish to change direction quickly since muscles control the movement of the tail fin.

• The bones in the tail fin help a bony fish sink to lower depths in the water when searching for food.

• The flexible tail fin is fanned by the water, so a bony fish uses less energy to swim.

• The thin spines of the tail fin prevent a bony fish from being seen by larger predator fish.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

What property of soils is the student most likely examining with this procedure?

• F The differences in texture between wet and dry soils

• G How well different soils retain water

• H How much water is needed to dissolve different soils

• J The amount of time it takes different soils to dry

Which statement correctly describes the transfer of energy in a food chain in this wetland?

• F Energy is transferred from hawks to shrews to grasshoppers to marsh grasses.

• G Energy is transferred from marsh grasses to crickets to hawks to frogs.

• H Energy is transferred from grasshoppers to crickets to frogs to hawks.

• J Energy is transferred from cattails to crickets to shrews to hawks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the primary function of the chloroplasts in plant cells?

• To break down sugar molecules to release energy

• To store water and nutrients

• To capture light energy and convert it into chemical energy

• To control the entry and exit of substances in and out of the cell

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS1-2

Which of the following best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• They produce their own food through photosynthesis.

• They consume other organisms for energy.

• They break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil.

• They are the primary consumers of plants.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the process by which plants release water vapor into the air through their leaves?

• Condensation

• Transpiration

• Evaporation

• Precipitation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

In the water cycle, which process involves water vapor cooling and changing into liquid water?

• Evaporation

• Condensation

• Precipitation

• Transpiration

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which of the following is NOT a renewable resource?

• Solar energy

• Wind energy

• Coal

• Hydroelectric power

Which of the following is a chemical change?

• Dissolving salt in water

• Boiling water

• Burning wood

• Melting ice

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS1-5