Science STAAR

A student places 250 g samples of clay, sand, gravel, and silt in separate flower pots. The pots are set on a wire rack, and dishes are placed beneath the pots so that water can drip through holes and collect. The student then pours 100 mL of water over the sample in each pot. The student measures the time it takes for water to begin dripping from the bottom of each pot.What property of soils is the student most likely examining with this procedure?

• The amount of time it takes different soils to dry

• How well different soils retain water

• How much water is needed to dissolve different soils

• The differences in texture between wet and dry soils

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

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

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

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

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Some students are feeding a crab in an aquarium. They use tongs to place the food directly in front of the crab. The students look through the side of the aquarium. They notice that the image of the tongs appears to break as the tongs enter the water. Which property of light are the students observing in this situation?

• Light can be refracted and separated into different colors as it moves from air to a different medium.

• Light is refracted as it moves from one medium to another medium.

• Light travels in a straight line and can be reflected off the surface of water

• Light is absorbed by water and reflected off glass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

The abalone is a type of sea snail. Adult abalones slowly crawl over rocks near the shore, while larvae float in the water. Which organisms have a life cycle that is most like that of abalones?

• Frogs

• Humans

• Snakes

• Birds

The leaves of two types of plants that live in different environments are shown in the pictures. The leaves of both plants have different structures. What differences in the structure of the leaves of these plants likely help them survive in their environments?

• The pan-like shape of the giant water lily leaves helps them catch rainwater. The slim shape of the mesquite leaves helps them avoid sunlight

• The broad shape of the giant water lily leaves helps them stay on the water surface. The slim shape of the mesquite leaves helps them prevent water loss.

• The pan-like shape of the giant water lily leaves helps them attract small fish. The slim shape of the mesquite leaves helps them avoid herbivores

• The broad shape of the giant water lily leaves helps them attract aquatic birds. The slim shape of the mesquite leaves helps them attract pollinators.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

• travels in straight lines and reflects from the surface of the mirror

• enters the mirror and changes direction when it is refracted by the back of the mirror

• refracts in the glass of the mirror and is spread out all over the room

• travels through air and does not change its direction in air

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

The picture below shows a cumulonimbus cloud forming over an ocean. Which statement best explains how the sun and the ocean interact to form a cumulonimbus cloud?

• Heat from the sun causes clouds in the area to gather over the ocean and form one large cumulonimbus cloud.

• Heat from the sun warms the ocean, causing water to evaporate. The water vapor then condenses to form a cumulonimbus cloud.

• Light from the sun shines on the ocean, causing water vapor to condense. The water then evaporates to form a cumulonimbus cloud.

• Light from the sun causes ocean water to reflect water vapor into the air and gather over the ocean into a cumulonimbus cloud.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which statement best describes the processes of weathering and erosion?

• Weathering and erosion are directly responsible for depositing loose sediments on the bottom of the ocean, forming layers of sediment.

• Weathering and erosion are directly responsible for the breakdown of any type of rock into smaller particles and the carrying away of the loose sediments.

• Weathering and erosion are directly responsible for the amount of water in a river that transports sediments to the sea.

• Weathering and erosion are directly responsible for the transportation, deposition, and compaction of loose sediments on the seafloor.

Which of these describes one or more living organisms that depend on another living organism to survive?

• Bacteria living in the mouth of a horse

• Ivy plants growing up a fence to obtain more sunlight

• Mold living on a hard, rocky surface

• An angelfish releasing carbon dioxide into pond water