Amplify Science

Gravity Keith’s class has been learning about the effects of Earth’s gravity. His teacher challenges his class to imagine that tunnels are dug into the earth. The teacher draws the diagram below and asks the students to think about what would happen if a red ball were released at the entrance of a tunnel. If a small ball, represented by the red dot in the image to the left, is held just above the tunnels, which path (path A, path B, path C, or path D) would it follow when released? Select the best claim Keith could make about the path the ball would take.

• The ball would follow path A because gravity would pull it to the center of the earth.

• The ball would follow path B because gravity would pull the ball down the tunnel at a slant.

• The ball would follow path C because it would be trapped in the earth’s orbit.

• The ball would follow path D because gravity is a force that pull objects down.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Pond The Great Blue Heron is a carnivorous bird that can be found in Louisiana’s wetlands. They are expert fishers. Herons trap their prey by walking slowly or standing still for long periods of time. They wait for fish to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. Their diets also consist of mice, insects, and other small creatures. The Great Blue Heron depends on the living components of its ecosystem and nonliving components like sunlight and air for growth and survival. Part B: Which statement best explains the model in Part A?

• All food can eventually be traced back to plants. Plants in the pond ecosystem captured energy from the sun.

• All food can eventually be traced back to soil. The soil provides plants the energy for the pond ecosystem.

• All food can eventually be traced back to dead organisms. Dead organisms in the pond ecosystem provide plants and animals with energy.

• All food can eventually be traced back to the sun. Energy from the sun shines on the earth and is captured by plants and animals.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Question 1: Soccer Ball

Coach Vance coaches the 5th grade soccer team at Caddo Lake Elementary. He asks two students to help him prepare for practice and inflate the soccer ball to at least 420 grams but no more than 450 grams. The two students measure the mass of the ball when it was deflated and when it was inflated.

Part A: Which model best demonstrates the particles of matter in the inflated soccer ball?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Coach Vance coaches the 5th grade soccer team at Caddo Lake Elementary. He asks two students to help him prepare for practice and inflate the soccer ball to at least 420 grams but no more than 450 grams. The two students measure the mass of the ball when it was deflated and when it was inflated. Part B: Which of the following best describes the particles of matter in the inflated soccer ball?

• The soccer ball changes shape and the different shape causes the ball to have more mass.

• The outside of the soccer ball is thicker, has more mass, and is made of solid particles.

• The air that is added to the soccer ball is made of unseen particles that move and fill the space inside of the soccer ball. This causes the soccer ball to have more mass.

• The air that is added to the soccer ball is made of unseen particles that become very large and remain in a fixed position. This causes the soccer ball to have more mass.

Tags

NGSS.5-PS1-1

NGSS.5-PS1-2

Gas Particles Angela studies three different types of matter in her science class. She claims that air is a gas made of particles too small to be seen. Which two examples provide evidence to support Angela’s claim that gases are made of particles too small to be seen? Select the two correct answers.

• Bubbles in boiling water

• Ice cream melting in a bowl

• Snow forming in clouds

• Melted lava hardening into rock

• A kite floating in the sky

Question 4: Burning Wood

A chemistry class burned wood in a fume hood in their science laboratory to better understand how the materials would change when burned. Before conducting the experiment, the students measured the mass of the wood in the fume hood. After the experiment, the students measured the mass of the burned wood, the ashes, and the gases in the fume hood.

Which graph best represents the mass of all of the materials before and after burning?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS1-5

Lamar is studying water quality in his science class. He learns that salt water is seeping into his neighboring town’s water supply and makes the water dangerous to drink. Lamar’s teacher challenges his class to investigate ways to identify salt water without tasting it. Part B: What measurements can Lamar take before he conducts his investigation in Part A to provide evidence of which cup contained the salt water?

• Find the volume of both liquids to see which one took up the most space.

• Measure the temperature of each liquid to provide evidence that a chemical change had taken place.

• Measure the mass of each cup to see which one had the most matter.

• Use a photometer to observe which cup had the most salt conductivity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Question 9: Pond

The Great Blue Heron is a carnivorous bird that can be found in Louisiana’s wetlands. They are expert fishers. Herons trap their prey by walking slowly or standing still for long periods of time. They wait for fish to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. Their diets also consist of mice, insects, and other small creatures. The Great Blue Heron depends on the living components of its ecosystem and nonliving components like sunlight and air for growth and survival.

Part A: Each organism in the pond ecosystem needs food. Choose the model that best represents how energy flows through the pond ecosystem.

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth. Food also provides animals with the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. Arctic ground squirrels in Alaska are the largest of the North American ground squirrels. They are omnivores. They eat plants, mushrooms, eggs, insects, small animals, and even their own young! To deal with the harsh winters, they will hibernate. When animals hibernate they become inactive or “sleep” for an extended period of time. The Arctic ground squirrel hibernates for 7 to 8 months. When they hibernate, they lose a large amount of their body weight. Arctic ground squirrels will not hibernate until they have enough body fat. Why would this be an important behavior for the animal?

• This behavior will allow the Arctic ground squirrel the ability to fight for the best shelter.

• This behavior will help the Arctic ground squirrel find a mate.

• This behavior will give the Arctic ground squirrel more energy to find food and store it for emergencies during the winter.

• This behavior will help the Arctic ground squirrel maintain its body temperature during hibernation and move after hibernation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth. Food also provides animals with the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. Arctic ground squirrels in Alaska are the largest of the North American ground squirrels. They are omnivores. They eat plants, mushrooms, eggs, insects, small animals, and even their own young! To deal with the harsh winters, they will hibernate. When animals hibernate they become inactive or “sleep” for an extended period of time. The Arctic ground squirrel hibernates for 7 to 8 months. When they hibernate, they lose a large amount of their body weight. Part B: Which model best represents how the Arctic ground squirrel will get the food it needs to store body fat?

• grass -> caterpillar -> arctic ground squirrel -> sun

• sun -> grass -> caterpillars -> arctic ground squirrel

• arctic ground squirrel -> grass -> caterpillars

• caterpillars -> grass -> arctic ground squirrel -> sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3