Countdown to Science STAAR, Series 7, pg . 1-3

A science teacher mixes clay, wood, and iron beads all together in a beaker at the front of the classroom. Which two physical properties of beads can be used to separate the mixture?

• A) Solubility and mass

• B) Density and solubility

• C) Magnetism and density

• D) Solubility and magnetism

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

A class of fifth-grade students are planting a school garden filled with flowers. They want some shade in the afternoon sun. On which side of the school should the students plant the garden to get the afternoon sun?

• The garden should be on the south side of the school building.

• The garden should be on the east side of the school building.

• The garden should be on the north side of the school building.

• The garden should be on the west side of the school building.

The African desert ecosystem is very hot and dry environment covered in sand. Much of the desert regions receives less than one inch of rain per year and there is very little vegetation. Despite the harsh weather, there are many animals that call the African desert ecosystem their home.

Which animal below most likely inhabits the African desert ecosystem?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of the following materials, found in a science classroom, conduct electricity?

• Piece of paper

• Scissors

• Plastic chair

• Dry erase marker

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-3

The region where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico is considered a dead zone, which is an area of low oxygen levels. The size of the dead zone varies from year to year, but the dead zone in August 2017 was roughly the size of New Jersey. The dead zone is caused by fertilizer and other farm waste runoff into the Mississippi River. As a result, there are decreased populations of fish and shellfish in the Gulf of Mexico.

Why do you think the populations of living things will decrease because of the dead zone?

• A. Animals that eat fish and shellfish

• B. Plants that live on the Mississippi River

• C. Animals that live on the farms near the Mississippi River

• D. All these populations will decrease

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Students were asked to weight out different masses of a red powdered sports drink and dissolve it in 500 mL of water.

Which of the masses listed below would produce the lightest color red solution?

• 200 g

• 100 g

• 250 g

• 150 g

Below are illustrations of two different types of elephants. One lives in Africa and one lives in Asia. As elephants cannot sweat, they use other means of keeping cool when it is hot outside. They can also flap their ears to help cool themselves off.

Based on the information above and the pictures of the elephants, which elephant lives in Asia and why?

• Elephant A because its ears are larger, and Asia is hotter than Africa.

• Elephant B because its ears are smaller, and Asia is cooler than Africa.

• Elephant A because its ears are smaller, and Asia is cooler than Africa.

• Elephant B because its ears are larger, and Asia is hotter than Africa.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

The balances below show equal size cylinders, all made from different materials. Using the information in the picture, which lists the order of the cylinders from highest mass to lowest mass?

• 3, 2, 1, 4

• 2, 3, 4, 1

• 4, 1, 2, 3

• 4, 1, 3, 2

The diagram below is a cross section of five different sedimentary rock layers containing fossils.

Which type of fossil is found in the newest sedimentary rock layer?

• Mammals

• Dinosaurs

• Fishes

• Trilobites

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

During which stage in the life cycle of the apple tree are seeds spread into the environment?

• Germination of the seed into a sprout

• Growth of a young plant into a mature plant

• Pollination of the apple blossom

• Ripe apples fall to the ground

Tags

NGSS.3-LS1-1