7th Grade NOS Practice of science Formative Assessment

1. NOS-A large field at the base of a mountain becomes flooded when heavy rains in the mountains cause a stream to overflow. Each time the flooding occurs, more soil washes away. The owners of the land want to perform an experiment to see if different types of plants could help reduce the soil erosion. They choose five areas of ground that are the same size, the same distance from the stream, have the same slope and the same kind of soil, and receive the same amount of sunlight. The type of plant planted in each area is different for each of the five areas. Measurements of soil erosion will be made each time flooding occurs. The results will be compared after six months. SC.7.N.1.1

   
   

Which hypothesis is being tested in this experiment? 

• Soil erosion is affected by the strength of the wind. 

• Flooded areas have greater soil erosion than areas that are not flooded. 

• Some types of plants reduce soil erosion more than others. 

• Some types of soil are more easily eroded. 

1. NOS-Camilla wonders if walking for 30 minutes each day will lower her overall resting heart rate. 

Which experiment would be best to test this hypothesis? SC.7.N.1.1

• Walk for 30 minutes each day for a month. Check heart rate at the end of the month. 

  . 

• Check heart rate. Walk for 30 minutes. Check heart rate again. 

• Check heart rate and then walk for 30 minutes. Recheck heart rate. Repeat each day for a month. 

• Check heart rate while walking, running, resting, and standing; then compare

1. NOS-Leslie had five beakers. She filled one with a weak base, one with a strong base, one with a weak acid, one with a strong acid, and one with water. She placed a 15-gram piece of iron in each beaker, and left the beakers uncovered on her desk. Three days later, she observed the size of the piece of iron that remained. 

What question was Leslie most likely trying to test? 

• Does iron react most with acids, bases, or water? 

• How quickly does iron react with acids, bases, and water? 

• Does the strength of an acid affect its reaction rate? 

• How does iron combine with the molecules in acids and bases? 

1. NOS-Leslie had five beakers. She filled one with a weak base, one with a strong base, one with a weak acid, one with a strong acid, and one with water. She placed a 15-gram piece of iron in each beaker, and left the beakers uncovered on her desk. Three days later, she observed the size of the piece of iron that remained.  

          What is the independent (test) variable in the experiment? 

•         The amount of time the iron is in each liquid

            

• The type of liquid (acid, base, water) 

    

•       The amount of liquid in the beakers 

           

• The mass of the iron pieces 

NOS-Nathan wants to determine how the amount of fertilizer given to tomato plants influences their 

          growth. He plants nine small tomato plants of the same type and the same size in equal size 

          containers using the same type and amount of soil. He puts half a cup of fertilizer in three of the 

          plants, one cup of fertilizer in three of the plants, and no fertilizer in the other three plants. He 

          places all of the plants in the same place and waters them equally for a month, recording his 

          observations and measuring the growth of each plant. 

          

What is Nathan’s control? 

        

• The plants with half a cup of fertilizer 

          

• The plants with no fertilizer 

          

• The plants with one cup of fertilizer 

         

•  He did not use a control

NOS-Some scientists are concerned that television, radio, and newspapers report the outcome of   

          experiments too quickly. 

          What would be the major scientific concern? 

•        People may copy the ideas and sell them for profit.

         

• Conclusions may be drawn by the public before the results are replicated by other scientists. 

            

• Other agencies may hear of the results and claim credit for them. 

           

• The level of scientific research is turned into a media event. 

NOS- A physicist at a respected research laboratory reports a startling new discovery. Her 

          conclusions are based on data from many repeated trials, however, other scientists are unable

          to reproduce the results of the experiment. 

          Which statement leads to the conclusion that the original experiment might not be valid? 

        

• The results were announced to the public. 

            

• The conclusions were based on multiple repeated trials. 

            

• The experiment did not include sophisticated equipment. 

           

• The experiment’s results cannot be replicated.

NOS- Emily performed a test to see which brand of paper towel can hold the greatest number of 

         pennies when wet. She used one sheet of brand A, brand B, and brand C paper towels. She 

         soaked each brand in water before wringing the water out. Then, she secured all four corners of 

         the paper towel over a sink before placing one penny at a time in the center of the paper towel 

         until it tore. 

         Which of the following represents an example of replication? 

•          Emily performs the same experiment again using 3 other brands of paper towels. 

          

• Scott performs the same experiment as Emily using the same 3 brands of paper towel. 

           

• Emily performs the same experiment again using the same 3 brands of paper towels. 

       

• Scott performs the same experiment as Emily using 3 other brands of paper towels.

NOS-Emily performed a test to see which brand of paper towel can hold the greatest number of 

        pennies when wet. She used one sheet of brand A, brand B, and brand C paper towels. She

        soaked each brand in water before wringing the water out. Then, she secured all four corners of 

        the paper towel over a sink before placing one penny at a time in the center of the paper towel 

        until it tore. 

       Which of the following represents an example of repetition? 

•    Emily performs the same experiment again using 3 other brands of paper towels. 

        

• Scott performs the same experiment as Emily using the same 3 brands of paper towel. 

        

• Emily performs the same experiment again using the same 3 brands of paper towels. 

      

• Scott performs the same experiment as Emily using 3 other brands of paper towels.

NOS-The data table below shows the yield of vegetables in a school’s garden for three years. The 

          yield is the number of pounds of vegetables harvested. The same number of each type of 

          vegetables were planted every year.

          Which statement below represents an inference based on the data in the table? 

•         The onion yield was greater than the beet yield in 2013. 

          

• The butternut squash yield increased from 2011 to 2012. 

           

• The spinach yield was 102 pounds in 2011 and 137 pounds in 2012. 

      

•     The acorn squash yield decreased from 2012 to 2013 due to lower temperatures.