Practice Test MTTC Subarea 4

Which of the following demonstrations of phenomena is appropriate for anchoring a series of sixth-grade lessons about the relationships among particle motion, thermal energy, and phases of matter?

• a snowbank in the school's parking lot that has shrunk over several weeks

• creating and tracking observations of an interactive container of non-Newtonian fluid

• a graduated cylinder filled with different liquids that were stirred but separated over time

• filling different balloons with various materials and recording observations of the balloons' inflation and deflation

A fourth-grade teacher plans a unit of study on erosion and brings the students on a walk around the school to look for science in their everyday lives. Which of the following observations would make an anchoring phenomenon for this unit of study?

• an animal den found under a tree

• new pavement on the basketball court

• holes formed in the dirt under the swings

• a dandelion growing in the crack of the sidewalk

A fifth-grade teacher considers various local phenomena for a unit of study that will be real and relevant to students, making it compelling to figure out. Which of the following phenomena should the teacher choose as an anchoring phenomenon?

• a ball rolling down a track

• a beehive outside the classroom

• collected garbage produced at lunchtime

• plants of various heights growing in the classroom

A fourth-grade class is in the middle of a unit about different forms of energy, such as motion, sound, light, and heat. As part of this unit, students investigate changes in energy that occur when objects collide. Which of the following questions is most appropriate to guide an investigation on the topic of collisions and changes in energy?

• Does energy change when two toy cars collide?

• How is energy transferred when toy cars collide?

• What kinds of changes in energy take place when toy cars collide?

• What changes can we make to toy cars to prevent damage from collisions?

A fourth-grade class explores human vision by drawing objects under various light conditions. Which of the following science and engineering practices is exemplified in this activity?

• planning and carrying out investigations

• asking questions and defining problems

• engaging in argument from evidence

• analyzing and interpreting data

A fifth-grade class explores land, water, and wildlife interactions in river ecosystems. Which of the following activities allows students to develop and use models?

• working in small groups to diagram the changes in a river environment over time

• writing persuasively about the need to protect and preserve river environments for wildlife

• finding pictures of plants and animals that live along rivers for display in a class gallery walk

• collaborating in small groups to graph the number of heron eggs found in nests along local rivers over the last ten years

A fifth-grade teacher is teaching a unit on stars and the solar system. Which of the following statements should the students be able to articulate at the end of the unit?

• The sun is a star in the middle of its stellar life cycle.

• The sun travels through the sky on a similar path each day.

• The sun is made of the two elements hydrogen and helium.

• The sun looks larger than the other stars because it's closer.

A fourth-grade class creates a set of cards featuring images of local plants on one side and information about how the plants' structures help them grow and reproduce on the other side. With just this information, the set of cards should be used to:

• determine which plants are fed upon by which local animals.

• review the scientific names of plants and plant parts necessary for life.

• support an argument connecting plants' appearances to their survival strategies.

• identify accurately which plants are most closely related based on their appearances.

A third-grade teacher is teaching a unit on life cycles and traits. Students create models of the life cycle of a dandelion and a rabbit. Which of the following activities allows students to demonstrate general understanding of the growth and development of plants and animals?

• Students watch a movie of a rabbit eating a dandelion that is at the end of its life cycle.

• Students compare and contrast the life cycles of the dandelion and the rabbit.

• Students label an illustration of the life cycles of the dandelion and the rabbit.

• Students list the parts of the life cycles of the dandelion and the rabbit.

A third-grade teacher uses the crosscutting concept of systems and system models to ask their students to design homes able to withstand storms and floods. Which of the following teacher instructions encourages students to take a systems-focused perspective on the project?

• Be sure to compare your designs to those of your classmates and to the examples we researched together.

• Make sure your design includes a roof and walls.

• Draw a picture of your home design.

• List the materials you will use in your design.