Font size
WorksheetsScience PSSA Review
Total questions: 101
Worksheet time: 4hrs 32mins
The whole mass of air that surrounds the Earth.
atmosphere
clouds
evaporation
A region with particular weather patterns or conditions.
meteorology
climate
atmosphere
Something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks.
fossil
dinosaur
impression
The existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment.
ecosystem
terrarium
biodiversity
A collection of things that work together.
fossil
system
leaves
The ability to move heat or electricity from one place to another; the power to conduct heat or electricity.
air flow
electric flow
conductivity
All economic activities linked to agricultural production.
farming
food and fiber system
ecosystem
The force between two objects that are rubbing together.
friction
fraction
energy
Something that may change in an experiment.
chemical reaction
magnet
variable
An instrument used to show wind direction.
barometer
windsock
weathervane
Which word describes a city.
urban
suburban
rural
A
B
C
D
An increase in which human activity would most likely result in the most air pollution?
A. driving cars
B. watering plants
C. food production
D. recycling of plastic
A. 4:30 a.m.
B. 5:19 a.m.
C. 6:03 a.m.
C. 6:03 a.m.
A. More people walk to work than ride a bus.
B. Riding a bus in Wilkes-Barre is very expensive.
C. Few people enjoy driving a car alone to get to work.
D. Carpooling is more popular than driving a car alone.
A. mass of a solid
B. height of a solid
C. volume of a liquid
D. temperature of a liquid
Which two systems are most likely both human-made?
A. a river and a sailboat
B. a flower and a beehive
C. a planet and a telescope
D. a stapler and a computer
A. Sunlight is living and enters the food web through the hawk and the fox.
B. Sunlight is living and enters the food web through the maple tree leaves.
C. Sunlight is nonliving and enters the food web through the hawk and the fox.
D. Sunlight is nonliving and enters the food web through the maple tree leaves.
A. Single leaves grow farther from the branch than pairs of leaves.
B. Single leaves are located closer to the trunk than pairs of leaves. .
C. Pairs of leaves and single leaves grow on both sides of the branch.
D. Pairs of leaves and single leaves only grow on one side of the branch
Which of the following shows the correct order of a frog’s life cycle?
A. tadpole, young frog, egg, adult frog
B. adult frog, egg, young frog, tadpole
C. egg, tadpole, young frog, adult frog
D. young frog, egg, adult frog, tadpole
In the spring, some golden eagles fly north over Pennsylvania. In the fall, they fly back south for the winter. Which statement best describes why these golden eagles live in southern areas in winter?
A. In northern areas, there is less food for eagles in winter.
B. In northern areas, there are more competing birds in winter.
C. In southern areas, there are fewer eagle predators in winter.
D. In southern areas, there is more space for eagle nesting in winter.
Which type of land use is least likely in a city?
A. housing
B. businesses
C. large farms
D. small parks
Which sense can best be used to describe the texture of an object?
A. taste
B. sight
C. smell
D. touch
Which forms of energy are produced by the Sun?
A. light and heat
B. light and chemical
C. electrical and heat
D. electrical and chemical
A. The house is behind the trees.
B. The stream is in front of the geese.
C. The rock is to the right of the horse.
D. The horse is to the left of the house.
Which statement best explains why sinkholes form over salt beds more easily than over harder rock?
A. Salt is more easily removed by groundwater.
. B. Salt beds are only found on the bottom of lakes.
C. Hard rocks are more easily removed by groundwater.
D. Hard rocks are only found toward the tops of mountains.
One student makes a model of a lake and another student makes a model of a river. Which statement best describes the water in one of the models?
A. The lake model contains salt water.
B. The lake model contains cold water.
C. The river model contains muddy water.
D. The river model contains flowing water.
Which statement describes the movement of objects in the Sun-Earth-Moon system?
A. Earth travels around the Moon and the Sun.
B. The Sun travels around Earth and the Moon.
C. Earth travels around the Sun, and the Moon travels around Earth.
D. The Sun travels around Earth, and the Moon travels around Earth.
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
Part A: Describe how humans can benefit from placing trash in landfills instead of placing it in dumps.
Part B: Describe one way that people could reduce the amount of trash that ends up in dumps or landfills.
Part A: Describe how friction affects the motion of the box.
Part B: Describe how the student could change the amount of friction acting on the box.
Over the past hundred years, people have built new and better roads in Pennsylvania. What is one possible negative effect of this technology?
Transportation has become less expensive.
Traveling greater distances is more difficult.
Wildlife habitats are separated into smaller areas.
Mail delivery services take longer to reach people.
Which change occurred between January 1 and May 1?
The amount of daylight increased.
The average air temperature decreased.
Earth rotated more quickly around its axis.
Earth made one revolution around the Sun.
A student wants to measure the depth of each snowfall in January. Which tools are most helpful for gathering and recording the data?
shovel and calculator
beaker and stopwatch
balance and computer
meterstick and calendar
A student wants to compare how long a flashlight will continue to shine using different brands of
batteries. How can the student make sure that the test is fair?
Test the same brand of batteries in two flashlights.
Test each brand of batteries in the same flashlight.
Test different sizes of batteries in the same flashlight.
Test whether some flashlights can work with only one battery.
Name the variable that matches the definition:
1 thing/step that can change in your experiment
Independent
Dependent
Controlled
Name the variable that matches the definition:
What you are measuring
Independent
Dependent
Controlled
Name the variable that matches the definition:
The things/steps that stay the same
Independent
Dependent
Controlled
A student observes the first day merganser ducks arrive at a lake each year during their migration. When will the merganser ducks most likely arrive at the lake in year 5?
February 15 to 22
around February 15
mid-April to late April
late February to mid-March
Give an example of a system is partly natural and partly human-made?
a pen that writes in blue ink
a tree that produces edible fruit
a mountain that erodes over time
a coral reef that grows on old train cars
A student described human-made systems and natural systems.
Which characteristic was most likely used to describe both systems?
grows larger
needs oxygen
has multiple parts
is powered by electricity
How does the soil help the plants in the terrarium?
The soil absorbs sunlight for the plants.
The soil produces energy for the plants.
The soil provides the plants with a place to grow.
The soil protects the plants from other organisms.
What part of a plant collects water and nutrients?
flower
stem
leaves
roots
What part of a plant reproduces?
flower
stem
leaves
roots
What part of a plant collects energy from the sun via photosynthesis?
flower
stem
leaves
roots
How do the human nose and lungs work together?
The nose filters air that is processed in the lungs.
The nose brings in food that is digested in the lungs.
The nose lets out energy that is produced by the lungs.
The nose senses odors that are understood by the lungs.
How are these lists of traits different?
Only the traits in List A can change.
Only the traits in List B are formed naturally.
Only the traits in List A are inherited from parents.
Only the traits in List B can affect a person’s survival.
Which trait is inherited?
height
knowing the alphabet
following rules
riding a bike
Which trait is inherited?
speaking a language
knowing the alphabet
eye color
riding a bike
Which trait is acquired or learned?
freckles
eye color
riding a bike
right or left handedness
Plants and animals respond to changes in their natural environment. Which natural response can most likely be predicted due to the changing amounts of daylight shown in the graph?
Bird will migrate north between July and December
Bird will migrate south between January and March
Plants will absorb the most energy between May and July
Plants will absorb the most energy between March and May
What is the ultimate source of energy in our solar system?
batteries
nuclear power
sun
wind power
A log burns in a fireplace. Nearby, a light bulb is glowing. How are the fire and the light bulb alike?
Both create new energy.
Both absorb light energy.
Both release light energy.
Both use electrical energy.
A schoolyard playground reminded a student of an electrical circuit. Which type of circuit would the student most likely describe using the playground?
a series circuit because there is only one way up to the top
a series circuit because the students can only go down the slides
a parallel circuit because the students change directions as they are playing
a parallel circuit because students have two ways to slide down to the ground
What kind of circuit is this?
series
parallel
basic
What kind of circuit is this?
series
parallel
basic
Which statement best describes the movement of the student and the ball in the drawing?
The student is only moving from side to side, while the basketball is only moving up and down.
The student is mostly moving up and down, while the basketball is mostly moving from side to side.
The student is only moving up and down, while the basketball is moving up and down and from side to side.
The student is mostly moving from side to side, while the basketball is moving from side to side and up and down.
A student lives near a lake. Which observation is the student most likely to make about the lake?
The water is fresh rather than salty.
The lake empties into a larger body of water.
The water flows quickly from high to low areas.
The lake completely dries up during some seasons.
Based on the image, what type of water system is this?
lentic water
lotic water
some water somewhere
Based on the image, what type of water system is this?
lentic water
lotic water
some water somewhere
Which type of front is likely to arrive soon in Philadelphia?
cold front from the north
cold front from the south
warm front from the north
warm front from the south
A student wants to learn more about birds. The student fills and hangs a bird feeder from a tree outside a window. Identify an appropriate tool for measuring how much bird seed is eaten from the feeder each day.
measuring cup
rain gauge
barometer
yard stick
Describe how using binoculars can help the student learn more about the birds that visit the feeder.
This tool can help them measure the size of the birds.
This tool can help them see more details from far away without disturbing the birds.
This tool can help them attract birds.
This tool is not helpful in any way.
On the PSSA I should
make random guesses
rush as fast as I can
take my time and read carefully
not answer certain questions
What part of the water cycle is when water turns into its vapor form to enter the atmosphere
transporation
evaporation
condensation
run off
What part of the water cycle is when water cools down and forms droplets that will eventually fall from the sky.
transporation
evaporation
condensation
precipitation
All the living things surrounding an organism are called _______________.
the environment
adaptations
an ecosystem
Plants need _____ to make food.
light
protection
to stay warm
All living things are called _________.
prey
organisms
partnerships
A change in a characteristic of a living thing that allows it to survive in its environment is called _____________.
an adaptation
an ecosystem
migration
Anything that can meet a need of a living thing is _____________.
an adaptation
competition
a resource
Some animals _______ from one ecosystem to another to find food and water.
migrate
adapt
hibernate
During the coldest months of the year, some animals _________.
compete
camouflage
hibernate
The living and nonliving things in an area are called _____________.
the environment
an ecosystem
a pod
Anything that makes the air, land, or water dirty is called _________.
migration
pollution
adaptation
The changes that living things make in their ecosystem can be __________________.
adaptations
skills or behaviors
helpful and harmful
Competition occurs when living things use different resources.
true
false
Some living things work together in partnerships.
true
false
Some animals migrate as seasons change.
true
false
Animals that blend in with their environment are protected by mimicry.
true
false
Living in a group makes it easier for animals to find food, to be better protected, and to care for their young.
true
false
A Christian's role in their environment is to be a good _______ by taking care of what God has given them.
behavior
mimicry
prey
protection
steward
An adaptation may be a physical characteristic, a skill, or a ________.
behavior
prey
protection
steward
mimicry
All living things have basic needs such as food, water, and __________.
prey
mimicry
behavior
protection
scientist
Some living things are protected by looking like other things. This is called _______.
protection
behavior
mimicry
camouflage
Animals that are food for other animals are called ____.
predators
bait
prey
stewards
