cmt grade 5 scientific method - middletown public schools
TRANSCRIPT
CMT GRADE 5
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Q 1 This table shows the temperature and precipitation (rain or snow) in four different towns on the same day.
Where did it snow?
a. Town A
b. Town B
c. Town C
d. Town D
Town A Town B Town C Town D
Lowest Temperature
13°C ‐9°C 22°C ‐12°C
Highest Temperature
25°C ‐1°C 30°C ‐4°C
Precipitation 0 cm 5 cm 2.5 cm 0 cm
Q 2
The Sun is bigger than the Moon, but they appear to be about the same size when you look at them from the Earth. Why is this?
Q 3
John kept some seeds on moist cotton in a dish. Mike put the same kind of seeds in a dish beside John’s dish, and covered them with water. Aftertwo days, John’s seed sprouted, but Mike’s did not.
Which is the most likely reason?
a. Mike’s seeds needed more air.
b. Mike’s seeds needed more light.
c. Mike did not put the dish in a warm enough place.
d. Mike should have used a different kind of seed.
A classroom of students wants to know how fertilizer effects the growth of a plant. What unit of measurement should they use to measure the plant?
A. MetersB. CelsiusC. CentimetersD. Grams
Q 4
Q 5
To find out whether seeds grow better in the light or dark, you could put some seeds on pieces of damp paper and
A. Keep them in a warm place.
B. Keep one group in a light place and another in a dark place.
C. Keep them in a warm, light place.
D. Put them in a light or dark place that is cool.
Q 6
Four children can feel and smell an object inside a bag, but they cannot see it. Which of the following is NOT an observation about the object?
a. “It is flat at one end and round at the other.”
b. “It smells like peppermint.”
c. “It has a bump on it.”
d. “I hope it is candy.”
Q 7
Some children were trying to find out which of three light bulbs was brightest. Which one of these gives the BEST START towards finding the answer?
a. “One bulb looks brightest to me, so I already know the answer.”
b. “All the bulbs look bright to me, so there cannot be an answer.”
c. “It would help if we had a way to measure the brightness of a light
bulb.”
d. “We can take a vote and each person will vote for the bulb he or she
thinks is the brightest.”
Q 8 A group of students separated the objects in the list into two groups.• Candle• Coin• Crayon• Match• Nail• Pencil• Tack• Wire
The table above shows how the students grouped the objects.
According to this information, what physical characteristics did the students use to group the objects?
a. Melts/does not melt
b. Wood/not wood
c. Metal/not metal
d. Sharp/not sharp
GROUP 1 GROUP 2Coin CandleNail CrayonTack MatchWire Pencil
Q 9
Look at the beaver tail in the picture above. This tail is adapted to help the beaver move swiftly through the water when swimming. Which of the following foot structures most likely belongs to the beaver?
Q 10
A student provides the following directions for brushing teeth:• Turn on the water.• Fill the glass with water and leave the water running.• Put toothpaste on the toothbrush.• Brush for two minutes.• Rinse mouth with the water from the glass.• Rinse the toothbrush with the running water.• Turn off the water.
Which changes in these directions would conserve the most water?
a. Brush for three minutes.
b. Turn the water off before brushing.
c. Rinse mouth with the running water.
d. Use less toothpaste on the toothbrush.
Q 11 Two students are doing an investigation to measure how fast a ball rolls down a ramp. They record their data in the tables below.
Identify two advantages of Student 2’s data and explain why each is an advantage.
Distance Ball Traveled
Time (seconds)
10 0.2
20 1.2
30
40 3.6
Student 1’s DataTrial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Distance BallTraveled (cm)
Time (seconds)
Time (seconds)
Time (seconds)
10 1.2 1.1 1.220 2.4 2.6 2.530 3.6 3.6 3.740 4.8 4.9 4.9
Student 2’s Data
Q 12 Use the illustrations below to compare the life cycles of mosquitoesand grasshoppers.
What is one correct comparison of the mosquito and grasshopper life cycles?
a. Mosquito larvae develop on land, and grasshopper nymphs develop in water.
b. Grasshopper eggs are laid in water, and mosquito eggs are laid in the ground.
c. Mosquitos change habitats during their lives, and grasshoppers develop in
the same habitat.
d. Grasshoppers change shape as they develop, and mosquitoes do not change
shape as they develop.
Q 13
A group of students do an experiment to see if different colors of light affect the number of flowers a plant produces. Their teacher gives them seeds, pots, soil, water, and three light bulbs of different colors. The students decide to divide the materials equally.
What should be different for each group of plants?
a. The type of soil they use.
b. The amount of water they use.
c. The color of the pots they use.
d. The color of light bulb they use.
Q 14 Students are investigating the amount of rain their school receives during one spring. They have a rain gauge to measure how much rain falls each week.
Where should they place the rain gauge to collect the most accurate data?
a. Underneath a gutter along a roof.
b. Hanging from the branch of a tree.
c. On the ground next to the building.
d. On top of a fence post in an open area
Q 15
A group of students test how far a toy truck rolls on four different flat surfaces: concrete, grass, gravel, and sand. They give the truck a quick push and let it roll across each surface. They measure how far the truck rolls before stopping.
To improve the results, the students create a list of changes that other students should make when repeating the experiment:
• Always use the same truck.• Use a ramp to let the toy truck roll down onto each of the flat surfaces.• Use the same methods to measure the distance the toy truck rolls every time.• Collect data three times for each type of surface.
Choose two of the tips from the list. Explain why each tip helps improve the results of the investigation.
Q 16 Scientist often work together to solve a problem. Sometimes they work in laboratories. Sometimes they are outside doing fieldwork. The chart provides a list of some careers in science.
Which scientists might work together to save a polluted wetland?
a. Chemist, botanist, and ecologistb. Astronomer, ecologist, and physicistc. Physicist, paleontologist, and chemistd. Botanist, astronomer, and paleontologist
Q 17 The chart below shows the results of an experiment designed to study how exercise affects heart rate.
Which of the following statements is the best conclusions for this experiment?
a. Exercise triples a person’s heart rate.
b. Exercise decreases a person’s heart rate.
c. Heart rate is not affected by exercise.
d. Heart rate is increased by exercise.
Q 18
A student added a small ball to a graduated cylinder containing 10 milliliters of water.
What is the volume of the ball?
a. 5 mLb. 10 mLc. 15 mLd. 20 mL
Q 19A group of students observed the following tree while hiking through a hilly area.
What is the most likely cause for the angle of growth of this tree?
a. The tree is reaching toward the afternoon sunlight.b. Water rolling down the hill uprooted the tree.c. Large rocks hit the tree when they rolled down the hill.d. Strong uphill winds have pushed against the tree.
Q 20 A student wants to see the xylem of a plant stem. Which instrument should the student use?
A
C
B
D
Q 21 A student will measure and record the growth of two flowering plants every other day for 10 days.
According to the diagram, which question is being tested?
a. Do flowering plants grow better when watered with salt water?
b. How much fertilizer do flowering plants need?
c. Does fertilizer added to the soil lead to taller flowering plants?
d. How tall do flowering plants grow?
Q 22
Which of the following questions is testable in a scientific investigation?
a. Are dogs better pets than cats?
b. Are dogs happy when they are walked?
c. Are cats more active at night than during the day?
d. Are cats easier to take care of than dogs?
Q 23
The diagram below shows a mixture.
Which of the following pieces of equipment should be used to separate
this mixture?
a. Magnet
b. Balance
c. Funnel
d. Hot plate
Q 24
A scientist needs to take a picture of the well‐ordered arrangements of the atoms and molecules within a substance. Which of the following instruments would be best for the scientist to use?
a. A laser light with holograph
b. A seismograph
c. An electron microscope
d. A stereoscope
Q 25
Which property of air does a barometer measure?
a. Speed
b. Pressure
c. Humidity
d. temperature
Q 26 A student observes and measures how long it takes a train to go around equal parts of a track. The student records the observation in the table below.
Another student plans to use the same train set and repeat these observations. What information is missing from the data table that would make it difficult for the second student to repeat these observations and compare their data?
a. The shape of the track c. The model of electric trainsb. The unit of measurement d. The date of the observations
Q 27Students conduct an investigation with solids and liquids over several days.
Students pour vinegar into a beaker. They add a spoonful of baking soda to the vinegar. They observe bubbles. The bubbles stop when the baking soda is no longer visible.
What observation suggest that a gas has formed?
a. The baking soda disappears.b. Bubbles are formed in the vinegar.c. All chemical reactions produce gas.d. The vinegar begins to give off a smell.
Q 28 Students plan to set up a simple weather station. They have thetools shown to collect weather data.
Describe where two of these tools should be located to obtain accurate results.
Explain why each location is important.
Q 29 A teacher demonstrates how ice changes states. Two students record how long it takes for ice to change to steam, as shown.
Explain why student 2’s record is more understandable than student 1’s
record.
Q 30 Millions of years ago, the insect shown was trapped in sticky tree sap. The dried tree sap is now called amber. Amber looks like a clear gold or brown stone.
Which statement is an opinion about the amber?
a. Amber is made of hardened tree sap.b. Ancient insects can be found in amber.c. Amber was formed millions of years age.d. All insects prefer tree sap as a food source.
Q 31
Students study how water changes from liquid to gas. These are the steps in the class investigation.
Materials: electric heating coil, beaker, and thermometerProcedure:
1. Pour one liter or water into the beaker.2. Place the thermometer in the water.3. Record the temperature of the water.4. Place the beaker on the heating coil.5. Turn on the heating coil.6. Record the temperature of the water every minute for 10 min.
Describe one way to make this a safe investigation.
Q 32
A student created this table for a report on animals found in Ohio.
Which animals give birth to live young?
a. Hawk and black bear.b. Beaver and black bear.c. Hawk and potato beetled. Beaver and potato beetle
Q 33
Gerado performed a science experiment in which he did the following:
• He planted the same kind of seed in Pots A and B.• He planted 5 seeds in Pot A and 5 seeds in pot B.• The amount and type of soil in both pots was the same.• He added the same amount of water to both pots each week.• Pot A was placed next to a sunny window.• Pot B was placed in a dark room.
After 4 weeks, Gerado observed the pants in both pots. The plants in pot A were green with tall thick stems. The plants in pot B were yellow, with tall thin stems.
What is the most likely explanation of why the plants in pot A were a different color than the plants in pot B?
Q 34 Lee predicted that warm water would boil faster than water at room temperature. He performed an experiment to find out whether warm water (40 degrees Celsius) boiled faster than water at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius). He recorded his results in the table below.
Two tools that Lee could use in this experiment are:
a. A thermometer and a barometerb. A rain gauge and a thermometerc. A thermometer and a graduated cylinderd. A 500 mL beaker and a rain gauge
Trial Starting Temperature (°C)
Amount of Water (L)
Time it Took to Boil (min.)
A 20 2 9B 20 2 10C 20 2 9D 20 2 9.5E 40 2 6F 40 2 5G 40 2 15H 40 2 5.5
Lee predicted that warm water would boil faster than water at room temperature. He performed an experiment to find out whether warm water (40 degrees Celsius) boiled faster than water at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius). He recorded his results in the table below.
Q 35
Explain why the data do or do not support Lee’s prediction.
Trial Starting Temperature (°C)
Amount of Water (L)
Time it Took to Boil (min.)
A 20 2 9B 20 2 10C 20 2 9D 20 2 9.5E 40 2 6F 40 2 5G 40 2 15H 40 2 5.5
Q 36 Emma investigated which brand of food her hamster likes best. She put equal amounts of food in three separate bowls in the hamster cage. Five days later she recorded how much of each brand of food was left over.
Her results are shown in the table below.
How much more of Brand C food did Emma’s hamster eat than the Brand A food?
a. 10 gramsb. 30 gramsc. 40 gramsd. 50 grams
Q 37 Emma investigated which brand of food her hamster likes best. She put equal amounts of food in three separate bowls in the hamster cage. Five days later she recorded how much of each brand of food was left over.
Her results are shown in the table below.
Which brand of food does Emma’s hamster like best?
a. Brand Ab. Brand Bc. Brand Cd. The hamster does not seem to have a favorite
Q 38
Emma wants to investigate what color of water her hamster likes best.What unit of measurement should she use when she measures out the water?
a. Grams
b. Pounds
c. Milliliters
d. Degrees Celsius
Q 39 Jenna rolled a small glass marble and a large glass marble down a ramp at the same time. She wanted to see if the large marble would roll further than the small one. She repeated this investigation four times. The table below shows her results.
Which statement CORRECTLY describes the information found in Jenna’s table?
a. The small marble rolled further than the large marble in trials 2 and 4.b. The large marble rolled further than the small marble in trials 1 and 4.c. The small marble always rolled a farther distance.d. The large marble always rolled a farther distance.
Q 40
Snakes feed on mice. The mice eat grain crops. When grain crops are plentiful, what will happen?
a. The mouse population will decrease.b. The snake population will increase.c. The snake population will decrease.d. The mouse population will not change.
Q 41 Teresa was cleaning out her room one evening and found the followitems under her bed.
Teresa divides the items into two groups. Group one includes the watch, screwdriver, pencil, and hammer. Which of the following properties has she used to classify the items?
a. Smellb. Shapec. Weightd. Flexibility
Q 42 Samantha is setting up an investigation to determine the effect of light on plant growth. She has purchased two plants of the same type that are approximately thsame height. She plans to place the plants in identical containers and give them measured amounts of water and fertilizer. Plant A will be placed under a desk lamfor 4 hours per day, and plant B will be placed under a desk lamp for 8 hours per day. She has developed the following chart to record her data.
At the end of her investigation, Samantha put her data on a graph.
How much did Plant A grow in the three week period?
Q 43 Samantha is setting up an investigation to determine the effect of light on plant growth. She has purchased two plants of the same type that are approximately thsame height. She plans to place the plants in identical containers and give them measured amounts of water and fertilizer. Plant A will be placed under a desk lamfor 4 hours per day, and plant B will be placed under a desk lamp for 8 hours per day. She has developed the following chart to record her data.
At the end of her investigation, Samantha put her data on a graph.
How much did Plant B grow in the three week period?
Q 44 Samantha is setting up an investigation to determine the effect of light on plant growth. She has purchased two plants of the same type that are approximately thsame height. She plans to place the plants in identical containers and give them measured amounts of water and fertilizer. Plant A will be placed under a desk lamfor 4 hours per day, and plant B will be placed under a desk lamp for 8 hours per day. She has developed the following chart to record her data.
At the end of her investigation, Samantha put her data on a graph.
What conclusion can be drawn from Samantha’s investigation?
Q 45 A biologist studying birds made the following observations. She concluded that the birds would not compete for food.
What evidence supports her conclusion?
a. Insects are plentiful.b. The birds feed at different times.c. The birds lay eggs at different times.d. The birds feed in different parts of the trees.
Q 46
Which of the following is the best way to investigate the effect if fertilizers on tomato plants?
a. Put several plants outdoors and several indoors.
b. Add fertilizer to several plants and change the amount of water given
to each.
c. Grow several plants under the same conditions, but change the
amount of fertilizer added to each.
d. Grow several plants under various temperature conditions, but keep
the amount of fertilizer the same for each.
Q 47 Mary likes sweet apples. She decides to compare different types of apples to see which one is the best buy. She buys three different apples. She measures the size of each apple, records the price, and then tastes each one. She records her data in the following table:
Mary decides that the Macintosh apples are the best apples for her to buy the next time.
Identify three pieces of evidence from the chart that support Mary’s decision.
Apple type
Apple color
Taste Price per apple
Averagesize in cm
Golden Yellow Sweet $0.35 6 cmGranny Smith
Green Tart $0.35 8 cm
Macintosh Red Sweet $0.30 7 cm
Q 48
A small fish, called a cleaner fish, picks bits of food from a shark’s teeth.What can best be concluded about this behavior?
a. It takes needed nutrition away from the shark.
b. It helps both the cleaner fish and the shark.
c. It removes food from inside the shark’s body.
d. It helps the shark blend in with its surroundings.
Q 49
A class wants to find the ideal temperature for plants to grow in a terrarium. If the students set up several terrariums, what should they do to get the best results?
a. Plant different kinds of plants in each terrarium.
b. Use a light bulb with a different brightness in each terrarium.
c. Add different amounts of water to each terrarium.
d. Place different types of fertilizer in each terrarium.
Q 50 This type of graph is used to describe something about an object.
What could this graph describe?
a. Friction
b. Volume
c. Mass
d. Speed
A student has a mixture of sand, rocks, and iron shavings. He wants to separate them into three piles: sand, rocks, and iron shavings.
Which tool should be used to separate the mixture into three piles?
A. Filter paper and magnifying glass
B. Sieve and magnet
C. Magnet and filter paper
D. Sieve and magnifying glass
Q 51
Which of the following is an example of correctly using a scientific tool?
A. A scale can be used to measure the length of pond snails.
B. A graduated cylinder can be used to collect pond snails.
C. A hand lens can be used to observe how pong snails move.
D. A microscope can be used to measure the weight of a pond
snail.
Q 52
Q 53
The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water a day. The table below shows how much water is used for daily activities.
According to the table, the greatest amount of water would be saved by taking
A. Time to wash dishes by hand instead of running the dishwasher.
B. A shower with a high‐flow head instead of low‐flow head.C. A shower with low‐flow head instead of a high‐flow head.D. A bath instead of a shower with a low‐flow head.
Q 54
A school playground has an overpopulation of squirrels. What is the best source to find out how to move the squirrels?
A. Interview people attending the school.
B. Look up “squirrel habitat” on the Internet.
C. Plan a field trip to a zoo to watch squirrels.
D. Seek the opinions of other students.
Q 55
Which of the following properties can be used to classify the coins into 5 groups?
A. Size
B. Color
C. Flexibility
D. Temperature
Was Maria’s prediction correct? Give evidence to support your answer.
Q 56 Maria conducted an experiment to test the following prediction: “The grass will not grow in a certain area because the house is blocking the rain there. The grass needs more water to grow.”
She divided the area into two sections. She watered one section for 10 minutes each night and left the other section dry. The graph below compares grass growth in the two areas.
Based on the results of Maria’s experiment, what should she do next?
Q 57 Maria conducted an experiment to test the following prediction: “The grass will not grow in a certain area because the house is blocking the rain there. The grass needs more water to grow.”
She divided the area into two sections. She watered one section for 10 minutes each night and left the other section dry. The graph below compares grass growth in the two areas.
Q 58
In the morning, a student observed snow on the ground and
decided that she would need a jacket. Her decision was based on
A. Sampling.
B. Opinion.
C. Evidence.
D. Rumor.
Q 59
Q 60
Jose found an insect on the sidewalk and put it into a jar. Which tool should he use if he wants to see the insect better?
A. A light prism
B. A color filter
C. A telescope
D. A hand lens
Q 61
Q 62
Provide one reason why the river is a better source than the rain.
Q 63
A family hired an expert to determine the best way to irrigate their fields. The expert collected the following data on local water sources.
Q 64 A family hired an expert to determine the best way to irrigate their fields. The expert collected the following data on local water sources.
Provide one reason why the river is a better source than the pond.
Q 65
Provide one reason why the river is a better source than the mountain ice.
A family hired an expert to determine the best way to irrigate their fields. The expert collected the following data on local water sources.
Q 66
Q 67
What is the smallest unit of measure for reporting the length of the line above?
A.Grams
B.Milliliters
C.Millimeters
D.Centimeters
Q 68A scientist is helping the city design a new zoo. They want to make sure that the habitat they design will encourage a natural balance among the organisms. What could they do to make sure their design is successful?
A. Interview people that have gone to the zoo
B. Use a design that no other zoo has ever used
C. Hire only experienced employees to run the zoo
D. Observe the natural habitats of organisms that
will be in the zoo
Q 69A scientist is analyzing a fossilized deer bone that has tooth marks on it. The pattern and spacing of the tooth marks will help the scientist to
A. Determine the age of the animal that left the marks.
B. Identify the species and size of the animal that left the marks.
C. Identify how long it took the animal that left the marks to eat the deer.
D. Determine if the animal that left the marks killed the deer or found it.
Q 70
If gear Y turns in the direction shown by the arrow above, in what direction will gears X and Z turn?
Q 71
Q 72
A group of scientists uncovered a fossilized whale skeleton. Many of the fossilized bones had scratch marks on them and several shark teeth were found with the skeleton. What does this information tell the scientists?
A. Whales and sharks compete for food.
B. The whale was probably eaten by sharks.
C. The whale died before the sharks fed on it.
D. Whales and sharks hunted food together.
Q 73
The young plant shown above was grown from a seed that most likely came from which of the following plants:
Q 74
A gardener is choosing tomato seeds to grow in the spring. She wants to plant tomatoes that will grow quickly and produce large fruit. The best source of information for her would likely be a
A. Science teacher.B. Vegetable cookbook.C. Seed supply web site.D. Life science textbook.
Q 75
Approximately how long is the beetle’s back leg?
A. 1 cmB. 3 cmC. 4 cmD. 6 cm
Q 76
Which two items shown above can be used together to
determine the direction of the wind?
A. The ruler and the compass
B. The pinwheel and the ruler
C. The compass and the pinwheel
D. The thermometer and the compass
Q 77
Tyrone taped a list of things to do on his mirror so he would not forget to do them. The list included the following tasks:
Based on Tyrone’s list, what is he trying to accomplish by performing these tasks?
A. Reduce waste
B. Reuse materials
C. Recycle resources
D. Renew energy sources.
Q 78
Fossils of Deinonychus, a dinosaur that lived 100 million years ago, have been found only in Montana and Wyoming. Suppose a Deinonychus fossil is discovered in Texas. What question could a scientist investigate to better understand the dinosaur’s habitat preference?
A. How many Deinonychus fossils have been found in Texas, Montana,
and Wyoming?
B. Why are scientists just now discovering that the dinosaur,
Deinonychus, lived in Texas?
C. How did the environment in Texas compare to the environment in
Montana and Wyoming 100 million years ago?
D. Is the Deinonychus fossil from Texas larger or smaller than the
Deinonychus fossils found in Montana and Wyoming?
Q 79Which of the following is the correct parent‐offspring pair?