Name: Grade 8 Science CRT - RPDP HS/CRT_SCI_8.pdfwritten response to a question as indicated in the booklet. ... Pole? A The equator has ... Grade 8 Science CRT Instructional Materials

Copyright © 2010 by the Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

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Name:_________________________________________________

Grade 8 Science CRT Practice Instructional Materials #1

This booklet contains science questions for you to answer. There are two types of questions in this booklet. For the multiple-choice questions, you will be given four answer choices—A, B, C, and D. You are to choose the correct answer from the four choices. Each question has only one right answer. The written-response questions require you to give a written response to a question as indicated in the booklet. You will be given a separate sheet of paper to answer these questions.

You may use the rubric below to help you do a good job when answering the written-response questions.

Grade 8 Science CRT Instructional Materials #1


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What is the smallest unit of an element that still has the properties of that element?

A A molecule B An electron C A compound D An atom

In rabbits, brown (B) fur is dominant to white (b) fur. If a rabbit with the genotype Bb is crossed with a rabbit with a genotype bb, what percentage of the offspring is expected to have brown fur?

A 0% B 25% C 50% D 100%

Which of the following is the correct ranking of organizational hierarchy of organisms from simplest to most complex?

A cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, organisms

B cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms

C tissues, cells, organs, organ systems, organisms

D tissues, organs, cells, organ systems, organisms

Use the diagram to answer the following question. The diagram shows the water cycle.

What change is occurring in stage 1 of the diagram? Water is changing from a

A liquid to a gas. B solid to a liquid. C gas to a liquid. D liquid to a solid.

Fossils and sedimentary rocks form under specific conditions, so their presence in certain locations provides evidence for

A past environments. B stationary continents. C constant temperatures. D magnetic pole reversal.

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Use the table below to answer the following question. The data table shows the number of deaths caused by influenza and pneumonia from 1917-1918, during the time of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

According to the data table, which age group shows the greatest increase in death rates caused by influenza and pneumonia from 1917 to 1918?

A <1 B 1-4 C 25-34 D 45-54

A cart with a mass of 100 kg accelerates when 10 N is applied. If the mass is doubled, how much force is required to maintain the same acceleration.

A 10 N B 20 N C 100 N D 200 N

Use the diagram below representing different stages in succession to answer the following question.

Select the order that represents how succession progresses in an ecosystem.

A Diagram 1, 2, 3, 4 B Diagram 2, 4, 1, 3 C Diagram 4, 2, 1, 3 D Diagram 3, 4, 2, 1

Which of the following is an accurate statement when comparing the terrestrial planets and gaseous planets?

A Terrestrial planets are smaller than gaseous planets, but both have the same mass.

B Terrestrial planets are denser even though they are smaller than gaseous planets.

C Gaseous planets are less massive because of the lower density of their materials.

D Gaseous planets are more likely to float out of their orbit than are terrestrial planets.

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The diagram below shows two land masses separated by an ocean. Use the key to the right to aid in your written explanation.

A scientist studying these two land masses hypothesizes that the land masses were once together.

A Using the diagram, identify two pieces of evidence that support the scientist’s theory that the land masses were once together.

B Explain how each piece of evidence you identified in Part A supports the scientist’s hypothesis.

C Use your knowledge of plate tectonics to propose a reason why the land masses moved to their current position.

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Write your answer to Question #10 on a separate sheet of paper. Be sure to answer Parts A, B, and C



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Use the table below to answer the following question. The table shows characteristics of plant varieties.

A farmer wants to grow a crop that is resistant to disease while producing more fruit per plant. Which plants should the farmer select to cross to get the desired combination of traits?

A 1 and 2 B 2 and 4 C 1 and 3 D 3 and 4

The diagram below shows a balance used to measure a burning candle in a sealed glass ball before and after the burning is complete.

As the candle burns, the size of the candle decreases, but the reading on the balance does not change. Which of the following is demonstrated by this experiment?

A Total mass of the system remains constant when the candle is burned. B Energy is converted to mass when the candle is burned. C Smoke particles have more mass than the molecules of candle wax. D Kinetic energy is converted to potential energy when the candle is burned.

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Use the diagram of the human body below to answer the following question.

Which of the following describes the primary function of this system?

A Supports the skeletal system B Absorbs nutrients from food C Responds to stimuli in the environment D Exchanges gases with the environment

Use the data table below to answer the following question.

The majority of water on Earth exists as saltwater. Which water source would increase the most if ice caps and glaciers melt?

A Oceans B Groundwater C Surface water D Atmosphere

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The diagram below represents a cross-section of several rock layers containing fossils.

Which of the following layers of rock is most likely the youngest? The layer containing

A dinosaurs. B amphibians. C fishes. D trilobites.

Students were asked to measure a string. The actual length of the string was 8.25 cm long. Which of the following shows the measurements from the most accurate group and why?

A 7.25cm, 7.75cm, 8.25cm, because these were the closest to the actual length.

B 7.2cm, 7.25cm, 7.3cm, because these had the most agreement between lengths.

C 8.25cm, 8.75cm, 9.25cm, because these had the most agreement between lengths.

D 8.2cm, 8.25cm, 8.9cm, because these were the closest to the actual length.

Use the diagram below to answer the following question. The arrows below show forces acting on an object.

What is the net force on the object and in what direction would the object move?

A 100 N to the right B 100 N to the left C 100 N upward D 150 N upward

Most of the minerals within an ecosystem are recycled and returned to the environment by the direct activities of organisms known as

A producers. B consumers. C scavengers. D decomposers.

In order for a lunar eclipse to occur, the moon must be in what phase?

A Full Moon B First Quarter C Last Quarter D New Moon

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Use the diagram below to answer the following question.

Which interval represents one full wavelength?

A Point A to Point C B Point B to Point D C Point A to Point G D Point C to Point G

Science, technology, and society affect each other in both positive and negative ways. One example was the discovery of antibiotics. Which statement best describes the negative affect that antibiotics have had on society?

A The extensive use of antibiotics has led to the evolution of resistant strains of bacteria. B The extensive use of antibiotics has caused several forms of new cancers to develop. C The use of antibiotics in consumer products has led to increased obesity in humans. D The increased use of antibiotics caused an over-abundance of medical professionals.

Scientists have discovered fossils of whale ancestors that have well developed hip and thigh bones, which are typically used for walking by mammals. Modern whales most likely evolved from ancestors who

A lived in the sea, and then became better adapted for land. B lived on land, and then became better adapted for the sea. C evolved in the sea and remained in the sea. D evolved on land and remained on land.

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In order for a mutation to be passed from one generation to the next, the mutation must be present in which cell?

A Skin cell B Blood cell C Heart cell D Sperm cell

Use the diagram below to answer the following question. The diagram shows what occurred when a can of diet soda and a can of regular soda were dropped into a container of water.

The can of regular soda sank to the bottom of the container, but the can of diet soda floated. Which statement best explains this observation? The can of regular soda

A is less dense than the can of diet soda.

B is more dense than the can of diet soda.

C has a larger volume than the can of diet soda.

D has a smaller volume than the can of diet soda.

Which cell type in a human would most likely have the most mitochondria?

A A muscle cell in the leg muscle of a runner.

B A cell of the stomach lining that manufactures digestive enzymes.

C A red blood cell that transports oxygen.

D A nerve cell that transmit signals to the brain stem.

Which statement best explains why it is warmer at the equator than the North Pole?

A The equator has more daylight

hours per year than the North Pole. B The equator has a larger area than

the North Pole. C The equator is closer to the Sun

than the North pole. D The equator receives more direct

sunlight than the North Pole.

When investigating a new cancer-fighting drug, medical researchers give some of the subjects a pill that contains the drug. Some of the other subjects are given a pill that does not contain the drug. The drug-free pill serves what purpose in the design of the investigation?

A An experimental control B An experimental variable C A separate trial D A qualitative comparison

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The data in the table below records the weight of an object at five equal distances from Earth. Location 1 is taken at Earth’s surface.

A What is happening to the mass of the object as it is taken from Location 1 to Location 5?

B Using graph paper, plot Force versus Location for the five locations from the data table. Label

the x and y-axis with the appropriate labels and units, and provide a graph title.

C Using your graph, explain what is happening to the weight of the object as the object is taken

from Location 1 to Location 5.

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There is a limit to how large any given population can grow. Which statement best explains why a population must eventually stop growing?

A A low female-to-male ratio develops as the population grows.

B Older individuals outnumber the younger members of the population.

C Natural selection causes the gene pool to shift as the population increases.

D The available resources necessary for life are used up as the population grows.

Use the diagram below to answer the following question. The symbols are used to represent separate regions of space.

Which diagram represents Earth’s place in the universe?

A Diagram 1 B Diagram 2 C Diagram 3 D Diagram 4

Use the diagram below to answer the following question. The diagram shows the path of a moving pendulum swinging from a fixed point called a fulcrum.

At which two numbered positions is the potential energy of the pendulum most likely the same?

A Position 1 and Position 3 B Position 1 and Position 4 C Position 2 and Position 3 D Position 2 and Position 4

Accurate estimates of the age of Earth were not possible until which discovery was made? A Earth’s molten core cools at

predictable and measurable rates. B Radioactive decay occurs in certain

elements at a predictable rate. C The oldest fossils are found in

layers at the bottom of rock strata. D The shrinking diameter of the Sun

can be used to infer the age of planets.

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Which statement provides the best evidence that organisms of two different species share a common ancestor?

A They live in similar environments. B They have the same anatomy. C They reproduce at the same time. D They have similar DNA sequences.

Which of the following pairs of compounds contain the same number of atoms, but different kinds of atoms?

A CO2 and CaCl2 B CO2 and CO C MgCO3 and 2CaCO3 D C4H10 and C5H12

Many animals have an internal or external skeleton that provides support and structure. What cell structure found in plants plays a similar role?

A Cytoplasm B Cell wall C Chloroplast D Cell membrane

Greenhouse gases help keep Earth at a habitable temperature by

A blocking the cold winds and

ices originating in outer space. B serving as essential nutrients

for atmospheric phytoplankton. C allowing only infrared light to

reach Earth’s surface. D retaining some of the Sun’s

energy in our lower atmosphere.

Use the data table below to answer the following question. The data table shows the percentage of elements found in the human body.

What type of graph would best represent this data?

A Pie chart B Line graph C Bar graph D Histogram

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Use the passage below to help answer the three questions which follow. The organisms in an ecosystem interact in many ways to survive. For example, a rosebush, aphids, beetles, spiders, and orioles all interact in a rosebush ecosystem. The diagram below shows how these organisms interact in a partial food web.

From http://www.doe.mass.edu/

A Identify the producer organism in this food web. Explain the reasoning for your answer.

B Identify the primary consumer organism in this food web. Explain the reasoning for your answer.

C Describe what would most likely happen to each of the other organisms in the food web if the beetle population were suddenly destroyed. Explain the reasoning for your answer for each organism.


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Use the graph below to answer the following question.

How much of Nevada’s energy usage come from nonrenewable resources?

A 30.2% B 56.8% C 93.2% D 100%

Which of the following is a transfer of chemical energy to thermal energy?

A A hairdryer is turned on to dry a

girl’s hair. B A boy digests an apple, which

regulates his body temperature. C An atom is split to increase the

temperature of water D An ice cube is placed in warm soup

and melts.

Which of the following describes the differences between solids and liquids?

A Both have a definite shape, but only solids have a definite volume.

B Both have a definite volume, but only liquids have a definite shape.

C Solids have a definite volume and shape, but liquids only have a definite volume.

D Liquids have a definite volume and shape, but solids only have a definite shape.

Use the graph below to answer the following question. The graph is a velocity vs. time graph showing the movement of a train over time.

Which statement is the best description of the train’s motion? The train is

A not moving in any direction. B continuously accelerating. C moving with constant velocity. D accelerating slowly.

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A difference between sexual and asexual reproduction is that the offspring of

A asexual reproduction have fewer chromosomes than their parents, while offspring of sexual reproduction have the same number of chromosomes.

B sexual reproduction have fewer chromosomes than their parents, while offspring of asexual reproduction have the same number of chromosomes.

C asexual reproductions are clones of their parents, while offspring of sexual reproduction are genetically different from their parents.

D sexual reproduction are clones of their parents, while offspring of asexual reproduction are genetically different from their parents.

Which wave requires a medium for transmission?

A Light B Radio C Infrared D Sound

Which of the following is a cost associated with advances of modern health practices?

A Improved hygiene and water

treatment practices. B Increase in the growth of the

human population. C Decrease in infant and childhood

death rates. D Development of vaccines to

prevent disease.

Our solar system is referred to as heliocentric, that means the

A Earth rotates around the Sun. B Earth orbits around the Sun. C Sun rotates around the Earth. D Sun orbits around the Earth.

In a science class, students are using hot plates to heat liquids during a laboratory investigation. Which practice would not be safe when conducting this procedure?

A Wearing goggles B Tying back long hair C Wearing loose-fitting clothing D Using insulated gloves

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Metamorphic rock forms when the structure of pre-existing rock is changed. What processes can change rock in this manner?

A Cooling and crystallization B Compaction and cementation C Weathering and erosion D Heat and pressure

If a child is born with a genetic disorder, but the mother and father do not have the disorder, then how did the child develop the disorder?

A The child was exposed to an infectious agent at birth.

B The child has an allergy to an environmental agent.

C The disorder is caused by a recessive trait and both parents are carriers.

D The disorder is caused by a dominant trait that both parents possess.

At an amusement park, the gate for a ride is locked and unlocked using a magnetic latching device. Which statement best explains why the gate is unlocked when the ride operator flips a switch that controls the latching device? The switch A turns off an electrical circuit to

demagnetize the latch. B uses the force of gravity to

demagnetize the latch. C sends an infrared light beam that

demagnetizes the latch. D turns on an electrical heating

element that demagnetizes the latch.

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Grade 8 Science CRT

Practice Instructional Materials #1

Appendix I Scoring Support Materials


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Question 10

Part A One key element

One key element identified two pieces of evidence to support the scientist’s theory that the land masses were once together:

The jigsaw puzzle-like fit of the coastlines of the landmasses

The existence of similar fossils (plant) on each of the landmasses

The existence of similar rock types (sandstone and/or limestone) on each of the landmasses

Part B One key element

One key element that explains how each piece of evidence supports the scientist’s theory:

The coastline of the two land masses fit almost perfectly together suggesting that they were once together and have been pulled apart.

The two land masses have similar plant fossils suggesting that at one point the two separate land masses were once together, the plants existed, died and were preserved as fossils, and then separated as the land mass was pulled apart.

The two land masses have similar limestone and sandstone rock-formations that match up. This suggests that the land mass was once whole and the rock formations (sandstone and limestone) were deposited. Later the land mass split taking the rock formations to their current locations.

Score Description

3

Three key elements. AND Response addresses all parts of the question clearly and correctly. Response does not contain any incorrect information.

2

Two key elements. AND Response addresses all parts of the question. Response includes only minor errors.

1

One key element. OR Response does not address all parts of the question. Response addresses all parts of the question, but response includes major errors.

0 Response is incorrect. Blank No response


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Part C One key element

One key element that provides a reason why the land masses have moved to their current position:

A divergent plate boundary existed under the once-complete landmass. The lithospheric plates began to move in opposite directions, pulling apart the once whole land mass into the two land masses observed today.

Seafloor spreading has caused the land masses to spread apart. If things continue as they appear, the ocean in the diagram will continue to get larger and the distance between the two land masses will increase.

Convection currents in the upper mantle are moving the two landmasses away from each other. As new oceanic crust is being formed at a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent plate boundary at center of the ocean labeled in the diagram), the two land masses will continue to move further from each other.


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Location (#)

Force v. Location

Question 28

Part A One key element

One key element that describes the mass of the object at five distances from Earth:

Mass is a property of matter that does not depend upon location in a gravitational field

Mass remains constant

Mass does not change Part B One key element

One key element that correctly displays an appropriately constructed and labeled graph:

Student graph shape matches the key with graph title, and correct labels for both x-axis and y-axis.

Score Description

3


2


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Part C One key element

One key element that describes explains what is happening to the weight of the object as it moves from Location 1 to Location 5:

Weight decreases rapidly with distance as shown in the downward sloping graph. Weight depends on location within a gravitational field. As distance increases, weight decreases. The strength of the gravitational field decreases with distance resulting in less weight.


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Question 38

Part A One key element One key element for identifying the producer and explaining the reason:

The rosebush is the producer in the food web because it can make its own food through photosynthesis.

OR The rosebush is the producer in the food web because it is the primary source of energy for all of

the other organisms. Part B One key element One key element for identifying the primary consumer and explaining the reason:

The primary consumer in the food web is the aphid because it feeds on the rosebush which is the producer.

OR The aphid is the primary consumer in the food web because they are herbivores.

Score Description

3


2


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Part C One key element One key element for explaining the effect on the other organisms if the beetle population was destroyed:

If the beetle population was destroyed, initially the following would happen: The spider population will decrease and eventually be destroyed because the beetles are the

only source of food for the spiders in the food web. The oriole population will decrease because the orioles will lose two food sources- the

beetles and spiders. The aphid population will increase because their predators have decreased. The rosebush population will decrease because of the increase in the aphid population.


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Grade 8 Science CRT

Practice Instructional Materials #1

Appendix II Administrative Support Materials


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Documents

Name: Grade 8 Science CRT - RPDP HS/CRT_SCI_8.pdfwritten response to a question as indicated in the booklet. ... Pole? A The equator has ... Grade 8 Science CRT Instructional Materials