Content Benchmark E.8.A.2
Students know how the processes involved in the water cycle affect climatic patterns. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Understand the movement of water through the water cycle.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which part of the water cycle leads to the development of clouds?
A. Condensation
B. Infiltration
C. Precipitation
D. Runoff
2. Water moves from oceans, rivers and lakes to air vapor through
A. condensation.
B. runoff.
C. precipitation.
D. evaporation.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3. For condensation to occur, water vapor must
A. heat up and turn into liquid.
B. cool down and turn into liquid.
C. cool down and evaporate into a gas.
D. heat up and evaporate into a gas.
4. How are the water cycle processes of runoff and infiltration different? Runoff moves
A. downhill whereas infiltration moves through bedrock.
B. uphill whereas infiltration moves over bedrock.
C. downhill and infiltration moves uphill.
D. uphill whereas infiltration moves downhill.
2nd Item Specification: Students understand the difference between weather and climate.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5. Which of the following climate factors is also a part of the water cycle?
A. Temperature.
B. Precipitation.
C. Infiltration.
D. Evaporation.
6. A region’s climate is determined by the temperatures and amount of precipitation
averaged over which of the following time intervals?
A. 1 week
B. 1 year
C. 30 years
D. 48 hours
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
7. Understanding the climate for a typical region allows a person to
A. anticipate what the weather is likely to be in a given month.
B. accurately predict the weather weeks in advance.
C. not be certain what the weather will be in a given month.
D. know the daily high temperature for the next several days.
3rd Item Specification: Students will understand the role convection has in the water cycle,
weather and climate.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
8. Convection in the oceans and atmosphere is a result of the difference in
A. mass.
B. temperature.
C. weight.
D. volume.
9. As the sun heats up the surface of the ocean, convection currents can increase
A. evaporation.
B. infiltration.
C. precipitation.
D. condensation.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
10. During temperature inversion, a cool air mass is located below a warm air mass. What
would be impact on the weather?
A. The cool air mass will rapidly rise and result in thunderstorms.
B. The air masses would stall and could lead to the development of smog.
C. The warm air will sink below the cold air through the process of convection.
D. The cool air will rise above the warm air through the process of convection.
4th Item Specification: Describe water in the atmosphere as water vapor, clouds, ice
crystals and their role as a greenhouse gas.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
11. Water suspended in high altitude clouds is likely to be in the form of
A. water vapor.
B. ice crystals.
C. snow.
D. rain.
12. Which of the following is considered a greenhouse gas?
A. Carbon monoxide
B. Water vapor
C. Ammonia
D. Argon
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
13. Increased cloudiness would cause average daytime temperatures to
A. increase because water has a high specific heat.
B. decrease because water has a low specific heat.
C. decrease as clouds reflect solar radiation.
D. increase as clouds are the main source of precipitation.
14. Compared to an evening with clear skies, cloudy conditions in the evening have what
effect on the overnight temperatures? The clouds cause a(n)
A. decrease in solar radiation which will cause the temperatures to remain higher than on
a clear night.
B. increase in solar radiation which will cause the temperatures to be higher than on a
clear night.
C. decrease in the overnight temperature because the clouds block the moonlight.
D. increase in the temperature because there is a greater chance of precipitation.
Constructed Response E.8.A.2
Use the following data table showing the percentages of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere to answer the following question.
Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere
Type of Greenhouse Gas
Water vapor
Percent of
Total
95.000%
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
3.618%
Methane (CH4)
0.360%
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
0.950%
CFC's (and other misc. gases)
0.072%
Total
100.000%
(Modified from http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html)
Provide an explanation of how an increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide
would affect the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. What effect might this have
on global warming?
Content Benchmark E.8.A.2
Students know the processes involved in the water cycle affect climatic patterns. E/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. A, DOK Level 1
2. D, DOK Level 1
3. B, DOK Level 2
4. A, DOK Level 2
5. B, DOK Level 1
6. C, DOK Level 1
7. A, DOK Level 2
8. B, DOK Level 1
9. A, DOK Level 1
10. B, DOK Level 2
11. B, DOK Level 1
12. B, DOK Level 1
13. C, DOK Level 2
14. A, DOK Level 2
Constructed Response E.8.A.2 Score Rubric:
Response addresses all parts of the question clearly and correctly.
3 points
2 points
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is significantly
lower than the amount of water vapor. If amount of carbon
dioxide increases, then this could cause an increase in
atmospheric temperature which could cause a greater amount of
evaporation to occur, adding additional water vapor to the
atmosphere. As water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse
gas, this could in turn cause global temperatures to increase. If
temperatures increase, then evaporation could increase which
could result in what is known as a “positive feedback loop”.
Response addresses all parts of the question and includes only minor
errors.
Response does not address all parts of the question.
1 point
The response is totally incorrect or no response provided.
0 points