Performance Benchmark N.12.A.5
Students know models and modeling can be used to identify and predict cause-effect
relationships. I/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Describe how models are used in science.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following is NOT a reason for using models in science?
A. Visualize objects too small, large, or distant to see.
B. Predict cause and effect relationships.
C. Provide a working hypothesis.
D. To construct a final representation of object studied .
2. All models must NOT
A. be accepted by all scientists working in field.
B. be supported by experimental data.
C. evolve as new data is analyzed.
D. show relationships between components.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3. Use these two models of the atom to answer the following question.
Thompson
Model
Rutherford
Model
The model of an atom was modified because scientists
A. only look at the data that is important to science to create a model.
B. work in different fields of science and draw conclusions from that expertise resulting
in differing models.
C. used new evidence to support the change in the working hypothesis.
D. must considers how their government will react to the explanations.
4. Models are often made to simplify a very complex concept. Why is it difficult to construct a
single model for life on Earth?
A. Many organisms live in habitats that are difficult to explore.
B. Life on Earth is so diverse that it is difficult to understand the complexity.
C. Tropical rain forests contain so many species that it is not possible to find them all.
D. Many organisms are microscopic and therefore are difficult to observe.
2nd Item Specification: Use models and modeling to illustrate relationships and predict
outcomes.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5. The diagram below contains three molecules.
The following four diagrams show these molecules joined together.
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
Diagram 4
Predict a model of how these molecules would join together.
A. Diagram 1
B. Diagram 2
C. Diagram 3
D. Diagram 4
6. The diagram below is a model of the pressure/temperature relationship and the resulting
phase of water.
(From http://www.sciencebyjones.com/why_is_water_special.htm)
Predict the phase of water at a temperature of 750C and a pressure of 300 millibars.
A. Solid
B. Liquid
C. Vapor
D. Plasma
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
7. The following diagram is a simple food web.
If the Corn and Oats were removed from the food web above, which of the
following will be MOST affected?
A. Mice and Rats
B. Hawks and Owls
C. Snakes and Raccoons
D. Grasshoppers and Crickets
8. The map below shows a portion of California along the San Andreas Fault zone. The map
shows the probability that an earthquake strong enough to damage buildings and other
structures will occur between now and the year 2024.
(Diagram from ExamGen 4.3)
The state of California wants to build a nuclear reactor to meet its future energy needs.
Using the model above, where would be the BEST location to place the nuclear reactor?
A. San Diego
B. Bakersfield
C. Los Angeles
D. Barstow
3rd Item Specification: Evaluate the appropriateness of a model.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
9. Which of the following models would be the BEST model choice to visualize the relative
positions of the planets in our solar system?
A. Full scale physical model
B. Mathematical model
C. Working hypothesis
D. Two dimensional diagram
10. Which of the following models would be the BEST model choice to predict changes in a
system?
A. Full scale physical model
B. Mathematical model
C. Working hypothesis
D. Two dimensional diagram
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
11. The model below is set up to show how a lunar eclipse occurs.
(Figure reference: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2006/grade8/science/8science.htm)
What is the greatest limitation of this model?
A. The light bulb is standing straight up instead of tilted on an axis.
B. Comparative sizes and distances are inaccurate
C. The shadow is being cast in the wrong direction
D. The heat released is much less than that released by the Sun.
12. Below is a flow chart showing the types of data used to construct a global climate model.
(From: www.globalwarmingheartland.org/Assets/PowerPoint/ball.ppt)
Which of the following is NOT a limitation of the global climate model used to support the
concept of global warming?
A. Current computer technology is incapable of processing the amount of data collected
in a timely manner so the data must be minimized to draw conclusions.
B. The model assumes that past climate patterns will continue in the future. Therefore,
we are using past data to predict future weather patterns.
C. The lack of scientific researchers working on the global warming model limits the
rate of which the data can be processed to develop hypotheses.
D. The model assumes a cause and effect relationship between carbon dioxide and
temperature which may or may not be true.
Performance Benchmark N.12.A.5
Students know models and modeling can be used to identify and predict cause-effect
relationships. I/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. D, DOK Level 1
2. A, DOK Level 1
3. C, DOK Level 2
4. B, DOK Level 2
5. A, DOK Level 1
6. C, DOK Level 1
7. A, DOK Level 2
8. D, DOK Level 2
9. D, DOK Level 1
10. B, DOK Level 1
11. B, DOK Level 2
12. C, DOK Level 2