Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Grade 7 – Life Science
Unit 4: Classification of Life
Answer Key and Rubrics
Number of
Questions
Question Type
Points
per
Question
Total
Points
for
Section
Selected Response
10
Item Numbers: 1-10
01
10
Constructed
Response
01
Item Number(s): 1
04
4
TOTAL
POINTS:
14
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Unit Title / Focus
Classification of Life
Grade Level / Course
7th grade
Authors
Tygier Graham
Eleanor Lovelace
Sheveeta Bonner
Date
Step 1: Priority Standard(s)
S7L1. OBTAIN, EVALUATE, and COMMUNICATE information to INVESTIGATE the
diversity of living organisms and how they can be compared scientifically.
a. DEVELOP and DEFEND a model that categorizes organisms based on common
characteristics.
b. EVALUATE historical models of how organisms were classified based on physical
characteristics and how that led up to the six-kingdom system (currently archaea, bacteria,
protists, fungi, plants, and animals).
* (Clarification statement: This includes common examples and characteristics such as, but
not limited, to prokaryotic, eukaryotic, unicellular, multicellular, asexual reproduction,
sexual reproduction, autotroph, heterotroph, and unique cell structures. Modern
classification will be addressed in high school.)
Step 2: Unwrap standard for skills and concepts and determine DOK ceiling
Skills
Concepts
(students need to be able to do)
(students need to know)
S7L1
* Obtain
* Information to investigate the diversity of
living organisms and how they can be
compared scientifically.
* Evaluate
* Information to investigate the diversity of
living organisms and how they can be
compared scientifically.
* Communicate
* Information to investigate the diversity of
living organisms and how they can be
compared scientifically.
* Investigation
* the diversity of living organisms and how
they can be compared scientifically.
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
S7L1a
* Develop
* A model that categorizes organisms based
on common characteristics.
* Defend
* A model that categorizes organisms based
on common characteristics.
S7L1b
* Evaluate
* historical models of how organisms were
classified based on physical characteristics
and how that led up to the six-kingdom
system (currently archaea, bacteria, protists,
fungi, plants, and animals)
Overall DOK Level:
_____ 1
______ 2
_X__3
_____4
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Selected Response Items:
Use the dichotomous key below to answer question 1.
DICHOTOMOUS KEY TO 10 COMMON MAMMALS IN THE EASTERN
UNITED STATES
1. a.
b.
2. a.
b.
3. a.
b.
4. a.
b.
5. a.
b.
6. a.
b.
7. a.
b.
This mammal flies. Its "hand" forms a wing.
Little Brown Bat
This mammal does not fly. Its "hand" does not form a wing.
Go to step 2.
This mammal has no hair on its tail.
Go to step 3.
This mammal has hair on its tail.
Go to step 4.
This mammal has a short, naked tail.
Eastern Mole
This mammal has a long, naked tail.
Go to step 5.
This mammal has a black mask across its face.
Raccoon
This mammal does not have a black mask across its face.
Go to step 6.
This mammal has a tail that is flat and paddle shaped.
This mammal has a tail that is not paddle shaped.
This mammal is brown and has a white underbelly.
Beaver
Opossum
Go to step 7.
This mammal is not brown and does not have a white
underbelly.
Striped Skunk
This mammal has a long, furry tail that has black on the tip.
Longtail Weasel
This mammal has a long tail that has little fur.
White-Footed Mouse
1. Frank saw a wingless animal that was brown on its face and body with white on its belly. It also
had a long furry tail with a black tip. Use the dichotomous key to determine which of the following
animal Frank saw. (S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
a striped skunk
a little brown bat
a longtail weasel
a white-footed mouse
2. Based on your knowledge about Domains and Kingdoms, which of the following pairs of
organisms are most closely related? (S7L1a)
A. a dog and a horse
B. a lizard and a bacterium
C. a cat and an amoeba
D. a tree and a mushroom
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
3. Many people have the misconception that mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom.
To disprove this misconception, you conduct an experiment by growing plants and
mushrooms under different amounts of light. You obtain the following data from your
experiment. (S7L1b)
Organism
Amount of Water per
day
100 ml
100 ml
100 ml
100 ml
Mushroom #1
Mushroom #2
Plant # 1
Plant # 2
Hours of light per day
8
0
8
0
Growth/description
after 2 weeks
4 inches - healthy
4 inches - healthy
4 inches - healthy
0 inches - dead
Based upon the data, which of the following is the best conclusion? (S7L1b)
A. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in light.
B. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
C. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in the
dark.
D. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
4. On a recent research trip to the African rainforest, Donna discovered a new organism that is
eukaryotic, multicellular, autotrophic, contains chlorophyll and reproduce through sexual
reproduction. Which kingdom does the newly discovered organism most likely belong to?
(S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Animals
Plants
Bacteria
Fungi
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
5. Which of the following is a difference between bacteria and protists? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Protists have cell walls, but bacteria do not.
Protists are prokaryotes, but bacteria are not.
Bacteria have nuclei, but protists do not.
Protist have membrane-bound organelles, but bacteria do not
6. The branching diagram illustrates similarities and differences between various
groups of organisms. Which two groups of organisms in the diagram are shown
to be most closely related? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Porifera and Echinodermata
Chordata and Platyhelminthes
Mollusca and Annelida
Arthropoda and Coelenterata
7. Some multicellular and single-celled organisms have been recently discovered around Lake
Jackson Georgia. Scientists observed that some of the organisms produce sexually, a few
asexually and the organisms shared similar characteristics. For example, they all are eukaryotic
but do not have specialized tissues and some have plant-like characteristic while other have
animal-like characteristics. To what kingdom does the organism most likely belong? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Kingdome Plantae
Kingdom Protista
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Animalia
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
8. Dil is studying two different type of birds: Polioptila caerulea and Guiraea caerulea. He was
amazed by the similar characteristics both birds shared. Based on the scientific names, Dil can
conclude that the two types of birds (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
belong to different genera
belong to different species
belong to different domains
belong to different kingdoms
Use the diagram to answer question 9 and 10.
Table of Classification Levels
Classification Level
Aardwolf
Gray Wolf
Coyote
Lion
Blue Whale
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Carnivora
Carnivora
Carnivora
Cetacea
Family
Hyaenidae
Canidae
Canidae
Felidae
Balenopteridae
Genus
Proteles
Canis
Canis
Panthera
Balaenoptera
Species
Proteles
cristatus
Canis lupus
Canis latrans
Panthera leo
Balaenoptera musculus
9. What classification groups do all of the organisms in the table have in common? (S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Phylum, Class, and Family
Kingdom, Phylum, and Class
Order, Kingdom, Class
Genus, Species, Phylum
10. Based on the information in the table, which two organisms have the most shared
characteristics? (S7L1a)
A. The Aardwolf and Gray Wolf have canine teeth, milk their young and are wolves.
B. The Lion and the Coyote share more than three characteristics.
C. The Gray Wolf and Coyote share more characteristics but are of different species.
D. The Blue Whale and Lion belong to the same Kingdom, Phylum, and Class.
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Constructed Response Items:
The table below gives the common names, scientific names, and known geographic
locations of several wild cats.
Common
Name
Scientific
Name
Main Geographic
Location(s)
African lion
Panthera leo
Africa
Bengal tiger
Panthera tigris
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India,
Myanmar, Nepal
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Africa
Indochinese tiger
Panthera tigris
Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos,
Myanmar, Vietnam
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Africa, China, India
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
South America, Central America
Sumatran tiger
Panthera tigris
island of Sumatra
1. Using the common names of the wild cats, identify all the wild cats listed in the table that
A. belong to the same genus
B. the same species
C. explain one type of evidence scientists could have used to classify these wild cats.
D. Three kinds of tigers are classified as one species, identify which tiger has the greatest
chance of becoming a separate species. Explain your answer
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Answer Document and Scoring Guide
Selected Response Items:
Use the dichotomous key below to answer question 1.
DICHOTOMOUS KEY TO 10 COMMON MAMMALS IN THE EASTERN
UNITED STATES
1. a.
b.
2. a.
b.
3. a.
b.
4. a.
b.
This mammal flies. Its "hand" forms a wing.
Little Brown Bat
This mammal does not fly. Its "hand" does not form a wing.
Go to step 2.
This mammal has no hair on its tail.
Go to step 3.
This mammal has hair on its tail.
Go to step 4.
This mammal has a short, naked tail.
Eastern Mole
This mammal has a long, naked tail.
Go to step 5.
This mammal has a black mask across its face.
Raccoon
This mammal does not have a black mask across its face.
Go to step 6.
5. a.
b.
This mammal has a tail that is flat and paddle shaped.
This mammal has a tail that is not paddle shaped.
6. a.
b.
7. a.
b.
This mammal is brown and has a white underbelly.
Beaver
Opossum
Go to step 7.
This mammal is not brown and does not have a white
underbelly.
Striped Skunk
This mammal has a long, furry tail that has black on the tip.
Longtail Weasel
This mammal has a long tail that has little fur.
White-Footed Mouse
1. Frank saw a wingless animal that was brown on its face and body with white on its belly. It also
had a long furry tail with a black tip. Use the dichotomous key to determine which of the following
animal Frank saw. (S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
a striped skunk
a little brown bat
a longtail weasel
a white-footed mouse
2. Based on your knowledge about Domains and Kingdom, which of the following pairs of
organisms are most closely related? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
a dog and a horse
a lizard and a bacterium
a cat and an amoeba
a tree and a mushroom
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
3. Many people have the misconception that mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom.
To disprove this misconception, you conduct an experiment by growing plants and
mushrooms under different amounts of light. You obtain the following data from your
experiment. (S7L1b)
Organism
Mushroom #1
Mushroom #2
Plant # 1
Plant # 2
Amount of Water per
day
100 ml
100 ml
100 ml
100 ml
Hours of light per day
8
0
8
0
Growth/description
after 2 weeks
4 inches - healthy
4 inches - healthy
4 inches - healthy
0 inches - dead
Based upon the data, which of the following is the best conclusion? (S7L1b)
A. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in light.
B. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
C. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in the
dark.
D. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
4. On a recent research trip to the African rainforest, Donna discovered a new organism that is
eukaryotic, multicellular, autotrophic, contains chlorophyll and reproduce through sexual
reproduction. Which kingdom does the newly discovered organism most likely belong to? (S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Animals
Plants
Bacteria
Fungi
5. Which of the following is a difference between bacteria and protists? (S7L1a)
A. Protists have cell walls, but bacteria do not.
B. Protists are prokaryotes, but bacteria are not.
C. Bacteria have nuclei, but protists do not.
D. Protist have membrane-bound organelles, but bacteria do not
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
6. The branching diagram illustrates similarities and differences between various
groups of organisms. Which two groups of organisms in the diagram are shown
to be most closely related? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Porifera and Echinodermata
Chordata and Platyhelminthes
Mollusca and Annelida
Arthropoda and Coelenterata
7. Some multicellular and single-celled organisms have been recently discovered around Lake
Jackson, Georgia. Scientists observed that some of the organisms produce sexually, a few
asexually and the organisms shared similar characteristics. For example, they all are
eukaryotic but do not have specialized tissues and some have plant-like characteristic while
other have animal-like characteristics. To what kingdom does the organism most likely
belong? (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Kingdom Plantae
Kingdom Protista
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Animalia
8. Dil is studying two different type of birds: Polioptila caerulea and Guiraea caerulea. He was
amazed by the similar characteristics both birds share. Based on the scientific names, Dil can
conclude that the two types of birds (S7L1a)
A.
B.
C.
D.
belong to different genera
belong to different species
belong to different domains
belong to different kingdoms
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Use the diagram to answer question 9 and 10.
Table of Classification Levels
Classification Level
Aardwolf
Gray Wolf
Coyote
Lion
Blue Whale
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Carnivora
Carnivora
Carnivora
Cetacea
Family
Hyaenidae
Canidae
Canidae
Felidae
Balenopteridae
Genus
Proteles
Canis
Canis
Panthera
Balaenoptera
Species
Proteles
cristatus
Canis lupus
Canis latrans
Panthera leo
Balaenoptera musculus
9. What classification groups do all of the organisms in the table have in common? (S7L1b)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Phylum, Class, and Family
Kingdom, Phylum, and Class
Order, Kingdom, Class
Genus, Species, Phylum
10. Based on the information in the table, which two organisms have the most shared
characteristics? (S7L1a)
A. The Aardwolf and Gray Wolf have canine teeth, milk their young and are wolves.
B. The Lion and the Coyote share more than three characteristics.
C. The Gray Wolf and Coyote share more characteristics but of different species.
D. The Blue Whale and Lion belong to the same Kingdom, Phylum, and Class.
Constructed Response Items Characteristics:
• Students generate the answer
• A matching scoring guide is required
• Specific directions will cue students to the scoring guide
• Scoring guide can be:
○ Short: work, phrase, sentence, single problem
○ Extended: several paragraphs, essay, multi-step Operations in math, problem solving
○ Show all your work (diagrams, tables, or computations)
Constructed Response Items: (S7L2b)
1. Using the common names of the wild cats, identify all the wild cats listed in the table that
a. belong to the same genus
b. the same species
c. explain one type of evidence scientists could have used to classify these wild cats.
d. Three kinds of tigers are classified as one species, identify which tiger has the greatest
chance of becoming a separate species. Explain your answer.
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
Student responses may vary so answers could possibly contain the following:
• Common names of the wild cats must be used
• The African lion, Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Leopard, and the Sumatran tiger
belong to the same genus because the first part of the scientific name represent the
genus which is Panthera.
• The Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, and the Sumatran tiger belong to the same
species because the second part of the scientific name represent the species which is
tigris.
• In accordance with the Linnaeus method, scientists classify the animals on the basis of
shared physical characteristics. They place them in a hierarchy of groupings,
beginning with the kingdom animalia and proceeding through phyla, classes, orders,
families, genera and species. Scientists classify organisms to make them easier to
study and communicate. Taxonomy is very useful to scientists because once an
organism is classified they can already learn a lot about it. In addition, the answer
could include that scientists look at many traits, compare organisms living today with
those that lived long ago, living things that are closely related are in many of the same
classification groups, ancestors, similar body structures, and body chemistry
• Sumatran tiger has the greatest chance of becoming a separate species if the group
become isolated from each other by barriers such as an island which leads to no
exchange of genes (reproduction).
Scoring Guide: Question 1
Step 5: Develop a Scoring Guide / Answer Key
(Note: This step may be done before developing the constructed response item.)
Advanced (4)
Proficient (3)
Progressing (2)
Needs More
Practice (1)
All of the proficient criteria plus:
_3__ of the _4_ __2__ of the
_1__ of the _4__
Thoroughly demonstrated a thorough
Proficient
_4__ Proficient
Proficient Criteria
understanding of the standards
Criteria
Criteria
assessed by:
• Common
Name of genus
• Explanation of one type of
•Common name
evidence scientists use to
of species.
classify animals.
• Explanation of
• An understanding of at least
Understanding
one way a group of tigers can
of genus and
become separated based on
species.
the above information on the
• Group of tigers
table.
that can become
separate species
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education
Grade 7_ Life Science _ Unit 4: Classification of Life_ Pre-Post Assessment
DeKalb County Schools 2016
In partnership with the International Center for Leadership in Education