7th Grade Science Assessment – Review Guide
What is the Role of a Hypothesis in Science?
You can pick up different dictionaries and see multiple definitions of a hypothesis. Some dictionaries define it as an
“educated guess.” The problem with this definition is that many non-scientists concentrate on the “guess” part and
ignore the “educated” part. Another problem with this definition is that it doesn’t limit the type of educated guess to
what the natural world is doing, or about why the natural world does what it does.
1. Which of these is a testable/measurable hypothesis? Choose all correct answers. If not acceptable, know why.
A. Birds in the desert like the flowers on the Saguaro cactus the best.
B. The skateboard will travel faster on the steeper slope.
C. The salt dissolves at a faster rate than sugar.
D. The steeper sloped mountain will erode faster.
E. The Monarch Butterfly is the orange butterfly.
F. Gold is more precious than silver.
2. James read an article that claimed a swamp creature was spotted in Florida. Which scientific skill should James use
first after reading the article? Why?
A. Identify the variables that would allow the creature to survive in Florida.
B. Generate a hypothesis to explain how the creature got to Florida.
C. Ask questions and try to find resources that support the claim.
D. Communicate this news to the local media.
3. What is wrong with the definition of “educated guess” for the word hypothesis? (2 reasons)
4. What is truly meant by educated
5.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which graphic representation would be the best way to display data collected from deer population surveys?
line graph
double bar graph
stem and leaf plot
histogram
6.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which of the following steps in the science inquiry process are in the correct sequence?
Conclusion, Data Analysis, Procedure, Hypothesis, Question
Question, Hypothesis, Procedure, Data Analysis, Conclusion
Hypothesis, Question, Data Analysis, Procedure, Conclusion
Question, Procedure, Hypothesis, Conclusion, Data Analysis
7.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which of the following is a testable/measurable question?
Erosion is the process that wears away at mountains.
How often does erosion occur?
How does erosion change landscape?
Does erosion occur in a valley?
8.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which tool would a scientist use to most accurately measure the volume of a liquid?
measuring spoon
beaker
graduated cylinder
triple-beam balance
9. Hypothesis: If the amount of sunlight is dependent on the tilt of the Earth, then the greater the angle the greater the
amount of sunlight is striking an area. Which of these is the dependent variable?
A. amount of sunlight
B. tilt of the Earth
C. greater the angle
D. greater the amount
10. Which of these is the independent variable from the hypothesis above?
A. amount of sunlight
B. tilt of the Earth
C. greater the angle
D. greater the amount
11. Which tool would a scientist use to most accurately measure the angle of sunlight?
A. drawing compass
B. protractor
C. metric ruler
D. standard ruler
12. You are testing a collection of rocks with hydrochloric acid (HCl). Which safety precautions would you not
demonstrate while conducting this procedure?
A. wear an apron
B. pull back hair
C. wear safety goggles
D. use a graduated cylinder
13. The two most important rules a scientific hypothesis must follow are:
A. It must be testable and predictable.
B. It must be predictable and falsifiable.
C. It must be testable and falsifiable.
D. It must be predictable reliable.
14. Which of the following is a testable hypothesis? Select all that apply.
A. Igneous rock is better than metamorphic rock.
B. Pine trees grow best at room temperature?
C. Average trout lengths are the same in the upper and lower Colorado River.
D. Birds in the desert like the flowers on the Saguaro cactus best.
E. What effect does heat and pressure have on rocks?
15. When making a prediction in your hypothesis, the prediction should?
A. Suggest an outcome for a test that is currently happening.
B. Suggest an outcome for a test that will happen in the future.
C. Suggest an outcome for a test that happened in the past.
D. Suggest an outcome for a test that will never happen.
16. Which statement is true?
A. Most rocks form deep underground.
B. Most rocks are made of minerals.
C. Most rocks contain large crystals.
17. Granite forms deep below Earth’s surface, from slowly cooling magma. Which feature results from this process?
A. Granite has small crystals.
B. Granite has large crystals.
C. Granite has no crystals.
18. What type of rock can weather, erode, move, and settle to form sediments? Select all that apply.
A. igneous
B. weathering
C. sedimentary
D. metamorphic
E. molten
19. What size particles are likely to move farthest in slow-moving water?
A. coarse and medium sand
B. fine and very fine sand
C. silt and clay
20. Imagine you are hiking to the bottom of a canyon. Near the top, you see a layer of sandstone. About halfway down
the trail, you see a layer of shale. Near the bottom of the canyon, you see a layer of limestone. The layers are not folded.
Which layer is oldest?
A. sandstone
B. shale
C. limestone
21. Which layer of Earth has the most extreme heat and pressure?
A. crust
B. mantle
C. outer core
D. inner core
22. The major difference between the three types of rocks is in _______________.
A. how they form.
B. where they are found.
C. whether or not they contain minerals.
23. There is a layer of sandstone directly above a layer of granite. Geologists have determined that the granite formed
about 200 million years ago. What can you say about the sandstone?
A. It formed less than 200 million years ago.
B. It formed more than 200 million years ago.
C. There is no way to know how long ago it formed.
24. Which of the following correctly lists the organisms in the fossil record from earliest (closet to when Earth was
formed) to most recent (closest to today)?
A. reptiles, mammals, jellyfish
B. dinosaurs, insects, grass
C. trilobites, flowering plants, bees
Essay Question:
25. On a separate sheet of paper, explain and illustrate the rock cycle?