Grade 7
Science Mid-Term Review Packet
Dear Parents and Guardians of 7th Grade Students,
Both the Science mid-term and final exam mirror the Grade 8 Intermediate Level Science Test (ILST), which
all 8th graders in New York State are required to take at the end of their 8th grade year. The ILST encompasses
content learned from grades 5-8. The test consists of 45 multiple choice questions and 30-40 constructed
response questions. Students are allotted 2 hours to take the written test. Because we are taking the mid-term
and final exam during regular class periods, students will not have the full 2 hours unless we separate the two
parts over two days, which is similar to the Math assessments your child has taken this year.
Please note that this is NOT a Common Core Assessment. This is an assessment that has been administered
since 2000. ALL students who attended a school in New York State from grades 5-8 learned the content for
this assessment. In order to properly prepare our students at South Buffalo Charter School, we spiral the
content. Topics learned in grades 5 and 6 are reviewed in grades 7 and 8 as we are learning the 7th and 8th grade
curriculum. For example, students are introduced to heredity in grade 5. In grade 7, we review the basic
genetic principles as we look at tracing a trait through a family tree or pedigree. While in 5th grade, students
learn that your genes are mostly responsible for what you look like, in 7th grade, we identify the base pairs as we
look at a double helix, trying to understand why a mutation may occur.
The ILST is similar to a high school Regents exam. Students MUST study for a longer period of time for these
assessments. Think back to when you were in school! I am sure you didn’t just look over your notes for 5
minutes the night before. Please stress preparation. I am sending out the review sheet early, so that over the
upcoming holidays your child will be able to go through their materials and start reviewing.
Because it is a larger assessment, the mid-term will count as two test grades, one grade for each part.
January 20 Part 1 40 Multiple Choice
January 21 part 2 30 Constructed Response
In order to prepare for your mid-term exam you should review the following topics:
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Scientific Method
Plant cells vs Animal cells
Cell processes (photosynthesis, respiration, passive and active transport)
Reproduction, Growth and Development (asexual vs sexual, mitosis, meiosis and metamorphosis)
Classification and dichotomous keys
The Immune System and Pathogens
Genetics
Adaptation, natural selection and evolution (we will start this topic after Christmas Break)
Read through your notes, study from old tests and quizzes. Make flash cards for vocabulary you are unsure of.
Look at my classroom pages for copies of past worksheets and packets.
Inside this packet are a just a few sample questions from each topic. If you can answer them without
looking up the answer, you’re on the right track!
Scientific Method: Measurement, Observation, Inferences, Variables and Controls
A student set up the experiment shown below to determine if radish seeds take in oxygen as they
germinate. Methylene blue is a chemical that is blue when oxygen is present, but is colorless when
oxygen is not present. Containers A and B each contained 200 mL of water and 10 drops of methylene blue. Ten
radish seeds were added to container A. Container B had no radish seeds.
_____The purpose of container B in this experiment is to
A. serve as the control container
B. serve as the experimental container
C. show that seeds do not give off oxygen
D. show that seeds do not give off carbon dioxide
_____ Which statement is an inference?
A. A thermometer shows that the air temperature is 56°F.
B. A mineral sample of galena produced agray-black streak when tested.
C. Based on previous data, ten hurricanes may occur in the year 2013.
D. A weather vane indicates the wind is coming from the west.
The diagram below shows water in a graduated cylinder.
_____ A student states that the graduated cylinder contains 150 mL of water. This statement is
A. a prediction
C. a theory
B. an observation
D. a hypothesis
_____ A student examined a rock sample and described it as having particles of various colors that were
1 millimeter to 12 millimeters in size. The student was making
A. an inference
C. a prediction
B. a hypothesis
D. an observation
The graph below represents the relationship between the amount of spring rainfall recorded at a pond and the
number of frogs in that pond. The data were collected over five spring seasons.
_____ What is the difference between the number of frogs in the pond when the rainfall was 5 cm and when the
rainfall was 20 cm?
A. 20
C. 50
B. 40
D. 60
A group of students placed the same species of a water plant in five identical test tubes. The test tubes were
filled with water and placed at different distances from a light source. After a few minutes, bubbles began to
appear in the test tubes, indicating that photosynthesis was occurring. The students counted and recorded the
number of bubbles per minute that appeared in each of the test tubes. The results are shown in the data table
below.
Predict the number of bubbles per minute that would appear if a test tube were placed 80 cm from the
light source. [1]
_____________ bubbles per minute
Base your answers to the following two questions on the passage below and on your knowledge of science.
A student wondered if different types of plants would produce different amounts of oxygen. A pea plant, a fern,
and a cactus were growing in equal-sized containers with equal amounts of soil. The student measured the
amount of oxygen produced by each.
State one possible hypothesis for this experiment. [1]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Identify two conditions, other than the size of container and the amount of soil, that should be held
constant in this experiment. [1]
(1) __________________________________________
(2) __________________________________________
Plant cells vs Animal cells
_____The structures found in a living cell can be compared to the parts of a factory that produces cars. Which
part of the factory is most similar to the ER of a living cell?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a conveyor belt that transports materials
a storage bin that holds the pieces needed to assemble a car
the computer room that controls the assembly process
the generator that provides energy for the factory
_____ A student observed a cell under the microscope. The student identified the cell as a plant cell and not an
animal cell because of the presence of
A. a cell membrane
B. ribosomes
C. a cell wall
D. a nucleus
_____ With the development of the microscope, scientists were able to see cells for the first time. Why was it
difficult to view cells without a microscope?
A Cells are small.
B. Cells are alive.
C. Cells move quickly.
D. Cells have an electrical charge.
_____Jonny climbed an apple tree. How are Jonny and the apple tree similar to each other?
A. Both are made of cells.
B. Both take in carbon dioxide.
C. Both get nutrients directly from soil.
D. Both get energy from other organisms.
_____ A student studied an animal cell under a microscope. The student made a drawing of the cell and labeled
some of its parts.
Which label should the student write in place of the question mark?
A. nucleolus
B. ribosome
C. cell wall
D. cell membrane
_____ Which of these can only be found in a plant cell?
A. a nucleus
B. a vacuole
______Animal cells obtain energy by
C. a cell wall
D. a cell membrane
A. processing sunlight.
B. absorbing nutrients.
C. growing.
D. dividing.
______ Which of these structures in a plant cell allows a plant to make food?
A. cell wall
B. cytoplasm
C. chloroplast
D. chromosomes
A eukaryotic cell is shown in the diagram on the right.
______ Which organelle stores DNA and acts as a control center
for the cell?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mitochondria
Ribosomes
Nucleus
Nucleolus
_____ Which statement describes a primary function of the cell wall of a plant cell?
A. The cell wall performs photosynthesis.
B. The cell wall stores DNA.
C. The cell wall provides structural support.
D. The cell wall manufactures proteins.
______Which structures are common to both plant and animal cells?
A. vacuole, chloroplast, nucleus
C. nucleus, cell wall, cell membrane
B. cell membrane, nucleus, mitochondrion
D. mitochondrion, vacuole, cell wall
Use the diagram below and your knowledge of science to answer questions 55-57.
Base your answers to the following questions on the diagram of a cell below and on your knowledge of science.
Some of the cell structures are labeled.
Which two structures are found in plant cells, but not in animal cells? [2]
(1) ______________________________________
(2) ______________________________________
Which structure shown in the plant cell diagram is the site of photosynthesis? [1]______________________
Which cell structure shown in the diagram contains genetic material? [1] ____________________________
Base your answers to the following questions on the diagram below and on your knowledge of science. The
diagram shows a cell with some basic cell structures labeled.
Identify two structures labeled in the diagram, other than the large
vacuole, that indicate this cell is a plant cell. [1]
(1) ______________________________________
(2) ______________________________________
What atrtucture shown is the site of photosynthesis? [1]
_______________________________________________
Cell processes (photosynthesis, respiration, passive and active transport)
______ The cells of a plant help the plant maintain its life functions. What part of a plant cell has the function
of producing sugar in the presence of sunlight?
A. chloroplast
C. mitochondria
B. cytoplasm
D. nucleus
______Which cellular structure allows nutrients to pass into cells?
A. mitochondrion
C. membrane
B. nucleus
D. chloroplast
_____ Which process produces oxygen that is released into the atmosphere?
A. respiration
C. excretion
B. locomotion
D. photosynthesis
________What occurs in the mitochondria?
A. protein synthesis
B. diffusion
C. respiration
D. photosynthesis
Base your answers to the three following questions on the diagram below and on your knowledge of science.
The diagram shows the Sun and a green plant.
Identify cell structure that carries on photosynthesis. [1] ______________________________________
In addition to sunlight and chlorophyll, what are the two materials that a plant needs to carry on photosynthesis?
[2]
(1) ______________________________________
(2) ______________________________________
Identify one product that results from the process of photosynthesis. [1] __________________________
Base your answers to the following two questions on the diagram below and on your knowledge of science. The
diagram shows a process that occurs in the leaf of a tree and other organisms containing chlorophyll. Energy,
carbon dioxide, and water are taken in by the leaf and oxygen and sugar are produced.
Identify the process represented by this diagram. [1] ________________________________________
What form of energy is taken in by the leaf? [1] _________________________________________
Reproduction, Growth and Development (asexual vs sexual, mitosis, meiosis and metamorphosis)
_____ Which condition is the result of abnormal cell division?
1. cancer
3. pregnancy
2. infection
4. extinction
_____ Which example would result in new cells that are most different from the parent cells?
1. yeast cells splitting into new cells
3. skin cells dividing to produce more skin cells
2. bacteria cells dividing into new cells
4. sperm and egg cells uniting to produce fertilized
egg cells
_____ Which sequence of development is correct?
(1) fertilized egg -> tissues -> organ systems ->
organs
(2) fertilized egg -> organ systems -> organs ->
tissues
(3) fertilized egg -> organs -> tissues -> organ
systems
(4) fertilized egg -> tissues -> organs -> organ
systems
_____ The diagram below shows the development of a certain type of insect.
This diagram shows the process of
1. metamorphosis
2. fertilization
3. selective breeding
4. environmental change
_____ Where do the duplicated chromosomes line up during metaphase?
a) against the cell wall
b) against the cell membrane
c) in the center of the cell
d) in the nucleus
______ How does your body grow as you get older?
a) your cells fill with water and get bigger
b) your cells divide and produce new cells
c) your cell stretch
d) your cells
________ In a one-celled organism, cell division is responsible for
a) growth
b) asexual reproduction
c) development
d) production of sex cells
________ Growth and repair in multicellular organisms are the result of
a) cell division
b) excretion
c) locomotion
d) decomposition
________What is the end result of cellular respiration?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Energy for cell processes is released.
Oxygen is released for photosynthesis.
Cells undergo decomposition.
Nutrients are excreted to prevent the buildup of body fat.
_______ During which process do cells use oxygen to release stored energy?
a) photosynthesis
b) circulation
c) respiration
d) digestion
A plant cell and an animal cell are shown below.
________Which conclusion can be made from these diagrams?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Plant and animal cells are similar in the way they grow and divide.
Plant and animal cells interact to make new organisms.
Animal cells require oxygen to release the energy stored in food while plant cells do not.
Nerve cells are present in plant and animal cells.
Put a checkmark in the correct box.
Characteristics
Sex cells are produced
Body cells are produced
Cells are haploid
Cells are diploid
Cells are identical
Cells are not identical
Mitosis
Meiosis
Match the phase of the cell cycle with its description by writing the correct number on the line. The pictures are
NOT in order.
__________
__________
__________
_________
__________
Classification and dichotomous keys
______Which group is made up of organisms that are all members of the same kingdom?
A. cat, frog, and mushroom
B. mold, bacteria, and apple tree
C. grass, worm, and shark
D. fern, rose bush, and corn plant
The graph below shows the number of known species in the five kingdoms of living things. Monera Kingdom
contains Bacteria and Archaea.
______ Based on the graph, which kingdom contains approximately twice as many known species as the
Protista Kingdom?
A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Plantae
D. Monera
The diagram below shows four living organisms.
_____ Which statement about the organisms shown is accurate?
A. They are all single celled and have similar organs.
C. They are all multicellular and have similar organs.
B. They are all single celled and have identical organs.
D. They are all multicellular and have identical organs.
_____ The diagram below shows two different organisms, a dog and a cat.
Which phrase best describes the classification of these two organisms?
A. same kingdom, same species
C. different kingdoms, different species
B. same kingdom, different species
D. different kingdoms, same species
Read through the dichotomous key below to identify the creatures. Write the correct names on the lines under each
creature.
_________________
_________________
1. Does the creature have straight sides?
_________________
2. Does the creature have more than one
flagellum?
Yes:
No:
Yes:
No:
Carl
Frank
Carl
Nancy
Nancy
Use the dichotomous key and the diagram below to answer questions 8-10 that follow.
_____ 8. Bird B is correctly identified as
A. a cormorant
B. a duck
C. an eagle
D. a jacana
_____ 9. What is a common feature of both the eagle and the kingfisher?
A. claws large
C. three toes webbed together
B. claws curved
D. four toes webbed together
_____ 10. Which of the two birds are closely related?
A. duck and eagle
B. jacana and eagle
C. jacana and kingfisher
D. eagle and kingfisher
The table below gives the scientific classification for a variety of animals. Use the skills you have developed
this year to answer the questions that follow.
Common Name Aardwolf
Coyote
Grey Wolf
Blue Whale
Red Wolf
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Domain
Animal
Animal
Animal
Animal
Animal
Kingdom
Vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrate
Phylum
Mammal
Mammal
Mammal
Mammal
Mammal
Class
Carnivore
Carnivore
Carnivore
Cetacea
Carnivore
Order
Hyaenidae
Canidae
Canidae
Balenopteridae
Canidae
Family
Proteles
Canis
Canis
Balaenoptera
Canis
Genus
cristatus
latrans
lupus
musculus
rufus
Species
_________________________To which class do each of the organisms belong?
_________________________Which organism is least similar to the others?
Which 3 organisms are the most closely related to a pet dog (Canis familiaris)?
a. _________________
b._________________
c.
_________________
The Immune System and Pathogens
The body has three (3) lines of defense against pathogens. Use the words below to complete the following.
Barriers
cilia
Immune response
Inflammatory response
mucus
skin
1st Line ___________________________
Including: __________________________, ___________________________ and ______________________
2nd Line ___________________________, when white blood cells go to the area and cause swelling
3rd Line ___________________________, when white blood cells identify, target antigens and make antibodies
Describe one symptom of the flu. ______________________________________________________________
What is one way to avoid spreading a virus? ______________________________________________________
What is one method of treatment for a viral infection, like the flu? ____________________________________
Match the description of each step to the picture by writing the correct letter on the line.
Viral Reproduction Steps
_____ Injection – The virus injects its DNA into the bacterium.
_____ Assembly – The viral parts are put together by the bacterium.
____ Attachment - The virus attaches itself to a bacterium.
_____ Production – The virus’ DNA hijacks the bacterium and tricks
the bacterium into making viral parts.
_____ Release – The viruses burst from the bacterium.
Genetics
_____Many cells have a nucleus that contains chromosomes. These chromosomes carry genes that are
composed of
(1) hormones
(3) minerals and water
(2) DNA molecules
(4) undigested food molecules
Base your answers to the three following questions on the diagram below which shows a model of human
inheritance.
_____ The parent whose genes are aa
(1) must be dominant
(2) has a straight hairline
(3) has a peaked hairline
(4) may have AA offspring
_____ What is the probability of inheriting two recessive traits?
1. 0%
2. 75%
3. 50%
4. 25%
_____ Why will Aa individuals have a straight hairline rather than a peaked hairline?
(3) The straight hairline is recessive.
(1) The peaked hairline occurs only in females.
(4) The straight hairline is dominant.
(2) The peaked hairline is a mutation.
_____ In humans, a trait can be determined by one pair or many pairs of
(1) genes
(2) microbes
(3) cells
(4) organs
In rabbits, the dominant trait for fur color is brown (B), while the recessive trait is white (b).
Make a Punnett square to show the cross of two heterozygous (hybrid) parents.
What are the possible phenotypes of the offspring? [4] _________________________
What are the possible genotypes of the offspring? [4] __________________________
What is the possibility of having offspring that are homozygous brown? [1] _______________
What is the possibility of having offspring that are homozygous white? [1] ________________
Base your answers to the following two questions on the laboratory procedure described below and on your
knowledge of science.
Explain why the baby rat was identical to its mother. [1]
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
A different female laboratory rat gave birth to several babies after being fertilized with sperm. Explain why
these babies will not be genetically identical to the mother. [1]
______________________________________________________________
Base your answers to the following two questions on the diagram below. The diagram shows the offspring of a
white mouse and a gray mouse. All of the offspring are gray.
_____ Which is a correct gene combination for the parents shown in the diagram?
(1) GG × GG
(3) gg × GG
(2) gg × gg
(4) Gg × Gg
______ If two gray (Gg) mice mated, what percent of their offspring would have pure white fur?
(1) 25%
(3) 75%
(2) 50%
(4) 100%
Make the Punnett Square below. Gg x Gg
Base your answers to the following questions on the Punnett square below, which shows a cross between two
tall pea plants (Tt X TT).
What percentage of the offspring will grow tall? [1] _______________
According to the Punnett square, what is the probability of an offspring inheriting two tall genes? (Express your
answer as a fraction or percentage.) [1] _____________
Explain why both parent plants are tall, even though their genes for height are not exactly the same. [1]
_______________________________________________________________________________
Adaptation, natural selection and evolution
The cross section below shows fossils and the rock layers in which they are found. Crustal movement has not
displaced the rock layers.
________ Which fossil is considered the oldest in the cross section shown?
A. armored fish
C. early horses
B. dinosaurs
D. trilobites
The eyes of the owl and the rabbit shown in the diagram below give each animal a different advantage. The
front-facing owl eyes allow the bird to accurately judge distance when swooping in on prey. The side-facing
rabbit eyes allow the animal to detect the motion of possible predators.
_________ The specialized eye types of these animals are examples of
A. disruptions of the natural balance
B. the interdependence of living things
C. adaptations for survival under certain conditions
D. involuntary responses to stimuli
________ The fur of a snowshoe rabbit changes to white during the winter. This change is an example of
A. adaptation
B. metamorphosis
C. competition
D. metabolism
The map below indicates the possible location of some of Earth’s continents in the past.
_______Which evidence best supports the idea that the
landmasses on Earth were once in these positions?
A. North America and India have matching
mountain chains.
B. Madagascar and India have similar shapes.
C. Matching rock layers can be found in Africa and
South America.
D. Bedrock in Australia and Greenland have
glacier scratches.
________ The map below shows the probable location of some of the continents at one time in the past. What
feature of the continents best suggests that they were once joined?
A. Some continents fit together like puzzle parts.
B. Some continents are the same size.
C. All continents have mountain ranges.
D. All continents contain the same crustal composition.
_______ Some kinds of fish live most of their lives in salt water but lay their eggs in freshwater. Their ability to
survive in different environments is an example of
A. adaptation
B. developmental stages
C. a habit
D. selective breeding
Base your answers to the following questions on the reading passage and diagram below and on your
knowledge of science.
Explain why fossils are important to scientists. [1]
____________________________________________________________
The diagram below shows two different-colored moths resting on a tree trunk.
How does this difference in pattern and color affect the moths’ ability to survive
in the environment? [1]
______________________________________________________________
______What would happen to the population of the light-colored moths if
factories started burninh more fossil fuels causing soot to settle on the tree
trunks?
A. increase
B. decrease
C. stay the same
Base your answers to the following questions on the information and illustration below.
Manatees are mammals that live in the warm, clear water environment of Florida’s shallow rivers. They are
large, peaceful, gentle, curious creatures and slow-moving swimmers. They spend many hours each day feeding
on water plants. Manatees must surface to breathe every 15 minutes. The manatee’s environment is changing
because of hotels and homes being built along Florida’s rivers, and the change is affecting them in a negative
way. Noise and activity from people and boats scare them. Manatees can be seriously injured by powerboat
propellers because the manatees cannot tell the direction from which the boats are coming. The water plants the
manatees use for food are being destroyed. As a result of these and other changes in their surroundings,
manatees are on the endangered species list and may one day be gone from Florida’s rivers.
List two environmental conditions that might lead to the disappearance of manatees from Florida’srivers. [2]
____________________________________________________________and
____________________________________________________________
Identify one external feature of the manatee that allows it to live in water. [1] ____________________________
_______If a species is no longer able to reproduce, it will
A. adapt to its environment
B. become immune to disease
C. become extinct
D. increase its population
________Evidence that living things have evolved over hundreds of millions of years can be found in
A. particles in the air
C. tree rings from recently logged trees
B. rocks containing fossils
D. chemicals in human hair
________ Although change in multicellular species usually takes thousands of years, some species of bacteria
undergo major changes in just a few years. One reason for this difference is that these bacteria
A. are microscopic
C. reproduce very quickly
B. do not contain DNA
D. cause infectious diseases
________ Extinction of a species is most likely to occur as a result of
A. evolution
C. selective breeding
B. migration
D. environmental changes
The diagram below shows the head structure of four different birds.
________The birds’ beaks show how the birds
A. compete for the same food in their community
B. require different amounts of food for survival
C. store food for the winter months
D. are adapted to get food from different sources
The drawing below shows a woodpecker using its long, sharp beak to obtain insects.
_____What factor might contribute to the extinction of this species of
woodpecker?
A. a new source of food
B. an overabundance of trees
C. the use of pesticides in the forest
D. an increase in the population of insects
The cross section below shows sedimentary rock layers containing fossils.
________Assuming that these rock layers have not been
overturned, which fossil is in the layer that was formed
most recently?