SCIENCE ASSESSMENTS
Seventh Grade
S.RS.07.11 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and data.
1. Kari’s class was investigating how a powdered drink mix dissolves in water of different
temperatures. They needed to determine how much mix would dissolve in a given sample of
water. Which would be the BEST procedure?
A. Add heaping teaspoons of mix until no more dissolves. Count the number of heaping
teaspoons used.
B. Measure the mass of mix before and after shaking small amounts into the water until
no more will dissolve. Calculate the difference.
C. Shake a little bit in a time until no more will dissolve. Count the number of shakes.
D. Add three packages of mix to the water. See how much of it dissolves.
Answer: B
2. Geri’s class was investigating the effect of temperature on the size of a balloon filled with
air. Which is the BEST way for the students to determine the size of their balloon in the
different situations?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Draw a diagram of the balloon in each situation.
Put the balloon on a balance to measure the mass of the balloon and air in grams.
Put your hands around it to see if the size has changed.
Use a tape measure to measure the circumference of the balloon in centimeters.
Answer: D
3. Juan’s class was investigating how fast ice cubes melt at different locations in the room.
Which would be the BEST way to select ice cubes to use?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Measure the mass of several cubes and choose the ones that have the greatest mass.
Take ice cubes from the same bag.
Choose ice cubes that look about the same size.
Measure the mass of several cubes and choose the ones that are closest in mass.
Answer: D
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
1
4. Pat has two kinds of plant food, “Quickgrow” and “Supergrow”. What would be the best
way for Pat to find out which plant food helps a particular type of houseplant grow the most?
A. Put some Quickgrow on a plant in the living room, put some Supergrow on a plant of
the same type in the bedroom, and see which one grows the most.
B. Find out how much each kind of plant food costs, because the more expensive kind is
probably better for growing plants.
C. Put some Quickgrow on a few plants, put the same amount of Supergrow on a few
other plants of the same type, put all the plants in the same place, and see which
group of plants grows the most.
D. Look at the advertisements for Quickgrow, look at the advertisements for Supergrow,
and see which one says it helps plants grow the most.
Answer: C
S.RS.07.12 Describe limitations in personal and scientific knowledge.
S.RS.07.13 Identify the need for evidence in making scientific decisions.
S.RS.07.14 Evaluate scientific explanations based on current evidence and scientific
principles.
1. A scientist reported a new discovery. This discovery did not agree with the existing scientific
theory, and caused controversy. What would be the best response for the scientific
community?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ignore the discovery that has been reported.
Reject the existing scientific theory.
Have other scientists repeat the scientist’s experiments.
Survey other people about the discovery.
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
2
S.RS.07.15 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances,
models, exhibits, and activities.
1. Julio wanted to know how his pulse rate changed when he ran very fast. He measured his
pulse rate before he started running, while he was running, and two minutes after he stopped
running. Which graph best shows how Julio’s pulse rate changed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer: D
S.RS.07.16 Design solutions to problems using technology.
S.RS.07.17 Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the
natural world.
S.RS.07.18 Describe what science and technology can and cannot reasonably contribute to
society.
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
3
S.RS.07.19 Describe how science and technology have advanced because of the
contributions of many people throughout history and across cultures.
1. The timeline below shows some major discoveries in biology. Which of the following
theories did these discoveries lead to?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the cell theory
the atomic theory
the germ theory
the theory of evolution
Answer: A
2. The German scientist Theodor Schwann wrote the first two parts of the cell theory in 1839.
Which of the following statements was a part of Schwann’s original cell theory?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A cell’s nucleus is the basic unit of life in all living things
All organisms are composed of at least one cell
All cells come from existing cells
All cells contain a nucleus
Answer: B
P.EN.07.31 Identify examples of waves, including sound waves, seismic waves, and waves
on water.
1. How is a sound wave different than a water wave?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sound does not travel through water
Water waves have a wavelength, while sound waves don’t
A water wave moves up-and-down, while sound is a compression wave
None of the above
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
4
2. What happens when sound hits a thin membrane?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It causes the membrane to vibrate
The membrane reflects most of the sound
The amplitude of the sound increases
None of the above
Answer: A
3. What does the height of a water wave represent?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Wavelength
Amplitude
Velocity
None of the above
Answer: A
4. As primary seismic waves travel through different layers of the Earth, which of the following
would occur?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Waves would slow down
Waves would speed up
Waves would be deflected
all of the above
Answer: D
5. The diagram shows a graph of what type of wave?
A. analog
B. digital
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
5
6. A stretched spring attached to two fixed points is compressed on one end and released, as
shown below.
The resulting wave travels back and forth between the two fixed ends of the spring until it
comes to a stop. This mechanical wave is an example of a
A.
B.
C.
D.
transverse wave.
longitudinal wave.
superpositioned wave.
refracted wave.
Answer: B
P.EN.07.32 Describe how waves are produced by vibrations in matter.
1. When light rays enter a medium at an angle, they
A.
B.
C.
D.
stop moving
bounce back
get magnified
change speed and direction
Answer: D
2. When an object is reflected by a concave mirror, the image is real if the reflected rays
A.
B.
C.
D.
cross when you imagine them extending behind the surface of the mirror
are all parallel
cross at any point in front of the mirror
cross at any point behind the mirror
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
6
P.EN.07.33 Demonstrate how waves transfer energy when they interact with matter (for
example: tuning fork in water, waves hitting a beach, earthquake knocking over buildings).
1. Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes at an angle from one medium to another. The
wave bends because the speed of the wave changes between the first and the second medium.
Which of the following diagrams correctly represents the refraction of a wave that moves
slower in medium b than it does in medium a?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer: A
2. Waves interact with different surfaces in different ways. Waves often bounce off objects such
as water. What is this form of wave movement called?
A.
B.
C.
D.
reflection
refraction
interference
resonance
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
7
3. Spring 1 and Spring 2 were the same. Then, Spring 1 was pushed together a little and
clamped in place. Spring 2 was pushed together a lot and clamped. Which spring has more
stored energy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Spring 1
Spring 2
Both springs have the same energy.
You cannot tell unless you know what the springs are made of.
Answer: B
4. What is happening to the wave?
A. reflection
B. refraction
C. diffraction
Answer: C
5. What is happening to the wave?
A. reflection
B. refraction
C. diffraction
Answer: A
6. What is happening to the wave?
A. reflection
B. refraction
C. diffraction
Answer: B
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
8
P.EN.07.43 Explain how light energy is transferred to chemical energy through the process
of photosynthesis.
1. The sunlight is used during photosynthesis to __
A.
B.
C.
D.
Break down the xylem
Break down the water
Break down stomata
None of the above
Answer: B
2. Which of these is not needed to make food in a plant?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sunlight
Carbon dioxide
Chlorophyll
Flowers
Answer: D
3. Which of the following best describes how plants use the energy they receive from sunlight?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They change water into heat.
They produce their own food.
They make minerals for their roots.
They break down nutrients into rocks.
Answer: B
P.EN.07.61 Identify that nuclear reactions take place in the sun, producing heat and light.
1. Radiation is the form of energy transfer in which energy is transferred through…
A.
B.
C.
D.
space
time
liquids
matter
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
9
2. The nuclear reaction which produces radiant energy on the sun is called:
A.
B.
C.
D.
combustion
lightening
friction
fusion
Answer: D
3. The type of heat energy that does not need a material is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
convection
conduction
radiation
reduction
Answer: C
P.EN.07.62 Explain how only a tiny fraction of light energy from the sun is transformed to
heat energy on Earth.
1. During the warm afternoon, Mary submerged her hand in a lake. As she did this, heat was
transferred from her skin to the water. This transfer of heat is an example of:
A.
B.
C.
D.
radiation
conduction
convection
evaporation
Answer: B
2. Electromagnetic waves with a wavelength shorter than radio waves that are felt as heat are
called
A.
B.
C.
D.
radio waves
microwaves.
infrared rays
ultraviolet rays
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
10
3. When you are out in the sunshine, you feel warm because the _________ energy excites the
molecules of your skin and creates heat there.
A.
B.
C.
D.
mechanical
solar
chemical
geothermal
Answer: B
4. The light from the sun heats a metal surface. This is an example of___________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
conduction
transmission
radiation
convection
Answer: C
P.PM.07.11 Classify substances by their chemical properties (flammability, pH, acid-base
indicators, reactivity).
1. What do the elements sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and bromine (Br) have in
common?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They are noble (inert) gases.
They are nonmetals.
They have the same thermal conductivity.
They have the same number of protons.
Answer: B
P.PM.07.21 Identify the smallest component that makes up an element.
1. What is the smallest component that makes up an element?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Iron
Energy
Atom
Chemical
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
11
P.PM.07.22 Describe how the elements within the Periodic Table are organized by similar
properties into families (highly reactive metals, less reactive metals, highly reactive
nonmetals, and some almost completely non-reactive gases).
1. A chemist is looking for an element that will behave chemically like calcium (Ca)- atomic
number 20. Which of the following would be the best choice?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ba
K
Ga
C
Answer: A
2. The table below shows the number of protons in an atom of four different elements.
According to the periodic table above, which of these elements is a metal?
A.
B.
C.
D.
T
Q
X
Z
Answer: C
NUMBER OF
PROTONS
7
15
12
17
ELEMENT
T
Q
X
Z
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
12
3. According to the periodic table, which of the following best represents a carbon atom?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer: B
P.PM.07.23 Illustrate the structure of molecules using models or drawings (water, carbon
dioxide, salt).
1. Which of the following diagrams depicts the particle arrangement in a liquid?
A.
B.
C.
D. Any of these diagrams could represent a
liquid
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
13
P.PM.07.24 List examples of physical and chemical properties of elements and compounds
(boiling point, density, color, conductivity, reactivity).
1. What property of water is most important for living organisms?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It is odorless.
It does not conduct electricity.
It is tasteless.
It is liquid at most temperatures on Earth.
Answer: D
2. Look at the two pictures below. They show what happened when two solid blocks were each
put in a jar containing a liquid. Based just on what you can see in the pictures, what can you
say about the blocks and the jars?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The liquid in the jars must be water.
The block in jar 1 weighs more than the block in jar 2.
The block in jar 1 is floating lower in its liquid than is the block in jar 2.
The block in jar 1 must be made of metal and the block in jar 2 must be made of
wood.
Answer: C
P.CM.07.21 Identify evidence of chemical change through color, gas formation, solid
formation, and temperature change.
1. If you breathe on a mirror, part of the mirror clouds up. What are you actually seeing when
you see the mirror cloud up?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Water droplets that formed from cooled water vapor in your breath.
Carbon dioxide that you are breathing out from your lungs.
Oxygen that you are breathing out from your lungs.
Cooled nitrogen in the air around you.
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
14
2. Which is an example of water condensing?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A puddle disappearing on a hot summer afternoon.
Sweat forming on your forehead after you do a lot of exercise.
Ice cubes melting when you put them out in the sun.
Dew forming on plants during a cold night.
Answer: D
3. Which is an example of a chemical reaction?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The melting of ice
The grinding of salt crystals to a powder
The burning of wood
The evaporation of water from a puddle
Answer: C
P.CM.07.22 Compare and contrast the chemical properties of a new substance with the
original after a chemical change.
P.CM.07.23 Describe the physical properties and chemical properties of the products and
reactants in a chemical change.
L.OL.07.21 Recognize that all organisms are composed of cells (single cell organisms,
multicellular organisms).
1. The following diagram shows a cross section of the stem of a plant. This diagram implies
that…
A. Cells within multicellular organisms perform the
same functions
B. cells within multicellular organisms are different
C. cells within multicellular organisms look the same
D. cells within multicellular organisms are
interchangeable
Answer: B
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
15
L.OL.07.22 Explain how cells make up different body tissues, organs, and organ systems.
1. An embryo has many cells which change to become specialized...
A.
B.
C.
D.
muscle cells
brain cells
skin cells
all of these
Answer: D
L.OL.07.23 Describe how cells in all multicellular organisms are specialized to take in
nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the
materials that a cell or organism needs.
1. What is the function of the cell membrane?
A.
B.
C.
D.
to protect and support plant cells
to control what substances come into and out of a cell
to direct all of the cell’s activities
to capture energy from sunlight and use it to produce food for the cell
Answer: B
2. Most of the cell’s energy is produced in rod-shaped organelles called
A.
B.
C.
D.
mitochondria
nuclei
Vacuoles
cell walls
Answer: A
3. What parts of a cell function as factories that produce proteins?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Chloroplasts
Golgi bodies
Lysosomes
Ribosomes
Answer: D
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
16
4. Which of the following processes occurs in the cells of plants?
A.
B.
C.
D.
exchange of CO2 and O2
getting rid of wastes
making energy for the organism through photosynthesis
all of these
Answer: D
L.OL.07.24 Recognize that cells function in a similar way in all organisms.
1. Which of the following occurs in the cells of animals?
A.
B.
C.
D.
exchange of CO2 and O2
making energy for the organism through photosynthesis
storing of wastes
all of these
Answer: A
2. All organisms must breathe. That is, they must take in one type of gas that they need for life
functions, and then they must get rid of waste gases. Most animals take in oxygen and expel
carbon dioxide, while most plants take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. What part of all
organisms is involved in the exchanging of gases?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the cells
the tissues
No one knows what part of organisms exchanges gases
the organs in animals; the stems in plants
Answer: A
L.OL.07.31 Describe growth and development in terms of increase of cell number and/or
cell size.
1. Which of the following is arranged in the proper order from smallest to biggest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
cells
organs
tissues
cells
cells
tissues
organ systems
tissues
organ systems
organ systems
organs
organs
organ systems
organs
tissues
cells
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
17
2. In multicellular organisms, the process of cell division leads to _________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
the death of many cells
an increase in cell number
a destruction of all cells
a decrease in cell number
Answer: B
L.OL.07.32 Examine how through cell division, cells can become specialized for specific
functions.
1. The diagram below shows a cell with a large central space designed for storage. This cell is
most likely a ...
A.
B.
C.
D.
fat cell
red blood cell
muscle cell
nerve cell
Answer: A
2. After fertilization, cells become specialized for performing specific functions. The pictures
below show that a specialized cell...
A. can live on its own as a single-celled
organism
B. can go back to being unspecialized
C. can become more important than
other cells
D. changes shape as well as function
Answer: D
3. After the first stages of development are complete, cells begin to divide in the same way that
body cells divide throughout the rest of the organism’s life. In this type of division, the cells
A.
B.
C.
D.
divide to form two different types of cells
divide without growing so the new cells are smaller than the original
triple in size and then divide to form two new cells
double in size and then divide to form two new cells
Answer: D
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
18
4. What is special about the cell division that takes place soon after an egg cell is fertilized?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Eight new cells are formed each time the egg cell divides
The new cells are larger than the egg cell
The new cells are smaller than the egg cell
Four new cells are formed each time the egg cell divides
Answer: C
L.OL.07.61 Recognize the need for light to provide energy for the production of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
1. Which of these cells uses sunlight to produce food?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Cell 1
Cell 2
Cell 3
Cell 4
Answer: D
2. The picture shows the results of an experiment to investigate the effect of light on plant
growth.
Conclusion: This species of plant grows straight toward light.
The conclusion is weakened by the —
A.
B.
C.
D.
slope of the soil
color of the light source
flow of air into and out of the room
length of time for the experiment
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
19
3. The photographs show how a change in climate is affecting the size of Grinnell Glacier in
Glacier National Park. Which of the following best explains the change in the glacier
between 1910 and 1997?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Higher average temperatures
Higher frequency of earthquakes
Higher total precipitation
Higher rates of wind erosion
Answer: A
L.OL.07.62 Explain that carbon dioxide and water are used to produce carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats.
L.OL.07.63 Describe evidence that plants make, use and store food.
1. What are the raw materials plants use for photosynthesis?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Oxygen and sunlight
carbon dioxide and water
sugar and oxygen
water and sugar
Answer: B
2. Which of the following is a plant waste product?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Oxygen
carbon dioxide
water
sugar
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
20
3. Plants use sugar made during photosynthesis for
A.
B.
C.
D.
capturing sunlight
defense
Reproduction
Food
Answer: D
4. Which of the following is a product of photosynthesis?
A.
B.
C.
D.
carbon dioxide
Water
Sugar
Sunlight
Answer: C
L.HE.07.21 Compare how characteristics of living things are passed on through
generations, both asexually and sexually.
1. Both parents of a Siamese cat have green eyes. Their offspring also have green eyes. This
would be an example of
A.
B.
C.
D.
an acquired trait
an inherited trait
a learned trait
a found trait
Answer: B
2. Pat’s mom is a concert pianist. People keep telling Pat that she will also be a great pianist
one day because she will “get it from her mom”. How could you describe this statement?
A.
B.
C.
D.
True - piano playing is an inherited trait
True - piano playing is an acquired trait
Inference - piano playing is an inherited trait
Inference - piano playing is an acquired trait
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
21
3. Female animals form ___________ cells for sexual reproduction.
A.
B.
C.
D.
egg
ovary
sperm
zygote
Answer: A
4. You are given 3 unknown organisms labeled A, B, C. When looking at the DNA of the three
unknown organisms, you find that they all have the exact same sequence of DNA. Which
statement below is the most logical explanation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Organisms A, B, and C were reproduced asexually from a common parent
Organisms A, B, and C were reproduced sexually from a single pair of parents
Organism A and B are the parents of C.
Organism A, B, and C are unrelated
Answer: A
5. Which of the following is an example of sexual reproduction?
A.
B.
C.
D.
division of one amoeba into two
growth of an organism
joining of egg and sperm
one cell splitting to form two cells
Answer: C
L.HE.07.22 Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of sexual vs. asexual
reproduction.
1. What is the main evolutionary relevant difference between sexual and asexual reproduction?
A. Asexual organisms are mainly haploid, while sexual organisms are mainly diploid.
B. Asexual reproduction is faster than sexual reproduction.
C. Asexual reproduction produces offspring identical to the parent, while sexual
reproduction generally produces genetically diverse offspring.
D. Asexual reproduction is a “logical” reproduction process, while sexual reproduction
is “illogical” as a reproduction process.
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
22
2. A major difference between sexual and asexual reproduction is that
A. sexual reproduction occurs only in higher vertebrates.
B. asexual reproduction does not involve the joining of sex cells from two individuals.
C. asexual reproduction results in a new individual with a combination of characteristics
from both parents.
D. sexual reproduction results in a new organism identical to the original organism.
Answer: B
3. What advantage does a species that reproduces sexually have over a species that reproduces
asexually?
A.
B.
C.
D.
There is greater variation among the offspring.
The offspring are identical to the parents.
Only one parent is necessary for reproduction.
No sex cells are needed for reproduction.
Answer: A
E.ES.07.11 Demonstrate, using a model or drawing, the relationship between the warming
by the sun of the Earth and the water cycle as it applies to the atmosphere (evaporation,
water vapor, warm air rising, cooling, condensation, clouds).
1. The diagram shows a region near the coast of a large continent. A range of high, snowcapped
mountains lies near the ocean. There is a farm between the mountains and a forest. The
following questions ask you to think about water and the water cycle in the system shown in
the diagram. In the system, water
exists as a gas, a liquid, and a solid. In
what part of the system does water
exist primarily in a gaseous form?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Lake
Atmosphere
Ocean
Groundwater
Answer: B
2. What is the main cause of water evaporation from the ocean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Currents in the ocean
Wind and wave action along the shore
Heat energy from the sun
Heat energy from the ocean floor
Answer: C
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
23
3. Anna’s science class has been studying the water cycle and its relationship to changes in the
weather. They are learning about factors that affect weather patterns and how weather
forecasts are made. After a storm there was a lot of water vapor in the air. It was a hot day
and Anna noticed that her shirt felt a little damp. What caused this dampness?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Humidity
wind
clouds
pressure
Answer: A
E.ES.07.12 Describe the relationship between the warming of the atmosphere of the Earth
by the sun and convection within the atmosphere and oceans.
E.ES.07.13 Describe how the warming of the Earth by the sun produces winds and ocean
currents.
1. What is the driving force for surface ocean currents?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Density layering
Global Winds
The Coriolis Effect
salt concentration
Answer: B
E.ES.07.41 Explain how human activities (surface mining, deforestation, overpopulation,
construction and urban development, farming, dams, landfills, and restoring natural areas)
change the surface of the Earth and affect the survival of organisms.
1. Because they are rapidly being cut down, the rain forests today are endangered ecosystems.
How might widespread destruction of the rain forests affect other ecosystems in the world?
A.
B.
C.
D.
by increasing the amount of available soil
by reducing the amount of available oxygen
by increasing the diversity of plant and animal life
by reducing the amount of available carbon dioxide
Answer: B
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
24
2. Before modern fertilizers were introduced, farmers regularly allowed certain amounts of their
land to grow wild in order to renew the soil before planting crops again. This increased the
output of the farm by doing which of the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Decreasing the average yield per crop.
Decreasing the amount of carbon in the soil.
Increasing the amount of usable nutrients in the soil.
Increasing competition between crops and wild plants.
Answer: C
E.ES.07.42 Describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere, geosphere, and
hydrosphere, (car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain, and natural sources), and how
pollution impacts habitats, climatic change, threatens or endangers species.
1. If air pollution causes the rain that falls on this pond to become much more acidic, after two
years how will this acidity affect the living things in this pond?
A. There will be more plants and animals because the acid is a source of food.
B. There will be fewer plants and animals because the acid will dissolve many of them.
C. There will be fewer plants and animals because many of them cannot survive in water
with high acidity.
D. There will be more plants and animals because the acid will kill most of the disease
causing microorganisms.
Answer: C
2. One of the principle causes of acid rain is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Waste acid from chemical factories being pumped into rivers
Acid from chemical laboratories evaporating into the air.
Gases from burning coal and oil dissolving in water in the atmosphere
Gases from air conditioners and refrigerators escaping into the atmosphere
Answer: B
E.ES.07.71 Compare and contrast the difference and relationship between climate and
weather.
1. A rain forest is found at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the summit is snowcapped. Which
of the following would best account for this?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Temperature differences due to elevation changes _
Climate differences due to seasonal changes
Differences in precipitation due to formation of a rain shadow
Climate changes due to changes in latitude
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
25
E.ES.07.72 Describe how different weather occurs due to the constant motion of the
atmosphere from the energy of the sun reaching the surface of the Earth.
1. Which zones in the map are most likely to have a temperate climate (warm summers and cold
winters)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
1 and 6
2 and 5
3 and 4
1, 2, and 3
Answer: B
E.ES.07.73 Explain how the temperature of the oceans affects the different climates on
Earth because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
E.ES.07.74 Describe weather conditions associated with frontal boundaries (cold, warm,
stationary, and occluded) and the movement of major air masses and the jet stream across
North America using a weather map.
1. The air pressure over Lansing dropped quickly on a Tuesday morning. A change of this type
in the atmosphere is a good indication of which of the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the arrival of a storm in Lansing
intense sunshine and record temperatures in Lansing
thunder and lightning have just passed through Lansing
lake effect snow in Lansing
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
26
E.ES.07.81 Explain the water cycle and describe how evaporation, transpiration,
condensation, cloud formation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, ground water,
and absorption occur within the cycle.
1. The water cycle is usually described as liquid water evaporation from the surface of the earth
and falling later as rain. Thus, water evaporating from Lake Michigan in the summer can fall
as rain in Western Michigan. How is this water cycle modified by the arrival of the winter
season?
A. Winter prevents the evaporation of water from the lake so very little rain (or snow)
will ever fall in Western Michigan.
B. The cycle stays pretty much the same except that the water that falls in Western
Michigan is now in the form of snow.
C. It is difficult to make predictions about the water cycle since it is able to start and stop
at almost any time.
D. Once winter arrives, the water cycle stops and does not start again until spring.
Answer: B
2. Which of the following would be the best model to show the interactions between water and
the Sun’s heat energy in cycles of precipitation?
A. A light shines on an aquarium covered with glass, and
water droplets form on the inside of the glass.
B. A light shines on a closed cardboard box containing a
plant.
C. A light shines on a man’s face. Droplets of sweat form on his face as
he exercises.
D. A light shines on a glass of iced tea. Water droplets form on
the outside of the glass.
Answer: A
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
27
E.ES.07.82 Analyze the flow of water between the components of a watershed, including
surface features (lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands) and groundwater.
E.FE.07.11 Describe the atmosphere as a mixture of gases.
E.FE.07.12 Compare and contrast the composition of the atmosphere at different
elevations.
1. Which of the following best explains why the pressure inside a high-flying airplane must be
controlled?
A. At high altitudes there is greater atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the
Earth.
B. At high altitudes there is lower atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth.
C. If the cabin is not pressurized, ozone and other upper atmospheric gases will enter the
airplane.
D. If the cabin is not pressurized, carbon dioxide will escape from the airplane.
Answer: B
Seventh Grade Science Assessments – February 2009
28