Sample Assessment Items
This is not meant to be printed off and given as a test…this document is to give you ideas
of how this standard might be assessed. Please use these as an example when you are
developing your own formative assessments. Remember formative assessment is to be
given throughout the teaching of a standard to help you guide your instruction based on
students needs. A good formative assessment should have a mix of multiple choice as
well as open ended.
S3E1. Students will investigate the physical attributes of rocks and soils.
c. Use observation to compare the similarities and differences of texture, particle
size, and color in top soils (such as clay, loam or potting soil, and sand).
Multiple Choice:
Soil that is a mixture of clay, sand, and humus is called _________.
a. dirt
b. loam
c. rock
d. moss
Answer: b
Which part of soil has bits of dead plants and animals?
a. clay
b. humus
c. sand
d. silt
Answer: b
Which part of the soil works like a sponge?
a. bedrock
b. humus
c. subsoil
d. sand
Answer: b
Soil is made of ________________.
a. rocks, clay, and water
b. glass, water, and minerals
c. metals, minerals, and rocks
d. rocks, minerals, and decayed organisms
Answer: d
Which of these is MOST LIKELY true about soil with a thick layer of topsoil?
a. It is rich in humus.
b. It was formed by a volcano.
c. It does not contain minerals.
d. It is not good for growing plants.
Answer: a
What kind of soil is MOST OFTEN found in the Piedmont?
a. humus
b. red clay
c. silt
d. topsoil
Answer: b
A handful of soil has a reddish color and holds a lot of water. It is most likely __________.
a. clay
b. humus
c. loam
d. silt
Answer: a
Cassie wants to plant her seeds in a soil that has the most nutrients. She should use a soil
that has a lot of ___________.
a. clay
b. humus
c. sand
d. silt
Answer: b
Which type of soil contains the smallest bits of rock?
a. clay
b. humus
c. sand
d. silt
Answer: a
Mike dug up a sample of soil from his backyard. How can he find out if the soil is sand or
silt?
a. observe how fertile the sample is
b. test the amount of nutrients in the sample
c. measure the amount of water in the sample
d. observe the size of the particles in the sample
Answer: d
The particles of rock in soil are different sizes. Which list shows rock particles in soils in order
from biggest particles to the smallest particles?
a. clay, sand, silt
b. clay, silt, sand
c. sand, silt, clay
d. silt, clay, sand
Answer: b
Which are tiny particles of rock that you can see using just your eyes?
a. clay
b. loam
c. sand
d. silt
Answer: a
Some soils, like clay, hold water tightly. Other soils, like sand, let the water run through.
What property of soils is MOST IMPORTANT in determining how water moves through the
soil?
a. color
b. layers
c. size of particles
d. earthworms present
Answer: c
Mrs. Turner showed her science class a plant with its roots attached. She passed around
a sample of the soil that the plant was growing in. She said that plant roots had grown
down easily in this type of soil. This type of soil is also a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. What
type of soil is Mrs. Turner describing to her class?
a. humus
b. loam
c. subsoil
d. topsoil
Answer: b
Mr. Thomas brought a large bucket of sand to class. The bucker was full of new light
colored sand. Mr. Thomas let his students run their hands through the new sand. They
agreed that the sand felt rough. Then Mr. Thomas brought dumped a bucket of water on
the new sand. The water drained through the new sand very quick. What can the class
conclude about what they saw?
a. Sand holds water well.
b. The water splashed out.
c. Sand does not hold water well.
d. The water stayed on top of the sand.
Answer: c
Open ended:
What is soil made of?
How is soil formed?
Name the types of soil and list them in order from smallest to largest particle size.
Describe the differences between dry sand, clay and humus.
Describe the differences between wet sand, wet clay, and wet humus.
A farmer wants to buy some new farm land. He looks at land that has light-colored sandy
soil. Then he looks at land that has red clay. Finally, he looks at land that has black, loamy
soil. Which land should he buy? Explain why he should buy this land.