Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
A physicist wants to examine the characteristics of a new material.
The physicist will most likely do so by what method?
A. The physicist will survey a group of people.
B. The physicist will perform fieldwork out in a remote location.
C. The physicist will perform laboratory experiments.
D. The physicist will make observations of an ecosystem.
Florida Benchmark
Review Unit 1
Jason wants to know how far a shot-putter from the track team can throw a shot. During the experiment,
Jason measures test and outcome variables. The drawings below show three trials from the experiment.
Assuming the shot-putter hurls the shot with the same force each time, what is the test variable?
F. force exerted on the shot
G. distance traveled by the shot
H. angle at which shot is thrown
I. time it takes shot to hit the ground
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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Grade 7
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Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
In the early 1900s, geologist Alfred Wegener proposed that Earth’s surface was once a single landmass that broke up and drifted apart into separate continents. His idea of continental drift was very controversial, and for decades most scientists rejected it. But scientists later came to accept Wegener’s idea after it was supported by new discoveries. Which term describes continental drift?
A. hypothesis
B. theory
C. law
D. empirical evidence
A physicist at a respected research laboratory reports a startling new discovery. Her conclusions are based on data from many trials. However, other scientists are unable to reproduce the results of the experiment. Which statement tells why the original experiment might be faulty?
F. The results are announced to the public.
G. The conclusions are based on multiple trials.
H. The experimental results cannot be replicated.
I. The experiment does not include sophisticated equipment.
Bryan recorded the weight of a kitten in the table below.
Growth of a Kitten
Age (weeks) Weight (g)
6
7
2,560
2,790
8
9
10
2,850
2,920
3,120
What would be the best scale for a line graph of the data?
A. 0 to 3,500 in units of 10
B. 0 to 3,500 in units of 500
C. 2,500 to 3,500 in units of 50
D. 2,000 to 3,000 in units of 100
Which of these items likely has the most empirical evidence supporting it?
F. fieldwork
G. theory
H. opinion
I. observation
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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10
Grade 7
• Assessment Guide • Florida

Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
While Diep was doing some research about classification for a science report, she was surprised to learn that until 150 years ago, scientists recognized only two groups of organisms: plants and animals. Now, scientists also recognize groups of single-celled organisms such as bacteria and archaea, as well as protists and fungi. How should Diep explain why scientists decided to classify organisms into more groups?
A. More types of organisms exist now.
B. Fewer organisms have gone extinct in recent years.
C. Scientists invent new organisms that need to be classified.
D. Scientists continue to learn more about living things.
Kathleen diagrams how scientific knowledge changes over time. She draws a flowchart similar to the one below. scientific idea  new data  modified idea
Which of these answers should Kathleen write in the space with the question mark?
F. debate
G. change data
H. scientific law
I. form an opinion
Reece completed an experiment by rolling toy cars down a ramp. Each toy car was a different mass.
Reece recorded how long it took each car to reach the end of the ramp. He then created the table below to show his results.
How Mass Affects Speed
A
B
C
D
What is the main problem with Reece’s table?
A. The title is incorrect.
B. The units are missing.
C. The values are incorrect.
D. There are too many rows.
200
300
400
500
28
26
22
20
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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Grade 7
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Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
Steve uses balloons to investigate the expansion and contraction of gases at different temperatures. He develops the hypothesis that gases expand and contract due to changes in the motion of particles. He fills three balloons with the same amount of gas. The test variable is the temperature of the gas. Based on the figure below, which statement describes how the outcome variable changes as a result of the manipulation of the test variable?
F. The number of gas particles increases at higher temperatures.
G. The number of a gas particles decreases at higher temperatures.
H. Gas particles move faster and farther apart at higher temperatures.
I. Gas particles move more slowly and get closer together at higher temperatures.
Imagine that the climate on an island is expected to change over time. Scientists want to determine how the change will affect the animals on the island. They create a computer model that considers all the factors that will change. What is most likely true about the computer model?
A. It will be useless because there would be too many factors.
B. It will allow the scientists to stop the climate from changing.
C. It will help the scientists predict likely changes to the animals.
D. It will provide exact information about the future of the island.
Scientific investigations include many different steps. During a scientific investigation, which s tep occurs after a scientist collects data?
F. Draw conclusions.
G. Form the hypothesis.
H. Plan the experiment.
I. Follow the procedure.
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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Grade 7
• Assessment Guide • Florida

Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
Florida Benchmark Review
1. C 5. C 9. B
2. H
3. B
6. G
7. D
10. H
11. C
4. H 8. F 12. F
1. C See Unit 1, Lesson 1
A is incorrect because a survey is not a reliable way to find out about the physical characteristics of a substance.
B is incorrect because field experiments are usually not the most effective way to learn about the physical characteristics of a substance.
C is correct because physicists often use laboratory experiments to learn about new materials.
D is incorrect because ecosystems are observed by biologists, not physicists.
2. H See Unit 1, Lesson 2
F is incorrect because the force is constant and not being measured.
G is incorrect because the distance traveled is an outcome variable. Although the distance changes, it depends on the angle of the throw.
H is correct because the athlete varies the angle of the throw with each trial. Thus, the angle is the test variable.
I is incorrect because time is not being measured.
3. B See Unit 1, Lesson 2
A is incorrect because a hypothesis is a possible explanation that must be tested before it can be accepted.
B is correct because a theory is an explanation that is well-supported and is accepted by most scientists.
C is incorrect because a law is a description of a specific relationship that holds anywhere in the universe.
D is incorrect because empirical evidence is the data that supports an explanation, not the explanation itself.
4. H See Unit 1, Lesson 2
F is incorrect because publication is a key component of a good scientific investigation.
G is incorrect because multiple trials increase the sample size of the data, which is a characteristic of a good investigation.
H is correct because to confirm the experimental results, other scientists must be able to replicate them.
I is incorrect because the use of sophisticated equipment does not, by itself, lead to good results.
5. C See Unit 1, Lesson 3
A is incorrect because the range is too large and the increments are too small.
B is incorrect because the range is too large and the increments are too large.
C is correct because all of the data falls within the range, and the increments are the correct size to represent the data.
D is incorrect because not all the data fall within the range.
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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Grade 7
• Assessment Guide • Florida

Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
6. G See Unit 1, Lesson 1
F is incorrect because fieldwork is a method of collecting evidence.
G is correct because a theory is a widely accepted explanation of nature that is supported by extensive empirical evidence.
H is incorrect because most often opinions do not need to be based on empirical evidence.
I is incorrect because an observation is a piece of empirical evidence, not something that is supported by empirical evidence.
7. D See Unit 1, Lesson 1
A is incorrect because the organisms in the new groups existed well before 150 years ago.
B is incorrect because it does not explain the basis for creating new categories.
C is incorrect because scientists do not invent organisms.
D is correct because scientific ideas change when new evidence is found or when scientists find a better way of explaining evidence.
8. F See Unit 1, Lesson 1
F is correct because new data that results in changes to scientific ideas should be reviewed and debated.
G is incorrect because data should not be changed without first being reviewed and debated.
H is incorrect because scientific laws result from empirical support, not from new data.
I is incorrect because the modification of scientific ideas is based on empirical evidence, not opinion.
9. B See Unit 1, Lesson 3
A is incorrect because the title is a correct title for the table.
B is correct because mass and time would need to have units.
C is incorrect because there is no evidence to suggest that the values included are incorrect.
D is incorrect because there are no extra rows in this table.
10. H See Unit 1, Lesson 1
F is incorrect because the amount of gas stays the same inside the balloon.
G is incorrect because the amount of gas stays the same inside the balloon.
H is correct because faster moving and farther apart particles explains the gas taking up more space inside the balloon.
I is incorrect because slower moving particles and closer together would not explain the gas taking up more space inside the balloon.
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
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14
Grade 7
• Assessment Guide • Florida

Unit 1
Name ______________________________________ Date _________
11. C See Unit 1, Lesson 3
A is incorrect because a model is an effective way of gaining information when there are many factors to consider.
B is incorrect because the purpose of the model is to understand and predict the result of climate change, not to stop climate change.
C is correct because the model would help the scientists understand what is likely to happen on the island.
D is incorrect because the model would not provide exact information about the future.
12. F See Unit 1, Lesson 2
F is correct because scientists draw conclusions based on data.
G is incorrect because scientists form hypotheses before they collect data.
H is incorrect because scientists plan their experiments before they collect data.
I is incorrect because scientists follow procedures during data collection.
Florida Benchmark Review Unit 1
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
15
Grade 7
• Assessment Guide • Florida