Use the information in the table to answer question 1.
A teacher gives students five rock samples to describe and sketch. The students record their
observations in the table below.
Question 1
Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. This statue was carved more than 60 years ago. The
faces on this granite statue are slowly wearing away.
Which natural process causes this wearing away?
A. earthquakes
B. water from floods
C. blowing wind and rain
D. lava flowing from volcanoes
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 2
Some processes that shape Earth’s surface are slow. Other processes are rapid.
Which statement describes a rapid change?
A. Glaciers melt and form rivers.
B. Wind weathers rocks into sand.
C. Earthquakes move land and rocks.
D. Rivers carry sediment and build deltas.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 3
The picture shows a stream flowing through a desert canyon. The canyon was shaped by
natural processes.
In your Answer Document, identify a slow process that could have helped shape the canyon.
Describe evidence of this process shown in the picture.
Then, identify a rapid process that could have helped shape the canyon. Describe evidence of
this process shown in the picture. (4 points)
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 4
The diagrams below show what a river looked like fifty years ago and what it looks like
today.
Which statement describes how a process acting slowly could have caused the river to
become shallow over time?
A. A heavy rainfall raised the water level and flooded the river.
B. A glacier melted upstream and the water flowed into the river.
C. A large amount of soil was moved into the river during an earthquake.
D. A small amount of soil was deposited each time the river current slowed down.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 5
Over many years, a river changes how it flows. A young river flows rapidly down a shallow
bed because it has not developed a floodplain. An old river has a large floodplain and flows
slowly around many bends.
Which series shows a river from its youngest age to its oldest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 6
The weather forecast says a heavy snowstorm is coming later today.
Which weather observation is likely just before the snow?
A. clear sky
B. thick gray clouds
C. small white clouds
D. warm temperature
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 7
What type of clouds must be in the sky above Chillicothe?
A. cirrus, which are high and feathery clouds
B. cumulus, which are white and puffy clouds
C. cumulonimbus, which are dark-gray and tall clouds
D. stratus, which are low, light-gray and flat-layered clouds
Question 8
Which property of air does a barometer measure?
A. speed
B. pressure
C. humidity
D. temperature
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 9
Students plan to set up a simple weather station. They have the tools shown to collect
weather data.
In your Answer Document, describe where two of these tools should be located to obtain
accurate measures.
Explain why each location is important. (4 points)
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 10
Students are investigating the amount of rain their school receives during one spring. They
have a rain gauge to measure how much rain falls each week.
Where should they place the rain gauge to collect the most accurate data?
A. underneath a gutter along a roof
B. hanging from the branch of a tree
C. on the ground next to the building
D. on top of a fence post in an open area
Question 11
Oak trees produce seeds that are contained in acorns. Blue jays eat the seeds in acorns. Blue
jays also collect acorns and hide them in the ground, often far away from the parent oak tree.
Blue jays do not eat the seed of every acorn they hide.
How do oak trees benefit from blue jays’ collecting and hiding acorns?
A. The oak trees are pollinated by the blue jays.
B. The oak trees are protected from other herbivores.
C. The seeds of oak trees are protected from the sun.
D. The seeds of oak trees are planted in new environments.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 12
Which seed has structures that allow animals to transport the seed on their fur?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Use the following information to answer questions 13.
The picture shows a pond ecosystem. Many plants and animals live in and around the pond.
Question 13
Look at the picture of the pond ecosystem.
Which organism uses sunlight to produce food that others eat?
A. Snail
B. Sunfish
C. Butterfly
D. Green Algae
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 14
In this food web, which organism captures the sun’s energy?
A. plant
B. hawk
C. mouse
D. grasshopper
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 15
From which part of the plant does a bee get food?
A. flower
B. seed
C. stem
D. root
Question 16
A sunflower and bee are shown.
What is the function of the sunflower’s seeds?
A. food for the bee
B. food for the sunflower
C. reproduction of the sunflower
D. production of sunflower petals
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 17
Sharpening a pencil and tearing paper are examples of physical changes. Which statement
describes why these are physical changes?
A. There is a change in how the objects are used.
B. There is a change in the appearance of the objects.
C. There is a change in the materials from which the objects are made.
D. There is a change in both the appearance of the objects and the materials from which
they are made.
Question 18
Which shows a chemical change?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 19
Two Investigations
Students conduct investigations with solids and liquids over several days.
Day 1 Investigation
Students pour vinegar into a beaker. They add a spoonful of baking soda to the vinegar. They
observe bubbles. The bubbles stop when the baking soda is no longer visible.
Day 2 Investigation
Students pour water into a beaker. They add a cube of frozen water (ice). They observe that
the water level changes to 500 mL. After a few minutes, the cube begins to melt. When the
cube melts, the water level does not change.
Look at the investigation from day 1.
What observation suggests that a gas has formed?
A. The baking soda disappears.
B. Bubbles are formed in the vinegar.
C. All chemical reactions produce gas.
D. The vinegar begins to give off a smell.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 20
Two juice containers are in a cooler. One is plastic and one is metal. The metal can feels
colder than the plastic bottle. Students place a thermometer in each container. They find that
the juices in the bottle and in the can are the same temperature.
Why does the can feel colder than the bottle?
A. The metal can holds colder juice than the plastic bottle.
B. Plastic is a better conductor of thermal energy than metal.
C. Metal is a better conductor of thermal energy than plastic.
D. The outside of the metal can is drier than the plastic bottle.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 21
A teacher put a beaker of water on a hot plate. The beaker is shown before and after the hot
plate is turned on.
What is the evidence that water is changing state?
A. The hot plate is turned on.
B. The temperature increases.
C. The water bubbles and the steam is visible.
D. The mass of water in the beaker increases.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 22
A teacher demonstrates how ice changes states. Two students record how long it takes for ice
to change to steam, as shown.
In your Answer Document, explain why student 2’s record is more understandable than
student 1’s record.
Then, explain why accurate and understandable records are important. (2 points)
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 23
Popcorn kernels contain a solid material called starch and a small amount of water at room
temperature. When the temperature of the kernels of popcorn increase, they explode or pop.
Which change in the state of the water takes place inside the kernel, causing the volume to
increase?
A. solid → gas
B. liquid → gas
C. solid → liquid
D. liquid → solid
Question 24
On a cold day, a student felt the tires of her bike before riding it to the store. When she
arrived at the store, she felt the tires again and noticed that they were warmer.
What caused the temperature of the bicycle tires to change?
A. the wind blowing against the tires
B. the air escaping from the spinning tires
C. the rubbing between the ground and the tires
D. the heat transferring from the rider’s hands to the tire
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 25
Millions of years ago, the insect shown was trapped in sticky tree sap. The dried tree sap is
now called amber. Amber looks like a clear gold or brown stone.
Which statement is an opinion about the amber?
A. Amber is made of hardened tree sap.
B. Ancient insects can be found in amber.
C. Amber was formed millions of years ago.
D. All insects prefer tree sap as a food source.
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009
Question 26
A group of students test how far a toy truck rolls on four different flat surfaces: concrete,
grass, gravel and sand. They give the truck a quick push and let it roll across each surface.
They measure how far the truck rolls before stopping.
To improve the results, the students create a list of changes that other students should make
when repeating the experiment:
Always use the same truck.
Use a ramp to let the toy truck roll down onto each of the flat surfaces.
Use the same methods to measure the distance the toy truck rolls every time.
Collect data three times for each type of surface.
Choose two of the tips from the list. In your Answer Document, explain why each tip helps
improve the results of the investigation. (2 points)
4th Grade OAT Items
Created by Brice Harris, TCESC. Dec 2009