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Quest: 5th Grade, Nature of Science

Here are some science questions to help you test your knowledge of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time you reload the page.

Back to the Grade 5 standards.



When a scientist makes a new discovery, other scientists usually do exactly the same experiment. Why?

  1. They want to get part of the credit.

    No. While replicating an experiment is very important, the scientists who do it usually don't get much credit for their work unless they discover an error in the original experiment.
  2. Repetition is part of the scientific process.

    No. Repetition is when scientists repeat their own experiment several times, not when other scientists do the same experiment.
  3. They think they can make changes to improve the experiment.

    No. By doing exactly the same experiment, they are not changing anything. Instead, they are replicating the experiment as closely as possible.
  4. Replication is part of the scientific process.

    Yes. By replicating the experiment, other scientists can help verify that the results are accurate. There is always a possibility that there was some unnoticed influence on the original experiment, and replication can help spot that.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.2.N.1.4 Explain how particular scientific investigations should yield similar conclusions when repeated.

SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others.

>>> Teacher Page: Nature of Science and Dissolving


SC.6.N.1.2 Explain why scientific investigations should be replicable.

SC.7.N.1.2 Differentiate replication (by others) from repetition (multiple trials).

SC.8.N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication.

Utah

NGSS

What do you have to do to replicate an experiment?

  1. You do the same experiment several times.

    No. Doing the same experiment several times is repetition, not replication.
  2. You do the same experiment that someone else did.

    Yes. By replicating an experiment exactly, you should get the same results as the original experiment.
  3. You do an improved version of someone's experiment.

    For replication, you do the experiment exactly as the original scientist did, without making any changes.
  4. You look for errors in someone's experiment.

    The purpose of replication is to verify, not to look for errors.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.2.N.1.4 Explain how particular scientific investigations should yield similar conclusions when repeated.

SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others.

>>> Teacher Page: Nature of Science and Dissolving


SC.6.N.1.2 Explain why scientific investigations should be replicable.

SC.7.N.1.2 Differentiate replication (by others) from repetition (multiple trials).

SC.8.N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication.

Utah

NGSS

Which of the following observations is NOT scientifically testable?

  1. Butterflies have pretty wings.

    Yes! Pretty is an opinion, and can vary from person to person, so it is NOT scientifically testable.
  2. Butterflies have six legs.

    No. This could be tested by counting the legs of a variety of butterflies.
  3. Butterflies can sting like bees.

    No. A claim does not have to be true to be testable. Examination of a variety of butterflies would show that they do not have stingers.
  4. Most butterflies drink nectar from flowers.

    No. This could be tested by observing the feeding habits of butterflies.

Explain more about it.

If I said that butterflies did not have six legs, you could show me physical evidence by counting their legs. After counting the legs, the physical evidence would show that butterflies have six legs.

If I said that I don't think butterfly wings are pretty, you could show me wings that you think are pretty, but I might not agree with your opinion. "Pretty" is not something that we can measure. What is pretty to one person might not be pretty to another, so it is not a testable property.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.

SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.

Utah

NGSS

Which of the following observations is scientifically testable?

  1. Honeybees are good insects.

    No. "Good" is a generic term that could mean many different things in different situations. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable.
  2. Honeybees are important insects.

    No. "Important" is a generic term that could mean many different things to different people. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable.
  3. Honeybees are pretty insects.

    No. Some people might think that a honeybee is pretty, and some people might not. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable.
  4. Honeybees are not insects.

    Yes! While this statement is not correct, it is scientifically testable. You could examine the bee to see that it does fit the definition of an insect. This statement is IS scientifically testable.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.

SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.

Utah

NGSS

I wanted to test different amounts of fertilizer to see which was best for growing grass. I mixed water with different amounts of fertilizer, and then added sodium polyacrylate to change it into a gel. Then I sprinkled the grass seeds on top, and waited for them to grow.

I really need a control group for this experiment. What would I use for a control?

  1. Water, fertilizer, and grass seed, without any sodium polyacrylate.

    No. For the control, we want to skip the thing we are testing for. We are not testing changes caused by the amount of sodium polyacrylate.
  2. Water, sodium polyacrylate, and grass seed, without any fertilizer.

    Yes! We are testing to see how different amounts of fertilizer change the growth of the grass. The amount of fertilizer is the variable we are testing, so the control group should not have any fertilizer.
  3. Water, sodium polyacrylate, and fertilizer, without any grass seed.

    No. For the control, we want to skip the thing we are testing for. We are not testing changes caused by the amount of grass seed, and we know that no grass will grow if we do not have any seeds.
  4. Sodium polyacrylate, fertilizer, and grass seed, without any water.

    No. For the control, we want to skip the thing we are testing for. We are not testing changes caused by the amount of water.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in an experiment.

SC.7.N.1.4 Identify test variables (independent variables) and outcome variables (dependent variables) in an experiment.

Utah

NGSS


3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time you reload the page.

Back to the Grade 5 standards.