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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.



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

We enjoy the hummingbirds that visit our feeders. I am trying to find the mixture of sugar and water that they like the best.

Each day, I put out four feeders with different amounts of water and sugar. At the end of each day, I measure to see how much of each the hummingbirds drank. Which of the following is NOT an important part of this experiment?

  1. One of the feeders should only contain water, with no sugar.

    No. This IS an important part of the experiment. The feeder without any sugar is the control. If the hummingbirds drink just as much pure water, it would indicate that the sugar is not important.
  2. The feeders should be placed randomly every day.

    No. This IS an important part of the experiment. If you always put the same mixture in the same location, the results may be because the birds like that location instead of because they like the amount of sugar.
  3. I should repeat this experiment every day for several weeks.

    No. This IS an important part of the experiment. The more times you repeat the same test, the more likely you are to get accurate results.
  4. The different mixtures should be colored different colors with nontoxic food coloring.

    Yes. This is NOT an important part of the experiment. It would add a second variable to the experiment, which is a bad thing. You want everything to be the same for each sample, with the only difference being the amount of sugar. If you used different colors and different amounts of sugar, you would not know whether the results were due to the color or the sugar.



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.

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.

I want to test a new fertilizer, to find the best concentration for my garden. To do this, I plan to divide my garden into four sections.

Section A. I will use 5 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.

Section B. I will use 10 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.

Section C. I will use 15 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.

For section D, how much fertilizer per gallon should I use?

  1. 20 grams of fertilizer per gallon.

    No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer.
  2. 30 grams of fertilizer per gallon.

    No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer.
  3. 1 gram of fertilizer per gallon.

    No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer.
  4. No fertilizer at all.

    Yes. For this type of experiment, you need to have a control group. That is a group of test subjects that you do not do anything to. If the control group with no fertilizer grows just as well as the other groups, then I would know that the fertilizer was not working.



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.

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


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

Back to the Grade 5 standards.