Here are some science questions from the Standards for Grades 2-5 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.
* Click here to see only the most recently added questions.

This is called Pumice. It is formed when magma reaches the surface, and reduced pressure lets gas bubbles escape. When it cools, it has so many trapped air bubbles that it will actually float in water. What kind of rock is it?.
-
Igneous
Yes! Igneous rocks formed from magma or lava. This is an igneous rock. -
Sedimentary
No. Sedimentary rocks are deposited by wind, water, ice, or gravity, and they often contain fossils. This is not a sedimentary rock. -
Metamorphic
No. Metamorphic rocks have been changed by heat and pressure from a different kind of rock. Instead of being changed, this got hot enough to completely melt, so it is not metamorphic. -
Pumice is not a rock.
No. Pumice is a naturally occurring solid that forms large layers in the Earth. Pumice is a rock.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.4.E.6.1 Identify the three categories of rocks: igneous, (formed from molten rock); sedimentary (pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms); and metamorphic (formed from heat and pressure).
Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
Light and Dark Minerals | text page, learnalong |
Homemade Fossil Dig | text page |
Foliated and Unfoliated Rocks | text page, learnalong |
Identifying Igneous Rocks | text page, learnalong |
Intrusive and Extrusive Igneous Rocks | text page, learnalong |
Review Rocks-2 | practice |
Review Rocks-3 | practice |
Review Rocks-4 | practice |
Review Rocks-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-6 | practice |
Review Rocks-8 | practice |
Review Rocks-9 | practice |
Review Rocks-7 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-1 | practice |
SC.7.E.6.2 Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
The Rock Cycle | video, learnalong |
Change: Fast and Slow | video |
Erosion | video, checked |
Continuous Change | video, checked |
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
Weathering and Erosion | video, learnalong, checked |
Review Erosion-4 | practice |
Review Erosion-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-4 | practice |
Review Rocks-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-6 | practice |
Review Rocks-8 | practice |
Review Rocks-9 | practice |
Review Rocks-7 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-1 | practice |
Review Erosion-1 | practice |
Review Erosion-2 | practice |
Review Erosion-3 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.III.1.a Describe the differences between minerals and rocks.
What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
Review Rocks-1 | practice |
Review Rocks-4 | practice |
Review Rocks-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-6 | practice |
Review Rocks-8 | practice |
Review Rocks-9 | practice |
Review Rocks-7 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
NGSS
4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
Reading the Rocks: Law of Superposition | video |
Reading the Rocks: Law of Crosscutting | video |
What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
Reading the Rocks: The Present is the Key to the Past | video, ClosedCaptions |
Paleo Cookies | video |
Homemade Fossil Dig | text page |
Review Geologic Time-2 | practice |
Review Rocks-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-6 | practice |
Review Rocks-8 | practice |
Review Rocks-9 | practice |
Review Rocks-7 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Geologic Time-3 | practice |
Review Rocks-1 | practice |
Review Geologic Time-1 | practice |
Review Rocks-4 | practice |
MS-ESS2-1 Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
The Rock Cycle | video, learnalong |
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
Light and Dark Minerals | text page, learnalong |
Review Rocks-2 | practice |
Review Rocks-3 | practice |
Review Rocks-4 | practice |
Review Rocks-5 | practice |
Review Rocks-6 | practice |
Review Rocks-8 | practice |
Review Rocks-9 | practice |
Review Rocks-7 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Review Rocks-1 | practice |

The yellow lines show how light is bent as it passes through a magnifying glass. This is an example of:
-
Absorption
No. The glass is clear, telling us that very little of the light is being absorbed. Absorption does not bend the light. -
Diffusion
No. Diffusion is the scattering of light as it is reflected in many different directions. Diffusion would make the rays of light go in many different directions. -
Refraction
Yes! Refraction bends light as it moves from one substance to another. As the light passes through the curved lens of the magnifying glass its path is changed, bending the rays towards the focal point. -
Reflection
No. While some light is reflected from the glass, it is not responsible for the bending of the light.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.3.P.10.3 Demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels from one medium to another.
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
SC.3.P.10.4 Demonstrate that light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Looking for Rainbows | video |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
SC.7.P.10.2 Observe and explain that light can be reflected, refracted, and/or absorbed.
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Onion Crystals | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Finding Fat in Foods | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Utah
UT.8.IV.1.b Compare the transfer of energy (i.e., sound, light, earthquake waves, heat) through various mediums.
Doppler Effect | video, checked |
Solar Power | video, checked |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Noisy String | video, checked |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
About Microwaves | video, checked |
Microwave Chocolate | video, checked |
Spoon Bells | video, checked |
The Singing Glass | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
The Science of Pizza | video, checked |
Heating a Balloon | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Comparing How Sound Moves Through Liquids and Gases | text page |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
NGSS
1-PS4-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
A Color You Can't See | video, free, checked |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Sunprints | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
MS-PS4-2 Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Finding Fat in Foods | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
About Microwaves | video, checked |
Microwave Chocolate | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Sunprints | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |

These are the four stages of a mealworm's life cycle. What kind of life cycle is it?
-
Incomplete metamorphosis
No. For an incomplete metamorphosis, there are only three stages: egg, larva, and adult. The young also look very similar to the adults. The mealworm larva looks very different from the beetle. -
Complete metamorphosis.
Yes! For a complete metamorphosis, the animal goes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. -
Full metamorphosis.
No. There is no life cycle called full metamorphosis. -
Partial metamorphosis.
No. There is no life cycle called partial metamorphosis.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.L.16.1 Observe and describe major stages in the life cycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies.
Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
Review Life Cycle-1 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-2 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-3 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-4 | practice |
SC.4.L.16.4 Compare and contrast the major stages in the life cycles of Florida plants and animals, such as those that undergo incomplete and complete metamorphosis, and flowering and nonflowering seedbearing
plants.
Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
Creating a Sprout Guide | text page, photography, free |
Review Life Cycle-1 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-2 | practice |
Review Plants-4 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-3 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-4 | practice |
Utah
UT.5.V.1.c Compare various examples of offspring that do not initially resemble the parent organism but mature to become similar to the parent organism (e.g., mealworms and darkling beetles, tadpoles and frogs, seedlings and vegetables, caterpillars and butterflies).
Review Life Cycle-2 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-3 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-4 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-1 | practice |
NGSS
1-LS3-1 Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
Review Life Cycle-2 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-3 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-1 | practice |
3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Review Life Cycle-2 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-3 | practice |
Review Life Cycle-1 | practice |

While this spoon appears to have a broken handle, it is just the result of how the water affects the light. This is an example of:
-
Refraction
Yes! Refraction bends light as it moves from one substance to another. As the light passes from the water to the air, its path is changed, making it appear that the spoon is broken. -
Reflection
No. While some light is reflected from the glass, it is not responsible for the bending of the light. -
Absorption
No. The water and glass are both clear, telling us that very little of the light is being absorbed. Absorption does not bend the light. -
Diffusion
No. Diffusion is the scattering of light as it is reflected in many different directions. Diffusion would make the image cloudy and blurry.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.3.P.10.3 Demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels from one medium to another.
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
SC.3.P.10.4 Demonstrate that light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Looking for Rainbows | video |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
SC.7.P.10.2 Observe and explain that light can be reflected, refracted, and/or absorbed.
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Onion Crystals | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Finding Fat in Foods | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-3 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Utah
UT.8.IV.1.b Compare the transfer of energy (i.e., sound, light, earthquake waves, heat) through various mediums.
Doppler Effect | video, checked |
Solar Power | video, checked |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Noisy String | video, checked |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
About Microwaves | video, checked |
Microwave Chocolate | video, checked |
Spoon Bells | video, checked |
The Singing Glass | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
The Science of Pizza | video, checked |
Heating a Balloon | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Comparing How Sound Moves Through Liquids and Gases | text page |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
NGSS
1-PS4-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
A Color You Can't See | video, free, checked |
Pinhole Eyeglasses | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
Sunprints | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-3 | practice |
MS-PS4-2 Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Finding Fat in Foods | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
Changing the Speed of Light | video |
Why is Foam White? | video, checked |
Sunglass Science: Birefringence | video, free, Updated |
Sunglass Science: Polarized Light | video, free, Updated |
Mirage | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
About Microwaves | video, checked |
Microwave Chocolate | video, checked |
Why Wet Things Turn Dark | video, checked |
Onion Crystals | video |
Sunprints | video |
A Long Lens | text page |
Sunlight, Energy, and Crayons | text page, free |
Review Light-1 | practice |
Review Light-2 | practice |
Review Light-4 | practice |
Review Light-5 | practice |

When you mix cornstarch and water, you get something that many science sites call Oobleck. Under pressure, it feels like a solid, but when the pressure is removed, it flows like a liquid. What state of matter is it?
Answer:
This is a mixture, made up of particles of solid matter surrounded by a liquid. The mixture is not a single state of matter.
This is an important concept to understand, and it is seen in many things we use every day. A good example is the Egg States video, showing how a mixture of liquid and gas can seem to be a solid.
Before you try to decide if something is solid, liquid, gas, plasma, or some other state of matter, first make sure that it is a pure substance, and not a mixture of different states.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.P.8.2 Identify objects and materials as solid, liquid, or gas.
Experimenting with Dry Ice | video, free, checked |
Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
Air Space | video |
Egg States | video, checked |
Teach It Right the First Time. | text page, free |
Review Matter-3 | practice |
SC.5.P.8.1 Compare and contrast the basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases, such as mass, volume, color, texture, and temperature.
>>> Teacher Page: States of Matter
Egg States | video, checked |
Experimenting with Dry Ice | video, free, checked |
Wax and Wood, part 1 | video, checked |
Wax and Wood, part 2 | video, checked |
Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
Air Space | video |
A Bouncing Water Balloon | video |
Air has Weight | text page |
Teach It Right the First Time. | text page, free |
Review Matter-2 | practice |
Review Matter-1 | practice |
Review Matter-3 | practice |
Review Weather-10 | practice |
SC.8.P.8.1 Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by using models to explain the motion of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.
Egg States | video, checked |
Experimenting with Dry Ice | video, free, checked |
Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
Expansion of Solids | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
A Bouncing Water Balloon | video |
Review Matter-1 | practice |
Review Matter-3 | practice |
Utah
UT.5.I.2.a Identify the physical properties of matter (e.g., hard, soft, solid, liquid, gas).
Egg States | video, checked |
Experimenting with Dry Ice | video, free, checked |
Wax and Wood, part 1 | video, checked |
Wax and Wood, part 2 | video, checked |
Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
Crushed Can | video, checked |
A Bouncing Water Balloon | video |
Review Matter-1 | practice |
Review Matter-3 | practice |