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.
Notice that the very back point on this Mule Deer's antlers is split. This is a genetic trait which is becoming more and more common because hunters would rather shoot deer with perfect antlers. This is an example of:
-
why hunting deer is a bad idea.
No. Actually, deer hunting is very important. Because we have killed off many of their natural predators, if hunters did not control their population, large numbers of them would starve to death. -
an adaptation that improves an organism's chance for survival.
Yes. Because hunters are less likely to shoot it, this deer is more likely to survive long enough to reproduce, passing this trait on to its offspring. -
an acquired trait.
No. This is a genetic trait, not an acquired trait. -
why antlers are more useful than horns.
No. Antlers and horns serve different functions, but both are useful to the animal that has them.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.L.15.1 Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.
| Who Evolved on First? | text page, free, checked |
| Review Adaptation-1 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
SC.7.L.15.2 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by recognizing and explaining ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to evolution by natural selection and diversity of organisms.
| Who Evolved on First? | text page, free, checked |
| Review Adaptation-1 | practice |
Utah
UT.5.V.2.c Describe how a particular physical attribute may provide an advantage for survival in one environment but not in another (e.g., heavy fur in arctic climates keep animals warm whereas in hot desert climates it would cause overheating; flippers on such animals as sea lions and seals provide excellent swimming structures in the water but become clumsy and awkward on land; cacti retain the right amount of water in arid regions but would develop root rot in a more temperate region; fish gills have the ability to absorb oxygen in water but not on land).
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-1 | practice |
UT.7.IV.2.a Predict why certain traits (e.g., structure of teeth, body structure, coloration) are more likely to offer an advantage for survival of an organism.
| Onion Crystals | video |
| Selective Smelling | video, checked |
| Who Evolved on First? | text page, free, checked |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Review Adaptation-1 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-2 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
NGSS
3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Who Evolved on First? | text page, free, checked |
| Review Adaptation-1 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-3 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-4 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
Pine trees do not have flowers. What structure do they have that servers the same purpose?
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Needles
No. Pine needles are a kind of leaf. They are not used for reproduction. -
Cones
Yes! Pine cones produce pollen and seeds, just as flowers do in flowering plants. -
Fruit
No. Fruit are used for dispersing seeds, not for pollination. -
Buds
No. Pine tree buds produce needles. They are not involved in reproduction.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.3.L.15.2 Classify flowering and nonflowering plants into major groups such as those that produce seeds, or those like ferns and mosses that produce spores, according to their physical characteristics.
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Review Plants-4 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
SC.3.L.14.1 Describe structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction.
| Heartless Plants | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Measuring Photosynthesis | video, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Testing a Leaf for Starch | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Smell the Flowers | text page |
| Review Plants-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-2 | practice |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
SC.4.L.16.1 Identify processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, including pollination, fertilization (seed production), seed dispersal, and germination.
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Review Plants-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-2 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
| Feathers | video, checked |
| Heartless Plants | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Nature Watching | video, checked |
| Calling a Woodpecker | video, checked |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Bird Bones | video, free |
| How Does a Butterfly Fly? | text page, free |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Eye Shine | text page |
| Review Plants-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-1 | practice |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
MS-LS1-4 Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Bacteria and Antibiotics | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Onion Crystals | video |
| A Walk in the Park | video, checked |
| Nature Watching | video, checked |
| Calling a Woodpecker | video, checked |
| Selective Smelling | video, checked |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| How Does a Butterfly Fly? | text page, free |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Review Adaptation-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-2 | practice |
| Review Plants-4 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-4 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
Which of the following forms of ice commonly occurs in the summer when air temperatures are well above freezing?
A: Hail
B: Snow
C: Frost
D: Freezing rain
Think about it, and when you think you know the answer, then click here.
While other kinds of frozen precipitation can form at high altitudes, in the summer they usually melt long before they reach the ground. Hail is made up of large enough chunks of ice that it usually remains frozen all the way to the ground, even during warm weather.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.E.7.4 Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail), making connections to the weather in a particular place and time.
| Building a Rain Gauge, part 2 | video, checked |
| Building a Rain Gauge, part 1 | video, checked |
| Photographing Snowflakes | video, checked |
| Snow Rollers | text page |
| Review Weather-6 | practice |
| Review Weather-3 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.II.2.a Observe and record effects of air temperature on precipitation (e.g., below freezing results in snow, above freezing results in rain).
| Building a Rain Gauge, part 2 | video, checked |
| Building a Rain Gauge, part 1 | video, checked |
| Photographing Snowflakes | video, checked |
| Review Weather-6 | practice |
| Review Weather-3 | practice |
NGSS
3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
| Nephoscope | video, checked |
| Pine Cone Weather | text page, free |
| Review Weather-5 | practice |
| Review Weather-6 | practice |
| Review Weather-4 | practice |
| Review Weather-3 | practice |
| Review Space-5 | practice |
| Review Space-8 | practice |
MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
| Cloud Types | video |
| Nephoscope | video, checked |
| Cloud Formation, part 1 | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Pine Cone Weather | text page, free |
| Review Weather-1 | practice |
| Review Weather-2 | practice |
| Review Weather-6 | practice |
| Review Weather-4 | practice |
| Review Weather-3 | practice |
Which part of your body comes closest to serving the same function as a flower?
-
Sensory organs
No. Plants can sense their surrounds just as well without flowers. -
Reproductive organs
Yes! Flowers are the reproductive organs of the plant. While most animals are either male or female, most flowers have both male (stamen) and female (pistil) reproductive organs. In this photograph, the male stamens are the green stalks with the yellow ends. The female pistil is the white structure just below the stamens. -
Digestive system
No. Plants make their own food, so they do not need a digestive system. -
Skeletal system
No. The stiff cell wall of a plant cell serves the same function as our skeleton.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.3.L.14.1 Describe structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction.
| Heartless Plants | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Measuring Photosynthesis | video, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Testing a Leaf for Starch | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Smell the Flowers | text page |
| Review Plants-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-2 | practice |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
SC.4.L.16.1 Identify processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, including pollination, fertilization (seed production), seed dispersal, and germination.
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Pumpkin Guts | video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Review Plants-3 | practice |
| Review Plants-2 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Plants-8 | practice |
SC.5.L.14.2 Compare and contrast the function of organs and other physical structures of plants and animals, including humans, for example: some animals have skeletons for support — some with internal skeletons others with exoskeletons — while some plants have stems for support.
| Reading a Skeleton | video, free, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Bird Bones | video, free |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
Utah
UT.6.V.1.b Compare characteristics common in observed organisms (e.g., color, movement, appendages, shape) and infer their function (e.g., green color found in organisms that are producers, appendages help movement).
| Selective Smelling | video, checked |
| Onion Crystals | video |
| A Walk in the Park | video, checked |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Review Adaptation-3 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-4 | practice |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
| Review Adaptation-6 | practice |
UT.7.IV.2.d Relate the structure of organs to an organism’s ability to survive in a specific environment (e.g., hollow bird bones allow them to fly in air, hollow structure of hair insulates animals from hot or cold, dense root structure allows plants to grow in compact soil, fish fins aid fish in moving in water).
| Bendable Bones | video, checked |
| Calling a Woodpecker | video, checked |
| Selective Smelling | video, checked |
| Seed Search | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Orange Slices | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Flowers | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Onion Crystals | video |
| Hunting with an Umbrella | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| Thoughts on an Exoskeleton | text page, free |
| Review Plants-5 | practice |
| Review Plants-6 | practice |
| Review Plants-7 | practice |
NGSS
MS-LS1-1 Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
| Microscopes: Making a Hay Infusion | video, free, learnalong, checked |
| Microscopes: Making a Wet Mount | video, learnalong, checked |
| Microscopes: Making a Dry Mount | video, learnalong, checked |
| 901 | photo challenge, free |
When this cannon fires, cannon and the cannon ball both move, but the cannon ball moves much farther and faster than the cannon. Why?
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The cannon ball is smaller.
No. While smaller size means a little less air resistance, that is not enough to cause the difference. -
The wheels on the cannon are stuck.
No. Even with the wheels moving freely, the cannon ball will still move much faster and much farther. -
The cannon ball is round.
No. While the round shape means a little less air resistance, that is not enough to cause the difference. -
The cannon ball weighs less.
Yes! According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the more mass an object has, the less it will be affected by a force. Newton's Third Law of Motion tells us that the cannon and the cannon ball will both be pushed by the same amount of force, but since the cannon is much heavier (more mass), it will not move as fast or as far.If the cannon was made of very light weight plastic, so that it was much ligher (less mass) than the cannon ball, then the cannon would move farther and faster.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.P.13.3 Investigate and describe that the more mass an object has, the less effect a given force will have on the object's motion.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| High Bounce | video, checked |
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-1 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-2 | practice |
Utah
UT.3.III.2.b Compare and chart the relative effects of a force of the same strength on objects of different weight (e.g., the breeze from a fan will move a piece of paper but may not move a piece of cardboard).
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| High Bounce | video, checked |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-1 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-2 | practice |
NGSS
MS-PS2-2 Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
| Smoke Rings | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-2 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-1 | practice |