Error message

Deprecated function: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in include_once() (line 20 of /home/raw3y9x1y6am/public_html/includes/file.phar.inc).

Quest: 8th Grade Science Assessment

Back to the SSA page.

Here are some science questions from the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Standards 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.



Which part of the food web does this mushroom fit into?

  1. Producer.

    No. A producer captures energy from sunlight, and stores it as food. To do that, the organism needs to contain chlorophyll. This mushroom cannot use the energy of sunlight to produce its own food.
  2. Primary Consumer.

    No. Primary consumers eat producers. This mushroom does not eat living plants.
  3. Secondary Consumer

    No. Secondary consumers eat other consumers. This mushroom does not eat living animals.
  4. Decomposer

    Yes! Decomposers break down dead and decaying organisms. This mushroom gets its energy from decaying organisms in the soil.



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

Florida


SC.4.L.17.3 Trace the flow of energy from the Sun as it is transferred along the food chain through the producers to the consumers.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Food Web Tag text page
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice
Review Food Web-5 practice
Review Food Web-6 practice
Review Food Web-7 practice
Review Food Web-8 practice
Review Food Web-9 practice
Review Food Web-10 practice

SC.7.L.17.1 Explain and illustrate the roles of and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Measuring Calories video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Food Web Tag text page
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice
Review Food Web-5 practice
Review Food Web-6 practice
Review Food Web-7 practice
Review Food Web-8 practice
Review Food Web-9 practice
Review Food Web-10 practice

Utah


UT.8.II.2.a Categorize the relationships between organisms (i.e., producer/consumer/decomposer, predator/prey, mutualism/parasitism) and provide examples of each.
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice
Review Food Web-5 practice
Review Food Web-6 practice
Review Food Web-7 practice
Review Food Web-8 practice
Review Food Web-9 practice
Review Food Web-10 practice
Review Food Web-11 practice
Review Food Web-12 practice

NGSS


5-PS3-1 Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Measuring Photosynthesis video, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Measuring Calories video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Calories: Measuring the Energy text page, free
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-9 practice
Review Food Web-10 practice
Review Food Web-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice
Review Food Web-5 practice
Review Food Web-6 practice
Review Food Web-7 practice
Review Food Web-8 practice

5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice
Review Food Web-5 practice
Review Food Web-6 practice
Review Food Web-7 practice
Review Food Web-8 practice
Review Food Web-9 practice
Review Food Web-10 practice

This is called Quartzite. It was once sandstone, but heat and pressure changed it by fusing the grains of sand to each other, making it much harder. What kind of rock is it?.

  1. Igneous

    No. Igneous rocks formed from magma or lava. That would have melted the sand grains. This is not an igneous rock.
  2. Sedimentary

    No. Sedimentary rocks are deposited by wind, water, ice, or gravity, and they often contain fossils. When it was sandstone it was a sedimentary rock.
  3. Metamorphic

    Yes!. This quartzite been changed by heat and pressure from a different kind of rock. It is metamorphic.
  4. Quartzite is not a rock.

    No. Quartzite is a naturally occurring solid that forms large layers in the Earth. Quartzite 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).
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
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
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
Light and Dark Minerals text page, learnalong
Review Rocks-1 practice
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

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).
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
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice
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

Utah


UT.4.III.1.a Describe the differences between minerals and rocks.
What is a Rock? video, learnalong, checked
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals video
Definition of a Mineral video, checked
What is a Mineral? video, checked
Identifying Minerals video, learnalong
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.
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
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
Homemade Fossil Dig text page
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Geologic Time-1 practice
Review Rocks-4 practice
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

MS-ESS2-1 Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
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
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
Definition of a Mineral video, checked
Light and Dark Minerals text page, learnalong
Review Rocks-1 practice
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

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.

wood and ashes

The wood in this pile will be reduced to this much ash when it is burned. What happens to the rest of the mass from the wood?

  1. It was converted into energy.

    No. Burning does not convert matter into energy.
  2. It evaporated.

    No. While any moisture in the wood may have evaporated, wood itself does not evaporate.
  3. It was converted into water and carbon dioxide.

    Yes! Burning converts the cellulose in wood into water vapor and carbon dioxide. The white ash that is left behind is made up of the minerals and nutrients which were taken in by the plant's roots.
  4. The matter is still there. It just got smaller.

    No. If all of the matter was still there, the mass and weight would still be the same. The ash is much lighter than the wood, because the water vapor and carbon dioxide are now part of the air of the room. Still, if we could weigh all of the ash, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, the total mass would still be the same.



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

Florida


SC.4.P.8.3 Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating that the mass of a whole object is always the same as the sum of the masses of its parts.

SC.8.P.9.1 Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating and concluding that mass is conserved when substances undergo physical and chemical changes.
Making Butter video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Review Matter-2 practice
Review Matter-6 practice

Utah


UT.5.I.1.a Compare the total weight of an object to the weight of its individual parts after being
disassembled.
Review Matter-6 practice

UT.5.I.1.d Investigate chemical reactions in which the total weight of the materials before and after reaction is the same (e.g., cream and vinegar before and after mixing, borax and glue mixed to make a new substance).
Polymers and Slime video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked
Changing Colors, part 1 video
Changing Colors, part 2 video
The Chemistry of Milk video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Review Matter-6 practice

UT.5.I.3.d Compare a physical change to a chemical change.
Making Butter video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Chemical and Physical Changes video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Paper Petals video, ClosedCaptions
Changing Colors, part 1 video
Changing Colors, part 2 video
The Chemistry of Milk video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Changing How We Look at Changing text page, free
Review Matter-4 practice

UT.8.I.4.c Demonstrate that mass is conserved in a chemical reaction (e.g., mix two solutions that result in a color change or formation of a precipitate and weigh the solutions before and after mixing).
Growing Crystals Under the Microscope video, free, learnalong, checked
Microscopes: Growing Crystals video, free, learnalong, Updated
Review Matter-6 practice

NGSS


5-PS1-2 Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
The Difference Between Weight and Mass video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
Chemical and Physical Changes video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Making Butter video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Air has Weight text page
Review Matter-2 practice
Review Matter-6 practice

MS-PS1-5 Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

These flowers are so long and thin that only hummingbirds can get to the nectar. What would be the advantage of only letting certain creatures get the nectar?

  1. It makes it more likely that the flower will be pollinated.

    Yes! As you can see in the Flowers video, the flower needs a pollinator to carry its pollen to another flower of the same kind. If only hummingbirds can get to the nectar, they are more likely to visit other flowers of the same kind. By doing that, they carry pollen from one flower to another, pollenating them. That makes this a strong advantage for the plant.
  2. It keeps animals from eating the nectar.

    No. The nectar is supposed to be eaten. It serves as a treat to get animals to come to the flower.
  3. It helps the hummingbirds get more food.

    No. While getting more food would be an advantage for the hummingbirds, it would not help the plant.
  4. There is no advantage.

    No. Flowers have specific shapes, colors, and smells for a reason.



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.17.1 Compare and contrast adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in different environments such as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and physical characteristics.
Calling a Woodpecker video, checked
Selective Smelling video, checked
Seed Search video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Flowers video, ClosedCaptions
Onion Crystals video
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Nature Watching video, checked
Review Plants-1 practice
Review Adaptation-2 practice
Review Adaptation-3 practice
Review Adaptation-4 practice
Review Adaptation-5 practice
Review Adaptation-6 practice

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.15.3 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by relating how the inability of a species to adapt within a changing environment may contribute to the extinction of that species.

Utah


UT.4.V.2.b Cite examples of physical features that allow particular plants and animals to live in specific environments (e.g., duck has webbed feet, cactus has waxy coating).
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Seed Search video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Flowers video, ClosedCaptions
Hunting with an Umbrella video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
How Does a Butterfly Fly? text page, free
Review Adaptation-5 practice
Review Adaptation-6 practice

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).

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).

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
Thoughts on an Exoskeleton text page, free
Who Evolved on First? text page, free, checked
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

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.
Nature Watching video, checked
Calling a Woodpecker video, checked
Selective Smelling video, checked
Pumpkin Guts video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked
Seed Search video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Orange Slices video, ClosedCaptions
Bacteria and Antibiotics video, ClosedCaptions
Flowers video, ClosedCaptions
Onion Crystals video
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Thoughts on an Exoskeleton text page, free
How Does a Butterfly Fly? 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

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