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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.



This caterpillar is an example of which part of the food web?

  1. Producer.

    No. The plant is a producer. It captures energy from sunlight, and stores it as food. The caterpillar is eating the plant to get that energy.
  2. Primary Consumer.

    Yes! The caterpillar is eating the plant (a producer) to get the energy that is stored in its leaves.
  3. Secondary Consumer

    No. Secondary consumers eat other consumers. A bird that ate this caterpillar would be a secondary consumer.
  4. Decomposer

    No. Decomposers break down dead and decaying organisms. The plant that the caterpillar is eating is still alive and growing.



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.
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
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.
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Measuring Calories video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Food Web Tag text page
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
Review Food Web-8 practice
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

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.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, 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.
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
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
Calories: Measuring the Energy text page, free
What is a Food Web? text page, free, checked
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-2 practice
Review Food Web-1 practice
Review Food Web-3 practice
Review Food Web-4 practice

5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
Scavengers and Decomposers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Producers video, free, Updated, checked
Primary Consumers video, 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

In the Yeast and Sugar video, I added different kinds of sugar to bottles with yeast and warm water. One of the bottles was a control. What should have been in that bottle?

  1. Just water

    No. With just water, you are removing two variables, the yeast and the sugar. You only want to remove the independent variable.
  2. Water and yeast

    Yes! A control should be exactly like the others, but without the independent variable (the variable you are changing in the experiment.) In this case, the variable you are changing is the kind of sugar, so the control should have everything except for the sugar.
  3. Water and sugar

    No. The yeast is not the independent variable, so leaving it out would not be correct.
  4. Water and salt

    No. Adding salt would be adding a new variable, which is not correct.



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.

When Nancy and I moved from Florida to our new home in Utah, we found that many of the flowers we grew in Florida would not grow well here. Why?

  1. The soil is different.

    This is part of the answer. The soil here is mostly sand, and is very alkaline. The soil in Florida had much more organic matter and was more acidic. Plants that need rich soil do not grow well here.
  2. The climate is different.

    This is part of the answer. The climate in Utah is very different from Florida. The winters are MUCH colder (down to -20°F) and the summers are MUCH hotter (up to 125°F). The climate here is also much drier. When we lived in Jacksonville, FL, we got about 52 inches of rainfall each year. Here in Utah, we only get about 14 inches of rainfall each year. Some of the plants from Florida can grow here, but the ones that cannot stand the cold, heat, and dry conditions do not.
  3. The animals are different.

    This is part of the answer. The wildlife here is much different from the animals in Florida. There are insects here that eat plants that were not bothered by Florida insects. There are rock squirrels, western pocket gophers, jack rabbits, mule deer, and many other animals here that love to eat many kinds of flowers. Plants that do not have a bitter taste, spines, or other ways to discourage animals do not do well here.
  4. All of the above.

    Yes! All of the answers are correct. When you take an organism from one environment and put it into another, you may see different results. If the organism is not adapted for the new environment, it may die or not grow well. If it is very well adapted to the new environment, it may take over, crowding out some of the native organisms.



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.
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Nature Watching video, checked
Calling a Woodpecker video, checked
Selective Smelling video, checked
Seed Search video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Flowers video, ClosedCaptions
Onion Crystals video
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).
Hunting with an Umbrella video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Seed Search video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Flowers video, ClosedCaptions
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.
Selective Smelling video, checked
Onion Crystals video
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

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.
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
Orange Slices video, ClosedCaptions
Bacteria and Antibiotics video, ClosedCaptions
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

I wanted to test a new fertilizer, to find the best concentration for my garden. I divided my garden into four sections and put a different amount of fertilizer in each section.

My test results showed that using 10 grams of fertilizer per gallon made the plants grow faster and bigger. To follow proper scientific guidelines, what should I do next?

  1. Apply 10 grams of fertilizer per gallon to all the plants in my garden.

    No. While that might make my garden grow well, it would not provide more evidence that this was the best mixture of fertilizer
  2. Do the same experiment over again.

    Yes! Repetition is an important part of the scientific process. If my hypothesis is correct, I should get the same results every time I repeat the experiment.
  3. Do the same experiment, but use a different fertilizer.

    No. Using a different fertilizer would be testing a different variable. I wanted to find the best concentration of the original fertilizer, so testing a different fertilizer would not help with that.
  4. Publish my results, so that other scientists could replicate my experiment.

    No. Replication is an important step, but I should repeat my experiment several times to be sure that I get consistent results before I ask other scientists to try replicating it.



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.1.3: Recognize and explain the need for repeated experimental trials.

>>> Teacher Page: Nature of Science and Dissolving


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

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 states of matter will change its shape to fit its container, but not its size?

  1. Solid

    No. Under normal pressure, solids do not change their shape or size to fit their container.
  2. Liquid

    Yes. Liquids will take on the shape of their container, but do not change their size.
  3. Gas

    No. Gases will expand to fill their container, taking on both its shape and size.
  4. Plasma

    No. Like gases, plasmas take on the size and shape of their container.



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.8.3 Recognize that solids have a definite shape and that liquids and gases take the shape of their container.
Egg States video, checked
Wonderful Water video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
Raw Egg or Boiled? video, checked
Review Matter-1 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

A Bouncing Water Balloon video
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
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.
Expansion of Solids video, ClosedCaptions, checked
A Bouncing Water Balloon video
Egg States video, checked
Experimenting with Dry Ice video, free, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
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).
A Bouncing Water Balloon video
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
Review Matter-1 practice
Review Matter-3 practice

UT.7.I.1.c Diagram the arrangement of particles in the physical states of matter (i.e., solid, liquid, gas).
A Bouncing Water Balloon video
Egg States video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
Review Matter-1 practice

UT.8.I.1.b Classify substances based on their chemical and physical properties (e.g., reacts with water, does not react with water, flammable or nonflammable, hard or soft, flexible or nonflexible, evaporates or melts at room temperature).
Relighting Candles video, checked
How They Get the Sparks in a Sparkler video
Orange Flash video
Stale Bread video
Cabbage Indicator video, checked
Experimenting with Dry Ice video, free, checked
Making Butter video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
Wax and Wood, part 1 video, checked
Wax and Wood, part 2 video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
Scaring Pepper video, checked
Making Turmeric Paper video, checked
Testing for Tannic Acid video
Acid Hunt text page
A Clean Trick text page
Review Matter-1 practice

NGSS


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