5th Grade Science GMAS Practice (from GMAS Assessment Guide)

A student wants to design a complete, simple circuit for a class project. The student has more materials available than are needed for the project. What does a complete, simple circuit require to work?

• wire and a switch

• wire and a light bulb

• wire, a battery, and a switch

• wire, a battery, and a light bulb

Tags

NGSS.4-PS3-4

Deposition of sediments can change the depth of a lake over time. A student wants to make a model that shows how this process takes place. Which model would provide data about changes in the depth of a lake caused by deposition?

• Fill a beaker with water. Slowly allow the water to evaporate from the beaker. Measure the change in the depth of the water.

• Fill a beaker with water. Slowly drop sand, gravel, and dead plant material into the beaker. Measure the change in the depth of the water.

• Fill a plastic box with water. Put a hose in the water on one end of the box and turn the water on to a slow flow. Measure the depth of the water when the box is full.

• Fill a plastic box with sand, gravel, and dead plant material. Put a hose in the middle of the box and turn the water on to a slow flow. Measure the depth of the water when the box is full.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The eastern box turtle lives in Georgia. The list shows some characteristics of the eastern box turtle.

Which question can be asked to find out which characteristic is a learned behavior?

• Do all eastern box turtles like the same food?

• Do eastern box turtles in other states live for 50 years?

• Do eastern box turtles in other states have the same color of spots?

• Do all eastern box turtles hide in their shells when they are frightened?

Tags

NGSS.4-LS1-2

The picture shows two steep valleys and two rivers that join together and become one larger river in a wider valley.

A student claims that both valleys have been formed by the same process over a long period of time. Which argument BEST explains why the student’s claim is correct or incorrect?

• The student’s claim is correct; the evidence in the picture shows that both valleys were formed by the constructive force of deposition because flowing water carries large rocks from far away and drops them along a river, making the banks taller

• The student’s claim is correct; the evidence in the picture shows that both valleys were formed by the destructive forces of weathering and erosion because flowing water breaks down rock and carries the small pieces downstream.

• The student’s claim is not correct; the evidence in the picture shows that valley 1 was formed by the destructive forces of weathering and erosion because flowing water breaks down rock and carries the small pieces downstream, but valley 2 was formed by the constructive force of deposition because flowing water carries large rocks from far away and drops them along a river, making the banks taller.

• The student’s claim is not correct; the evidence in the picture shows that valley 1 was formed by the constructive force of deposition because flowing water carries large rocks from far away and drops them along a river, making the banks taller, but valley 2 was formed by the destructive forces of weathering and erosion because flowing water breaks down rock and carries the small pieces downstream.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A student wants to test some materials to find out whether they conduct electricity or insulate electricity. The student uses the following steps to get started. The student has a variety of materials to test. Which steps would BEST complete the procedure and which conclusion should the student make?

• step 5: Connect a test material to the open ends of wire 1 and wire 3. step 6: Make observations, and repeat step 5 with a different test material. conclusion: If the bulb lights up, the material is a conductor. If the bulb does not light up, the material is an insulator.

• step 5: Connect a test material to the open ends of wire 1 and wire 3. step 6: Make observations, and repeat step 5 with a different test material. conclusion: If the bulb lights up, the material is an insulator. If the bulb does not light up, the material is a conductor.

• step 5: Connect the open ends of wire 1 and wire 3 to each other to complete the circuit. step 6: Touch a test material to the completed circuit, and record observations. conclusion: If the bulb lights up, the material is an insulator. If the bulb does not light up, the material is a conductor.

• step 5: Connect the open ends of wire 1 and wire 3 to each other to complete the circuit. step 6: Touch a test material to the completed circuit, and record observations. conclusion: If the bulb lights up, the material is a conductor. If the bulb does not light up, the material is an insulator.

Two students listed some traits of their favorite football player.

Which question would help the student determine which trait on the list is an acquired physical trait of the football player?

• How tall is the football player?

• Does the football player have any siblings?

• Why does the football player have brown eyes and hair?

• Has the football player always been good at catching a football?

Which investigation would provide evidence of a chemical change?

• Spray perfume into the air, and when the air and perfume mix, observe the change in odor that happens as they mix.

• Put an antacid tablet in water, and when the antacid and water mix, observe the bubbles that form as a new substance is created.

• Heat water in a pan on a stove, and observe the steam that forms as the state of matter of the water changes

• Blow air through a wand filled with soap solution, and observe the bubbles that form as the air becomes trapped.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS1-5

Some people who live in coastal areas along cliffs are using drones to take pictures of their neighborhoods. A drone is a flying vehicle without a pilot on board. The two pictures show changes in the cliff near a building on two days in December.

Which question can be studied by using a drone to observe recent changes in Earth’s surface along coastal areas?

• How fast are the cliffs eroding?

• How many people live near cliffs?

• How old are rock layers at the bottom of the cliff?

• How can people stop the erosion of cliffs near the coast?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A student makes a model to sort plants using the information in the table.

Which question should the student put in the box with a question mark to correctly complete the model?

• Does it produce cones?

• Does it grow into a tree?

• Does it produce flowers?

• Does it have roots, stems, or leaves?

A student observed a label found on raw chicken meat sold at the grocery store.

Which argument should the student use to support a claim that some bacteria are harmful to humans?

• Some bacteria can harm humans because bacteria reproduce faster when they are cooked at high temperatures.

• Some bacteria can harm humans because bacteria become toxic when cooked at high temperatures.

• Some bacteria can harm humans because bacteria make food taste bad when it is not cooked properly.

• Some bacteria can harm humans because bacteria can cause food poisoning when contaminated food is not cooked properly