Nature of Science Quiz Questions Flashcards
Which of the following activities would be best for having students practice the skill of inference?
using observations to determine why pine cones open as they age
correct
Inferring is developing an explanation based on observations. Here, students infer the reason pine cones open.
Which of the following is the best way to engage students from diverse cultural backgrounds in the practices of science?
incorporate science lessons that develop from the actual experiences of students in their culture
To help students learn the discovery nature of the scientific method, teachers should provide opportunities for them to conduct experiments to practice the steps. Which of the following is the best task for the teacher during this experimentation process?
walking around the room, guiding students and answering questions
According the 5E model, an ideal full lesson cycle should start by ___ and end with ___.
piquing students’ interests; some sort of evaluation
Which of the following accurately summarizes the difference between a hypothesis, a scientific theory, and a scientific law?
A hypothesis is a predicted outcome, a theory is a proposed explanation based on evidence, and a law is a documented description of observations surrounding a phenomenon.
A scientist is performing an experiment to determine the conductivity of a specific substance. Which of the following actions would increase the reliability of the results?
recording the results of repeated experiments
To increase reliability, at least three trials for every experiment should be completed and the data recorded.
Elementary students use flashlights with opaque and transparent objects as they investigate shadows. Which phase of the 5E model is being implemented in this activity?
explore
During the explore phase, students work with the materials to develop their knowledge. In this task, students manipulate materials and work to make sense of their findings.
After observing the behavior of ants in an ant farm, students present their drawings and ideas about ant behavior to each other in small groups. Which phase of the 5E model is being implemented in this activity?
explain
During the explain phase, students explain what they know and verbalize their understanding.
Which activity would best support third-grade students in developing an understanding of measuring with the metric system and creating graphs?
Having students use a metric ruler to measure the height of blades of grass growing in the schoolyard and then guiding them as they make bar graphs of their recorded results.
Students have learned about the energy stored in rubber bands and springs and now use provided materials to build and test gum-drop launchers. Which phase of the 5E model is being implemented in this activity?
elaborate
During the elaborate phase, students extend their thinking by applying what they have learned to a new situation and practicing new skills that were developed during the unit.
A teacher tells the following true story to her fifth-grade class.
“Some scientists in Utah had made a wonderful discovery! They discovered a source of huge amounts of cheap energy that was easy to produce. They performed experiments, analyzed their data, and published their results. Scientists at research centers all over the world tried to do the experiments in their own labs, but there was a problem: no one could get the same results as the original scientists. The original results could not be reproduced and eventually their conclusions were rejected. Their experiment had not worked in any other lab, and no cheap and abundant energy source was developed.”
Of the following choices, which concept is she most likely preparing to teach?
The importance of repeatability in science.
She was preparing to teach about repeatability in science. The original conclusions were proved faulty because the experiment was not repeatable.
After a “warm-up” exercise about the water cycle, Mr. Ortiz intends to ask his students some questions to start their thinking. Of the following questions, which is the best guiding question to ask in order to arouse student curiosity?
Why does it rain?
A question about why something happens is most likely to arouse student curiosity.
Students in a fifth-grade class are arguing about whether evolution is a hypothesis, a theory, or a law. After giving the definitions of each, how might a teacher best help her students resolve their argument and understand the differences in the three terms?
As a class, gather and categorize examples of hypotheses, theories, and laws and ask students to develop a valid reason for categorizing evolution as one of the three.
Second-grade students are using a voltmeter to find the voltage across several different types of batteries. They then make a graph showing the voltages for each type of battery. Which of the following scientific skills are the students practicing?
measuring
Students are measuring voltage and recording their data. A graph is a first step in the analysis of data, which is an aspect of measurement.
Students often confuse the science process skill of observation with that of inference. To help her students practice differentiating between the two, Ms. Hing brings in a mud imprint of a dinosaur footprint, a daisy with a few petals missing, and a lamp that doesn’t turn on.
Which of the following activities would best help her students practice differentiating between observation and inference?
Have groups write lists of observations and inferences about the items. Then, specify “observation” or “inference” and have groups earn points for correct, unique answers.
Fifth-grade students are working on an experiment and writing down their discoveries. Which of the following should the teacher be doing as the students work on the experiment?
coaching and guiding children as needed
Which scientist is known as the father of taxonomy?
Carl Linnaeus
An eighth-grade science class reviewing a unit on genetics is working in groups on an inquiry project. The groups are instructed to form a hypothesis about heritable traits and test the hypothesis by interviewing people who are related. Which of the following hypotheses would be the most appropriate for this project?
The allele for unattached earlobes is dominant over the allele for attached earlobes.
During a unit on acids and bases, which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of predicting?
stating whether an untested chemical might be acidic or basic based on its common usage
A seventh-grade science class is reviewing a unit on chemical properties. Which of the following hypotheses is most appropriate to test as part of a laboratory practical for this lesson?
If temperature is increased, then salt will become more soluble in water.
Which of the following activities best illustrates an activity related to using scientific inquiry in the classroom?
helping students identify a problem and develop testable questions that might lead to a solution
After learning about organisms and adaptations, a teacher asks students to describe what they learned about how a particular organism might survive during a drought. She finds that many of her students cannot think of any ways the organism might adapt. She decides she will extend the lesson to the next class period. Which phase of the 5E model is the teacher implementing when she asks for descriptions of adaptation?
evaluate
During the evaluate phase, students demonstrate their understanding and teachers evaluate their learning to inform their next lesson.
What is the most important reason for repeatability in scientific investigations?
Repeatability decreases the impact of human error, increases the reliability of results, and solidifies scientific law.
Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for giving all elementary students opportunities to design and perform investigations?
To learn that all of the questions in science have answers.
Not all questions in science have answers.
Which scientist is known as the father of genetics because he discovered the laws of inheritance?
Gregor Mendel
Gregor Mendel is the father of genetics. The observations he made while breeding pea plants led him to formulate three major laws of inheritance.
Which activity would best support third-grade students in developing an understanding of the Solar System and the positions of the planets relative to the Sun?
Making a physical model showing the order of the planets and three properties of each planet.
Which activity would best support second-grade students in developing an understanding of the stages in the life cycles of insects?
making and recording observations of a butterfly as it progresses from the egg stage to an adult butterfly while also using a chart to identify, name, and explain the stages
What is the most important use of a control group in an experimental investigation?
Control groups give a baseline to compare results to.