Nature of Science Quiz Questions

Question 1

Which of the following activities would be best for having students practice the skill of inference?

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Which of the following is the best way to engage students from diverse cultural backgrounds in the practices of science?

Answer 2

incorporate science lessons that develop from the actual experiences of students in their culture

Question 3

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?

Answer 3

walking around the room, guiding students and answering questions

Question 4

According the 5E model, an ideal full lesson cycle should start by ___ and end with ___.

Answer 4

piquing students’ interests; some sort of evaluation

Question 5

Which of the following accurately summarizes the difference between a hypothesis, a scientific theory, and a scientific law?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

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?

Answer 6

recording the results of repeated experiments

To increase reliability, at least three trials for every experiment should be completed and the data recorded.

Question 7

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?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

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?

Answer 8

explain

During the explain phase, students explain what they know and verbalize their understanding.

Question 9

Which activity would best support third-grade students in developing an understanding of measuring with the metric system and creating graphs?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

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?

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

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?

Answer 12

Why does it rain?

A question about why something happens is most likely to arouse student curiosity.

Question 13

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?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

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?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

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?

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

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?

Answer 16

coaching and guiding children as needed

Question 17

Which scientist is known as the father of taxonomy?

Answer 17

Carl Linnaeus

Question 18

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?

Answer 18

The allele for unattached earlobes is dominant over the allele for attached earlobes.

Question 19

During a unit on acids and bases, which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of predicting?

Answer 19

stating whether an untested chemical might be acidic or basic based on its common usage

Question 20

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?

Answer 20

If temperature is increased, then salt will become more soluble in water.

Question 21

Which of the following activities best illustrates an activity related to using scientific inquiry in the classroom?

Answer 21

helping students identify a problem and develop testable questions that might lead to a solution

Question 22

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?

Answer 22

evaluate

During the evaluate phase, students demonstrate their understanding and teachers evaluate their learning to inform their next lesson.

Question 23

What is the most important reason for repeatability in scientific investigations?

Answer 23

Repeatability decreases the impact of human error, increases the reliability of results, and solidifies scientific law.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for giving all elementary students opportunities to design and perform investigations?

Answer 24

To learn that all of the questions in science have answers.

Not all questions in science have answers.

Question 25

Which scientist is known as the father of genetics because he discovered the laws of inheritance?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

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?

Answer 26

Making a physical model showing the order of the planets and three properties of each planet.

Question 27

Which activity would best support second-grade students in developing an understanding of the stages in the life cycles of insects?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What is the most important use of a control group in an experimental investigation?

Answer 28

Control groups give a baseline to compare results to.

Question 29

Students in Mr. Fritz’s class are experimenting with papier-mache volcanoes that “erupt” when vinegar mixes with baking soda. Which of the following activities best helps the students practice the process skill of predicting?

Answer 29

expressing thoughts about what doubling the amount of vinegar would do to the eruption

Question 30

Kindergarten students are asked to watch a caterpillar and draw pictures to show what it does. Which of the following scientific skills are they practicing?

Answer 30

observation

Question 31

A group of students want to find out the specific temperature at which chocolate will begin to melt. To determine the correct temperature, the students would rely on which science processing skill?

Answer 31

measuring

Measurement would be used during the experiment to find a specific temperature.

Question 32

A teacher used the following activity to teach her elementary students about the process of science. She divided the students into teams of 3, provided them with paper, glue sticks, and scissors, and told them their goal was to build the highest tower, but only one student could touch the materials at a time. The teams would work as a relay, first one student building, with the other two coaching, then when a bell rings, switch builders, and so on until each student has had a chance to build.

Which aspect of the scientific process was the teacher most likely trying to illustrate?

Answer 32

Scientific discoveries build on the discoveries of scientists who came before.

Question 33

The 5E Model of Instruction is routinely recommended as one of the best practices in science classrooms. Which of these E’s is generally the first step of the lesson cycle?

Answer 33

engage

Engage is generally the first step of the lesson cycle if you are using the 5E Model of Instruction. (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate)

Question 34

Which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of communicating?

Answer 34

summarizing a scientific article about bees and their hives

Question 35

Which activity would best support first-grade students in developing an understanding of force and motion?

Answer 35

Have students use a ruler to push a low-friction object across their desks and describe the kind of push needed to make the object move in a straight line, in a zigzag pattern, and at different speeds.

Question 36

Which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of classification?

Answer 36

identifying the contents of beakers as solids, liquids, or gases

Question 37

Ms. Ludgate would like her students to participate in an Engagement activity for a unit on vascular and nonvascular plants. Which of the following is the most appropriate for an Engagement activity in the 5E Instructional Model?

Answer 37

Have students pair up, and give each pair a sample of a nonvascular plant and a vascular plant. Ask students to make observations and notice differences, then have each pair share their findings with the class.

Question 38

Mr. Singer’s class wonders why the United States is colder in the winter, since the Earth is closer to the sun at that time. Mr. Singer proposes that they design experiments to investigate the relationship between the angle of the sunlight and temperature on Earth. He divides his students into lab groups and sets out globes, lamps, and thermometers. Before they can use the equipment, however, each lab group first designs their experiment.

Which of the following should students identify in their experimental design?

Answer 38

one independent variable, one dependent variable, and several constants

A valid experimental design will include only one independent and one dependent variable. All other potential variables should be held constant.

Question 39

A student is investigating the growth of Elodea under different light sources. Which of the following is the best research question for this student?

Answer 39

How does the type of light source affect the rate of photosynthesis of Elodea plants?

Question 40

In a physical education lecture on body mechanics, the teacher asks students to develop and test a hypothesis with a classroom experiment. Which of the following is the most appropriate hypothesis to test as part of this lesson?

Answer 40

Jumping rope using one foot raises the heart rate faster than two feet.

Question 41

In a science center, students who stand in front of a wall when a light flashes will see a picture of their shadow on the wall afterward. Which phase of the 5E model is being implemented in this activity?

Answer 41

engage

Question 42

Which of the following is the best definition of a hypothesis?

Answer 42

a predicted outcome based on an observation that can be further tested by experimentation

Question 43

Which scientist proposed the idea that all species share a common ancestor?

Answer 43

Charles Darwin

Question 44

Which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of predicting?

Answer 44

participating in a discussion on which soil conditions might help plants grow taller after examining plants in the schoolyard

Question 45

Which of the following is an inquiry-based activity that could be used during a unit on specific heat?

Answer 45

measuring and graphing temperature versus time for different materials placed under a heat lamp

Question 46

Which of the following scientists is particularly noted for his or her contribution to atomic theory?

Answer 46

Niels Bohr

Question 47

Which of the following is a main benefit of using inquiry-based learning in the classroom?

Answer 47

Inquiry-based learning encourages students’ scientific inquiry and develops their skills using the scientific method.

Question 48

Which is the best way to help elementary students learn the scientific method?

Answer 48

Use ideas from the scientific method, with explicit instruction, in hands-on investigations throughout the year.

Question 49

Which of the following activities would allow students to practice the skill of predicting after they have finished a study of populations, prey, and predation?

Answer 49

asking students what might happen if predators were removed from an ecosystem

Question 50

Ms. Lemmons’ class is about to carry out a lab experiment related to plant growth. She wants to support her students in learning critical thinking skills. Which of the following would be the most effective way to carry out the experiment?

Answer 50

Ms. Lemmons can help the students form a hypothesis, identify their variables, and design an experiment before starting the experiment.

Question 51

Which activity would best support kindergarten students in developing the ability to ask questions and seek answers through investigations?

Answer 51

Telling students that there is a problem with litter in the city and that the city planners would like a solution, and then guiding students into asking questions about the problem and suggesting ways to test solutions.

Question 52

A second-grade teacher creates a science lesson based on the following TEKS:

(2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events during observations and investigations;

(B) plan and conduct descriptive investigations;

(C) collect data from observations using scientific tools;

(D) record and organize data using pictures, numbers, and words;

(E) communicate observations and justify explanations using student-generated data from simple descriptive investigations; and

(F) compare results of investigations with what students and scientists know about the world.

To begin, the teacher holds up a metal rod and a pencil and says, “Which object will stick to the magnet?” The students shout out different responses until the teacher places the magnet on each object.

This portion of the lesson focuses on which area of the 5-E learning cycle?

Answer 52

engage

This short demonstration is engaging students in new science content to get them excited about the day’s lesson.

Question 53

Which of the following is based on evidence and describes, mathematically or in words, how changes in one quantity affect changes in another?

Answer 53

law

A law describes what happens during a scientific process. Laws are based on observations and experiments and are often expressed mathematically. For example, the equation for the force of gravity between planets is a law.

Question 54

Third-grade students are finishing a unit on wind and air by defending their interpretation of the results of their investigation. Which of the following scientific skills are they practicing?

Answer 54

communication

Communication includes students using data to defend their reasoning and conclusions after they have finished their investigations and analysis.

Question 55

In a sixth-grade science lesson on rock types, the teacher asks students to hypothesize about the hardness of different minerals and design an experiment to test the hypothesis in the classroom. Which of the following is the most appropriate hypothesis for this lesson?

Answer 55

Minerals that are high on the Mohs scale can scratch minerals that are low on the Mohs scale.

Question 56

Which of the following activities best helps students practice the process skill of observing?

Answer 56

noting the features of clouds present in the sky on a certain morning

Question 57

Cara would like to research the effects of plants on students’ self-reported stress levels. She places potted plants in student common areas for two weeks, taking surveys before and after. She then makes a graph of her findings. Which parts of the scientific method is Cara performing?

Answer 57

experimentation and data analysis

Question 58

Which of the following activities is the least effective in helping students practice the process skill of communicating?

Answer 58

Before doing an experiment, ask students to gather all of the materials they will need to perform the experiment.

Communicating involves sharing information with others. Gathering materials is not a form of communication.

Question 59

Which of the following steps in the scientific method is only completed after the experiment is completed?

Answer 59

communicating data

After the experiment is concluded, the data is analyzed and then communicated.

Question 60

A student performed an experiment on three different types of paper towels. Each of the towels was soaked in a separate beaker, each containing 20 ml of water, for exactly 15 seconds. The towels were removed. What step should be next in the procedure in order to accurately identify the paper towel that absorbed the most water?

Answer 60

Measure the remaining water in each of the three beakers and compare the results.

To accurately compare the paper towel absorption, the amount of water remaining in each of the beakers must be measured and compared after removing the soaking paper towels.

Question 61

Which of the following statements best illustrates how to help students develop ethical thinking in science?

Answer 61

A regular and consistent focus on how science can affect society, for good or bad.

Regular and consistent are key words in teaching ethics. It is important to examine how science benefits society, but also how it could harm or do damage.

Question 62

Which of the following is a nonrenewable source of energy?

Answer 62

coal

Coal is a nonrenewable resource because it forms very slowly, over millions of years.

Question 63

A director of an environmental agency is asked to conduct a risk assessment of a proposed drilling plan off the coast of Alaska. Which of the following steps should the director take last?

Answer 63

deciding which projects will best balance environmental concerns and economic considerations

Question 64

Which of the following can lessen the impact human population growth has on the environment?

Answer 64

technology

Technology can help mitigate some of the impacts of humans.

Question 65

What is the biggest advantage of vaccinations on physical health?

Answer 65

decreased chance of infection and serious illness

Vaccinations help your body prepare to fight infections, so they decrease the chance of infection and serious illness.

Question 66

Which of the following best describes a resource that, once used, cannot be replaced or reused?

Answer 66

nonrenewable

Question 67

Terrance lives near a river and is concerned about the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. Which alternative energy in his area would be the best solution for his concern?

Answer 67

hydroelectric energy

Question 68

Which of the following is not a renewable resource?

Answer 68

nuclear fuel

Question 69

How might scientific research be advanced in a society?

Answer 69

Assessing needs and using scientific research to address those needs in order to benefit society and our environment.