WCAS Science Training Test Answer Keys

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WCAS Science Training Test Answer Keys

Grade 5 Science Training Test

Item 1

Correct answer: D (1 point)

Item 2 Part A

Correct answer: (1 point)

To earn 1 point, arrows are added to the Path of Light model in the following order: Lamp > Cat > Mirror > Student

Part B

Correct answer: options 2 and 5

(1 point) Both choices need to be selected to earn 1 point.

Exemplar 

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Item 3

Correct answer (1 point) Student places statements in the following order:

1-The rabbit hears a twig break (already filled in).

2-The rabbit’s brain processes information. 3-The rabbit’s brain sends a message to act. 4-The rabbit acts.

Item 4

Student must answer both Part A and Part B correctly to earn 1 point.

Part A

Correct answer: Student places objects in the following sequence:

Sun > Sunflower > Sunflower seed > Goldfinch

Part B

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Items 5-8 are an Item Cluster Item 5 (Section 1)

Correct answer: C (1 point)

Item 6 (Section 1)

Correct answer: (1 point) All rows must be correct to earn 1 point. See Exemplar below.

Correct answers: Options 3, 4, and 5

(1 point) All 3 choices need to be selected to earn 1 point (per exemplar below)

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Student selected one of the three choices and provided a correct corresponding description to earn 1 point.

If the student selected “Dig a ditch deeper” then they should type something like “Although the ditch takes the most time to install, the ditch lasts longer than the sandbags, but not as long as a gate. The ditch costs more than the sandbags but less than the gate.”

If the student selected “Place sandbags” then they should type something like “The sandbags are faster and cheaper to install than the other two solutions but don’t last as long.”

If the student selected “Add a gate” then they should type something like “The gate had the highest cost and the middle amount of time to build but lasts the longest of any solution.”

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Item 9 – LOCKING QUESTION

Student chooses one of the two habitats and a correct corresponding description to earn 1 point. If the student selected “Sand” then they should type something like “There are 11 light-colored mice and 1 dark-colored mouse. The light-colored mice are the same color as the sand and can hide from predators.”

If the student selected “Volcanic rock” then they should type something like “The number of dark mice is larger than the number of lighter mice. This is because the volcanic rock, which happens to be

black, is a good camouflage for the dark mice, who are also many shades of dark grey and black.”

Item 10 - LOCKING QUESTION

Student must respond correctly to Part A and Part B in order to earn 1 point.

Part A

Correct answer: C

Part B

Correct answer: A

Item 11

Student must respond correctly to Part A and Part B in order to earn 1 point.

Part A

Correct answer:

The sentences should read “The population of the light-colored mice would increase over time.” AND “The population of the dark-colored mice would decrease over time.”

(Choices in drop downs in sentences are: increase, decrease, and remain the same)

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Item 11 Part B

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Grade 8 Science Training Test

Item 1 Part A

Correct answer: (1 point) Student places items in correct order.

1 – Minerals in the rocks on Titan 2 – Shape of large landforms 3 – Diameter of Titan

4 – Titan’s orbital path around Saturn 5 – Distance between Titan and the sun

Item 1 Part B

Correct answer: (1 point) Student selects correct technology as shown in diagram to right:

Item 2

Item 2 Part A

 

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Item 2 Part B

Correct answer: B (1 point)

Item 3

Correct answer: (1 point) Options 1 and 4

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Item 4 – Locking Question

Correct answers: (2 points possible) A correct answer in the Asexual

Reproduction side of the chart is worth

1 point. The response only has to have

ONE offspring sea star filled in with the one allele combination to be correct (exemplar below has all four offspring filled in with that same combination. This would also be acceptable, as would filling in 2 or 3 of the sea stars with the correct allele combination). A correct answer in the Sexual Reproduction side of the chart is worth 1 point. The response must have all four offspring sea stars filled in, each with a different possible allele combination, to be correct.

Correct answer: (1 point) student selects all correct responses as shown in Exemplar below.

Exemplar     Exemplar

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Item 5 Part B

Correct answer: B

(1 point) Student selects the correct response

Correct answer: (1 point) student selects all correct responses in sequence shown in Exemplar below.

The sentence should read “A mutation changes the structure of the gene which can change the structure and function of the protein.” For the response to earn 1 point.

(Choices for both drop downs in above sentence are: Gene, Protein, or Trait)

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Item 8

Correct answer: (1 point) student selects one of the two options and gives a correct corresponding description to earn the 1 point.

If the student selected “Harmful mutation” then they should type something like “The sea star can’t open prey as easily as when the protein was stickier,” or “The sea star can be pulled off of rocks by predators more easily.”

If the student selected “Beneficial mutation” then they should type something like “The sea star could move more easily to catch prey/avoid predators if the sea stars feet don’t stick to rocks as much,” or “The mutation is beneficial because less sticky protein means the sea star can move more quickly without getting stuck on objects.”

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Grade 11 Science Training Test

Correct answer: 606; responses equivalent to 606 (0606 or 606.0) will be credited.

Part B

Correct answer: D

Correct answers: (1 point)

Note: labels can be in any vertical order)

Inputs: Sugar and Oxygen

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Item 2 Part B

Item 3 Part A Correct answer: Increases, Increases OR Decreases, Decreases (1 point)

Drop down menu options above are: increases or decreases

Part B

Correct answers: Options 3 and 4 (1 point)

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Items 4-7 are an Item Cluster Item 4 – Locking question

Correct answer: A (1 point)

Item 5

There are four different combinations of answers that can be selected to earn 1 point Combo 1:

Combo 2:

Combo 3:

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Item 6 Part A Correct answer: C (1 point) Part B Correct answer: A (1 point) Item 7 Part A Correct answer: B (1 point) Part B Correct answer: D (1 point)

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Items 8-12 is an item cluster Item 8 – Locking Question

Correct answer: D

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Item 10 - Locking question Part A

Correct answer: (1 point) Air temperature

increases > Seawater temperature increases > Sea ice melts >

The amount of solar radiation increases > The amount of thermal energy transferred to the atmosphere Increases. Item 10 Part B

Correct answers: (1 point) positive

increase destabilize

Item 11

Row 1 (Planting a new forest) select Slow Down

Row 2 (Walking to school instead of driving to school) select Slow Down Row 3 (Increasing the number of trucks driving on roads) select Speed Up

Row 4 (Replacing a coal power plant with a solar power plant) select Slow Down

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Item 12

Correct answers: (1 point)

“The coral reef ecosystem corals will lose all their algae and starve. This will cause other organisms that live on the reef not to have a habitat.”

OR

“The reef will not be able to recover from repeated bleaching events. There will be nothing for the fish to eat.”

OR