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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.



Are the ocean waves crashing against this rock an example of:

  1. Erosion

    Partially right! This is an example of erosion. Sand and bits of the rock are being moved by the waves..
  2. Weathering

    Partially right! This is an example of weathering too. Weathering is when a rock is broken into smaller pieces. The waves and the sand they carry are slowly grinding away these rocks.

  3. Both erosion and weathering

    Yes! The rock is being broken into smaller pieces by the waves (weathering), and the pieces are also being carried away by the waves (erosion).
  4. Neither erosion nor weathering

    No. Both weathering and erosion are happening here.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.4.E.6.1 Identify the three categories of rocks: igneous, (formed from molten rock); sedimentary (pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms); and metamorphic (formed from heat and pressure).
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals video
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles video, free, learnalong, Updated
Sedimentary Rocks video, learnalong
What is a Rock? video, learnalong, checked
Foliated and Unfoliated Rocks text page, learnalong
Identifying Igneous Rocks text page, learnalong
Intrusive and Extrusive Igneous Rocks text page, learnalong
Light and Dark Minerals text page, learnalong
Homemade Fossil Dig text page
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Rocks-2 practice
Review Rocks-3 practice
Review Rocks-4 practice
Review Rocks-5 practice
Review Rocks-6 practice
Review Rocks-8 practice
Review Rocks-9 practice
Review Rocks-7 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice

SC.7.E.6.2 Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
Continuous Change video, checked
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals video
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
What is a Rock? video, learnalong, checked
The Rock Cycle video, learnalong
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Rocks-4 practice
Review Rocks-5 practice
Review Rocks-6 practice
Review Rocks-8 practice
Review Rocks-9 practice
Review Rocks-7 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice

Utah


UT.4.III.2.b Distinguish between weathering (i.e., wearing down and breaking of rock surfaces) and erosion (i.e., the movement of materials).
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice

UT.5.II.1.a Identify the objects, processes, or forces that weather and erode Earth’s surface (e.g., ice, plants, animals, abrasion, gravity, water, wind)
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice

UT.8.III.2.b Describe the role of energy in the processes that change rock materials over time.
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles video, free, learnalong, Updated
Sedimentary Rocks video, learnalong
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked

NGSS


4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice

Which of the following is a difference between a meteor and a comet?

  1. Meteors are mostly made up of ice.

    No. Meteors are made up of rock or iron, Comets are mostly made up of ice.
  2. Only comets have a visible tail.

    No. A meteor is a meteoroid that has entered our atmosphere. As it burns, it also produces a tail.
  3. Meteors seem to move faster because they are closer.

    Yes. Meteors are entering our atmosphere, so they are much closer to us that a distant comet. That makes them seem to move much faster.
  4. Comets are smaller than meteors.

    No. Meteors are small, often the size of a grain of sand. Comets are much larger.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.E.5.3 Distinguish among the following objects of the Solar System – Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets – and identify Earth’s position in it.

>>> Teacher Page: Our Solar System

Making a Scale Model of the Solar System video, ClosedCaptions
Global Science video, ClosedCaptions
Planets and Pennies video, ClosedCaptions
How Far is That Planet? text page
Review Space-3 practice

SC.8.E.5.3 Distinguish the hierarchical relationships between planets and other astronomical bodies relative to solar system, galaxy, and universe, including distance, size, and composition.
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System video, ClosedCaptions
Planets and Pennies video, ClosedCaptions
How Far is That Planet? text page
Review Space-3 practice
Review Space-2 practice
Review Space-10 practice

Utah


UT.6.III.1.d Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Review Space-3 practice

NGSS


MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System video, ClosedCaptions
Global Science video, ClosedCaptions
Planets and Pennies video, ClosedCaptions
How Far is That Planet? text page
Review Space-3 practice
Review Space-2 practice
Review Space-4 practice

The Common Raven is often a scavenger, but its beak is not strong enough to tear through the thick hide of a winter-killed deer.

It will sit near the carcass and call loudly, attracting other ravens. As the mob gathers, they start making distress calls. That usually attracts a large predator, such as a wolf or coyote. They wait until the predator tears into the carcass.

At that point, 3 or 4 of them will start harassing the predator, keeping its attention, while the other ravens steal parts of the carcass. They then share what they get with the ravens that kept the predator busy.

This is an example of what kind of relationship?

  1. mutualism

    Yes! In mutualism, both organisms benefit. The ravens help the predator find the carcass, and the predator tears it open so that the ravens can eat some too. Both get a benefit from the relationship.
  2. commensalism

    No. In commensalism, one organism benefits, and the other is not affected. In this case, the ravens and the predator both benefit.
  3. parasitism

    No. For parasitism, one organism benefits, and the other is harmed. Neither the raven nor the predator is harmed by this relationship.
  4. predation

    No. In predation, one organism eats another. Neither the raven nor the predator gets eaten in this relationship.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.7.L.17.2 Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms such as mutualism, predation, parasitism, competition, and commensalism.
Secondary Consumers video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
Review Food Web-11 practice
Review Food Web-12 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-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
Review Food Web-2 practice

NGSS


MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Review Food Web-11 practice
Review Food Web-12 practice

This is Johnson Wash, that runs down the middle of the canyon where we live. It is usually dry, but when it rains up north, we get flash floods. Is this an example of erosion, weathering, both, or neither?

  1. Erosion

    Yes, the is partially correct! You can tell by the muddy appearance of the water that it is carrying sand, clay and dirt along with it. Erosion is when bits of rock are moved by wind, water, ice, or gravity, so this counts as erosion..
  2. Weathering

    Yes, the is partially correct! The term "weathering" causes confusion because it sounds like it has something to do with weather. In Earth Science, weathering means "breaking apart." Weathering breaks rocks apart into smaller bits. The fast moving water causes smaller rocks to smash into larger rocks, breaking them apart.

  3. Both erosion and weathering

    Yes! The flash flood in this photo is causing weathering, and erosion. As the flood decreases, and the water slows down, it will drop the sand, clay, dirt, and rocks in a process called deposition.
  4. Neither erosion nor weathering

    No. This flash flood is causing both weathering and erosion.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.4.E.6.1 Identify the three categories of rocks: igneous, (formed from molten rock); sedimentary (pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms); and metamorphic (formed from heat and pressure).
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals video
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles video, free, learnalong, Updated
Sedimentary Rocks video, learnalong
What is a Rock? video, learnalong, checked
Foliated and Unfoliated Rocks text page, learnalong
Identifying Igneous Rocks text page, learnalong
Intrusive and Extrusive Igneous Rocks text page, learnalong
Light and Dark Minerals text page, learnalong
Homemade Fossil Dig text page
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Rocks-2 practice
Review Rocks-3 practice
Review Rocks-4 practice
Review Rocks-5 practice
Review Rocks-6 practice
Review Rocks-8 practice
Review Rocks-9 practice
Review Rocks-7 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice

SC.7.E.6.2 Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
Continuous Change video, checked
Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals video
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Evaporites video, learnalong, checked
What is a Rock? video, learnalong, checked
The Rock Cycle video, learnalong
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Review Rocks-1 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Rocks-4 practice
Review Rocks-5 practice
Review Rocks-6 practice
Review Rocks-8 practice
Review Rocks-9 practice
Review Rocks-7 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice
Review Rocks-10 practice

Utah


UT.4.III.2.b Distinguish between weathering (i.e., wearing down and breaking of rock surfaces) and erosion (i.e., the movement of materials).
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice

UT.5.II.1.a Identify the objects, processes, or forces that weather and erode Earth’s surface (e.g., ice, plants, animals, abrasion, gravity, water, wind)
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice

UT.8.III.2.b Describe the role of energy in the processes that change rock materials over time.
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Igneous Rocks and Bubbles video, free, learnalong, Updated
Sedimentary Rocks video, learnalong
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked

NGSS


4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
Change: Fast and Slow video
Erosion video, checked
Continuous Change video, checked
Weathering and Erosion video, learnalong, checked
Review Erosion-4 practice
Review Erosion-5 practice
Review Erosion-1 practice
Review Erosion-2 practice
Review Erosion-3 practice

Why are trees an important part of the water cycle?

  1. Trees need water.

    No. While trees do need water, that is not why they are part of the water cycle.
  2. Transpiration

    Yes! In order to get nutrients up to the top of a tree, it has to let water evaporate from its leaves. This process is called transpiration. One tree can put hundreds of gallons of water into the air as water vapor every day.
  3. Trees help prevent erosion.

    No. While trees can help prevent erosion, that is not why they are part of the water cycle.
  4. Condensation

    No. Trees are not a major source of condensation.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.4.P.8.2 Identify properties and common uses of water in each of its states.
A Watched Pot video
Wax and Wood, part 1 video, checked
Wax and Wood, part 2 video, checked
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
75% Water video, checked
Crushed Can video, checked
A Boat Full of Holes video, checked
A Bouncing Water Balloon video
Cloud Types video
Making a Solar Still video
Water on a String video, blog, ClosedCaptions
Wonderful Water video, checked
Adding to a Full Cup text page
What Really Happens With Evaporation? text page, free, checked
A Clean Trick text page
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

SC.5.E.7.1 Create a model to explain the parts of the water cycle. Water can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid and can go back and forth from one state to another.

>>> Teacher Page: Water Cycle

Cloud Formation, part 2 video
Cloud Types video
Making a Solar Still video
A Watched Pot video
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

SC.6.E.7.2 Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate.
Cloud Types video
Nephoscope video, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
Weather and Climate video
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-9 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

Utah


UT.4.I.2.b Describe the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation as they relate to the water cycle.
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Making a Solar Still video
Wonderful Water video, checked
A Watched Pot video
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Cool Experiment text page
What Really Happens With Evaporation? text page, free, checked
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

UT.4.I.2.c Identify locations that hold water as it passes through the water cycle (e.g., oceans, atmosphere, fresh surface water, snow, ice, and ground water).
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
75% Water video, checked
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

NGSS


MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
Cloud Formation, part 2 video
Making a Solar Still video
Wonderful Water video, checked
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

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