School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental

Public Release Items: Public release items have appeared on MSA forms and then are released for public viewing and use. Releasing items is one step to ensuring that schools, districts, and other stakeholders understand how the content standards are assessed on the MSA.

Standard 2.0 Earth/Space Science

Topic E. Interactions of Hydrosphere and Atmosphere

Indicator 1. Recognize and describe that the amount of water on Earth continues to stay the same even though it may change from one form to another.

Objective a. Describe how water on Earth changes.

Selected Response Item

Use the passage 'The Greenhouse Effect' to answer the following.

Greenhouse gases affect the water cycle by

  1. increasing evaporation
  2. increasing condensation
  3. decreasing precipitation
  4. decreasing deposition
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_043.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following.

The diagram below shows water moving through the environment.

Which number in the diagram represents condensation?

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_086.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following.

A student is investigating changes in the states of matter. The student fills a graduated cylinder with 50 milliliters of packed snow. The graduated cylinder has a mass of 50 grams when empty and 95 grams when filled with the snow.

During which process in the water cycle does snow fall to the ground?

  1. classification
  2. condensation
  3. evaporation
  4. precipitation
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_091.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following.

Students placed 250 milliliters of water in three identical containers. Container 1 had a tightly sealed lid and was placed on a classroom counter. Container 2 had no lid and was placed on a classroom table. Container 3 had no lid and was placed on a table outside in the shade. The students measured the amount of water in each container at the end of each day for four days. Their results are shown in the data table below.

VOLUME OF WATER IN THREE CONTAINERS

Container Starting Volume (mL) End of Day 1 (mL) End of Day 2 (mL) End of Day 3 (mL) End of Day 4 (mL)
1 250 250 250 250 248
2 250 242 219 203 188
3 250 219 172 125 63

Which process changes evaporated water into liquid water?

  1. competition
  2. condensation
  3. erosion
  4. precipitation
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_064.xml

Correct Answer:
B