This page shows a list of topics in the 5th Grade MISA public release collection at MSDE. 5th Grade MISA
Released Questions in Topic "Life Science"

A group of students observed ladybugs in a school garden and wanted to find out more about insect life cycles. During the research, the students found evidence that as they develop some young insects appear similar to adult insects. Other insects appear different as they go through the stages of development. To do more research about the growth and behavior of insects, the students attended a summer camp, “The Bug Institute,” sponsored by a local university. While at the camp, the students kept journals to record their observations. The first activity at the camp involved researching the life cycles of two different insects and drawing diagrams, similar to the diagrams as follows.

To learn more about how insects interact with their environment the students performed an investigation with each insect, the details of which are shown.

1. Ladybug investigation:

The students examined adult ladybugs that were placed in a terrarium containing cosmos plants. The flowers of the cosmos plants come in one of three colors: pink, purple, or white. A diagram of a flower from a cosmos plant is shown.

In order to determine if ladybugs were attracted to certain colors, the students carried out the following investigation:

• Set up a terrarium with three cosmos plants having different colored flowers.
  • pink
  • purple
  • white

• Observed the ladybugs moving around the flowers.

• Counted the number of ladybugs present on each colored flower every day for five days.

On day five of the investigation, the data showed that the plant with the white flowers had the greatest number of ladybugs on it. The students concluded the ladybugs were most often attracted to the white flowers.

2. Cricket investigation:

To investigate how crickets respond to different stimuli, the students examined how cotton balls soaked in different solutions would affect the crickets.

The students used a terrarium containing 12 crickets.

Each cotton ball was soaked in solution and placed in the terrarium.

The results are shown.

The students found evidence that the life cycles of the insects did not have the same stages.

Select the life-cycle stages that both insects have in common and the stages they do not have in common.

What would most likely be the results if ladybugs stopped producing eggs?

Select all that apply.

The purpose of the students’ cricket investigation was to observe the crickets’ response to a stimulus.

The students most likely used the cotton balls soaked in solutions as evidence that the crickets are attracted by certain

The observation that most likely helped the students draw the conclusion about ladybugs is that the ladybugs

At the completion of the ladybug investigation, the students performed further research and discovered that ladybugs eat aphids, which are white.

Describe how this information would most likely help the students understand the results of the ladybug investigation. In your description, be sure to include

• evidence from the investigation

• the sensory organs the ladybug would use

After observing a flower garden outside the school, a science class discussed what plants need to grow and set up an investigation with the help of the teacher. The students added compost, organic matter used to help plants grow, to the soil. They then planted the seeds of five different plants. The students made sure the soil was watered each day. After a few weeks, the plants started to sprout, and the students observed the growth of each plant. A diagram of the school garden is shown.

Once a week, the students recorded their observations about the garden in their journals. When the plants were fully grown, the students took the plants out of the soil, rinsed them off with water, and had a garden day. During garden day, other students from the school were invited to view the fully grown plants.

After the plants started to grow, the students noticed organisms that were not there before the garden was planted. The students learned that over time the garden had become a small ecosystem. To demonstrate the flow of energy in the garden ecosystem, the students drew a diagram and included decomposers found in the compost, producers, and consumers as shown.

After the students rinsed off the fully grown lettuce, the teacher explained that some plants, such as lettuce, can be regrown from cuttings. The teacher then cut the lettuce, keeping the stem, and placed it in a bowl of water on a windowsill. The students added water to the bowl once a day for ten days. During that time, the lettuce started to sprout new leaves.

After the lettuce sprouted, the teacher took the lettuce to the school garden and planted it so that the lettuce plant could continue to grow until it was ready to be picked. The students then recorded in their journals the materials needed to recycle lettuce plants and how the lettuce plants can be recycled.

The compost in the school garden contained pieces of nonliving plants.

The plant matter was most likely placed in the compost to be

A student observed a caterpillar eating a leaf in the garden.

If the student placed the caterpillar into the garden ecosystem diagram, the caterpillar would replace

The students included decomposers in the garden ecosystem diagram to show that decomposers have important roles in the garden ecosystem.

Identify the roles of decomposers.

Select two.

The lettuce plant grew new leaves after the teacher placed it in the bowl of water in the classroom.

The students claimed the plant grew new leaves because the plant

One of the students claimed that the lettuce did not have to be planted in the garden to survive.

Which statement provides evidence that supports this claim?

Use evidence from the energy flow diagram to describe how matter is cycled through the garden ecosystem. In your description, be sure to include the roles of the organisms.

A family went to the local zoo and observed two animals from different environments that have spikes all over their bodies. One of the animals lives on land. The family spoke to a zookeeper to obtain more information about this animal. The zookeeper explained that the land animal they observed is called an echidna (ee-KID-nə). The echidna is covered in spikes that are longer than its normal fur, and the spikes are made up of the same material as human fingernails. While the fur of the echidna helps it stay warm, the longer spikes are hard and form a sharp point at the ends. The echidna moves slowly, so when it is threatened, it rolls into a ball or buries itself in a shallow hole so that only its spikes are exposed. The zookeeper showed the family a diagram of the echidna before and after it had rolled into a ball.

The zookeeper then showed them a diagram of the echidna’s life cycle and explained that echidnas are monotremes. Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs.

Echidnas in the wild are most often found in open woodlands or grasslands where they can live up to 45 years. Their pointy noses have the ability to sense electrical signals from insects such as ants and termites. Once they sense the insects underground, they dig with long, sharp claws. Then they pick up the insects with their long tongues and grind them on tooth pads inside their mouths.

The zookeeper then took the family to the aquarium area to observe an animal that also has spikes but lives in an underwater environment. This animal is called the spotted porcupinefish (POR-kyə-pine-fish). The adult usually has a long spotted body and is about 90 centimeters (cm) long with small fins. The spikes of the adult fish lay flat against its body until it is threatened. When that happens, the spotted porcupinefish inflates its body, causing its spikes to stick out. The spotted porcupinefish can inflate itself up to three times its normal size. The zookeeper showed the family a diagram of a spotted porcupinefish before and after it has inflated.

The zookeeper then showed the family a diagram of the life cycle of the spotted porcupinefish.

The zookeeper explained that the adult spotted porcupinefish can live up to 10 years and is found in underwater caves or around coral reefs where it searches for food sources.

Which actions are likely to occur due to the ability of the echidna to sense electrical signals?

Select two.

How would a reduced ability to produce eggs affect both the echidna and the spotted porcupinefish?

Select two.

Use evidence to construct an argument explaining how the spikes of the echidna support survival.

During a unit on the environment, students researched ecosystems such as rain forests, deserts, and tundras. A group of students researched tundras and the many animals that live in a tundra. The students questioned which characteristics of the animals in the tundra help them to survive.

The students chose four animals that are found in a tundra environment and researched information about each, shown in the table.

While researching tundra animals, the students found that the animals’ environment changes. Higher temperatures have reduced the amount of snow present in the tundra , leading to more springlike and summerlike days. The students investigated how changes to the environment may affect the animals that live in a tundra.

To observe the changes to the environment and how the animals would appear during each season, the students constructed four diagrams, as shown.

The research indicated some tundra animals live in large groups while others live alone or in small groups. The research also indicated that prey animals tend to live in larger groups and predators live in smaller groups.

The students then constructed diagrams of the Arctic Fox, Arctic Wolf, Caribou, and Musk Oxen to observe whether the animals live alone, in small groups or in large groups, shown as follows.

The students stated that even though the organisms have different characteristics that enable them to survive in a tundra environment, all the organisms have basic needs.

Determine the basic needs that organisms require.

Select three.

The students claimed that the arctic fox has a characteristic to help it survive from winter to summer.

The characteristic that best helps the arctic fox survive is the ability to

Based on the evidence, the students questioned if other animals would be able to survive in a tundra environment.

Select the two diagrams of the animals that would most likely be able to survive in a tundra environment.

The students claimed that animals that live in smaller groups need to develop other characteristics in order to survive in their environment.

The animals that use blending into the environment instead of living in large groups as a way of survival are

The circling behavior of the musk oxen most likely benefits the herd by

Use evidence from the research to support the claim that being part of a group helps the animals survive.