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MCAP, Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

This page shows questions in the School Garden public release module at MSDE. 5th Grade MISA
"School Garden"

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Expand All Official Practice Test

This is test content.

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.

Diagram. The figure shows a diagram titled “The School Garden” with a garden divided into five columns that each have a different plant growing in it. From left to right, the plants are ”Lettuce,” ”Radishes,” ”Carrots,” ”Cucumbers,” and ”Flowers.” End figure description.

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.

This is test content.

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.

Diagram. The figure shows a diagram titled “Energy Flow in a Garden Ecosystem” with two rows of organisms that make up an ecosystem. Arrows are drawn among the organisms as follows. From the left, organisms in the first row are labeled “Plant,” “Cricket,” “Frog,” “Snake,” and “Hawk.” Arrows are drawn from the plant to the cricket, from the cricket to the frog, from the frog to the snake, and from the snake to the hawk. The second row has only one organism labeled “Decomposer.” There is an arrow pointing from the decomposer to the plant. The cricket, frog, snake, and hawk each have an arrow drawn from that point to the decomposer. End figure description.

This is test content.

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.

Diagram. The figure shows a diagram titled “How to Regrow Lettuce” with four stages that summarize the process for regrowing lettuce. The first stage shows a lettuce stem in a bowl of water and a caption that reads “Place the stem of the lettuce in a bowl of water with the top exposed to air.” An arrow points from this first stage to the second stage, which shows a few leaves growing from the center of the lettuce stem and additional water being poured from a beaker into the bowl. A caption reads “Add water every day.” An arrow points from this second stage to the third stage, which shows larger leaves growing from the lettuce stem, and the sun is shown in the background. A caption reads “Keep the bowl in a sunny area.” An arrow points from this third stage to the fourth stage, which shows larger leaves growing from the lettuce stem and the lettuce is no longer in the bowl of water but instead is planted in a mound of dirt. A caption reads “Once the lettuce sprouts, plant it in the school garden.” End figure description.

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.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

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

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

  1. A.
    eaten by the crickets.
  2. B.
    used as shelter by the snakes.
  3. C.
    used as nutrients for the hawk.
  4. D.
    broken down by the decomposers.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

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

  1. A.
    the plant as a producer.
  2. B.
    the cricket as a producer.
  3. C.
    the plant as a consumer.
  4. D.
    the cricket as a consumer.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select several options.

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.

  1. A.
    eat plant roots
  2. B.
    compete with plants for soil
  3. C.
    remove nutrients from the soil
  4. D.
    recycle material back into the soil
  5. E.
    break down plant and animal remains

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

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

  1. A.
    can survive and grow anywhere.
  2. B.
    was away from insects and other animals in the garden.
  3. C.
    needed a different temperature than the outside garden.
  4. D.
    received the materials it needed from water, air, and sunlight.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

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?

  1. A.
    The lettuce grew in the garden.
  2. B.
    The lettuce in the classroom sprouted new leaves.
  3. C.
    The students watered the lettuce in the classroom.
  4. D.
    The students saw insects and other animals in the garden.

This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.

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.