State exam science question #6 from 5th grade 2022 (released)

NGSS Science Videos

This video helps children prepare for state math exams by explaining how to solve a retired (released) question from an actual state exam.    - If you want to copy any of our more than 100 free Google Forms (all with questions and links to free-access educational videos we've made), then please download this free file from TPT and it will give you directions for how to access them: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-Math-Test-questions-and-answers-as-a-Google-Form-2022-Q6-10-V2-11530867   Other free resources we've made:  - For links to many free educational resources, please visit our website (no 3rd party advertising, no subscriptions, no paywalls): https://TestPrepLLC.org/   - For our free apps for Apple's Mac and iPad (collects no data, no advertising, no subscriptions, no paywalls, no in-app purchases), please visit our page on the Apple App Store. These apps include Common Core and State based practice tests in math, and State science exams based on NGSS and State curriculums (all with detailed, colorful explanations): https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/test-prep-llc/id1727786893   Best wishes,  The staff at Test Prep LLC  https://TestPrepLLC.org

Transcript

00:00This video is part of a Google Form quiz that teachers can assign to their students for homework.

00:06After the students submit their answers, then they can play a video like this one to see the

00:10answer explained. We've made more than 100 quizzes as Google Forms with free access videos,

00:17which teachers are welcome to copy for free. To get access to these, please see the link

00:22in the description. If you've already done so, we suggest that you watch the video on question 5

00:28and the video on bar graphs before watching this video. This video is based on a question from an

00:34actual state exam. You may have one like this on your state exam. The introductory text for this

00:41question is the same as described in question 5. Please pause this video if you need time to read

00:46this. The scientists observed that finches with deep beaks could eat both small seeds and large seeds.

00:53However, finches with shallow beaks could eat only small seeds.

00:57Figure 2 shows the types of seeds available in different weather conditions on the island.

01:02Graph 2 shows how much rain fell on this island from 1976 to 1978. Based on the information in

01:09graph 1 in figure 2, which beak depth would most likely provide an advantage during dry years.

01:17Before we answer this question, let's review the information in the bar graph.

01:21Learn a little about the word advantage in the life sciences,

01:24and learn how to summarize a lot of information with one diagram.

01:28First, let's look at this bar graph. The title tells us this is about the average beak depth in

01:34the year 1976 and in the year 1978. The vertical numbers represent the depth of bird beaks,

01:41but there are only a few numbers present. So, we'll have to write in some other numbers. This dashed

01:47line is halfway between the 8 and the 12. The number 10 is halfway between the number 8 and 12.

01:53So, this dashed line is 10. The top of this red bar is slightly below 10. We'll estimate that its

01:59value is 9.5. The top of this blue bar is slightly above the dashed line. We'll estimate that its value

02:07is 10.5. Next, let's learn about the word advantage in the life sciences. Animals are always struggling

02:13to stay alive. They have to find enough food to eat. They have to avoid being killed and eaten by

02:18other animals. And they have to survive in their environment, which could have extreme hot or cold

02:24temperatures, periods of little rain or floods. If a living organism has a trait that gives it a

02:30survival advantage compared with similar organisms, then we say that it has an advantage. We'll

02:36illustrate the idea of an advantage by comparing the diet of a black bear and the diet of a panda bear.

02:43Pandas are very picky eaters. For the most part, pandas only eat bamboo plants. And that's just about

02:50the only thing it eats. This is a black bear. It is an opportunistic eater. That means it will eat

02:56almost anything that it can find or catch. That includes everything from berries to honey to small

03:02animals. Here's a quiz. Which one of these bears has a diet that gives it a survival advantage compared

03:08with the other bear? The black bear's diet gives it a major survival advantage over the panda bear's

03:16diet. That's because the panda depends on just one type of plant. If there is a drought or a disease

03:22that kills only bamboo plants, then the panda might run out of food and some could even starve. On the

03:28other hand, a black bear will eat any kind of food. So, if one type of food is in short supply due to a

03:34disease or drought, then the black bear will still have a lot of choices in food that it likes to eat.

03:40Finally, we need to learn how to summarize a lot of information in one diagram.

03:45The question asks us, which beak depth would most likely provide an advantage during dry years?

03:50This is a short way of saying, which beak depth would most likely provide an advantage during dry

03:56years, compared with during wet years? When we look over the answer choices, there appear to be four

04:02items. Deeper beaks, shallower beaks, soft seeds, and hard seeds. So that means we have six items to

04:09summarize in a single diagram. We'll write the six items here. Dry year, wet year, large hard seeds,

04:17small, soft seeds, deeper beak, and shallower beak. We'll use groups and subgroups to summarize how

04:24these six items are related to each other. We'll draw a big box for the dry year, then make a check

04:29next to it, since we're done drawing that item. Next, we draw a big box for the wet year, and then

04:35we'll make a check next to it, since we're done drawing that item. We need to know where to write

04:40the seed types. Figure 2 will help us answer that question. The text for Figure 2 says,

04:46in dry conditions, only large, hard seeds were available. So, we'll draw a box inside the dry

04:52box and write in, large, hard seeds. This next sentence is a little tricky. It says, in wet

04:59conditions, small, soft seeds were also available. So does that mean there were large, hard seeds in wet

05:05conditions too? Yes, the key word in that sentence is, also. In wet conditions, there were both types

05:15of seeds. We'll make a box inside the wet box and write in, large, hard seeds. Now we'll make a check

05:21next to the large, hard seed item. We just read that in wet conditions, small, soft seeds were also

05:28available. So, we'll draw another box inside the wet box and write in the item, small, soft seeds.

05:35Then we'll make a check next to the small, soft seeds item, because we're done with it.

05:39We need to know where to write the beak depth types. The text above Figure 2 will help us with this.

05:45The first sentence tells us where to write the deeper beak item. It states that,

05:49the scientists observed that finches with deep beaks could eat both small seeds and large seeds. So,

05:56we'll make boxes inside the large, hard seed and write in, deeper beak. Plus, we'll also make a box

06:02inside the small, soft seed box and write in, deeper beak. Now we can put a check next to the deeper beak

06:09item. The second sentence tells us where to write the shallower beak item. It says, however, finches with

06:16shallower beaks could eat only small seeds. So, we'll draw a box inside the small, soft seed box and

06:23write in the item, shallower beaks. Now we can make a check next to the shallower beak item. The answer

06:29options don't appear to ask about the size of the beak depth. So there's no reason to write the numbers

06:34from graph 1 into our diagram. Likewise, the question doesn't refer to graph 2, so there's no need to

06:40analyze it for this specific question. Now we're ready to look at the answer choices. Based on the

06:46information in graph 1 in Figure 2, which beak depth would most likely provide an advantage during dry

06:52years? Option A states, deeper beaks, because more small, soft seeds will be available. Let's look at the

07:01dry box. It seems that finches with deeper beaks seem to have a survival advantage in dry years,

07:07because we only see the phrase, deeper beak inside the dry box. We don't see the phrase,

07:13shallower beak, inside the dry box. So the first part of the sentence is true, but there are no small,

07:20soft seeds in the dry box. So the second part of this sentence is false. That means option A is false.

07:27Option B states, deeper beaks, because more large, hard seeds will be available.

07:33The first part of the sentence is true, since we can only see deeper beak in the dry box. We don't see

07:40shallower beak in the dry box. The second part of the sentence is true, since we only see large, hard

07:47seeds in the dry box. That means option B is correct. Option C starts with the phrase, shallower beaks,

07:54but we know this is false, because the dry box contains no phrase of shallower beaks. Likewise,

08:00we know option D is wrong, since it also starts with the phrase, shallower beaks.

08:06This question was not testing your knowledge about finches. All the information you needed to know

08:11about finches was given in the question. Instead, this question was testing your ability to make a

08:16diagram to summarize a lot of information, and then seeing if you can use that diagram to answer

08:21challenging questions. State exams often test your ability to make and use a summary diagram

08:27to answer questions. Thanks for your attention.

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