Science · Unit 3 · Weeks 13–18 · 35–40 min

Life Cycles & Living Together

42 points total · Name: ____________________ Date: __________

For the adult

This test covers animal groups, life cycles, habitats and ecosystem models. You may read every question, table and choice aloud, and your child may answer out loud while you write their words. Please do not explain words like metamorphosis, decomposer or evidence, and do not hint. Your child will need a pencil and crayons or colored pencils for the life cycle drawing. Remind your child that a strong answer gives a reason, just like the claim, evidence and reasoning practice in Week 13.

Part 1: Animal Groups

11 points

Read about wolves. Then answer questions 1 to 4.

1.
Does living in a pack help wolves survive? Make an argument. Claim: ____ Evidence: ____ Reasoning: ____
(6 pts)
2.
Which one is a benefit of living in a group?
(1 pt)
○ more animals share each meal○ sickness can spread○ more eyes watch for danger○ animals may fight over food
3.
In an ant colony, some ants gather food, some care for the young and some guard the nest. How does sharing the jobs help the colony survive?
(2 pts)
4.
Small fish swim together in a big school. A larger fish attacks. Give one reason a fish in the school is safer than a fish swimming alone.
(2 pts)

Part 2: Life Cycles

10 points

Think about the life cycles of plants and animals.

5.
A chicken hatches from an egg as a fluffy chick, grows into an adult and lays eggs. Does a chicken go through metamorphosis? How do you know?
(2 pts)
6.
A ladybug's life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Which animal you studied has the same four stages?
(1 pt)
7.
A bean seed sprouts and becomes a seedling. Which stage of its life cycle comes next?
(1 pt)
○ seed○ adult plant○ fruit with seeds○ pupa
8.
Draw a life cycle model for a sunflower. Show 4 stages with arrows that go in a circle. Circle the stage where the plant reproduces (makes new seeds).
(3 pts)
9.
Name one way a frog's life cycle and a sunflower's life cycle are the same. Name one way they are different.
(3 pts)

Part 3: Habitats: Who Survives?

10 points

Read about Noor's study squares. Use the table for questions 10 and 11.

10.
In which study square did Noor find the most moss?
(1 pt)
○ sunny, dry spot○ half shade○ damp shade by the fence
11.
Use the data. Where does moss survive well, survive less well and not survive at all?
(3 pts)
12.
Noor wants to find out whether mealworms choose bran or sand. What is the one thing she changes? Name two things she keeps the same.
(3 pts)
13.
Crabs of one kind live on a pale sandy beach. Most are pale tan, but a few are dark brown. Gulls hunt the crabs. Which crabs are more likely to survive and have young? Why?
(2 pts)
14.
A mole has wide, strong front paws for digging. Is this a physical or a behavioral adaptation?
(1 pt)
○ physical○ behavioral

Part 4: Ecosystem Models & Changes

11 points

Read about Ben's pond model. Then answer questions 15 to 19.

15.
Write a food chain from Ben's model. Start with the sun.
(2 pts)
16.
Ben wants dead algae and fish waste to break down. What kind of living thing should he make sure his model has?
(1 pt)
17.
Predict: if all the water fleas were taken out, what would happen to the algae and to the fish? Tell why for each.
(3 pts)
18.
A wetland dries up and stays dry. Name one animal that would probably move away and one kind of living thing that might move in. Tell why for one of them.
(2 pts)
19.
A dam is built across a river. Salmon swim up the river to lay their eggs, but the dam blocks them. Solution 1: build a fish ladder, a row of small pools that step up beside the dam. Solution 2: drop more fish food into the river below the dam. Which solution is better? Make a claim and give a reason.
(3 pts)