Scoring Guide: Forecasting, Adaptation & Traits

Use the table about Cedar Valley to answer questions 1 to 5. Each season is 3 months long.

1. 1.

   Which season is usually the rainiest in Cedar Valley?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: spring

2. 2.

   How many more rainy days does spring usually have than winter?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: 12 more days (24 − 12 = 12)

3. 3.

   Make a pictograph of the usual rainy days for each season. Let one raindrop stand for 3 rainy days. Write the key.

   (3 pts)

   Answer: Key: 1 raindrop = 3 rainy days. Winter 4 drops, spring 8 drops, summer 6 drops, fall 5 drops.

4. 4.

   A family is going camping in Cedar Valley and wants to play in the snow. Which season should they choose? Use the data.

   (2 pts)

   Answer: Winter, because it usually has 15 snowy days and the usual high is only 36°F; the other seasons have 2 or fewer snowy days.

5. 5.

   A forecast for a July day in Cedar Valley says, "High of 55°F with snow." Is this likely? Use the table to explain.

   (2 pts)

   Answer: No. Summer usually has a high of 85°F and 0 snowy days, so snow in July would be very unusual (the forecast is probably a mistake).

Think about how living things and people fit the climates where they live.

1. 6.

   Write the climate where each adaptation helps most: tropical, arid or polar. ___ A ptarmigan grows white feathers in winter and has feathers on its feet. ___ An orchid grows high on rainforest tree branches, closer to the light. ___ A camel has wide, padded feet for walking on loose sand.

   (3 pts)

   Answer: polar, tropical, arid

2. 7.

   Which behavior helps a ground squirrel survive a long, cold winter with little food?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: It hibernates in its burrow.

3. 8.

   Banana plants need warm weather all year, and frost hurts them. Would a banana plant survive well, less well or not at all outdoors in a polar climate? Give a reason.

   (2 pts)

   Answer: Not at all. Reasons: a polar climate is cold all year; it has frost, ice and snow that hurt the plant; summers are short and cool.

4. 9.

   A town on a hurricane coast gets very strong winds. A builder can attach roofs with metal straps that tie the roof to the walls, or just set the roof on top with a few nails. Which design is better? Make a claim and give a reason.

   (3 pts)

   Answer: The metal straps. They hold the roof tightly to the walls, so strong winds are less likely to lift the roof off and damage the house.

Use the table about a dog family for questions 10 to 12.

1. 10.

   Which trait did every puppy share with both parents?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: floppy ears

2. 11.

   Which trait shows variation among the puppies? How do you know?

   (2 pts)

   Answer: Coat color. Some puppies are black and some are yellow, so they are not all the same.

3. 12.

   Are the puppies' floppy ears inherited or learned? How do you know?

   (2 pts)

   Answer: Inherited. The puppies were born with them; they come from their parents, not from practice or teaching.

4. 13.

   Write I for an inherited trait or L for a learned behavior. ___ an elephant's trunk ___ a parrot opens its cage latch after watching its owner do it ___ a horse's hooves ___ a goldfish swims to the top when it sees the food box

   (2 pts)

   Answer: I, L, I, L

5. 14.

   Tomato plants from one seed packet were split into two groups. Group A was watered every day. Group B was watered once a week. After 6 weeks, Group A plants were about 60 cm tall and Group B plants were about 33 cm tall. Did Group B inherit shortness? Explain.

   (3 pts)

   Answer: No. All the plants came from the same seed packet, so they are the same kind. Group B got much less water. Their environment kept them from growing as tall.

Use the data to answer questions 15 to 18.

1. 15.

   Ray measured the ears of 6 young rabbits of one kind: 9 cm, 11 cm, 10 cm, 8 cm, 11 cm and 12 cm. What is the difference between the longest and the shortest ear?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: 4 cm (12 − 8 = 4)

2. 16.

   Which ear length did Ray measure most often?

   (1 pt)

   Answer: 11 cm

3. 17.

   Which beetles have an advantage on dark soil? Make an argument. Claim: ____ Evidence: ____ Reasoning: ____

   (6 pts)

   Answer: Answers vary. Look for: Claim: the dark beetles have an advantage on dark soil. Evidence: the bird picked up only 3 and 4 dark beetles but 12 and 11 light beetles. Reasoning: dark beetles blend in with the dark soil, so birds see fewer of them; more dark beetles survive and can have young.

4. 18.

   Male frogs of one kind call at night to attract mates. The females usually hop toward the males with the loudest calls. Which males are more likely to have offspring? Why?

   (2 pts)

   Answer: The males with the loudest calls, because more females come to them, so they are more likely to find a mate and have young.