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Intermediate Science Performance Exam

Saturday May 28th 2011


8:30 - 10:45am / 10:45-1:00pm

Name_____________________________
Class_______________________________

Date______________________________

Fall 2010

Instructions
Today you will take a practice science performance exam. It is given to test your knowledge of basic science instruments, as well as your understanding of scientific ideas. You will perform a task at three stations today. You are already seated at one of these stations. You will move to the other two stations when your teacher instructs you to. You will have 15 minutes to complete the task at each station, so do your best work and read the questions carefully before answering.

Now turn to the page that matches the station number you are seated at.

STATION 1
This station will test your ability to use a microscope and create a dichotomous key to classify organisms based on their observable physical features.

Materials Here Slide 1 Slide 2 Envelope of organisms Dichotomous key sorting sheet Stapler Instructions: 1.Place slide 1 on the microscope stage, and locate the line on the slide , using the microscope. 2. Using the transparent ruler provided, measure the length of the mark you observe.

3. Open the envelope and empty out the organisms onto the table. View the letters that are located under them. Arrange the organisms on your sorting sheet. 4. Create a question that breaks the group of organisms into two groups, ( a yes and no group based on the question). 5. Working on the no group, create a question to break up that group. Continue this action until all the organisms from the no group has been sorted out. 6. Do the same with the yes group. ***************************Note************************** * Place the letter of the organism in the box they belong in, not the actual organism. Place the materials back where they belong at the end of 15 minutes or when done, if done before the 15minutes are up. Staple you key into your workbook

STATION 2
This station will test your ability to collect data and use it to create a graph that represents it. It will also assess your ability to

interpret the graph, and use it to make predictions.

Materials Here:

Pictured set up Tennis ball

Ball Release Position

Distance the cup moved

Graph

Instructions:
1- Pick up tennis ball2-Release the ball from the 25 cm. position on the ruler. 3-Measure the distance the cup is pushed from it's starting position. 4-Complete the data table below with the information you obtained. 5-Repeat the procedure from the 15cm and 10cm position.

Questions:
0. Plot the points from the data table 1. Label the axis and title the graph. 2. How far would the cup moved if the ball was dropped from the 20cm position? 3. How far would the cup move if it were released from the 5cm. position? 4. How far would the cup move if it were released from the 30cm. position?

5. Pick up the envelope and without opening it, observe the ball inside of it: create a line on the graph predicting where it would be if this was the ball that was used, in the experiment instead of the ball originally used. 6. Explain why you drew the line where you did. 7. Label each line on the graph for the 'ball' that the line

1.

2.

STATION Station 3

This station
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will test your ability to use a triple beam balance and your understanding of some physical properties of matter

Materials triple beam balance block 1 cup of water ruler calculator

Instructions 8. Obtain block 1 and determine it's mass. Record it in hand out 9. Determine the volume of block1 ( using the equation l x w x h ). Record it in handout. 10. Calculate the density of block 1 using the equation D=M/V If water has a density of 1g./ml.

a. How does block 1s, density compare to waters density?

b. If you place block 1 in the water will it sink or float? Why

5. Draw below, where block 1 will be if placed in water:

6. If block 1 was cut in half and then placed in the water, where would its position in the water me.

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