Download 5th Grade Ecosystem Common Assessment

Revised 11/5/14
5th Grade Science - Ecosystems Common Assessment
1. In the daylight, organisms that have chlorophyll, such as plants, algae, and some bacteria, can use the
sun’s energy, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food. What is this process called?
A.
B.
C.
D.
predation
photosynthesis
food cycle
ecosystem
2. The three main groups that can be found in all ecosystems are the producers, consumers, and
decomposers. Which choice gives an example of an organism from each group?
A.
B.
C.
D.
bacteria, grass, flower
clover, rabbit, mushroom
fungi, mushroom, flower
cow, eagle, mouse
3. Use the food web below. Which of the following two choices are examples of a consumer
receiving energy directly from a producer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
grasshopper
chickadees
lizard
mouse
4. Photosynthesis is an example of an energy transformation. Which statement best describes how the
energy is transformed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
chemical energy to heat energy
light energy to chemical energy
heat energy to chemical energy
chemical energy to light energy
Revised 11/5/14
5. Producers are the basis of all food chains. Where do producers get their energy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
from the sun
from eating consumers
from decomposers
from eating other producers
6. A bear is an example of an omnivore. What does an omnivore eat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
plants only
meat only
plants and meat
break down dead and decaying materials
7. In a forest, how do decomposers help other organisms survive?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They release oxygen into the air that animals breathe.
They put nutrients back into the soil that plants use to grow.
They provide shelter in forests where animals can hide.
They use sunlight to make food for plants and animals.
8. When creating a food web, students include arrows. What do the arrows in a food web represent?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Arrows show the transfer of energy between organisms
Arrows show symbiotic relationships between species
Arrows show the life cycle between species
Arrows show which animals have adaptations in an ecosystem
9. What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a food chain is larger than a food web
a food chain is a combination of all food webs in a community
a food web is smaller than a food chain
a food web is a combination of all food chains in a community
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Use the Food Web below to Answer Questions 10-12:
10. According to the food web above, what organism(s) is the producer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
mayfly
phytoplankton
frog
salamander
11. According to the food web above, which set of organisms are secondary consumers?
A.
B.
C.
D.
frog, salamander
dragonfly, mayfly
phytoplankton, mayfly
snake, bald eagle
12. According to the food web, which organism(s) is the top consumer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
frog
phytoplankton
snake
salamander
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Use the graphs below to answer Questions 13 & 14:
Graph A
Graph B
13. Graph A shows the populations of grass, rabbits, snakes and hawks in equilibrium. What does it
mean when the populations of organisms in an ecosystem are in equilibrium?
A.
B.
C.
D.
there are not enough producers in an ecosystem
there are too many predators in the ecosystem
the ecosystem is in balance
It is impossible to know what equilibrium means
14. Graph B shows the population of grass, rabbits, snakes and hawks after three months. What event
within the food chain might lead to the graph show above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
15.
A disease in the population of rabbits
A disease in the population of snakes
A healthy group of hawks was introduced
It is impossible to tell which of the above events occurred.
The Emerald Ash Borer is an ash tree-killing insect from Asia. It was discovered in Ohio in
2003. Ohio Department of Agriculture has been battling the pest in an attempt to protect the
state's 3.8 billion ash trees. The pest has since spread from Toledo throughout Ohio. The Emerald
Ash Borer kills ash trees within three to five years of infecting the ash tree. The larvae spend
approximately one year developing beneath the bark of the ash tree eating the nutrients and water
that should support the tree. The Emerald Ash Borer is an example of:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mutualism
Symbiosis
Commensalism
An invasive species
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16.
What is one way in which plants depend on animals?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Animals give off the oxygen plants need for photosynthesis
Animals produce the water plants need for photosynthesis
Animals give off the carbon dioxide the plants need for photosynthesis
Animals produce the glucose the plants need for photosynthesis
Use the food web below to answer Question 17:
17. One of the energy transformations is shown incorrectly in the food web above. Identify the
mistake:
A.
B.
C.
D.
The arrows are pointed in the wrong direction
The owl wouldn’t eat a mouse because it’s an herbivore
A deer wouldn’t eat a mouse because it’s an herbivore
There is no producer shown in this food web
Revised 11/5/14
Use the following information to answer questions 18-21.
The picture shows a pond ecosystem. Many plants and animals live in and around the pond.
18. Which of the following is a correct food chain for the pond ecosystem above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
tadpole à green algae à trout à sunfish
green algae ß tadpole ß sunfish ß trout
green algae à tadpole à sunfish à trout
trout ß green algae à sunfish à tadpole
19. A loach is not native to this pond ecosystem. Loaches eat snails and have no natural predators.
What would be an effect on the ecosystem if the loach were added to the pond?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The population of snails would increase, causing the duck population to increase.
The population of green algae would decrease
The population of snails would decrease, causing the duck population to decrease.
The butterfly population would become extinct.
20. Look at the picture of the pond ecosystem. Which organism uses sunlight to produce food that
others eat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Snail
Sunfish
Butterfly
Green Algae
21. Which of the following things in the pond ecosystem (shown above) is abiotic?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Duck
Water
Trout
Butterfly
Revised 11/5/14
22. Some living things use another animal as a host to keep themselves alive. They might live on the
inside or the outside of the host and damage its tissue. These organisms can hurt or sometimes even
kill the host. Which pair of organisms shows this type of relationship?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a monkey cleaning the fur of another monkey
a cow eating grass
ringworm fungus growing on a person’s skin
a clown fish
23. Oxpeckers land on rhinos or zebras backs and eat ticks and other parasites that live on their skin. The
oxpeckers get food and the zebra get pest control. Also, when there is danger, the oxpeckers fly
upward and scream a warning, which helps the zebra be aware of predators.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
24. A mosquito bites its host organism, drinking its blood.
Mosquitos are known to carry diseases and can hurt the
host. When one species harms another, this is an example of
what symbiotic relationship?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
25. Cattle egrets live in fields with cows and other livestock. As the cattle and horses walk through the
fields eating, they stir up bugs from the ground. The egrets follow the livestock to catch and eat the
bugs. The cows and horses are unaffected by the egrets. This is an example of what symbiotic
relationship?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
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Use the following Ecosystem Card to answer Questions 26 and 27.
26. The Red-backed Salamander is unlike other
salamanders. Read the card to identify how.
A. they are nocturnal
B. they don’t spend any part of their life in
water
C. they live under rocks, logs and dead
leaves
D. the are eaten by barred owls
27. Short Answer: Abiotic factors often affect
biotic factors in an ecosystem. Using details
from the Red-Backed Salamander Card, in
your Answer Document, describe two ways
that a forest fire would affect the Red-backed
Salamander. (2 points)
28. Extended Response: A class observed a forest ecosystem with many organisms. Students combined
their observations of what the organisms eat in the table. (4 points)
WHAT EATS WHAT?
Organism
Food Eaten
Tree with berries and acorns
Energy through photosynthesis
Mouse
Acorns, berries
Snake
Mouse, grasshopper, eggs
Grasshopper
Leaves from trees
Owl
Snake, mouse
In your Answer Document, draw a food web using these five organisms. When drawing the food web,
be sure to use the names of the five organisms and draw arrows to trace the energy flow among the
organisms.
Revised 11/5/14
29. Short Answer: An herbicide (a chemical used to kill plants) was used on the plant shown in the
diagram below. In your Answer Document, describe two ways the use of an herbicide can affect the
food web. (2 points)
30. Short Answer: Lions are carnivores and eat only meat. Describe the flow of energy from the sun to
the lion. You may draw a food chain to support your answer. (2 points)