XVI.
Science and Technology/Engineering,
Grade 5
Grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering Test
The spring 2018 grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering test was administered in two formats: a computer-based version
and a paper-based version. The test included both operational items, which count toward a student’s score, and matrix items. The
matrix portion of the test consisted of field-test and equating questions that do not count toward a student’s score. All students were
administered the same operational items, regardless of whether they took the computer-based test or the paper-based test.
This document displays the paper-based versions of the 2018 operational items that have been released. The computer-based
versions of the released items are available on the MCAS Resource Center website at [Link]/released-items.
Test Sessions and Content Overview
The grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering test was made up of two separate test sessions. Each session included multiple-
choice and open-response questions.
Standards and Reporting Categories
The grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering test was based on overlapping learning standards in the four major content strands
in the October 2006 and April 2016 versions of the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. The
four content strands are listed below.
• Earth and Space Science
• Life Science (Biology)
• Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics)
• Technology/Engineering
The 2006 and 2016 versions of the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework are available on the
Department website at [Link]/frameworks/.
Science and Technology/Engineering test results are reported under four MCAS reporting categories, which are identical to the four
framework content strands listed above.
The tables at the conclusion of this chapter indicate each released and unreleased operational item’s reporting category and the
learning standard it assesses. The correct answers for released multiple-choice questions are also displayed in the released item table.
Reference Materials
During both Science and Technology/Engineering test sessions, the use of bilingual word-to-word dictionaries was allowed for current
and former English learner students.
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Grade 5
Science and Technology/Engineering
SESSION 1
This session contains 9 questions.
Directions
Read each question carefully and then answer it as well as you can. You must record
all answers in your Student Answer Booklet.
For some questions, you will mark your answers by filling in the circles in your
Student Answer Booklet. Make sure you darken the circles completely. Do not make
any marks outside of the circles. If you need to change an answer, be sure to erase
your first answer completely.
If a question asks you to show or explain your work, you must do so to receive full
credit. Write your response in the space provided in your Student Answer Booklet.
Only responses written within the provided space will be scored.
338
Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
q The table below shows weather data for four days.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
High Temperature (°F) 30 45 53 24
Low Temperature (°F) 25 39 42 14
partly
Skies clear cloudy cloudy
cloudy
Wind Speed (mi. per hr) 5 9 15 4
On which day did it most likely snow?
A. day 1
B. day 2
C. day 3
D. day 4
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
e A group of students observe some sea stars (also known as starfish) while on a
field trip. A sea star is shown in the picture below.
Most of the sea stars have five arms, but two of the sea stars each have an arm
that is much shorter than their other arms. A park ranger tells the students that
the shorter arms were once missing because they were probably eaten by a fish
or a crab, but the arms have started to grow back.
Which of the following best describes how sea stars are able to regrow their
arms?
A. Sea stars learn how to regrow their arms.
B. Sea stars inherit the ability to regrow their arms.
C. Sea stars eat food that causes their arms to regrow.
D. Sea stars move to warmer water that causes their arms to regrow.
340
Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
y A dance teacher put up cubbies for students to store their backpacks. The
teacher changed the setup of the cubbies, as shown below.
Old Setup
Cubbies
8 ft.
4 ft.
Dance floor
New Setup
Cubbies
4 ft.
8 ft.
Dance floor
What problem was the dance teacher most likely trying to solve by changing the
setup of the cubbies?
A. Some students did not have cubbies.
B. Some students could not reach their cubbies.
C. The cubbies were not large enough for the backpacks.
D. The cubbies did not allow enough space for the dance floor.
341
Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
o The diagram below shows four numbered stages in the life cycle of a ladybug.
2
4
Which of the following processes must occur between stage 3 and stage 4 of the
life cycle?
A. birth
B. death
C. development
D. reproduction
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
a The diagram below shows four types of finches labeled W, X, Y, and Z.
Y
W
The type of finch labeled W adapted different traits over a long period of time
that resulted in the three different types of finches labeled X, Y, and Z. What is
the most likely reason the finches labeled X, Y, and Z adapted different traits
from the finch labeled W?
A. to look like other birds
B. to change their environments
C. to copy behaviors of other similar birds
D. to help them survive in their environments
343
Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
s The diagram below shows a student’s design for a pulley system used to lift
objects up to a platform.
Which of the following is most important to consider when choosing the type of
rope for the pulley system?
A. the shape of the pulley bucket handle
B. the speed at which the pulley wheel moves
C. the amount of weight the pulley bucket will hold
D. the distance of the pulley wheel from the platform
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
g The chart below lists some organisms found in an ocean ecosystem.
Producer Herbivore Carnivore
green algae surgeonfish grouper
sea grass turtle
A student made the food web below, but some arrows are missing.
Grouper
Surgeonfish
Turtle
Green algae Sea grass
Why should the student add arrows from the green algae and the sea grass to
the turtle?
A. to show that turtles are sometimes eaten by carnivores
B. to show that turtles can produce food from sunlight and water
C. to show how turtles get energy and materials for growth from producers
D. to show how turtles protect producers from being eaten by other herbivores
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 1
l A student looks into a mirror and sees the wall behind him. Which of the following
best describes why the student sees the wall in the mirror?
A. Light reflects off the mirror.
B. Light curves around the mirror.
C. Light passes through the mirror.
D. Light scatters when it hits the mirror.
; Which of the following best describes how most soil forms?
A. through the growth of trees in a forest
B. through the buildup of snow on an iceberg
C. through the weathering of rock by wind and water
D. through the cooling of lava from a volcanic eruption
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Grade 5
Science and Technology/Engineering
SESSION 2
This session contains 12 questions.
Directions
Read each question carefully and then answer it as well as you can. You must record
all answers in your Student Answer Booklet.
For some questions, you will mark your answers by filling in the circles in your
Student Answer Booklet. Make sure you darken the circles completely. Do not make
any marks outside of the circles. If you need to change an answer, be sure to erase
your first answer completely.
If a question asks you to show or explain your work, you must do so to receive full
credit. Write your response in the space provided in your Student Answer Booklet.
Only responses written within the provided space will be scored.
347
Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
2# A change in the environment of an area caused the leaves of many plants to turn
brown. Many of these plants died.
Which of the following changes in the environment most likely caused the plants
to die?
A. a long drought
B. an early spring
C. a windy summer
D. a large thunderstorm
2$ In a science investigation, a student holds a vibrating tuning fork near a piece of
cork, as shown below.
Cork
Tuning
fork
The student observes that the cork moves. Which of the following conclusions
can be made from this investigation?
A. Sound is a form of energy.
B. Sound does not travel in air.
C. Sound cannot travel through the cork.
D. Sound is transformed into magnetic energy.
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
2^ A student builds a compass from a pencil, a clear plastic cup, some thread, and
a magnetized needle. The student then brings the north end of a bar magnet
near the north end of the needle, as shown below.
N S
What happens when the north end of the bar magnet is brought near the north
end of the compass needle?
A. The needle and cup stay in place.
B. The needle and cup slide across the table.
C. The north end of the needle sticks to the bar magnet.
D. The north end of the needle spins away from the bar magnet.
349
Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
2& The picture below shows trees with bent trunks growing on a hillside.
Soil moving downhill caused these trees to tilt slightly each year when they
were young. Which of the following most likely caused the soil to move when
these trees were young?
A. an earthquake
B. a thunderstorm
C. weathering and erosion
D. volcanic eruptions and lava flows
350
Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
2* Some Canada geese pass through Massachusetts as they migrate south in the fall.
Which of the following best explains why these birds migrate south in the fall?
A. There is more food in the south during the winter.
B. There is less rainfall in the south during the winter.
C. There are more birds in the south during the winter.
D. There are fewer predators in the south during the winter.
3) A student took pictures of the Moon on different days. Which set of pictures did
the student take on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday of the same week?
A. B.
C. D.
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
3! In a tropical jungle, some trees produce large, thick leaves that protect their
trunks and roots from getting too much sunlight.
Which of the following best explains how these leaves affect the environment
where the trees grow?
A. They provide an area for plants that need shade.
B. They increase the amount of rainfall in the region.
C. They transfer heat energy from the air to the ground.
D. They cause many species of animals to become extinct.
3^ A student is testing different types of wood to use for a bookshelf. The student
tests each type of wood to predict how many books the bookshelf will safely hold.
Which of the following characteristics of the wood determines how many books
the bookshelf can safely hold?
A. flexibility
B. hardness
C. strength
D. weight
352
Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
3* Some parts of a sunflower are shown in the diagram below.
Flower
Stem
Leaf
Root
A student claims sunflowers reproduce by producing seeds. What part of the
sunflower would the student use to support this claim?
A. flower
B. leaf
C. root
D. stem
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
3( A student is constructing four different electrical circuits. Each circuit has a
battery, wires, a switch, and a light bulb.
Which of the following is the best way for the student to record information so
that another student can construct exactly the same four circuits?
A. draw a diagram that shows each circuit
B. make a tally of the parts used in each circuit
C. make a list of the materials needed for each circuit
D. create a graph that shows the number of parts in each circuit
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
This question has three parts.
4! There are three states of matter commonly found on Earth. The picture below
shows a candle burning. All three states of matter are present when the candle
is burning.
Part A
Identify the three states of matter.
Part B
Identify an example of each of the three states of matter present when the
candle is burning. Be sure to identify the state of matter for each example.
Each state of matter has certain basic properties.
Part C
For each of the three states of matter, describe one basic property.
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Science/Technology Engineering Session 2
This question has four parts.
4@ Four processes are represented in the water cycle diagram shown below. Each
process is numbered.
1
4
Lake
Land
Part A
Identify process 1 of the water cycle and describe how water changes phases in
this process.
Part B
Identify process 2 of the water cycle and describe how water changes phases in
this process.
Part C
Identify process 3 of the water cycle and describe one effect temperature can
have on water in this process.
Part D
Process 4 is runoff. Explain why the amount of runoff is greatest during the
spring in Massachusetts.
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Grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering
Spring 2018 Released Operational Items:
Reporting Categories, Standards, and Correct Answers
PBT 2006 2016 Correct Answer
Page No. Reporting Category
Item No.* Standard Standard (MC)**
1 339 Earth and Space Science 6 3-ESS2-1 D
3 340 Life Science 5 3-LS3-2 B
6 341 Technology/Engineering 2.1 3.3-5-ETS1-1 B
9 342 Life Science 3 3-LS1-1 C
10 343 Life Science 6 3-LS4-3 D
11 344 Technology/Engineering 2.3 4.3-5-ETS1-5(MA) C
14 345 Life Science 11 5-LS2-1 C
18 346 Physical Science 12 4-PS4-2 A
19 346 Earth and Space Science 4 4-ESS2-1 C
23 348 Life Science 7 3-LS4-4 A
24 348 Physical Science 4 4-PS3-2 A
26 349 Physical Science 9 3-PS2-3 D
27 350 Earth and Space Science 12 4-ESS1-1 C
28 351 Life Science 9 3-LS4-4 A
30 351 Earth and Space Science 15 5-ESS1-2 C
31 352 Life Science 10 3-LS4-4 A
36 352 Technology/Engineering 1.1 5-PS1-3 C
38 353 Life Science 2 4-LS1-1 A
39 354 Technology/Engineering 2.2 3.3-5-ETS1-4(MA) A
41 355 Physical Science 2 5-PS1-1
42 356 Earth and Space Science 10 5-ESS2-1
* “PBT Item Number” refers to the position of the item on the operational paper-based test. This is the item number that DESE refers to when
reporting student results for a PBT item.
** Answers are provided here for multiple-choice items only. Sample responses and scoring guidelines for open-response items,
which are indicated by the shaded cells, will be posted to the Department’s website later this year.
357
Grade 5 Science and Technology/Engineering
Spring 2018 Unreleased Operational Items:
Reporting Categories and Standards
PBT 2006 2016
Reporting Category
Item No.* Standard Standard
2 Physical Science 5 4-PS3-2
4 Earth and Space Science 14 5-ESS1-2
5 Earth and Space Science 2 5-PS1-3
7 Physical Science 7 5-PS1-3
8 Earth and Space Science 13 5-ESS1-2
12 Life Science 4 3-LS1-1
13 Life Science 11 5-LS1-1
15 Technology/Engineering 2.1 4.3-5-ETS1-5(MA)
16 Earth and Space Science 10 5-ESS2-1
17 Life Science 6 3-LS4-2
20 Technology/Engineering 2.1 3.3-5-ETS1-2
21 Life Science 2 4-LS1-1
22 Physical Science 6 4-PS3-2
25 Physical Science 4 4-PS3-2
29 Physical Science 3 5-ESS2-1
32 Earth and Space Science 6 3-ESS2-1
33 Earth and Space Science 9 3-ESS2-2
34 Physical Science 2 5-PS1-1
35 Life Science 3 3-LS1-1
37 Earth and Space Science 2 5-PS1-3
40 Earth and Space Science 12 4-ESS1-1
* “PBT Item Number” refers to the position of the item on the operational paper-based test. This is the item
number that DESE refers to when reporting student results for a PBT item.
358