Ohio Resource Center
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Assessments
NAEP Assessment Item, Grade 8: Disease killing small fish
Discipline
Science
Grades
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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Professional Commentary

Students are asked to explain what would happen to the algae and large fish in a pond if a disease killed all of the small fish. This constructed response item is a sample of test items prepared and used in past National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) administrations. (see About NAEP) The URL link will take the user to the test item. From there, the user may choose to access information regarding general performance on this item, the content from which the item is derived, a scoring guide,and detailed data regarding performance on this items by various subgroups. The user may choose to collect items and add them into a data base which can later be printed by clicking on Add Question in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Please note that this item is also used in Grade 4 (ORC # 1556). NAEP Reference Number: 2000-8S9 No.:8


Ohio Science Academic Content Standards (2002)
Life Sciences
Benchmarks (3–5)
B.
Analyze plant and animal structures and functions needed for survival and describe the flow of energy through a system that all organisms use to survive.
C.
Compare changes in an organism's ecosystem/habitat that affect its survival.
Benchmarks (6–8)
C.
Explain how energy entering the ecosystems as sunlight supports the life of organisms through photosynthesis and the transfer of energy through the interactions of organisms and the environment.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 3)
6.
Describe how changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 5)
3.
Trace the organization of simple food chains and food webs (e.g., producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and decomposers).
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 7)
3.
Explain how the number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on adequate biotic (living) resources (e.g., plants, animals) and abiotic (non-living) resources (e.g., light, water, soil).
Scientific Ways of Knowing
Benchmarks (6–8)
A.
Use skills of scientific inquiry processes (e.g., hypothesis, record keeping, description, explanation).
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 8)
1.
Identify the difference between description (e.g., observation and summary) and explanation (e.g., inference, prediction, significance, importance).
National Science Education Standards
Life Science
Populations and ecosystems (Grades 5 - 8)