PhD Science Texas - Level 4 - Benchmark 1

Name:

Date:

Natural Levees

1. Levees are landforms that can form along riverbanks. After rivers flood, levees can form.

Obser ve the model.

How Levees Form

Part A: Circle two processes that cause levees to form.

Part B: Describe how changes to the river cause levees to form. Use evidence from the model to support your answer.

Natural Resources in Rock Layers

Natural resources, such as oil, gas, and water, are stored in some rock layers underground. The diagram shows the physical properties of different rock layers.

2. Circle two rock layers where oil is most likely stored.

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5

Investigating Snow

A child pushed a snowball. Observe the model.

Pushing a Snowball

3. Circle one question that can be answered by using data from the model.

How does a push change the size of a snowball?

How does a push change the shape of a snowball?

How does a push change the direction traveled by a snowball?

How does a push change the distance traveled by a snowball?

People can stack snowballs to build a figure. The snowball with the greatest mass is on the bottom. Observe the photograph and the table.

Snowball Measurements

4. Write the letters A, B, or C on the blanks to put the snowballs in order from least to greatest mass.

Least mass Greatest mass

Coral Reefs and Wave Energy

5. The model shows how a coral reef changes waves that reach a shoreline.

Waves on a Shoreline

Part A: Circle one type of data you could collect to investigate how a coral reef changes the transfer of energy from waves to the shoreline.

Wave height

Wind speed

Wind direction

Wave direction

Part B: Explain how coral reefs change the amount of energy transferred to shorelines. Use evidence from the model to support your answer.

Heat Sources Used in Homes

The table shows information about different heat sources people can use in their homes.

6. Circle one benefit that all the heat sources share.

▪ They all use electrical energy.

They all produce lots of pollution.

They all use renewable resources.

They all provide energy for humans.

7. Circle two disadvantages of using stoves and furnaces.

▪ Stoves and furnaces produce electricity for humans.

Stoves and furnaces produce pollution.

Stoves and furnaces use natural gas for energy.

Stoves and furnaces use energy resources that have an unlimited supply.

Stoves and furnaces use energy resources that may run out over time.

Methane Bubbles in Lakes

Methane gas from soil can form bubbles in some lakes. People can ice-skate on frozen lakes. The photograph and the model show methane bubbles trapped in ice.

Lake with Methane Bubbles

8. Circle one location that shows a liquid and gas mixture in the frozen lake.

9. Circle one location that shows a solid and gas mixture in the frozen lake.

10. Predict how the ice in the frozen lake will change if the temperature of the environment increases.

Circle the best description.

▪ Gas to solid

Liquid to gas

Solid to liquid

Liquid to solid

Rockfalls

Rockfalls change the shape of landforms. The photograph shows a rockfall.

11. Use the numbers 1 through 4 to put the steps of a rockfall in order. Write one number on each blank.

Boiling Water on a Stove

Observe the steps of boiling water on a stove.

Before Boiling

Water is added to a pot and heated on a stove burner.

During Boiling

Bubbles rise through the water. Water vapor forms above the pot.

After Boiling

The pot is covered with a lid. Drops of water form on the inside of the lid.

12. Identify the state of matter of water observed in each step. Write gas, liquid, or solid in each row to complete the table.

Step Observation State of Matter

Before boiling Water is in the pot.

During boiling Water vapor is above the pot.

After boiling Drops of water are inside the lid.

During boiling, the temperatures of the stove burner, the pot, and the lid are measured. Observe the diagram and the table.

13. Circle one statement that correctly compares the temperatures of the objects.

The temperature of the lid is cooler than the temperature of the pot.

The temperature of the lid is the same as the temperature of the pot.

The temperature of the lid is warmer than the temperature of the pot.

The temperature of the lid cannot be measured.

Shoreline Protection System

A lighthouse is near the ocean. Ocean waves change the land on the shoreline over time.

14. Circle one model that shows how water could change the shoreline.

15. Circle two processes caused by ocean waves that can change the distance between a lighthouse and the ocean.

A barrier is a wall that protects a shoreline from waves. Observe the photograph and the table.

16. Circle one advantage of using recycled wood to build a barrier. Using recycled wood protects forests. Using recycled wood protects water. Using recycled wood protects the air. Using recycled wood protects buildings.

The diagram shows locations where a barrier could be built.

17. Circle the best location to place a barrier that will protect the shoreline from waves. A B C D

Level 4

Benchmark 1 Rubric

Score each student’s Benchmark. The rubric describes evidence of student work that meets expectations. Use the Score column to record the student’s points for each item.

Name:

1B 4.3A 4.5B 4.10B

2 4.1E 4.5A

4.11C

3

Date:

Choice 1 is incorrect. Weathering is the breakdown of rock, not the movement or deposition of sediment.

Choice 2 is correct.

Choice 3 is incorrect. Evaporation is the process that changes liquid at its surface to gas.

Choice 4 is correct.

Choice 5 is incorrect. Condensation is the process that changes gas to liquid.

3 points: The student identifies that (1) flooding occurs and water covers land, (2) sediment carried by floodwater moves from one place to another (erosion by water), and (3) sediment builds up along the sides of the river (deposition by water), forming natural levees.

2 points: The student identifies two of the three criteria required for 3 points.

1 point: The student identifies one of the three criteria required for 3 points.

Choice 1 is incorrect. Layer 1 consists of very small rocks with no spaces between them. Choice 2 is correct.

Choice 3 is correct.

Choice 4 is incorrect. Layer 4 consists of small rocks with no spaces between them. Choice 5 is incorrect. Layer 5 consists of small to medium rocks with very little space between them.

Choice 1 is incorrect. Both snowballs are the same size before and after each push. Choice 2 is incorrect. Both snowballs have the same shape before and after each push. Choice 3 is incorrect. Both snowballs travel in the same direction after each push. Choice 4 is correct.

4 4.2B 4.6A B has the least mass. A has the median mass. C has the greatest mass.

5A 4.1B 4.5E 4.8A

Choice 1 is correct.

Choice 2 is incorrect. Wind speed does not determine how coral reefs affect wave energy. Choice 3 is incorrect. Wind direction is the same in both models. Choice 4 is incorrect. Wave direction is the same in both models.

5B 4.3A 4.5B 4.8A

3 points: The student identifies that (1) the height of waves at the shore decreases when coral reefs are present, (2) smaller waves have less energy, and (3) there is no damage to structures when smaller waves reach the shoreline.

2 points: The student identifies two of the three criteria required for 3 points.

1 point: The student identifies one of the three criteria required for 3 points.

6 4.3A 4.5A

4.11B

Choice 1 is incorrect. The portable heater uses electrical energy, but the other heat sources do not.

Choice 2 is incorrect. Producing pollution is not a benefit.

Choice 3 is incorrect. The stove and furnace do not use renewable resources. Choice 4 is correct.

7 4.5B

4.11A

Choice 1 is incorrect. The heat sources generate heat energy, not electricity. Choice 2 is correct.

Choice 3 is incorrect. The furnace uses oil for energy, not natural gas. Choice 4 is incorrect. Both the stove and the furnace use nonrenewable energy resources, which are limited in supply.

Choice 5 is correct.

8 4.1G 4.5D 4.6A

9 4.1G 4.5D

4.6A

Choice 1 is incorrect. Location A indicates air, which is not a mixture of liquid and gas. Choice 2 is incorrect. Location B indicates ice, which is not a mixture of liquid and gas. Choice 3 is correct.

Choice 1 is incorrect. Location A indicates air, which is not a mixture of solid and gas. Choice 2 is correct.

Choice 3 is incorrect. Location C indicates water, which is not a mixture of solid and gas.

11

Choice 1 is incorrect. The ice in a frozen lake is not gas. When temperatures warm, solid ice will melt to form liquid water.

Choice 2 is incorrect. The ice on a frozen lake is not liquid. When temperatures warm, solid ice will melt to form liquid water.

Choice 3 is correct.

Choice 4 is incorrect. The ice on a frozen lake is not liquid. When temperatures warm, solid ice will melt to form liquid water.

Line 1: 3 Line 2: 1 Line 3: 4 Line 4: 2

Row 1: Liquid Row 2: Gas Row 3: Liquid

13 4.1E

4.6A

Choice 1 is correct.

14 4.1G 4.10B

Choice 1 is correct.

Choice 2 is incorrect. Weathering and erosion will decrease the distance between the lighthouse and the ocean.

Choice 3 is incorrect. Weathering and erosion will not increase the distance between the lighthouse and the ocean.

1

1

15 4.5B 4.10B

Choice 1 is correct.

Choice 2 is incorrect. Magnetism is not a process caused by waves. Choice 3 is incorrect. Waves cause weathering and erosion of shorelines, not deposition of sediment.

Choice 4 is correct.

1 PhD SCIENCE® TEXAS Level 4 ▸ Benchmark 1 © 2024 Great Minds PBC 3

16 4.4A

4.11B Choice 1 is correct. Choice 2 is incorrect. Using recycled wood does not protect water. Choice 3 is incorrect. Using recycled wood does not protect air. Choice 4 is incorrect. Using recycled wood does not protect buildings.

17

4.1G

4.5D

4.10B

Choice 1 is incorrect. A barrier at location A will not protect the shoreline from weathering and erosion.

Choice 2 is incorrect. A barrier at location B will not protect the shoreline from weathering and erosion.

Choice 3 is correct.

Choice 4 is incorrect. A barrier at location D will not protect the shoreline from weathering and erosion.

Total Points 27

Benchmark 1 Alignment Map

For teacher reference, this alignment map lists the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills assessed by each item in the Benchmark.

Item Integration of Standards

1A The student uses a model (4.1G) to identify that erosion and deposition of sediment by water (4.10B) cause levees to form near a river (4.5B).

1B The student uses a model to describe (4.3A) how flooding of a river causes the formation of levees (4.5B) through erosion and deposition by water (4.10B).

2 The student uses patterns (4.5A) in the rock particles shown in the diagram (4.1E) to determine that rock layers 2 and 3 are most likely to store oil (4.11C).

3 The student identifies a question to investigate (4.1B) that will determine how a push affects the position of a snowball (3.7B) and the distance the snowball travels (4.5B).

4 The student analyzes mass data (4.2B) to compare and order snowballs from least to greatest mass (4.6A).

▪

Content Standards

4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

Scientific and Engineering Practices Recurring Themes and Concepts

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

▪

4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

▪ 4.3A Develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

▪ 4.11C Determine the physical properties of rocks that allow Earth’s natural resources to be stored there.

▪ 4.1E Collect observations and measurements as evidence.

▪ 4.5A Identify and use patterns to explain scientific phenomena or to design solutions.

▪ 3.7B Plan and conduct a descriptive investigation to demonstrate and explain how position and motion can be changed by pushing and pulling objects such as swings, balls, and wagons.

▪ 4.6A Classify and describe matter using observable physical properties, including temperature, mass, magnetism, relative density (the ability to sink or float in water), and physical state (solid, liquid, gas).

▪ 4.1B Use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

▪ 4.2B Analyze data by identifying any significant features, patterns, or sources of error.

ItemIntegration of Standards Content Standards

5A The student identifies wave height as a variable to measure in an investigation (4.1B) to determine how a coral reef affects the energy transferred (4.5E) from ocean waves to a shoreline (4.8A).

5B The student uses evidence from the model to explain (4.3A) that coral reefs absorb wave energy, which decreases the height of waves and reduces the energy waves transfer (4.8A) to shorelines (4.5B).

6 The student uses patterns (4.5A) in the data table to explain (4.3A) the importance of energy resources in modern life (4.11B).

▪ 4.8A Investigate and identify the transfer of energy by objects in motion, waves in water, and sound.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

▪ 4.1B Use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.

Recurring Themes and Concepts

▪ 4.5E Investigate how energy flows and matter cycles through systems and how matter is conserved.

7 The student identifies that producing pollution and using nonrenewable resources are disadvantages (4.11A) of using stoves and furnaces (4.5B).

▪ 4.8A Investigate and identify the transfer of energy by objects in motion, waves in water, and sound.

▪ 4.3A Develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

▪ 4.11B Explain the critical role of energy resources to modern life and how conservation, disposal, and recycling of natural resources impact the environment.

▪ 4.11A Identify and explain advantages and disadvantages of using Earth’s renewable and nonrenewable natural resources such as wind, water, sunlight, plants, animals, coal, oil, and natural gas.

▪ 4.3A Develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models.

▪ 4.5A Identify and use patterns to explain scientific phenomena or to design solutions.

N/A

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

ItemIntegration of Standards Content Standards

8 The student uses models (4.1G) and examines the system (4.5D) to determine that the lake water contains a mixture of liquid and gas (4.6A).

▪ 4.6A Classify and describe matter using observable physical properties, including temperature, mass, magnetism, relative density (the ability to sink or float in water), and physical state (solid, liquid, gas).

Scientific and Engineering Practices Recurring Themes and Concepts

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.5D Examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system.

9 The student uses models (4.1G) and examines the system (4.5D) to determine that the ice contains a mixture of solid and gas (4.6A).

▪ 4.6A Classify and describe matter using observable physical properties, including temperature, mass, magnetism, relative density (the ability to sink or float in water), and physical state (solid, liquid, gas).

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.5D Examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system.

10 The student uses observations from the model (4.1E) to predict that the solid ice will change to liquid water (3.6C) when the temperature of the environment increases (4.5G).

▪ 3.6C Predict, observe, and record changes in the state of matter caused by heating or cooling in a variety of substances such as ice becoming liquid water, condensation forming on the outside of a glass, or liquid water being heated to the point of becoming water vapor (gas).

▪ 4.1E Collect observations and measurements as evidence.

▪ 4.5G Explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems.

11 The student sequences steps (4.1G) to model how a rockfall is caused (4.5B) by the processes of weathering and erosion by ice and gravity (4.10B).

▪ 4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

ItemIntegration of Standards Content Standards

12 The student uses observations (4.1E) to record changes in the states of matter of water (3.6C) caused by heating water to boiling (4.5B).

▪ 3.6C Predict, observe, and record changes in the state of matter caused by heating or cooling in a variety of substances such as ice becoming liquid water, condensation forming on the outside of a glass, or liquid water being heated to the point of becoming water vapor (gas).

13 The student uses temperature data (4.1E) to compare and describe the temperatures of the lid, pot, and stove burner during boiling (4.6A).

▪ 4.6A Classify and describe matter using observable physical properties, including temperature, mass, magnetism, relative density (the ability to sink or float in water), and physical state (solid, liquid, gas).

Scientific and Engineering Practices Recurring Themes and Concepts

▪ 4.1E Collect observations and measurements as evidence.

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

▪ 4.1E Collect observations and measurements as evidence.

14 The student selects the model (4.1G) that represents weathering and erosion decreasing the distance of the land between the lighthouse and the ocean (4.10B).

15 The student identifies that erosion and weathering from water (4.10B) cause changes to the land between a lighthouse and the ocean (4.5B).

▪ 4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

N/A

▪ 4.5B Identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems.

ItemIntegration of Standards Content Standards

16 The student explains that protecting forests (4.4A) is an advantage of using recycled wood to build a shoreline barrier (4.11B).

▪ 4.11B Explain the critical role of energy resources to modern life and how conservation, disposal, and recycling of natural resources impact the environment.

Scientific and Engineering Practices Recurring Themes and Concepts

▪ 4.4A Explain how scientific discoveries and innovative solutions to problems impact science and society.

N/A

17 The student develops a model (4.1G) to show that location C is the best location to construct a barrier (4.5D) to prevent weathering and erosion from affecting the land at the shoreline (4.10B).

▪ 4.10B Model and describe slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.

▪ 4.1G Develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

▪ 4.5D Examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system.

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