Selected Response Test

YYYYYYYYYYY

EECE 388

2-28-01
 Learning Targets

This test is based on an 8th grade physical science unit on “The Nature of Matter.”

Learning Objectives:

a.) Students will recall the three states of knowledge.

b.) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the five kinds of state changes.
c.) Students will compare the similarities and differences of the behavior of
gases.
1. understand Boyle’s Law
2. understand Charles’ Law
d.) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the uses of fluids.
1. recall Archimedes’ Principle
2. recall Pascal’s Principle
3. recall Bernoulli’s Principle
e.) Students will compare the similarities and differences of the five compositions
of matter.
f.) Students will recall the properties and changes that deal with describing
matter.
g.) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the structure of the atom.
1. demonstrate their knowledge of protons, neutrons, and electrons
h.) Students will recall the three types of masses of atoms.

Minnesota High Standards:

Standards Area One: Read, Listen, and View

A student shall demonstrate comprehension of literal meaning through reading,

viewing, or listening to nonfiction or fiction selections by:
1. identifying main ideas and some supporting details
2. interpreting presentations of data
3. compare and contrast information on the same topic
 A student shall interpret and evaluate information from age-appropriate nonfiction
or fiction selections by reading, viewing, or listening to:
1. understand ideas not explicitly stated
2. draw conclusions based on information in the selection

Standards Area Two: Write and Speak

A student shall demonstrate for a variety of situations the ability to write:
a.) a technical procedure or set of directions that uses:
1. terminology
2. visual representations to support text
b.) a narrative including:
1. a sequence of events or ideas leading to a logical ending

Standards Area Six: Applied Scientific Methods

A student shall demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental laws and

concepts of the physical world including properties of matter, physical and chemical
changes, transfer of energy, and force of motion by:
4. describing how a premise is supported by scientific concepts, principles,
theories, or laws
 Table of Specifications

Content Recall Compar Infer Total

e

States of Matter 2 1 1 4

Changes of State 5 1 6

Behavior of Gases 1 1 2

Uses of Fluids 2 1 3

Composition of Matter 1 3 1 5

Describing Matter 2 1 1 4

Structure of the Atom 6 6

Masses of Atoms 1 1 2

Total 20 7 5 32
 Rationale

The content areas of this test focus on the main idea of the three chapters in the
unit. The first four content areas are from chapter 8, which is about solids, liquids, and
gases. There were many selections included within this chapter, which explains why half
of the questions on the test correlate to this chapter. The next two content areas are from
chapter 9, which is about classification of matter. The last two content areas are from
chapter 10, which is about atomic structure. These two chapters have the same amount of
questions because the information has the same level of importance.
The test contains two knowledge questions of the states of matter, uses of fluids,
and describing matter because the students need to recall a few facts from these areas.
The information is also assessed through a comparison question and through an inference
question to see if they can use the information they know about these topics to answer
questions. The changes in state and structure of the atom both have close to the same
amount of knowledge questions because the information in each section is mostly
recalling facts. The behavior of gases and the masses of atoms have one recall question
and one comparison question. Students need to be able to recall only a few facts to
answer a comparison question on the material. Composition of matter is mainly assessed
through comparison questions because students must be able to compare the different
compositions of matter. There is also on recall question and one inference question on
this content area.
The test contains 20 knowledge questions because the students are to be assessed
mainly on being able to recall facts. There are 7 comparison questions on similarities and
differences between two things by using recall. The test also contains 5 inference
questions, which help to see if students can use their knowledge to deduce general
statements about three main chapters in the unit “The Nature of Matter.” The test has a
total of 32 questions because this is an appropriate number for eighth grade students to be
assessed on along with making sure there is a large enough sample.
 Test Item Bank
Matching: (knowledge)

__G__ 1. solid changes to a liquid A. freezing

__H__ 2. liquid changes to a gas B. heat of fusion

__D__ 3. gas changes to a liquid C. sublimation

__A__ 4. liquid changes to a solid D. condensation

__C__ 5. solid changes to a gas E. boiling

F. heat of vaporization

G. melting

H. evaporation

Multiple Choice:

6. After swimming on a very hot day Eli was having a refreshing glass of water.

As he rested by the pool, the water on his arm evaporated and the ice cubes

melted in his glass. From the example above, how many states did the water

exist in? (infer)

a.) 2
b.) 4
c.) 3
d.) 5

7. Pascal’s Principle is the basis for _____________. (knowledge)

a.) aerodynamics
b.) buoyancy
c.) pressure
d.) hydraulics
8. How is a physical property the same as a chemical property? They both…
(compare)

a. undergo chemical changes

b. change the identities of the substances in material
c. indicate change in size, shape, or state of matter
d. can be used to separate mixtures

9. After coming home from school one day Sarah decides to show her best friend

Emily what she had learned in physical science class. Sarah fills a glass with

tap water and mud from the garden. After a few minutes the mud sinks to the

bottom of the glass. Muddy water is an example of a ____________. (infer)

a. suspension
b. solution
c. colloid
d. compound

10. How is an atomic number different from a mass number? An atomic number

is the… (compare)

a. same amount of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom

b. number of protons in the nucleus
c. amount of electrons outside of the nucleus
d. sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in the
nucleus

11. One day in chemistry lab you take some ice cubes from the freezer and put

them in a beaker. You turn on the Bunsen burner and begin heating the ice

cubes. As the temperature rises the cubes begin to melt. What is this

experiment an example of? (infer)

a. freezing c.) condensation

b. heat of vaporization d.) heat of fusion

12. How is a heterogeneous mixture different from a homogeneous mixture? A

heterogeneous mixture is… (compare)

a. evenly mixed
b. massive and takes up space
c. unevenly mixed
d. a solution

13. One day after swimming lessons Melanie decides to stay at the pool for open

swimming. She relaxes by floating on her back in the cool water. She feels

weightless as the water supports her. What allows Melanie to float on the

water instead of sink? (infer)

a. pascals
b. buoyancy
c. pressure
d. volume

14. Bernoulli’s principle explains why ___________. (knowledge)

a. airplanes fly
b. boats float
c. pistons work
d. ice melts

15. How is a liquid different from a solid? Liquids… (compare)

a. have a definite shape and a definite volume

b. expand or contract to fill the shape of the container
c. change shape because of the container
d. have a definite volume but not shape
 16. For breakfast Jim decides to make two pieces of toast. He puts the bread in

the toaster and pushes the lever down. As he waits he pours himself a glass of

orange juice. He smells the aroma of burnt toast in the air. As his toast pops

up he sees the color balk on it. From the example above, what kind of change

has occurred to the toast? (infer)

a.) chemical
b.) burning
c.) color
d.) physical

True or False:

__True 17. Neither colloids nor suspensions are solutions. (compare)

__True 18. Pressure is the amount of force exerted per unit of area.(knowledge)

___True 19. The law of conservation of mass states that matter is neither created

nor destroyed during a chemical change. (knowledge)

__False 20. There are five states of matter. (knowledge)

_False 21. Atoms of the same element that have similar amounts of neutrons are

called isotopes. (knowledge)

__True_ 22. Both elements and compounds are substances. (compare)

Fill in the Blank:

23. Both Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law deal with volume, temperature, and

__pressure ___ . (compare)

24. A ___gas_____ has neither definite shape nor a definite volume.

(knowledge)

25. Changes in color, size, shape, or states of matter are called ___physical

changes. (knowledge)

26. A ___solution__ is another name for a homogeneous mixture. (knowledge)

Table is (knowledge) based.

Relative Mass Charge Location in Atom

Proton 27. 1 1+ 31. inside nucleus
Neutron 1 29. none 32. inside nucleus
Electron 28. 0 30. 1- Outside of nucleus
 Unit Test: “The Nature of Matter”

Name:______________

Directions: Put your name on the identification line. Fill in your answers on the test

booklet. This test will cover material from the unit “The Nature of Matter”and has 32

questions. When you are finished with the test turn it over and take out a book and read

it. Read each question carefully and take your time in finishing the test. You have the

entire hour to complete the test. Good luck!!

Matching: Match the state changes on the right with the definitions on the left.

__ _ 1. solid changes to a liquid A. freezing

__ __ 2. liquid changes to a gas B. heat of fusion

__ __ 3. gas changes to a liquid C. sublimation

__ __ 4. liquid changes to a solid D. condensation

__ __ 5. solid changes to a gas E. boiling

F. heat of vaporization

G. melting

H. evaporation
Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answer and circle the letter.

6. After swimming on a very hot day Eli was having a refreshing glass of water.

As he rested by the pool, the water on his arm evaporated and the ice cubes in

his glass melted. From the example above, how many different states does

water exist in?

a.) 2
b.) 4
c.) 3
d.) 5

7. Pascal’s principle is the basis for ____________.

a. aerodynamics
b. buoyancy
c. pressure
d. hydraulics

8. How is a physical property the same as a chemical property? They both…

a. undergo chemical changes

b. change the identities of the substances in a material
c. indicate change in size, shape, or state of matter
d. can be used to separate mixtures

9. After coming home from school one day Sarah decides to show her best friend

Emily what she had learned in physical science class. Sarah fills a glass with

tap water and mud from the garden. After a few minutes the mud sinks to the

bottom of the glass. Muddy water is an example of a ____________.

a. suspension c. colloid
b. solution d. compound
10. How is an atomic number different from a mass number? An atomic number

is the…

a. same amount of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom

b. number of protons in the nucleus
c. amount of electrons outside of the nucleus
d. sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in the
nucleus

11. One day in chemistry lab you take some ice cubes from the freezer and put

them in a beaker. You turn on the Bunsen burner and begin heating the ice

cubes. As the temperature rises the cubes begin to melt. What is this

experiment an example of?

a. freezing c.) condensation

b. heat of vaporization d.) heat of fusion

12. How is a heterogeneous mixture different from a homogeneous mixture? A

heterogeneous mixture is…

a. evenly mixed
b. massive and takes up space
c. unevenly mixed
d. a solution

13. One day after swimming lessons Melanie decides to stay at the pool for open

swimming. She relaxes by floating on her back in the cool water. She feels

weightless as the water supports her. What allows Melanie to float on the

water instead of sink?

a. pascals
b. buoyancy
c. pressure
d. volume
 14. Bernoulli’s principle explains why ___________.

a. airplanes fly
b. boats float
c. pistons work
d. ice melts

15. How is a liquid different from a solid? Liquids…

a. have a definite shape and a definite volume

b. expand or contract to fill the shape of the container
c. change shape because of the container
d. have a definite volume but not shape

16. For breakfast Jim decides to make two pieces of toast. He puts the bread in

the toaster and pushes the lever down. As he waits he pours himself a glass of

orange juice. He smells the aroma of burnt toast in the air. As his toast pops

up he sees the color black on it. From the example above, what kind of

change has occurred to the toast?

a. chemical
b. burning
c. color
d. physical

True or False: Read each sentence carefully and write true or false in each blank.

______17. Neither colloids nor suspensions are solutions.

______ 18. Pressure is the amount of force exerted per unit of area.

______ 19. The law of conservation of mass states that matter is neither created

nor destroyed during a chemical change.

______ 20. There are five states of matter.

 ______ 21. Atoms of the same element that have similar amounts of neutrons are

called isotopes.

______ 22. Both elements and compounds are substances.

Fill in the blank: Write the correct word(s) in the blank to complete the statement.

23. Both Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law deal with volume, temperature, and

_____________.

24. A ___________ has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume.

25. Changes in color, size, shape, or states of matter are called _____________.

26. A _____________ is another name for a homogeneous mixture.

Relative Mass Charge Location in Atom

Proton 27. 1+ 31.
Neutron 1 29. 32.
Electron 28. 30. Outside the nucleus
 Analysis

Clear and Appropriate Targets:

The targets for assessment are appropriate because the material was taken directly
from the unit on “The Nature of Matter.” The information the students were required to
know was listed in the objectives and was gone over in the lessons taught prior to the test.
The students were only tested on information they could find in the unit.

Focused Purpose:
The purpose of this assessment was to see if the students were able to recall
information they had learned in the unit and apply it to draw conclusions. The
assessment will be used to grade individual students on their knowledge and to make sure
I covered the appropriate material during the lessons.

Proper Method:
The selected response test is appropriate for this information because it is a
subject that contains mostly facts the students must learn. There is not a more efficient or
effective way to test this knowledge, because it is information they must know and there
needs to be many questions to make sure there is a large enough sample of it.

Sound Sampling:
In this test, there was a wide range of questions about the unit. Each chapter was
covered with enough questions for me to feel confident the students knew their material
well. The answers to the questions will allow me to see if the students understood the
material we went over in class and if they could apply it to different situations.

Accurate and Free from Bias and Distortion:

The questions in this test did not contain culturally biased information. The
information contained in the test came straight from the material covered in class. The
inference questions may seem confusing to some students, but the students only needed
to use the information they learned in class to help answer the questions.
 Journal Article Summary
Bigelow, B. (1999). Why Standardized Tests Threaten Multiculturalism. Educational
Leadership, v56 n7, 37-40

This article dealt with why standardized testing threatens multiculturalism.

Multiculturalism attempts to uncover the “histories and experiences of people who have

been left out of the curriculum.” Standardized tests have little or no multicultural issues

included within them. This is shown through the standardization of social studies in

Oregon. The word racism was not mentioned in the 1998 11th grade tests or in the social

studies standards adopted in March 1998 by the Oregon board of education. The “one

best answer” approach oversimplifies complex social processes and entirely erases

ethnicity and race as categories of analysis. The tests also only address multiculturalism

by including a few individual questions about multicultural content, such as famous

people of color or of holidays.