School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 4

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental

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Standard 3.0 Life Science

Topic D. Evolution

Indicator 1. Explain that individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

Objective a. Describe ways in which organisms in one habitat differ from those in another habitat and consider how these differences help them survive and reproduce.

Selected Response Item

Use the information and pictures below to answer the following.

Wild ponies have lived on Assateague Island for about 300 years.The ponies have become well adapted to the harsh environment, including extreme temperatures in summer and winter. The ponies mainly eat salty marsh grasses and grow thick fur in winter. Domestic horses are larger than the ponies. An Assateague pony drinks twice as much fresh water as a domestic horse does. Other organisms on the island include rodents, birds, small foxes, marsh grasses, mussels, and deer.

The ponies drink so much more fresh water than domestic horses in other habitats that the ponies appear fat.

What is the most likely reason the ponies drink so much fresh water?

  1. Their thin fur makes them lose water.
  2. They have many predators on the island.
  3. Their food contains a large amount of salt.
  4. They have small bodies that lose water quickly.
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_4_025.xml

Correct Answer:
C
Resources for Objective 3.D.1.a:
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