School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

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

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Standard 2.0 Earth/Space Science

Topic A. Materials and Processes That Shape A Planet

Indicator 2. Cite and describe the processes that cause rapid or slow changes in Earth's surface.

Objective c. Cite examples that demonstrate how the natural agents of wind, water, and ice produce slow changes on the Earth's surface such as carving out deep canyons and building up sand dunes.

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following.

The diagram below shows water moving through the environment.

Which of these statements describes a change to the surface of Earth that is caused by water moving through the environment?

  1. Water transports soil.
  2. Dew forms on grass.
  3. Ocean tides follow a pattern.
  4. Tropical storms remain over the ocean.
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_087.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item

Use the information below to answer the following question.

Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The heads of four former presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—are carved into Mount Rushmore as a monument. The monument rises to 1,745 meters above sea level.

Mount Rushmore is granite, one of the most common rocks on Earth, and took millions of years to form. The sculptor chose to carve the monument in granite because granite erodes at a rate of about 2 centimeters every 10,000 years.

Question Image

The monument carved in Mount Rushmore is most likely weathered year-round by

  1. a river
  2. a glacier
  3. shifting winds
  4. ocean currents
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_146.xml

Correct Answer:
C
Resources for Objective 2.A.2.c:
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