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 D. Astronomy

Indicator 1. Identify and compare properties, location, and movement of celestial objects in our solar system.

Objective b. Identify the properties of the planet Earth that make it possible for the survival of life as we know it.

Selected Response Item

The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west each day. During the day, the sun is so bright that other objects in space are rarely visible. At night, other objects in space, such as planets and stars, are often visible.

The data table below contains information about the planets in our solar system.

Question Image

Which of these changes on Earth would be likely if Earth were farther from the sun?

  1. lower temperatures
  2. higher temperatures
  3. more hours in the day
  4. fewer days in the year
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_052.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item

The data table below compares four characteristics of the inner planets.

Characteristic Planets
Mercury Venus Earth Mars
Temperature -184°C to 527°C -450°C to 477°C -89°C to 58°C -143°C to 17°C
Mass (kilograms) 3.30 × 1023 4.87 × 1024 5.97 × 1024 6.42 × 1023
Diameter (kilometers) 4,854 12,112 12,751 6,788
Distance from sun (millions of kilometers) 58 108 150 228

Which of these statements best explains why Earth is the only inner planet that supports life?

  1. The other planets have too much mass.
  2. The other planets are too close to the sun.
  3. The other planets are either too hot or too cold.
  4. The other planets are either too big or too small.
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_082.xml

Correct Answer:
C