School Improvement in Maryland

Public Release Items: Public release items have appeared on MSA forms and then are released for public viewing and use. Releasing items is one step to ensuring that schools, districts, and other stakeholders understand how the content standards are assessed on the MSA.

Standard 6.0 Environmental Science

Topic B. Environmental Issues

Indicator 1. Recognize and explain that human-caused changes have consequences for Maryland's environment as well as for other places and future times.

Objective c. Identify and describe that ecosystems can be impacted by human activities.

Selected Response Item

Strip cropping is a method of farming that plants two types of crops at the same time. The crops are planted in alternating sections across the slope of a field or at a right angle to the prevailing winds.

Question Image

Why do farmers most likely use strip cropping?

  1. to provide shelter for animals
  2. to protect the soil from erosion
  3. to protect the crops from weeds
  4. to provide different types of food
/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_science_6_019.xml

Correct Answer:
B