PSSA Questions

1. PSSA Questions 7th Grade

2. Migration Students have observed a flock of birds near RMS. They want to do an investigation that involves the birds. Which questions is a lab objective? A. Do these birds migrate South every winter? B. Why are the birds near the school?C. Do the birds like to eat only at one feeder? D. How many birds will come to a feeder containing sunflower seeds?

3. Science Tools What does a thermometer measure? A. Temperature B. Time C. Mass D. Volume

4. Science Tools Which instrument enabled scientists to confirm that the moon has craters? A. Microscope B. Telescope C. Barometer D. Binoculars

5. Cells Which statement is true? A. Cells cannot be broken down into smaller components. B. Tissues are made up of groups of the same type of cells. C. Organs are the basic unit of life. D. Organ systems are made up of groups of identical organs.

6. Ecosystem What would happen in an ecosystem if all of the decomposers disappeared? A.The producers in the ecosystem would increase. B. The consumers in the ecosystem would increase. C. The nutrients in the ecosystem would decrease. D. The pollution in the ecosystem would decrease.

7. Plants Plant cells in non-woody plants support the plant by taking in enough water to make the plants quite firm or turgid. Plant cells take in enough water through the process of osmosis. Why do plants take in water using roots? A. The roots are the largest part of the plant. B. The soil around the plant holds available water. C. Plant stems and leaves are too fragile to hold water. D. Water is too heavy for plant leaves.

8. Scientific Principles Which statement is an opinion and not a scientific theory? A. Humans should not pollute the air to get energy. B. Flowers will attract bees to a garden. C. Some foods contain fiber. D. Grass is a plant.

9. Scientific Inquiry A scientist wonders if some colors of paint fade more quickly than others. What would be the best way to find out? A. Observe different colors of paint on buildings to see which have faded. B. Paint wooden squares different colors and observe them over time. C. Ask a group of people with different colored houses if their paint has faded. D. Mix different colors of paint together and see which color is the strongest.

10. Scientific Advancement Which technological advancement helped agriculture by increasing the number of crops that could be grown on a plot of land? A. Water purification B. Diesel engines C. Interstate highways D. Chemical fertilizers

11. Cells & DNA Scientists have mapped the genes in DNA. How might this information be used to solve practical problems in society? It could - A. Provide map of human DNA for textbooks B. Allow for genetic-specific medicines to be made C. Use business and university resources D. Improve communication between different scientists

12. Ecosystems In a population of 440 elk, a group of wolves is released as a new species. After 2 weeks, the elk population is now 310. What percentage of elk was eaten by the wolves assuming that the decline is completely due to the predator? A. 12% B. 29.5% C. 32% D. 48.5%

13. Systems Which of these is an example of a closed-loop system? A. The flow of energy from a power plant to your home. B. A food web. C. An electrical circuit with an open switch. D. Carbon material in the Carbon cycle.

14. Ecosystems What is one thing that all animals that are classified as mammals share? A. Live on land B. Eat other animals C. Have verbal communication D. Have body hair

15. Ecosystems Walruses have an adaptation of thick layers of blubber that allow them to live in very cold water. Which statement best describes how walruses developed this adaptation? A. All walruses changed over a lifetime. B. A change in one generation has been carried over to all walruses. C. The adaptation developed over a long period of time and many generations. D. Many walruses waited hundreds of years before deciding to adapt.

16. Scientific Method Which of the following can result after a hypothesis has been tested many times, producing the same result? A. A variable B. A theory C. A control D. A graph

17. Scientific Method A food worker hypothesizes that the colder the refrigerator is, the longer milk and other perishable foods will last without spoiling. If she were to set up an experiment with multiple refrigerators, which variable would she change between them? A. Temperature B. Time C. Contents D. Size

18. Scientific Method Beth uses 2 brands of window cleaner, Method and Windex, to clean her living room window. She divides the window into sections and counts the number of strokes it takes to clean each section with each cleaner. Method took 10 strokes. Windex took 15 strokes. Which question was Beth most likely testing? A. Which window cleaner cleans fastest? B. Which window cleaner leaves the fewest smudges? C. How do window cleaner ingredients compare? D. Which window cleaner smells better?

19. Scientific Method During the experiment, MaryBeth observed that water droplets formed on the plastic wrap that she had wrapped around a glass of water. Where did the water droplets come from? A. The cup was leaking B. The plastic wrap C. The water inside D. A reaction between sunlight and the plastic wrap

20. Inheritance What is an example of an inherited trait? A. Good table manners B. Brown hair C. Bullying D. The ability to sail

21. Inheritance Shannon’s puppy can sit on command, but Christy’s puppy just wags her tail when Christy tells her to sit. Which one of the following is the most likely reason for the difference in the puppies? A. Shannon is told that her puppy’s parents are very obedient. B. Christy’s puppy has difficulty hearing. C. Shannon took her puppy to a puppy obedience school. D. Christy’s puppy prefers to wag her tail and run rather than sit.

22. Inheritance AnnMarie has green eyes. What is the most likely reason? A. They are colored contacts. B. She eats a lot green vegetables. C. AnnMarie inherited her green eyes from her parents. D. Her sister has green eyes.

23. Inheritance Chrisie notices that the customers in her pet shop prefer rabbits with short ears. Chrisie should then: A. Surgically shorten the ears of the other rabbits. B. Only breed long-eared rabbits together to get short-eared bunnies. C. Use selective breeding to change the genetic make-up of the bunnies. D. Always breed a long-eared rabbit with a short-eared rabbit so the bunnies always have short ears.

24. Inheritance Which of the following is an example of an acquired trait? A. Uses good manners B. Green eyes C. Dimples D. Brown hair

25. Ecosystems Which of the following would not be considered a biotic component of an ecosystem? A. A fish B. An oyster C. A Whale D. Sand

26. Food Chains What is the correct order of predators and prey from the lowest on the food chain to the highest on the food chain? A. Insect, sparrow, snake, hawk B. Hawk, snake, sparrow, insect C. Snake, sparrow, insect, hawk D. Insect, snake, hawk, sparrow

27. Biomes Describe the biotic and abiotic features of a forest that distinguish it from a desert.

28. Scientific Method List, in order, the basic steps of the scientific method that one would use to conduct an experiment in science class.

29. Scientific Instruments A graduated cylinder can be used to find: A. Shape B. Mass C. Volume D. Weight

30. Scientific Measurement Mass is measured in what SI unit? A. Grams B. Pounds C. Centimeters D. Kilometers

31. Food Chain Which set of organisms includes numerous species of producers and decomposers? A. Animals B. Bacteria C. Fungi D. Plants

32. Genetics Gregor Mendel's work explained why some pea plants passed on their flower colors to offspring, while others did not. His work in genetics helped society to: A. Create systems for forecasting weather. B. Develop screening devices for birth defects and diseases. C. Eliminate poisonous plants and deadly weeds from the landscape. D. Create an industrialized society that produced goods quickly and cheaply.