Grade 3 Science Test: Assessing Student Learning in Five Science Strands, Schemes and Mind Maps of Natural Resources

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3rd Grade

Science

Chapter 3: i LEAP Science, Grade 3

This section describes the overall design of the i LEAP Science test to be administered to

students in grade 3. Test specifications and sample test questions are provided so that

teachers may align classroom practices with the state assessment.

Test Structure

The Science test consists of one part and is administered in a single day.

The Science test is a criterion-referenced test (CRT) that includes items based entirely on

Louisiana’s science content standards. These items are aligned with Louisiana’s Grade-Level

Expectations (GLEs) and were developed specifically for Louisiana.

Item Types

The test has forty (40) multiple-choice items.

The multiple-choice items consist of an interrogatory stem and four answer options. These

items assess a student’s knowledge and conceptual understanding, and responses will be

scored 1 if correct and 0 if incorrect.

To maximize the meaningfulness of multiple-choice test items, questions are typically cast in

a practical problem-solving context, referring to a single stimulus (e.g., chart) or to a

description of a single scenario. The reading difficulty level of test questions is minimized to

the extent possible (except for necessary scientific terms) so that students’ reading ability

does not interfere with their ability to demonstrate their science knowledge and skills.

Description of the Science Test

The Science test was developed specifically for Louisiana. Committees of Louisiana

educators reviewed all items for content and alignment with Louisiana’s standards,

benchmarks, and GLEs. Separate committees reviewed the items for potential bias and

sensitive material.

The Science test is untimed. About one hour (60 minutes) is the suggested time to allow

students to answer the questions.

The grade 3 Science test assesses student learning in the five science strands delineated in the

Louisiana Science Framework and the Comprehensive Curriculum: Science as Inquiry,

Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Science and the Environment.

Strands, Benchmarks, and GLEs Assessed

Louisiana’s Science Framework encompasses five strands: Science as Inquiry, Physical

Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Science and the Environment. At grade

3, all five strands are taught.

The Louisiana science strands are each associated with a single standard, which present

broad goals for what all students in Louisiana should know and be able to do in science:

Science as Inquiry (SI) Strand

Standard: Students will do science by engaging in partial and full inquiries that are

within their developmental capabilities.

Physical Science (PS) Strand

Standard: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and

interrelationships of matter and energy in the physical world.

Life Science (LS) Strand

Standard: The students will become aware of the characteristics and life cycles of

organisms and understand their relationships to each other and to their environment.

Earth and Space Science (ESS) Strand

Standard: The students will develop an understanding of the properties of earth

materials, the structure of Earth’s systems, Earth’s history, and Earth’s place in the

universe.

Science and the Environment (SE) Strand

Standard: In learning environmental science, students will develop an appreciation

of the natural environment, learn the importance of environmental quality, and

acquire a sense of stewardship. As consumers and citizens, they will be able to

recognize how our personal, professional, and political actions affect the natural

world.

The focus for grade 3 Louisiana students is general science concepts as delineated by the

GLEs. The content explored at this grade level includes measuring and describing matter and

materials, forces and motion, energy, plants and animals, rocks, soils, and change, the solar

system, the environment, and weather patterns. For this reason, the grade 3 i LEAP Science

test assesses all five strands.

Science as Inquiry is a process strand; the others are content strands. The organization into

strands does not imply that science should be taught in isolated units. In fact, teachers are

encouraged to integrate study units. Inquiry should be integrated across all the science

content strands.

GLEs further define the knowledge and skills students are expected to master by the end of

each grade or high school course. The GLEs for each grade are developmentally appropriate

and increase in complexity to build the knowledge and skills students need.

Most of the grade 3 GLEs are eligible for assessment on the grade 3 i LEAP. Some, however,

do not lend themselves to testing on a statewide assessment in multiple-choice format. For

example, some GLEs require students to use a particular technology, measure temperature, or

construct graphs. Other GLEs, in accordance with the Comprehensive Curriculum, may not

be taught prior to the spring test administration and therefore will not be assessed. Science as

Inquiry GLE 9 is not assessed. Physical Science GLEs 20 and 23 are not assessed. Life

Science GLE 44 is not assessed. It is important, however, that the skills represented by these

GLEs are taught at this grade level to prepare students for classroom assessment purposes as

well as for the grade 4 LEAP test.

Explanation of Codes

GLEs are numbered consecutively in each grade level and grouped by strand and thematic

category. For example:

Strand: Physical Science

Categories: A. Properties of Objects and Materials

B. Position and Motion of Objects

C. Forms of Energy

Benchmarks are coded by strand, grade cluster (E, M, H), and benchmark number. The first

term in the code refers to the strand. The second term refers to the grade cluster, and the third

term refers to the category and benchmark number. Categories are indicated by letters.

Table 3.2 provides three examples of benchmark codes.

Table 3.2: Examples of Science Codes

Code Translation

SI-E-A5 SI strand, Elementary level, category A, benchmark 5

PS-M-B4 PS strand, Middle School level, category B, benchmark 4

SE-H-A6 SE strand, High School level, category A, benchmark 6

For most grade clusters, strands are divided into categories, or major topical areas. However,

the SE strand has no substrands for prekindergarten through 4 and 5 through 8.

Science GLEs are numbered consecutively in Science as Inquiry and consecutively within

the content strands.

Science As Inquiry—GLEs 1–

Physical Science—GLEs 18–

Life Science—GLEs 34– 44

Earth and Space Science—GLEs 45–

Science and the Environment—GLEs 57–

2. Energy, Electricity, and Forces

• Identify the correct shadow as indicated by the direction of the light source
• Identify the correct motion or position of an object based on previous movement

patterns

• Compare the pitch of sound using the words high/low
• Compare the volume of sound using the words loud/soft
• Identify the correct reflection/absorption of light as it is transmitted through colored

objects

• Describe how common forms of energy are used in everyday life
• Using given experimental data, identify the best insulating material
• Recognize how electricity flows through an open and a closed system
• Determine the amount and direction an object will move when a force acts upon it
• Identify which force causes an object to move
• Identify which type of energy moves or lifts objects
• Identify simple machines and the tasks they make possible

Life Science

1. Plants and Animals

• Compare the common body structures of a variety of animals (e.g. fish, mammals,

reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects)

• Identify the functions of each plant part and describe how each function helps the

plant survive

• Group plants and animals based on common characteristics

2. Humans

• Identify the organs in the digestive system and describe the functions of each
• Describe the function of bones within the human body
• Describe what the human body needs to grow and be healthy (e.g. for survival, for

bone growth)

• Determine how healthy eating habits help maintain a healthy body
• Identify a well-balanced meal that includes all food groups

Earth and Space Science

1. Earth

• Recognize that rocks are made up of minerals
• Identify that erosion, weathering, and rusting are earth processes that are happening

all around

• Compare the characteristics of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks
• Identify and compare the components of soil (e.g. humus, rock particles)
• Identify characteristics of given fossils and describe the how fossils provide

information about the past

2. Atmosphere

• Identify the components and processes of the water cycle (e.g. evaporation,

condensation, precipitation, and runoff)

• Identify climate patterns based on given weather conditions
• Explain the difference between weather and climate

3. Solar System

• Identify, in order, the planets of the solar system
• Describe why the Sun appears to move across the sky
• Explain the difference between rotation and revolution of Earth (e.g. day and night,

season of the year)

• Compare the length of shadows and direction of shadows at different times of the day

or year

Science and the Environment

1. Ecosystems

• Describe how living and nonliving components of various ecosystems interact
• Describe how humans have positive and negative effects on organisms and their

environment

• Describe how endangered animals have recovered and identify Louisiana examples

2. Resources

• Classify manufactured objects from the natural resources from which they are made

(e.g. plastic from petroleum, paper from trees, aluminum from metal ore)

• Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources and describe the difference between

them

SI-E-A6: communicating observations and experiments in oral and written formats

11. Use a variety of appropriate formats to describe procedures and to express ideas about demonstrations or experiments (e.g., drawings, journals, reports, presentations, exhibitions, portfolios) (SI-E-A6)

SI-E-A7: utilizing safety procedures during experiments

12. Identify and use appropriate safety procedures and equipment when conducting investigations (e.g., gloves, goggles, hair ties) (SI-E-A7)

B. Understanding Scientific Inquiry

SI-E-B1: categorizing questions into what is known, what is not known, and what questions need to be explained

13. Identify questions that need to be explained through further inquiry (SI-E-B1)
14. Distinguish between what is known and what is unknown in scientific investigations (SI-E-B1)

SI-E-B2: using appropriate experiments depending on the questions to be explored

Not addressed at grade 3

SI-E-B3: choosing appropriate equipment and tools to conduct an experiment

15. Recognize that a variety of tools can be used to examine objects at different degrees of magnification (e.g., hand lens, microscope) (SI-E-B3)

SI-E-B4: developing explanations by using observations and experiments

See GLE no. 9

SI-E-B5: presenting the results of experiments 16. Describe procedures and communicate data in a manner that allows others to understand and repeat an investigation or experiment (SI-E-B5)

SI-E-B6: reviewing and asking questions about the results of investigations

17. Explain and give examples of how scientific discoveries have affected society (SI-E-B6)

Physical Science: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and interrelationships of matter and energy in the physical world.

A. Properties of Objects and Materials

Benchmarks Grade-Level Expectations

PS-E-A1: observing, describing, and classifying objects by properties (size, weight, shape, color, texture, and temperature)

18. Compare and classify objects on properties determined through experimentation (e.g., ability to conduct electricity, tendency to float or sink in water) (PS-E-A1)

PS-E-A2: measuring properties of objects using appropriate materials, tools, and technology

19. Select the appropriate metric system and U.S. system tools for measuring length, width, temperature, volume, and mass (PS-E-A2)
20. Measure temperature by using Fahrenheit and Celsius thermometers and compare results (PS-E-A2)

PS-E-A3: observing and describing the objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made (paper, wood, metal)

21. Compare common objects and identify the original material from which they are made (e.g., paper, pencil, comb) (PS-E-A3)

PS-E-A4: describing the properties of the different states of matter and identifying the conditions that cause matter to change states

22. Investigate and explain conditions under which matter changes physical states: heating, freezing, evaporating, condensing, boiling (PS-E-A4)

PS-E-A5: creating mixtures and separating them based on differences in properties (salt, sand)

Not addressed at grade 3

B. Position and Motion of Objects

PS-E-B1: observing and describing the position of an object relative to another object or the background

Not addressed at grade 3

PS-E-B2: exploring and recognizing that the position and motion of objects can be changed by pushing or pulling (force) over time

23. Demonstrate how force is a push or a pull by using students’ bodies, toy cars, or balls (PS-E-B2)
24. Explain how the amount and direction of force exerted on an object (e.g., push, pull, friction, gravity) determine how much the object will move (PS-E-B2)

PS-E-B3: describing an object’s motion by tracing and measuring its position over time

25. Observe and analyze motion and position of objects over time (e.g., shadows, apparent path of the Sun across the sky) (PS-E-B3)

PS-E-B4: investigating and describing how the motion of an object is related to the strength of the force (pushing or pulling) and the mass of the object

26. Explain the effect of varying amounts of force on the motion of an object (PS-E-B4)

C. Forms of Energy

PS-E-C1: experimenting and communicating how vibrations of objects produce sound and how changing the rate of vibration varies the pitch

27. Use the words high/low to compare the pitch of sound and the words loud/soft to compare the volume (amplitude) of sound (PS-E-C1)

PS-E-C2: investigating and describing how light travels and what happens when light strikes an object (reflection, refraction, and absorption)

28. Describe the reflection/absorption properties of various colored objects (PS-E-C2)

PS-E-C3: investigating and describing different ways heat can be produced and moved from one object to another by conduction

29. Determine which materials insulate best by using experimental data (PS-E-C3)

PS-E-C4: investigating and describing how electricity travels in a circuit

30. Demonstrate and explain the movement of electricity in closed and open circuits (PS-E-C4)

PS-E-C5: investigating and communicating that magnetism and gravity can exert forces on objects without touching the objects

31. Compare and describe the common forms of energy and explain how they are used in everyday life (e.g., light, electricity, heat, mechanical) (PS-E-C6)
32. Give examples of how energy can be used to move or lift objects (PS-E-C6)
33. Identify simple machines and the tasks they make possible (PS-E-C6)

PS-E-C6: exploring and describing simple energy transformations

Not addressed at grade 3

PS-E-C7: exploring and describing the uses of energy at school, home, and play

Earth and Space Science: The students will develop an understanding of the properties of earth materials, the structure of the Earth system, the Earth’s history, and the Earth’s place in the universe.

A. Properties of Earth Materials

Benchmarks Grade-Level Expectations

ESS-E-A1: understanding that earth materials are rocks, minerals, and soils

45. Recognize and describe that rock is composed of different combinations of minerals (ESS-E-A1) (ESS-E-A5)
46. Describe earth processes that have affected selected physical features in students’ neighborhoods (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) (ESS-E-A1) Also see GLE no. 51

ESS-E-A2: understanding that approximately three-fourths of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and how this condition affects weather patterns and climates

47. Describe the difference between weather and climate (ESS-E-A2)

ESS-E-A3: investigating, observing, and describing how water changes from one form to another and interacts with the atmosphere

48. Identify examples of the processes of a water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection of runoff) (ESS-E-A3)

ESS-E-A4: investigating, observing, measuring, and describing changes in daily weather patterns and phenomena

49. Describe climate patterns from recorded weather conditions over a period of time (ESS-E-A4)

ESS-E-A5: observing and communicating that rocks are composed of various substances

50. Compare and group common rocks according to their characteristics (i.e., igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary) (ESS-E-A5) Also see GLE no. 45

ESS-E-A6: observing and describing variations in soil

51. Identify and compare the components found in soil (ESS-E-A6) (ESS-E-A1)

ESS-E-A7 : investigating fossils and describing how they provide evidence about plants and animals that lived long ago and the environment in which they lived

52. Identify characteristics of selected fossils and explain how fossil records are used to learn about the past (ESS-E-A7)

B. Objects in the Sky

ESS-E-B1: observing and describing the characteristics of objects in the sky

53. Identify, in order, the planets of the solar system (ESS-E-B1)

ESS-E-B2: demonstrating how the relationship of the Earth, Moon, and Sun causes eclipses and moon phases

54. Describe the patterns of apparent change in the position of the Sun (ESS-E-B2)

ESS-E-B3: observing and recording the changing appearances and positions of the Moon in the sky at night and determining the monthly pattern of lunar change

Not addressed at grade 3

ESS-E-B4: modeling changes that occur because of the rotation of the Earth (alternation of night and day) and the revolution of the Earth around the Sun

55. Explain the results of the rotation and revolution of Earth (e.g., day and night, year) (ESS-E-B4)
56. Compare shadow direction and length at different times of day and year (ESS-E-B4)

ESS-E-B5: understanding that the Sun, a star, is a source of heat and light energy and identifying its effects upon the Earth

Not addressed at grade 3

ESS-E-B6: understanding that knowledge of the Earth as well as of the universe is gained through space exploration

Science and the Environment: In learning environmental science, students will develop an appreciation of the natural environment, learn the importance of environmental quality, and acquire a sense of stewardship. As consumers and citizens, they will be able to recognize how our personal, professional, and political actions affect the natural world.

Benchmarks Grade-Level Expectations

SE-E-A1: understanding that an ecosystem is made of living and nonliving components

57. Describe the interrelationships of living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components within various ecosystems (e.g., terrarium, swamp, backyard) (SE-E-A1)

SE-E-A2: understanding the components of a food chain

Not addressed at grade 3

SE-E-A3: identifying ways in which humans have altered their environment, both in positive and negative ways, either for themselves or for other living things

58. Describe how humans have had negative and positive effects on organisms and their environments (SE-E-A3) (SE-E-A5)

SE-E-A4: understanding that the original sources of all material goods are natural resources and that the conserving and recycling of natural resources is a form of stewardship

59. Classify manufactured products according to the natural resources from which they are made (e.g., copper wire from copper ore, plastic from petroleum) (SE-E-A4)
60. Explain how renewable and nonrenewable resources can be replenished or depleted (SE-E-A4)

SE-E-A5: understanding that most plant and animal species are threatened or endangered today due to habitat loss or change

61. Explain how selected animals once classified as endangered have recovered (SE-E-A5)
62. Identify animals in Louisiana that have recovered and that are no longer considered endangered (SE-E-A5) Also see GLE no. 58

Science as Inquiry

The Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry

GLE 6— Use the five senses to describe observations (SI-E-A3)

2 Li walked into a room. She said, “I can tell that someone has perfume.” What sense

did Li most likely use to know that there was perfume?

A taste

B sight

C smell

D hearing

Correct Response: C

Match to GLE: This item asks students to associate an object with the sense it most affects.

Other grade 3 iLEAP items that measure this GLE may relate to senses other than smell.

Science as Inquiry

The Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry

GLE 10— Combine information, data, and knowledge from one or more of the science

content areas to reach a conclusion or make a prediction (SI-E-A5)

Use the data chart below to answer question 3.

SUN DATA FOR NEW ORLEANS

Day Time the Sun Rises

July 1 5:03 A. M.

August 1 5:20 A. M.

September 1 5:38 A. M.

October 1?

November 1 6:15 A. M.

3 The chart shows the time that the sun rises on different days in New Orleans. What

would most likely be the time that the sun rises on October 1 in New Orleans?

A 5:10 A.M.

B 5:35 A.M.

C 5:55 A.M.

D 6:20 A.M.

Correct Response: C

Match to GLE: This item asks students to make a prediction from data in a table. Other

grade 3 iLEAP items that measure this GLE may ask students to make a prediction or draw a

conclusion using other sources of information.

Science as Inquiry

Understanding Scientific Inquiry

GLE 15— Recognize that a variety of tools can be used to examine objects at different

degrees of magnification (e.g., hand lens, microscope) (SI-E-B3)

5 Kerri is studying cells that are much too small to see with her eyes alone. Which tool

would be most helpful to Kerri?

A C

B D

Correct Response: A

Match to GLE: This item asks students to identify a microscope as the object that would

magnify a very small object most effectively. Other grade 3 iLEAP items that measure this

GLE may relate to other tools that magnify objects.

Science as Inquiry

Understanding Scientific Inquiry

GLE 17— Explain and give examples of how scientific discoveries have affected society

(SI-E-B6)

6 Which invention has been the most helpful in allowing people to communicate

quickly with each other?

A C

B D

Correct Response: C

Match to GLE: This item asks students to relate a telephone to communication among

humans. Other grade 3 iLEAP items that measure this GLE may address other scientific

discoveries and their impact on society.