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Quest: 5th Grade, Earth Science

Here are some science questions to help you test your knowledge of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time you reload the page.

Back to the Grade 5 standards.



Which of the following forms of ice commonly occurs in the summer when air temperatures are well above freezing?


A: Hail

B: Snow

C: Frost

D: Freezing rain

Think about it, and when you think you know the answer, then click here.

While other kinds of frozen precipitation can form at high altitudes, in the summer they usually melt long before they reach the ground. Hail is made up of large enough chunks of ice that it usually remains frozen all the way to the ground, even during warm weather.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.E.7.4 Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail), making connections to the weather in a particular place and time.

Utah


UT.4.II.2.a Observe and record effects of air temperature on precipitation (e.g., below freezing results in snow, above freezing results in rain).

NGSS


3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
Nephoscope video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-5 practice
Review Weather-6 practice
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Space-5 practice
Review Space-8 practice

MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
Cloud Types video
Nephoscope video, checked
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-6 practice

Which of the following is likely a sign that it will rain soon?

  1. Rising temperature

    No. A warm air mass moving into your area might bring rain, but it also might bring sunny weather. Rising temperature by itself is not a good indicator of rain.
  2. Decreasing humidity

    No. The humidity at ground level does not play much of a role in the formation of rain in the clouds. Just before it rains, the precipitation could cause the humidity to increase, but it would not cause it to decrease.
  3. Wind out of the west

    No. Any weather front moving in from the west could cause winds, even if it was bringing clear, sunny weather.
  4. Falling barometric pressure

    Yes! Low pressure fronts are commonly associated with rain and storms, so falling barometric pressure is a good indicator that rain may be on the way.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.E.7.3 Recognize how air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and precipitation determine the weather in a particular place and time.
Nephoscope video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 2 video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 1 video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-5 practice
Review Weather-4 practice

Utah


UT.4.II.3.a Identify and use the tools of a meteorologist (e.g., measure rainfall using rain gauge, measure air pressure using barometer, measure temperature using a thermometer).
Nephoscope video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 2 video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 1 video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-4 practice

NGSS


3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
Nephoscope video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-5 practice
Review Weather-6 practice
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Space-5 practice
Review Space-8 practice

MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
Cloud Types video
Nephoscope video, checked
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-6 practice

How can there be rain if this area is a desert?

Answer:

It is important to understand the difference between climate and weather. Weather is what is happening now. Climate is determined by looking at the weather data over a long period of time, often several decades. To be classified as a desert climate, the area has an average annual rainfall of 7.87 inches of rain or less. That tells us that it does sometimes have rain, just not very often.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.2.L.17.2 Recognize and explain that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats that meet its basic needs.
Hunting with an Umbrella video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
A Walk in the Park video, checked
Review Weather-9 practice

SC.5.E.7.6 Describe characteristics (temperature and precipitation) of different climate zones as they relate to latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water.

SC.6.E.7.2 Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate.
Cloud Types video
Nephoscope video, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
Weather and Climate video
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-9 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

SC.6.E.7.6 Differentiate between weather and climate.

Utah


UT.4.V.1.a Compare the physical characteristics (e.g., precipitation, temperature, and surface terrain) of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.

UT.4.V.1.c Locate examples of areas that have characteristics of wetlands, forests, or deserts in Utah.

NGSS


MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Cloud Formation, part 2 video
Global Science video, ClosedCaptions
Weather and Climate video
Review Weather-9 practice

3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Which of these processes forms the VISIBLE part of a cloud?

  1. Evaporation

    No. Evaporation changes liquid water into water vapor. Water vapor is an invisible gas, so it is not the visible part of the cloud.
  2. Condensation

    Yes! Condensation changes water vapor into droplets of liquid water to form the cloud. These are just like the tiny water droplets that form fog, letting you see the cloud.
  3. Precipitation

    No. Precipitation can fall from a cloud, but it is not the process that forms the cloud.
  4. Convection

    No. Convection carries the water vapor upwards so it can cool and condense, but condensation is what forms the visible part of the cloud.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.3.P.9.1 Describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Cloud Formation, part 2 video
Making a Solar Still video
Wonderful Water video, checked
A Watched Pot video
Why We Sweat video, checked
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
Ice Cream Science video, checked
What Really Happens With Evaporation? text page, free, checked
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

SC.5.E.7.1 Create a model to explain the parts of the water cycle. Water can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid and can go back and forth from one state to another.

>>> Teacher Page: Water Cycle

Cloud Formation, part 2 video
Cloud Types video
Making a Solar Still video
A Watched Pot video
Photographing Snowflakes video, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-8 practice
Review Weather-10 practice

Utah


UT.4.I.2.a Locate examples of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle (e.g., water evaporates when heated and clouds or dew forms when vapor is cooled).
Cloud Types video
Making a Solar Still video
A Watched Pot video
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
The Water Cycle video, checked
A Model of the Water Cycle video, ClosedCaptions, checked
A Cool Experiment text page
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice

NGSS


MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
Cloud Types video
Nephoscope video, checked
Cloud Formation, part 1 video, ClosedCaptions, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Weather-1 practice
Review Weather-2 practice
Review Weather-6 practice

Which of the following is a major characteristic of hurricanes?

  1. Low barometric pressure

    Yes. Hurricanes always have very low barometric pressure.
  2. High barometric pressure

    No. Hurricanes always have very low barometric pressure.
  3. Winds blowing towards the shore.

    No. The direction of the winds depends on the location of the storm, relative to the shore. Depending on location, hurricane winds can blow towards shore, away for shore, or parallel to the shore.
  4. Winds blowing away from the shore.

    No. The direction of the winds depends on the location of the storm, relative to the shore. Depending on location, hurricane winds can blow towards shore, away for shore, or parallel to the shore.



Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.

Florida


SC.5.E.7.3 Recognize how air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and precipitation determine the weather in a particular place and time.
Nephoscope video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 2 video, checked
Building a Rain Gauge, part 1 video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-5 practice
Review Weather-4 practice

Utah


UT.4.II.1.d Compare the components of severe weather phenomena to normal weather conditions (e.g., thunderstorm with lightning and high winds compared to rainstorm with rain showers and breezes).
Review Weather-5 practice

NGSS


3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
Nephoscope video, checked
Pine Cone Weather text page, free
Review Weather-5 practice
Review Weather-6 practice
Review Weather-4 practice
Review Weather-3 practice
Review Space-5 practice
Review Space-8 practice

MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
Review Weather-5 practice

The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time you reload the page.

Back to the Grade 5 standards.

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