STAAR Science Grade 8 2018 (tagged to 2021 standards)
Quiz by Grade 8 Science - Texas Education Agency
Grade 8 STAAR Test (Adopted 2021)
Science (2021)
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
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Measures 26 skills from
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- Q 1/42Score 0A partial grassland food web is shown. Which of the following best describes a relationship in this grassland?29A predator-prey relationship exists between beetles and ground squirrels.Upland sandpipers are primary and secondary consumers because they eat grasses and grasshoppers.Badgers are top predators because they eat upland sandpipers and beetles.A producer-consumer relationship exists between lupines and ants.
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- Q1A partial grassland food web is shown. Which of the following best describes a relationship in this grassland?A predator-prey relationship exists between beetles and ground squirrels.Upland sandpipers are primary and secondary consumers because they eat grasses and grasshoppers.Badgers are top predators because they eat upland sandpipers and beetles.A producer-consumer relationship exists between lupines and ants.60s6.12(A)
- Q2Which statement about stars is correct?White dwarfs become main-sequence stars when they gain mass.Main-sequence stars are formed by comets.Star formation begins in a nebula.Supergiants are stars that can absorb black holes.60s8.9(A)
- Q3For a laboratory investigation some students put a strip of shiny metal into a beaker of blue solution and then stored the beaker on a shelf overnight. The next morning, the students recorded observations about the metal and the solution in the box below. Based on their observations, can the students correctly conclude that a chemical reaction occurred?Yes, because the volume of the blue solution stayed the sameNo, because the solution stayed blueYes, because a new material of a different colour formed on part of the metal stripNo, because the metal strip was still visible60s8.6(E)
- Q4Which statement describes the energy changes that occur when water in a tea kettle is heated on a stove that uses natural gas?Some of the electrical energy in the natural gas transforms into thermal energy, which causes the water to form steam. Then some of the thermal energy changes into sound energy and light energy when the steam leaves the kettle.Some of the chemical energy in the natural gas transforms into thermal energy, which heats the water. Then some of the thermal energy changes into sound energy when the water forms steam and the steam leaves the kettle.Some of the thermal energy in the natural gas transforms into sound energy when the water becomes hot. Then some of the sound energy changes into light energy when the kettle becomes warm.Some of the light energy in the natural gas transforms into chemical energy in the water. Then some of the chemical energy changes into kinetic energy when steam leaves the kettle and into sound energy when the water boils60s6.8(B)
- Q5To fight a bacterial infection, a patient was given an antibiotic to take for 10 days. After the patient finished taking the antibiotics as directed, almost all the bacteria were killed. After another 10 days, the patient was sick again with the same type of infection. What most likely happened?The patient’s high fever inactivated the antibiotic, allowing the surviving bacteria to grow rapidly.Some of the bacteria were resistant to the antibiotic, and they reproduced.The antibiotic slowed the life cycle of the bacteria.A few bacteria survived the antibiotics and stopped reproducing.60s7.11(B)
- Q660s6.7(B)
- Q7The beginning of autumn in North America is in September, but the beginning of autumn in South America is in March. The diagram shows the positions of Earth, the moon, and the sun on one day in September and one day in March. Why does autumn start in different months of the year in North America and South America?North America has a larger landmass than South America.Earth’s axis has a 23.5° tilt.Earth’s orbit around the sun is not a perfect circle.The moon has a greater pull on South America than on North America.60s6.9(A)
- Q8This drawing shows a human body system. What is the primary function of this body system?The protection of vital organs from injuryThe production of hormones that regulate growth and metabolismThe chemical breakdown of food into smaller piecesThe transport of nutrients, water, and oxygen to body cells60s7.13(A)
- Q9The diagram of Situation 1 shows one person failing to move a refrigerator up a ramp, while the diagram of Situation 2 shows two people successfully pushing a refrigerator up a ramp. What comparison can be made about the work done in the two situations?In Situation 1, no work was done, while 8,000 J of work was done in Situation 2.In Situation 1, no work was done, while 12,000 J of work was done in Situation 2.In Situation 1, 400 J of work was done, while 1,300 J of work was done in Situation 2.In Situation 1, 1,600 J of work was done, while 3,000 J of work was done in Situation 2.60s6.8(B)
- Q10An ecosystem that is not sustainable can break down when a natural disaster occurs. This can lead to organisms in the ecosystem either leaving the area or dying off. Increased biodiversity results in a more sustainable ecosystem because —a greater variety of species present allows more organisms to adapt after changes occurthere are fewer species to be affected by environmental stressesthe transition area between two ecosystems is narrowera greater number of plant species means that there is less barren land60s8.12(C)
- Q11How many valence electrons are in an atom of each element in Group 15 in the periodic table?654760sC.5(A)
- Q12The photograph shows mountains in the Andes range in South America. Which statement describes the geologic process that is most likely responsible for the formation of these mountains?They are along a transform plate boundary in which plates are currently moving side by side, causing earthquakes and faults.They are along a plate boundary in which plates diverged in the distant past, allowing new rock to build up.They are along a transform plate boundary that is no longer active, so erosion is creating deep valleys.They are along a plate boundary in which plates are currently converging, causing uplift and steep slopes.60s7.KS(10)
- Q13A group of scientists studied some trees in a pine forest. In the densely forested areas, the trees were within 1 m of each other. The scientists observed that these trees had dead branches near the ground. They measured the height above the ground at which the first living branches were found on different-sized trees in the forest. Then they repeated this procedure on the same kind of trees in an open meadow. This graph summarizes the scientists’ data. Which inference is best supported by these data?Pine trees in a dense forest have more living branches than pine trees in an open meadow.Pine trees in a dense forest compete for sunlight with the surrounding trees.Pine trees in a dense forest are part of a less-complex food web than pine trees in an open meadow.Pine trees in a dense forest can grow taller than pine trees in an open meadow.60s8.12(A)
- Q14The picture shows an aerialist walking on a tightrope and holding a balancing bar. An action-reaction pair of forces exists between —the two ends of the ropethe rope and the balancing barthe aerialist’s arms and legsthe aerialist’s feet and the rope60s8.7(B)
- Q15A student drew atomic models of four elements. Based on these drawings, which element is the least reactive?Neon, because it has two energy levels with eight electrons in the second levelGallium, because it has four energy levels with three electrons in the fourth levelTin, because it has five energy levels with four electrons in the fifth levelChlorine, because it has three energy levels with seven electrons in the third level60sC.6(B)
