SPED SIMULATION MIDTERM EXAM 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GUARANTEED
TO PASS
◉ 2. Which of the following scenarios features students engaging in
practices done by engineers, rather than scientists, as part of a sixth-
grade unit about forces and interactions?
A. Students present the findings from their investigations of whether
forces can exist between objects that are not touching one another.
B. Students analyze a set of data collected from a student investigation
to uncover factors that affect the strength of refrigerator magnets.
C. Students determine ways to minimize how much a sphere of
modeling clay changes shape when toy cars collide with it.
D. Students use spring scales to test the weights of objects of different
sizes but the same mass. Answer: A. Both engineers and scientists
routinely communicate the findings from their investigations to others,
and in this example the investigation is more about explaining
phenomena than designing solutions.
B. This is an analysis of data collected by others to answer questions,
which both engineers and scientists conduct routinely; however, since
students are working to uncover factors affecting the strength of the
magnets, the activity leads more to explaining a phenomenon.
C. Correct. Engineers design solutions to problems or challenges,
whereas scientists work to generate explanations that are supported by
data.
,D. Empirical investigations such as this are something that both
engineers and scientists conduct routinely, but the purpose of this
investigation would more likely be to understand the concept of density
than to lead to an engineering design.
◉ 3. The upper elementary science standards require students to
examine matter based on its properties. According to these standards, the
teacher should ask which of the following questions in a fifth-grade
classroom?
A. How do the atoms of a salt solution arrange themselves on the atomic
scale?
B. How might we identify the differences among these materials?
C. Do these two substances create a chemical reaction?
D. Do phase changes alter the density of water?. Answer: A. The
arrangement of atoms on an atomic scale is not fifth-grade appropriate
content.
B. Correct. Asking this open-ended question promotes scientific
investigation and sense-making.
C. Explaining the process of the chemical reaction is not an open-ended
question and will not lead to sensemaking.
D. While changes in phase are a property of matter, questioning the
behavior of water in terms of cohesion, adhesion, density, etc., is not
fifth-grade appropriate.
◉ 4. A sixth-grade teacher develops an assessment on how geoscience
processes change Earth's surface. The assessment includes two figures.
, The first figure is a map showing a cluster of islands and identified
volcanoes within the islands. The second figure is a data table showing
the ages and distances of the island volcanoes. Students will predict
where they think the next volcano may form using evidence from the
two figures. Which of the following crosscutting concepts should the
students use to make their claim?
A. patterns
B. energy and matter
C. structure and function
D. scale, proportion, and quantity. Answer: A. Correct. The students are
making predictions based on the patterns that they are identifying
between the ages and distances of the volcanoes.
B. While volcanoes changing the surface of the Earth requires energy
and a movement of matter, it is not the focus of this activity.
C. The crosscutting concept of structure and function is about the way an
object is shaped but will not support a claim regarding where the next
volcano will form.
D. While the size and quantity of volcanoes in the islands is a part of this
study, it will not support the students' claim without the understanding
that there is a relationship between the size and positioning.
◉ 5. A third-grade teacher creates the table shown in order to plan the
three dimensions for an upcoming classroom activity about magnets.
Dimension - Element
Science and Engineering Practice - Design and Carry Out Investigations
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GUARANTEED
TO PASS
◉ 2. Which of the following scenarios features students engaging in
practices done by engineers, rather than scientists, as part of a sixth-
grade unit about forces and interactions?
A. Students present the findings from their investigations of whether
forces can exist between objects that are not touching one another.
B. Students analyze a set of data collected from a student investigation
to uncover factors that affect the strength of refrigerator magnets.
C. Students determine ways to minimize how much a sphere of
modeling clay changes shape when toy cars collide with it.
D. Students use spring scales to test the weights of objects of different
sizes but the same mass. Answer: A. Both engineers and scientists
routinely communicate the findings from their investigations to others,
and in this example the investigation is more about explaining
phenomena than designing solutions.
B. This is an analysis of data collected by others to answer questions,
which both engineers and scientists conduct routinely; however, since
students are working to uncover factors affecting the strength of the
magnets, the activity leads more to explaining a phenomenon.
C. Correct. Engineers design solutions to problems or challenges,
whereas scientists work to generate explanations that are supported by
data.
,D. Empirical investigations such as this are something that both
engineers and scientists conduct routinely, but the purpose of this
investigation would more likely be to understand the concept of density
than to lead to an engineering design.
◉ 3. The upper elementary science standards require students to
examine matter based on its properties. According to these standards, the
teacher should ask which of the following questions in a fifth-grade
classroom?
A. How do the atoms of a salt solution arrange themselves on the atomic
scale?
B. How might we identify the differences among these materials?
C. Do these two substances create a chemical reaction?
D. Do phase changes alter the density of water?. Answer: A. The
arrangement of atoms on an atomic scale is not fifth-grade appropriate
content.
B. Correct. Asking this open-ended question promotes scientific
investigation and sense-making.
C. Explaining the process of the chemical reaction is not an open-ended
question and will not lead to sensemaking.
D. While changes in phase are a property of matter, questioning the
behavior of water in terms of cohesion, adhesion, density, etc., is not
fifth-grade appropriate.
◉ 4. A sixth-grade teacher develops an assessment on how geoscience
processes change Earth's surface. The assessment includes two figures.
, The first figure is a map showing a cluster of islands and identified
volcanoes within the islands. The second figure is a data table showing
the ages and distances of the island volcanoes. Students will predict
where they think the next volcano may form using evidence from the
two figures. Which of the following crosscutting concepts should the
students use to make their claim?
A. patterns
B. energy and matter
C. structure and function
D. scale, proportion, and quantity. Answer: A. Correct. The students are
making predictions based on the patterns that they are identifying
between the ages and distances of the volcanoes.
B. While volcanoes changing the surface of the Earth requires energy
and a movement of matter, it is not the focus of this activity.
C. The crosscutting concept of structure and function is about the way an
object is shaped but will not support a claim regarding where the next
volcano will form.
D. While the size and quantity of volcanoes in the islands is a part of this
study, it will not support the students' claim without the understanding
that there is a relationship between the size and positioning.
◉ 5. A third-grade teacher creates the table shown in order to plan the
three dimensions for an upcoming classroom activity about magnets.
Dimension - Element
Science and Engineering Practice - Design and Carry Out Investigations
