1. The asteroid belt is made up of thousands of pieces of rock that orbit the sun. The picture shows that the asteroid belt is between the fourth and fifth planets from the sun. Which of these planets is closest to the asteroid belt?
A Earth
B Mars
C Saturn
D Venus

2. The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle
The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle. Which of the following belongs in the oval with a question mark?
A Animals need carbon dioxide to live.
B Animals eat plants for energy.
C Animals exhale carbon dioxide.
D Animals use carbon to make food.

3. 38. In a model of our solar system, a tennis ball is used to represent
38 In a model of our solar system, a tennis ball is used to represent Earth. A marble would be a good representation of Mercury in this model because compared to Earth, Mercury is —
F brighter
G lighter
H smaller
J more solid

4. 39. This model can be used to show how the moon moves around. Earth
39 This model can be used to show how the moon moves around Earth. This model also shows all of the following EXCEPT — A the amount of light Earth reflects B the land areas of Earth and the moon C how the moon makes a revolution D how Earth and the moon compare in size

5. 37. The drawing shows a model of the Earth, moon, and sun system
37 The drawing shows a model of the Earth, moon, and sun system made from foam balls. What is one way to make this model more accurate?
A Use wooden blocks instead of foam balls
B Make the sun larger than the Earth and the moon smaller
C Move the sun closer to the Earth
D Change the order of the foam balls to be moon, sun, Earth

6. The weather map shows the passage of a cold front
The weather map shows the passage of a cold front. According to the information on the maps, the cold front seems to be moving —
A from areas of higher temperatures
B from the west to the east
C away from the Gulf of Mexico
D toward the Rocky Mountains

7. The diagram shows part of the water cycle
The diagram shows part of the water cycle. Which part of the diagram shows
precipitation?
A W
B X
C Y
D Z

8. Rocks in the stream that the students were
studying were smoother than rocks found in a
nearby stream. The smoother rocks were most
likely found in a stream where, over a long
period of time, the water —
A was deeper
B appeared cloudy
C was cold
D moved faster

9. Which is a possible condition for an area of the moon that receives no light?
A Fog
B Strong winds
C Thunderstorms
D Cold temperatures

10. This diagram shows layers of soil and rock from below a forest floor
This diagram shows layers of soil and rock from below a forest floor. Which of these conclusions is best supported by the information found in this diagram?
A A body of water once covered the area.
B The forest was made up of oak trees.
C Fish were the first animals in the area.
D The area was planted with trees one year ago.

11. 1. In which of these ways can volcanoes help build up new land. A
1 In which of these ways can volcanoes help build up new land? A By adding heat to Earth’s surface B By adding gases to the atmosphere C By adding lava to Earth’s surface D By adding water vapor to the atmosphere

12. 2. The picture shows a kind of glacier that can be many meters thick
2 The picture shows a kind of glacier that can be many meters thick. In this landscape, which of the following is most directly affected by this kind of glacier? F The average height of plants on the mountainside G The shape of clouds that form above the glacier H The average mass of trees near the lake J The shape of the valley between the mountains

13. 3 Which of these best completes this chart?
F Water
G Soil
H Coal
J Sand
Fossil Fuels
Alternative
Energy Sources
Oil
Wood
Natural Gas
Wind ?
Sun

14. 4 Which of these is a renewable resource? F Tree G Coal H Oil J Wind

15. Planets That Can Be Seen Without a Telescope
5 Which planet has a year with a length closest to the length of a year on Earth?
A Mercury
B Venus
C Mars
D Jupiter
Planets That Can Be Seen Without a Telescope
Planets
Moons
Average
Distance from
Sun (km)
Length
of Year
(Earth days)
Mercury
58,000,000 87
Venus
108,000,000
224
Earth 1
150,000,000
365
Mars 2
228,000,000
686
Jupiter 16
778,000,000
4,328
Saturn 18
1,427,000,000
10,775

16. 6 Which two planets are closest to Earth?
A Mercury and Saturn
B Mars and Jupiter
C Mercury and Venus
D Venus and Mars

17. 7 Which of these best represents Mars?
F Q
G R
H S
J T

18. 8. Sunspots appear to be darker than the rest of the sun’s surface
8 Sunspots appear to be darker than the rest of the sun’s surface because they are —
F partially hidden from view
G in the shadow of the sun’s corona
H cooler than the rest of the sun’s surface
J made of dark-colored minerals

19. 9 Which of these would best model how the sun’s energy warms Earth?
F A pot of water boiling
G A heat lamp keeping food hot
H An oven baking bread
J A spoon getting hot when stirring soup

20. 10 The surface of the sun is made of —
F gases
G solids
H liquids
J energy

21. 11. A student saw the constellation Scorpius in the southern part
11 A student saw the constellation Scorpius in the southern part of the summer sky. In the winter Scorpius was not visible at all. What causes this constellation to disappear from the winter sky?
A The stars moving away from Earth
B The solar winds covering the night sky
C The revolution of Earth around the sun
D The orbiting of the stars in the galaxy

22. 12 About how long does it take Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis?
A One day
B One week
C One month
D One year

23. 13 According to this information, what kind of weather is related to low air pressure?
F Sunny
G Fair
H Rainy
J Mild
Day
Air Pressure
(mm of mercury)
Weather 1
767
Fair; mild temperatures 2 3
765
Cloudy; mild temperatures 4
756
Rainy; windy; cool temperatures 5
758
Rainy; cool temperatures 6
764 7
Sunny; mild temperatures

24. 14 Tides on the Texas coast usually occur twice —
A daily
B weekly
C monthly
D yearly

25. 15 Three soil samples were tested to see how much water each could hold. The same amount of water was added to each funnel of soil. Very few plants would probably grow in the clay because the water would —
A fail to reach the roots of the plants
B become too cloudy
C run through the soil too quickly
D become poisonous to the plants

26. 16 The pictures show a method used to collect data in an investigation. Different kinds of materials were mixed with 100 grams of garden soil. An equal amount of water was added to each mixture. Which of these was this investigation designed to answer?
A How well each material mixes with garden soil
B How well each mixture holds water
C How well each material supports plants
D How well each mixture keeps its texture when wet

27. 17. A student wants to find out which type of soil holds the most
17 A student wants to find out which type of soil holds the most water. He uses four identical pots with holes in the bottom. He fills each pot with a different type of soil and waters the pots with the same amount of water. How can he find out how much water stays in the soil in each pot?
A By planting seeds and measuring plant growth in each pot
B By measuring the amount of water that drains from each pot
C By observing which soil looks wettest after the water has been added to the pots
D By feeling the soil before and after adding
water to each pot

28. 18. Similar containers were filled with different types of soil
18 Similar containers were filled with different types of soil. Holes were poked into the bottom of each container, and 300 milliliters of water were added. The water that dripped out was collected and measured. According to the information in the table, which type of soil retained water best?
A Potting soil
B Sandy soil
C Gravel
D Clay
Types of Soil
Amount of
Water
Collected
(mL)
Potting soil
220
Sandy soil
250
Gravel
295
Clay
225

29. 19 The energy that causes seawater to form water vapor comes from —
F the clouds
G underwater mountains
H chemical reactions in the sea
J the sun

30. 20. In order for tomato plants to make their own food, their leaves
20 In order for tomato plants to make their own food, their leaves must absorb —
A rain
B sunlight
C oxygen
D minerals

31. 21. Which of these supplies the energy that drives the water cycle. F
21 Which of these supplies the energy that drives the water cycle? F The sun G The planets H The oceans J The moon

32. 22. The picture shows an ocean near a mountain range. When comparing
22 The picture shows an ocean near a mountain range. When comparing location Q to location T, location T will usually have —
A brighter sunlight
B stronger winds
C more snow
D less rain

33. 23. Which of these best shows the relationship between Earth, the
23 Which of these best shows the relationship between Earth, the moon, and the sun?
A C
B D

34. 24 Before a field trip to a cave, a science class studied this picture. Which two features of this cave system were most likely formed by the slow buildup of minerals from water drops? F Pool of water and trench G Pool of water and stalagmite H Stalactite and trench J Stalagmite and stalactite

35. 25. Which of these causes day and night on Earth. A
25 Which of these causes day and night on Earth? A Earth orbiting the sun B The moon orbiting Earth C Earth rotating on its axis D The moon blocking sunlight

36. 26. Plants take in carbon dioxide gas and use it to make sugars
26 Plants take in carbon dioxide gas and use it to make sugars. Through this process they release oxygen, which animals need. Which of the following activities could decrease the amount of oxygen released into the air?
A Making sure trees are planted with every new house built
B Encouraging cities to plan for more parks
C Paving more land for roads and parking lots
D Better controls for air and water pollution

37. 27. Which gas in the air would increase if a large number of trees
27 Which gas in the air would increase if a large number of trees were cut down?
A Carbon dioxide
B Nitrogen
C Oxygen
D Water vapor

38. 28 Which experiment would best show how different methods of plowing fields on a hill affect erosion?
F H
G J

39. 29. The rock column above shows the layers in a rock formation
29 The rock column above shows the layers in a rock formation. The three diagrams above show the positions of fossils in different rock layers. According to this information, which fossil is the youngest? F G H J

40. 30. Fossil fuels formed over a long period of time because heat and
30 Fossil fuels formed over a long period of time because heat and pressure were applied to — A carbon filtered through limestone B organisms buried in the ground C bacteria on top of the mud D nitrogen mixed in the water

41. 31 Most canyons are the result of erosion caused by —
A a river
B a volcano
C a hurricane
D an earthquake

42. 32. The prairie is ideal for the growth of grasses because it has rich
32 The prairie is ideal for the growth of grasses because it has rich topsoil. All of these processes help form topsoil EXCEPT —
F decay of trees
G weathering of rocks
H erosion of hills
J movement of oceans

43. 33. Which of these can cause sharp, rough mountains to become
33 Which of these can cause sharp, rough mountains to become rounded and smooth over time? F Wind and rain G The sun’s rays H Light and darkness J Earth’s magnetic field

44. 34. A rock is taken from the surface of the moon and brought to. Earth
34 A rock is taken from the surface of the moon and brought to Earth. What is different about this rock on Earth?
A Its mass
B Its shape
C Its length
D Its weight

45. Grade 5
Objective 4
Answer Key

46. Grade 5 Objective 4 Answer Key
Question
Correct Answer
Objective Measured
Student Expectation
Source - item number 1 C 4
3.6 B
2006 TAKS – 21 2 J
2006 TAKS – 30 3 H
3.11 A
2004 TAKS – 28 F
2006 TAKS – 12 5 B
3.11 C
2004 TAKS Info Booklet – 19 6 D
2003 TAKS – 13 7
2003 TAKS – 26 8
3.11 D
2003 TAKS – 22 9 G
3.11D
2003 TAKS – 30 10
2004 TAKS – 14 11
4.6 A
2002 TAKS Info Booklet – 11 12 A
2003 TAKS – 35 13
2004 TAKS – 10 14
2004 TAKS – 21 15
4.11 A
2002 TAKS Info Booklet – 12 16
2004 TAKS Info Booklet – 20 17
2003 TAKS – 3

47. Grade 5 Objective 4 Answer Key
Question
Correct Answer
Objective Measured
Student Expectation
Source - item number 18 A 4
4.11 A
2004 TAKS – 27 19 J
4.11 C
2004 TAKS – 12 20 B
2004 TAKS – 19 21 F
2006 TAKS – 28 22 D
5.5 A
2004 TAKS Info Booklet – 18 23
2004 TAKS – 23 24
5.5 B
2006 TAKS – 22 25 C
5.6 A
2006 TAKS – 25 26
5.6 B
2004 TAKS Info Booklet – 10 27
2003 TAKS – 19 28 G
5.11 A
2003 TAKS – 24 29
5.11 B
2006 TAKS – 24 30
5.11 C
2006 TAKS – 23 31
5.12 A
2004 TAKS Info Booklet – 17 32
2003 TAKS – 12 33
2006 TAKS – 34 34
5.12 C
2004 TAKS – 29