CIVICS GEOGRAPHY U.S. HISTORY SCIENCE Sample

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 89Civics, Geography, and U.S. HistoryBooklet DirectionsDIRECTIONSIn each of the next two sections, you will have 25 minutes to answer a series ofquestions about civics, geography, or United States history. You should think carefullyabout your answers, and you should use the entire 25 minutes to complete eachsection.You will be asked to respond to several different types of questions. Some of thequestions will require you to choose the best answer and fill in the oval for that answerin your booklet.For other questions, you will be asked to write short answers on the blank linesprovided in your booklet. Here is an example of a question that requires you to provide ashort answer.Example 1Who was Thomas Jefferson and whywas he important? Try to identify tworeasons.Jefferson was the third U.S.President. He was the mainwriter of the Declaration ofIndependence.Fl23CDCGHPage 11·1·111 !.ii!'ili§ 1i

10Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8Also, you will be asked to answer other questions by writing longer, more detailedresponses on a full page of blank lines. For example, here is a question that requires youto provide a longer answer.Example 2Explain the three most importantreasons that the United States fought inthe first World War on the side of Franceand Great Britain.The U.S. entered World War I for3 important reasons. Germanattacks on American shipsthreatened safety and trade.Because France and Britain weredemocracies. the U.S. believedthat it should help them.Finally. the U.S. had a closerhistorical relationship with Franceand Britain than with Germany.When you are asked to write your response be sure that your handwriting is clear.Think carefully about each question and make your answers as complete as possible,using as many lines as you need.Finally, in some questions you may be asked to draw maps, graphs, charts, tables, ortimelines.If you finish before time is called, be sure to read your work again and change anythingthat you think will make your answers better.Fl23CDCGHPage 2

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 811Science Booklet DirectionsIn each of sections 1 and 2, you will have 25 minutes to answer a series of questionsabout science.You will be asked to respond to several different types of questions. Some of thequestions will require you to choose the best answer and fill in the oval for that answer inyour booklet. On questions like this, be sure to mark your answers clearly and darken theoval completely. If you make a mistake or want to change your answer, be sure to erase anyunwanted marks. Here is an example of a question that requires you to fill in an oval.Example 1For some questions, you will be asked to write short answers on the blank lines provided inyour booklet. Here is an example of a question that requires you to provide a short answer.How hot is it on the surface of the Sun?A Not quite as hot as boiling waterB About as hot as fireC About 100 FMuch hotter than almost anything on EarthExample 2Also, you will be asked to answer some questions by writing longer, more detailedresponses. For example, here is a question that requires you to provide a longer answer.GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

12Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8Example 3When you are asked to write your response be sure that your handwriting is clear. Thinkcarefully about each question and make your answers as complete as possible, using asmany lines as you need. If you finish a section before time is called, you may go back andcheck your work on that section only.Finally, in some questions you may be asked to draw a diagram or fill in a table.

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 813Sample Civics QuestionsGrade 81. The President of the United States iselected to a term ofA 2 years.B 4 years.C 6 years.D 8 years.2. In the United States, an individualcitizen has the right toA impeach the President.B vote for government officials.C make new laws.D collect taxes.3. The term “separation of powers”refers toA state powers and duties thatare not given to the centralgovernment.B division of authority amongthe legislative, executive, andjudicial branches of government.C division of the legislature intotwo houses.D creation of a national capitalthat is not a part of any State.4. According to the Bill of Rights,which of the following is NOTallowed?A A jury trial in criminal casesB The testimony of witnesseswho are relatives of the accusedC A trial held too soon after thedefendant has been accusedD Cruel and unusual punishment5. United States Senators are a part ofwhich branch of the government?A LegislativeB ExecutiveC Treasury DepartmentD Supreme Court6. The powers of Congress are setforth in theA Declaration of Independence.B Articles of Confederation.C Constitution of the UnitedStates.D Bill of Rights.STOP

14Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8Sample Geography QuestionsGrade 81. What would a scientist probably study to predict where acid rain would fall?A the atomic structures of sulphur, nitrogen, and oxygenB mass-transit systems that serve major citiesC wind patterns that prevail over major manufacturing areasD the location of sewage-treatment plantsKJ0006172. What historical trends explain the language patterns shown in the map above?Be as specific as possible in your answer.GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 815Questions 3–4 refer to the map below.KJ000800SE0006893. This map would be most useful to aA pilot flying from Europe to South America.B pilot flying from Canada to Scandinavia.C person sailing to Antarctica.D person sailing in tropical seas.BO0019534. Latitude on this map is represented byA circles.B shaded areas.C straight lines.D convergent lines.SE000691GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

16Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 85. Look at the map above, which shows three possible routes for a railroad line thatwill be built to connect Red City with Bluetown.Which route would be the least expensive to construct?Give two reasons why the route you chose would be the least expensive.12KJ000860GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8176. In the mid-nineteenth century, before railroads were constructed, people in the UnitedStates transported commercial materials, such as timber and coal, over long distancesprimarily by means ofA rivers and canals.B turnpikes and freeways.C pack horses and mule trains.D ox carts and Conestoga wagons.KJ000854KJ000533AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION FOR LAKESIDESeasonAverage InchesPercent of al20.01007. Use the information in the table above to construct a pie chart on the figurebelow. Be sure to label all information. You may use your ruler to draw thechart.KJ000514STOP

18Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8Sample U.S. History QuestionsGrade 8Questions 1–3 refer to the passage below.We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they areendowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty,and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are institutedamong men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, wheneverany form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people toalter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government.—17761. The quotation is from theA Articles of Confederation.B Constitution.C Declaration of Independence.D Missouri Compromise.2. The primary author of thedocument wasA George Washington.B John Marshall.C Robert E. Lee.D Thomas Jefferson.3. Explain why the document quoted was written.4. Why was the invention of the steel plow important in United States history?GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 819Questions 5–6 refer to the first census of the United States, shown below.5. The information in the census couldbe used to answer which questions?6. The census was important in 1790because itA Which state had the highestofficial population?A helped determine whichcitizens were eligible to vote.B How many people moved to theUnited States in 1790?B told people which stateshad the most members ofAmerican Indian nations.C Which state was the largest inarea?D How many more male thanfemale slaves were there in 1790?C told people whether men orwomen tended to live longer.D helped determine staterepresentation in the House ofRepresentatives.STOP

20Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8Sample Science QuestionsGrade 8HE0015091. Pat has two kinds of plant food, “Quickgrow” and “Supergrow.” What would be the bestway for Pat to find out which plant food helps a particular type of houseplant grow themost?A Put some Quickgrow on a plant in the living room, put some Supergrow on a plantof the same type in the bedroom, and see which one grows the most.B Find out how much each kind of plant food costs, because the more expensive kindis probably better for growing plants.C Put some Quickgrow on a few plants, put the same amount of Supergrow on a fewother plants of the same type, put all the plants in the same pace, and see whichgroup of plants grows the most.D Look at the advertisements for Quickgrow, look at the advertisements forSupergrow, and see which one says it helps plants grow the most.JL0010942. If you go outside on a sunny day, you will make a shadow. At some times of day yourshadow is longer than you are. At other times of day it is shorter than you are.How can this difference in the length of your shadow be explained? (You can use adrawing to help explain your answer.)GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 821HE0018343. While practicing for a play, a student standing on the stage of a large, empty auditoriumshouts loudly and hears her voice echo throughout the room. Later, the same studentis on the stage of the same auditorium, which is now full of quiet people. The studentshouts again, just as loudly. This time, however, she does not hear an echo. Explain whyshe hears an echo the first time and why she does not hear an echo the second time.

22Student Questionnaire—Grade 8III. Student QuestionnaireGrade 8In this section, please tell us about yourself and your family. Please answer questions aboutyour home based on where you live most of the time during the school year. The section hasone oval for each questionexcept where instructed otherwise.VB3313301. Are you Hispanic or Latino? Fill in oneor more ovals.VB3313312. Which of the following best describesyou? Fill in one or more ovals.A No, I am not Hispanic or Latino.A WhiteB Yes, I am Mexican, MexicanB Black or African AmericanAmerican, or Chicano.C Yes, I am Puerto Rican or PuertoRican American.D Yes, I am Cuban or CubanAmerican.C AsianD American Indian or Alaska NativeE Native Hawaiian or other PacificIslanderE Yes, I am from some otherHispanic or Latino background.J2D1Page 1GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

Student Questionnaire—Grade 823VB3313353. About how many books are there inyour home?A Few (0–10)B Enough to fill one shelf (11–25)ll one bookcase (26–100)CDll several bookcases(more than 100)TB0011016. About how many pages a day do youhave to read in school and forhomework?A 5 or fewerB 6–10C 11–15D 16–20E More than 20VB3313364. Is there a computer at home thatyou use?VB3313397. How often do you talk about things youhave studied in school with someone inyour family?A YesB NoA Never or hardly everVF0986645. Do you have the following in yourhome? Fill in ovals for all that apply.B Once every few weeksC About once a weekA Access to the InternetD Two or three times a weekB Clothes dryer just for your familyE Every dayC DishwasherVB331447D More than one bathroomE Your own bedroom8. How many days were you absent fromschool in the last month?A NoneB 1 or 2 daysC 3 or 4 daysD 5 to 10 daysE More than 10 daysJ2D1Page 2GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE

24Student Questionnaire—Grade 8VB3308709. How far in school did your mother go?A She did not finish high school.B She graduated from high school.C She had some education after highschool.VF09573012. Do the following people live in yourhome? Fill in ovals for all that apply.A MotherB StepmotherC Foster mother or other female legalguardianD She graduated from college.D FatherE I don’t know.E StepfatherVB33087110. How far in school did your father go?F Foster father or other male legalguardianA He did not finish high school.VE102537B He graduated from high school.C He had some education after high13. Write the ZIP code of your home addressin the boxes.school.D He graduated from college.E I don’t know.VB33145111. How often do people in your home talkto each other in a language other thanEnglish?A NeverB Once in a whileC About half of the timeD All or most of the timeJ2D1Page 3STOP

Civics Questionnaire—Grade 825IV. Subject QuestionnairesCivics QuestionnaireGrade 8

26Civics Questionnaire—Grade 8!01 002 163. During this school year, have you studied any of the following topics? Fill in one oval oneach line.YesNoI don't know.a. The United States Constitution CD!0100217b. Congress CD!0100218c. The President and the cabinet CD!0100219d. How laws are made CD!0100220e. The court system CD!0100221f. Political parties, elections, and voting CD!0100222g. State and local government CD!0100223h. Other countries ' governments CD!0100224i. International organizations (such as the UnitedNations) CD!0100225G2CB1Page 2

Civics Questionnaire—Grade 827VE1 322504. Indicate how often you do each of the following when you study social studies or civicsor government in school. Fill in one oval on each line.NeverA fewtimes ayeara. Read material from atextbook CDVE132269b. Read extra material not inthe regular textbook (e.g.,newspapers, magazines,maps, charts, or cartoons) CDVE132303c. Discuss the materialstudied CDVE132307d. Write short answers (aparagraph or less) toquestions CDVE 132309e. Write a report CDVE 1323 16 CDVE 132322g. Give a presentation tothe class on the topicbeing studied CDVE 132323h. Watch movies or videos CDVE 132324i.Take a test or quiz CDVE 132326j.Go on field trips or haveoutside speakers CDVE 132327k. Use the books orcomputers in the libraryto do schoolwork CDVE 1323301. Write a letter to give your CDVE 132333m. Discuss current events CDVE 132335n. Take part in debates orpanel discussions CDVE 132338 CDVE 132340f.Work on a group projectOnce ortwice amonthOnce ortwice aweekAlmosteverydayopinion or help solve acommunity problem0.G2CB1Take part in role-playing,mock trials, or dramasPage 3l·l·lill·lliiiiiiliild

28Civics Questionnaire—Grade 8VB594978VE1128305. This year in school, how often haveyou been asked to write long answersto questions or assignments thatinvolved social studies?7. When you study social studies, to whatextent do you use computers to doresearch projects about social studiestopics using a CD or the Internet?Include both class work and homeworkassignments. Never Once or twice this year Not at allCD Once or twice a month Small extent At least once a weekCD Moderate extent Large extentVB5949796. How often do you use computers atschool for social studies? Never or hardly ever Once every few weeksCD About once a week Two or three times a weekCD Every dayVC68 14008. When you study social studies or civics or government, how often do you agree with thefollowing statements? Fill in one oval on each line.Neveror hardlyeverSometimesOftenAlwaysor almostalwaysa. I have a clear understanding ofwhat my social studies or civics orgovernment teacher is asking me to do. CD VC68 1401b. The social studies or civics orgovernment work is easy. CD VC68 1402c. The social studies or civics orgovernment work is difficult. CD VC68 1403d. The social studies or civics orgovernment work is interesting. CD VC68 1404G2CB 1Page4i·l·llll·lliiiiiill

Civics Questionnaire—Grade 829VE132747VB595 1849. How much do you agree that socialstudies or civics or government is oneof your favorite subjects?12. How important was it to you to dowell on this test? Not very important Not at all Somewhat important A little Important Alot Very importantVB595 18210. How hard was this test compared tomost other tests you have taken thisyear in school? Easier than other tests About as hard as other tests Harder than other tests Much harder than other testsVC03 455911. How hard did you try on this testcompared to how hard you tried onmost other tests you have taken thisyear in school? Not as hard as on other tests About as hard as on other tests Harder than on other tests Much harder than on other testsG2CB1Page 5

30Geography Questionnaire—Grade 8Geography QuestionnaireGrade 8This section has 12 questions. Mark your answers in your booklet. Fill in only one ovalfor each question except where instructed otherwise.VB3455921. Did you take or do you expect to take a geography course in the following grades?Fill in one oval on each line.YesNoI don't know.a. 5th grade DVE 101 297b. 6th grade DVB345593c. 7th grade DVB345594d. 8th grade DVB345595VC4728812. In this school year, how often have you learned about geography? Never or hardly ever A few times a year D Once or twice a month Once or twice a weekCD Every day or almost every dayVB3455973. How often have you studied the following geography skills and topics in school? Fill in oneoval on each line.AlmosteverydayOnce ortwice aweekOnce ortwice amonthNever orhardlyevera. Using maps and globes D VB345598b. Natural resources(for example, oil, forests,and water) D VB345599c. Countries and cultures VB345600d. Environmental issues(for example, pollutionand recycling) VB345601G2GB IPage 1

Geography Questionnaire—Grade 831VEJI 74064. Indicate how often you do each of the following when you study social studies orgeography in school. Fill in one oval on each line.NeverA fewtimes ayearOnce ortwice amonthOnce ortwice aweekAlmosteverydaya. Read material from atextbook D CDVEJJ 7427b. Read extra material not inthe regular textbook (e.g.,newspapers, magazines,maps, charts, or cartoons) D CDVE JJ 7428c. Dis

Civics, Geography, U.S. History, and Science—Grade 8 5 II. The Assessments The Civics Assessment Grade 8 The NAEP civics assessment encompasses three interrelated components: civics knowledge, intellectual and participatory skills, and civic dispositions. The knowledge component of t