Science
The grade 4 LEAP Science test is composed of forty multiple-choice items, four
independent short-answer items, and one comprehensive science task. The
science task consists of three inquiry-based short-answer items and one extended
constructed-response item, all based on a manipulated task. A student earns 1
point for each correct answer to a multiple-choice item, from 0 to 2 points for the
answer and work shown for each short-answer item, and from 0 to 4 points for
the answer and work shown for the extended constructed-response item.
The short-answer items are scored using the following rubric:
Score
Description
2
• The student’s response provides a complete and correct answer.
1
• The student’s response is partially correct.
• The student’s response demonstrates limited awareness or
contains errors.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
The extended constructed-response item is scored using the following rubric:
Score
Description
4
• The student’s response demonstrates in-depth understanding of
the relevant content and/or procedures.
• The student completes all important components of the task
accurately and communicates ideas effectively.
• Where appropriate, the student offers insightful interpretations
and/or extensions.
• Where appropriate, the student uses more sophisticated reasoning
and/or efficient procedures.
3
• The student completes most important aspects of the task
accurately and communicates clearly.
• The student’s response demonstrates an understanding of major
concepts and/or processes, although less important ideas or details
may be overlooked or misunderstood.
• The student’s logic and reasoning may contain minor flaws.
2
• The student completes some parts of the task successfully.
• The student’s response demonstrates gaps in conceptual
understanding.
1
• The student completes only a small portion of the task and/or
shows minimal understanding of the concepts and/or processes.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
It is important to recognize that score points for constructed-response items and
LEAP achievement levels do not share a one-to-one correspondence. For example,
it should not be assumed that a student who scores at the Advanced achievement
level in the assessment has earned a score of 4 on the extended constructedresponse item.
It is possible for a grade 4 student to earn a total of 58 points on the LEAP
Science test. The number of raw score points a student would have to achieve
to reach each achievement level may change slightly from year to year given the
difficulty of that particular form of the test. The spring 2012 raw score range for
each achievement level is shown below.
Spring 2012 Science Test, Grade 4
Achievement Level
Raw Score Range
Advanced
51–58 points
Mastery
46–50 points
Basic
36–45 points
Approaching Basic
26–35 points
Unsatisfactory
  0–25 points
The following section of this document presents four multiple-choice items, each
taken from four of the five science strands: Science and the Environment,
Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, and Science as Inquiry. The items
were selected because they illustrate results from four of the five achievement
levels used to report LEAP results—Advanced, Mastery, Basic, and Approaching
Basic. Examples of Unsatisfactory work are not included; by definition, work
classified as Unsatisfactory exhibits a narrower range of knowledge and skills
than work classified as Approaching Basic. Information shown for each item
includes
• the correct answer,
• the achievement level,
• the strand and benchmark each item measures, and
• commentary on the skills/knowledge measured by the item.
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
17
Grade 4—Science
Multiple-Choice Items
Strand:
Science and the Environment
Benchmark SE-E-A1: understanding that an “ecosystem” is made of living and
nonliving components
Achievement Level: Advanced
An ocean, a forest, and a grassy meadow
are each examples of a complete
ecosystem. Complete ecosystems contain
only
A. animals.
B. rocks and water.
* C. living and nonliving things.
D. populations of plants and animals.
* correct answer
This Science and the Environment item would most likely be answered correctly
by students who score at the Advanced level. The item requires students to
understand that an ecosystem is made of living and nonliving components.
Students who choose option A may have recognized that ecosystems contain
animals but did not recognize that ecosystems also contain other kinds of living
things (e.g., plants, fungi, protists, bacteria) and nonliving things (e.g., air, water,
rocks, soil). Students who choose option B may have recognized that ecosystems
contain rocks and water (nonliving things) but did not recognize that ecosystems
also contain plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and other living things. Students
who choose option D may have recognized that ecosystems contain populations
of plants and animals (living things) but did not recognize that ecosystems also
contain air, water, rocks, soil, and other nonliving things. Students who choose
option C correctly recognize that ecosystems contain only living and nonliving
things.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
Strand:
Physical Science
Benchmark PS-E-B3: describing an object’s motion by tracing and measuring
its position over time
Achievement Level: Mastery
Use the graph below to answer question XX.
Distance and Time Traveled by a Car
Distance (km)
12
9
6
3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Time (minutes)
A student drew a graph that shows the motion of a
car as it traveled down a street. When was the car
stopped at a stoplight?
A. between 1 and 3 minutes
B. between 3 and 5 minutes
* C. between 5 and 8 minutes
D. between 8 and 10 minutes
* correct answer
This Physical Science item would most likely be answered correctly by students
who score at the Mastery level and above. The item requires students to interpret
the graph and determine when the car is moving. Students who choose options
A, B, and D may not have recognized from the graph that the car was moving
when its location (distance) changed over time, indicated by a sloping line on the
graph. Between minutes 1 and 3 (option A) the car was moving at a rate of 1 km
per minute, between minutes 3 and 5 (option B) the car was moving at a rate of
approximately 0.5 km per minute, and between minutes 8 and 10 (option D) the
car was again moving at a rate of 1 km per minute. Students who choose option
C correctly identify from the graph that the car was stopped at the stoplight
between minutes 5 and 8 because the distance the car moved did not change
during this period of time.
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
19
Strand:
Earth and Space Science
Benchmark ESS-E-A3: investigating, observing, and describing how water
changes from one form to another and interacts with the
atmosphere
Achievement Level: Basic
Use the picture below to answer question XX.
X
Y
W
Z
What part of the water cycle is represented by
arrow Y?
A. evaporation
* B. precipitation
C. condensation
D. runoff
* correct answer
This Earth and Space Science item would most likely be answered correctly by
students who score at the Basic level and above. The item requires students to
understand how water changes from one form to another and how water interacts
with the atmosphere. Students who choose option A may have recognized
that evaporation occurs when water moves between Earth’s surface and the
atmosphere but did not recognize that the downward movement of water in
the liquid or solid state (represented by arrow Y) is precipitation. Students who
choose option C may not have had a clear understanding of condensation and
cloud formation. Students who choose option D may not have recognized that
runoff is the movement of water over land (represented by arrow Z). Students who
choose option B correctly identify the representation of precipitation in the water
cycle diagram.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
Strand:
Science as Inquiry
Benchmark SI-E-A5: using data, including numbers and graphs, to explain
observations and experiments
Achievement Level: Approaching Basic
Use the calendar below to answer question XX.
April
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
3
Thu
4
Fri
5
Key
Sat
6
7
= sunny
= cloudy
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
= rainy
Students recorded daily weather conditions on a calendar for the first
two weeks of April. Which graph best shows the weather conditions
recorded by the students?
April Weather
8
7
3
2
1
0
B.
Number of Days
* A.
Number of Days
April Weather
8
7
6
5
4
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
sunny cloudy rainy
Type of Weather
April Weather
April Weather
8
7
7
6
5
4
3
D.
2
1
0
sunny cloudy rainy
Type of Weather
Number of Days
Number of Days
8
C.
sunny cloudy rainy
Type of Weather
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
sunny cloudy rainy
Type of Weather
* correct answer
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
21
This Science as Inquiry item would most likely be answered correctly by
students who score at the Approaching Basic level and above. The item requires
students to understand the use of data, including numbers and graphs, to
explain observations and experiments. Students who choose option B may have
recognized that the graph is similar to the observed weather conditions but did
not recognize that the weather was sunny for seven days, not six. Students who
choose option C may not have carefully counted the number of sunny and cloudy
days or may have gotten their numbers crossed. Students who choose option D
may have recognized that the graph is similar to the observed weather conditions
but did not recognize that the weather was rainy for two days, not one. Students
who choose option A correctly identify the graph that accurately represents the
observed weather conditions.
22
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
Grade 4—Science
Short-Answer Items
A science short-answer item for a LEAP test may require students to reflect on
an idea, demonstrate understanding of the unifying concepts and processes
of science, make meaning of a given set of data, or critique the design or
interpretation of results from an experiment. Frequently, the short-answer items
have more than one part. In addition to writing, students may be asked to work
with graphics, tables, or other materials.
The items, scoring rubrics, and sample student work are shown on the following
pages. The student responses at each score point (0 to 2) are annotated to explain
how each score was derived and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses.
Sample 1
Strand:
Life Science
Benchmark LS-E-C2: describing how the features of some plants and animals
enable them to live in specific habitats
This item appears on the next page.
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
23
Use the picture below to answer question XX.
Great egrets live in marshes, ponds, and other shallow water areas and eat
creatures such as fish. List two of the egret’s body parts that make it a good
hunter in shallow water and explain how each body part helps the egret hunt.
1.
2.
24
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
Scoring Rubric
Score
2
Description
Response correctly lists two body parts AND explains how each body
part helps the egret hunt. The response contains no errors.
1
Response correctly lists one body part AND explains how the body part
helps the egret hunt, OR the response correctly lists two body parts, but
the explanations are missing or incomplete. The response may contain
errors or omissions.
0
Student response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or blank.
Scoring Notes
Sample answers:
The egret’s long legs allow it to wade in shallow water.
OR
The egret’s sharp beak can spear fish and frogs.
OR
The egret’s flexible long neck allows it to move its head very fast over a distance.
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
25
Score Point 2
Use the picture below to answer question XX.
Great egrets live in marshes, ponds, and other shallow water areas and eat
creatures such as fish. List two of the egret’s body parts that make it a good
hunter in shallow water and explain how each body part helps the egret hunt.
1.
2.
The student correctly lists two of the great egret’s body parts that make it a
good hunter in shallow water (“long leg” and “big beak”). The student accurately
explains how these body parts help the great egret hunt. The response is
complete and contains no errors. The student earns a score of 2.
26
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
Score Point 1
Use the picture below to answer question XX.
Great egrets live in marshes, ponds, and other shallow water areas and eat
creatures such as fish. List two of the egret’s body parts that make it a good
hunter in shallow water and explain how each body part helps the egret hunt.
1.
2.
The student correctly lists two of the great egret’s body parts that make it a
good hunter in shallow water (“The long neck” and “The big beak”). The student
does not attempt to explain how these body parts help the great egret hunt. The
student earns a score of 1.
Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012
27
Score Point 0
Use the picture below to answer question XX.
Great egrets live in marshes, ponds, and other shallow water areas and eat
creatures such as fish. List two of the egret’s body parts that make it a good
hunter in shallow water and explain how each body part helps the egret hunt.
1.
2.
The student does not receive credit for listing “Each body part” or “his nose” as
body parts that help the great egret hunt. The student earns a score of 0.
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Grade 4 Sample Items and Student Work—2012