Test Items for Digging Deeper
The following table summarizes the two forms of the pretest/posttest used in the Digging Deeper study. The table includes only the item stems. Please refer to the complete versions of forms A and B for the scenarios used for the questions as well as the answer options.
- 18 of the 26 science content questions are the same on both forms. Fifteen of the 18 common items were used for common item equating of the forms. Items marked with an asterisk (*) in table below were used in the equating process.
- 5 of the 10 attitude questions are the same on both forms. (Two other questions on each form have very minor differences in context.)
- Items 1 and 2 on both forms are for teacher’s name and student ID code
Science Content Questions |
Form A |
Form B |
|---|---|---|
| If the same experiment was carried out in the dark, what would you expect the results to be? |
3 | 4 |
| What does the color change from red to yellow indicate? | -- | 3 |
| What do you think would happen if Janel used a straw to blow into a test tube containing the red liquid for 30 seconds? | 4 | -- |
| *Test tube 1 is a control for which other test tubes? | 5 | 5 |
| Where did the mass go that was lost in Dish 2 (water but no light)? | 6 | 8 |
| Which of the following best describes the substance produced during Janel's experiment? | -- | 6 |
| What accounts for the increase in mass observed in Dish 3 (light and water)? | 7 | 9 |
| After two weeks, the seeds and seedlings were dried so that no water remained. Mark weighed the dried seeds and seedlings from each dish and compared them. Which of the following best describes the results that Mark saw? | -- | 7 |
| Based on these results, what is the relationship between photosynthesis and mass? | 8 | -- |
| You are interested in studying plants and need to come up with a project for your school's science fair. Which of the following is the best testable question suitable for a science project? | 9 | -- |
| *Which of the following is the best reason to doubt her conclusion? | 10 | 11 |
| Which of the following is the best testable question relating to this letter to the editor? | -- | 10 |
| *A small tree can grow into a large tree that weighs hundreds of pounds. Where does the wood in a tree get its mass? | 11 | 12 |
| *After the experiment is underway for a few days, which of the seedling would you expect to be undergoing cellular respiration? | 12 | 13 |
| *In this experiment, which of the following is the dependent variable? | 13 | 14 |
| *What is the most likely identity of the gas in the bubbles? | 14 | 15 |
| *The frequency with which the bubbles are released is a measure of the rate of which process? | 15 | 16 |
| *Which one of the following research questions is best answered by the experiments illustrated above? | 16 | 17 |
| What would happen if the experiment with the mint plant was repeated without a light source? | 17 | -- |
| *A house plant is sitting on a windowsill absorbing sunlight. The plant is moved to a dark room but is watered as needed. After a few days will the plant weigh more or less than it did when it was sitting on the windowsill? | 18 | 18 |
| A seedling is planted outdoors where it receives adequate sunlight and water with which to grow. After two weeks, the seedling has tripled in height. Based on this observation, what can you say about the seedling gaining mass? | 19 | -- |
| Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between cellular respiration and energy? | -- | 19 |
| What do you think is the research question being investigated? | 20 | -- |
| Jermel performed an experiment to investigate the rates of photosynthesis and cellular respiration over a 24-hour period beginning at midnight (hour 0). Which of the graphs below illustrates the results you would expect to see? | -- | 20 |
| Which of the following statements is true about cellular respiration? | 21 | -- |
| Which of the following is the best way to monitor the rate of photosynthesis in a plant? | -- | 21 |
| Why does CO2 concentration fall during the summer? | 22 | -- |
| Why do plants require oxygen? | -- | 22 |
| *Which of the following statements about cellular respiration and breathing is true? | 23 | 23 |
| *Which of the following statements best describes how gases are exchanged by plants in the dark? | 24 | 24 |
| *Which of the following list of factors is most important for determining the rate of photosynthesis? | 25 | 25 |
| *Which of the following do plants need for photosynthesis? | 26 | 26 |
| *A flowerpot sits in a sunny window with a green plant in it. The plant has plenty of water and light. What will happen to the mass of the plant as the month passes? | 27 | 27 |
| *In green plants, sunlight is necessary for which of the following? | 28 | 28 |
|
Attitudes about Scientists Questions |
Form A |
Form B |
| I don't have anything in common with a scientist. | 29 | -- |
| I would like to have friends who are scientists. | -- | 29 |
| *Scientists are eager to learn about the world in which they live. | 30 | 30 |
| It would make me nervous to be around a scientist. | 31 | -- |
| Scientists do not have a sense of humor. | -- | 31 |
| It would be difficult to talk to a scientist. | 32 | -- |
| Scientists spend most of their time in a laboratory. | -- | 32 |
| *Scientists want to find out why strange things happen in our world. | 33 | 33 |
| *Scientists do not have hobbies. | 34 | 34 |
| Scientists are about as likely as anyone to enjoy sports. | 35 | -- |
| Scientists are about as likely as anyone to enjoy going to a concert. | -- | 35 |
| I think a scientist might like the same movies that I like. | 36 | -- |
| I think a scientist might like the same TV shows that I like. | -- | 36 |
| *I think a scientist might like the same hobbies that I like. | 37 | 37 |
| *I think a scientist might enjoy the same kinds of music that I like. | 38 | 38 |