NYS Grade 8 Science case studies
NYS Grade 8 Science · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test is the state science assessment taken by middle-school students near the end of grade 8. It sits inside NYSED's Grades 3–8 testing program and is produced and administered under the New York State Education Department. Its content is tied to New York's science learning standards, which NYSED publishes and links under Next Generation Learning Standards. Families and teachers use the results as a checkpoint on whether a student can explain physical, life, and Earth and space science phenomena and reason through engineering design problems. Topics on this exam: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering Design. The NYS Grade 8 Science case studies are 5 cases and about 3,132 words.
1The Bottle-Wrap Trial
Four student groups each fill an identical 500 mL plastic bottle with 60 °C water and seal it. Group 1 leaves the bottle bare.
629 words, about 3 min2The Green Pond Problem
A school’s retention pond measures 40 m by 25 m with an average depth of 1.5 m. In July, fertilizer from a nearby lawn drains into the pond.
620 words, about 3 min3Choosing a School Site Near a Fault
A growing town must choose a site for a new middle school. Site A is 3 km from an active fault, on loose river sediment, with groundwater about 2 m below the surface.
627 words, about 3 min4The Four-Hour Cooler Challenge
Eighth-grade teams must design a container that keeps a 200 mL milk carton at or below 10 °C for 4 hours. The milk starts at 4 °C, and the outdoor test area is 28 °C.
648 words, about 3 min5Saving Seeds from the Biggest Tomatoes
A school gardener saves seeds from the largest tomatoes in the garden, which average 380 g. Those plants grew in compost-rich soil.
608 words, about 3 min