OST Grade 5 Science case studies
OST Grade 5 Science · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Ohio State Tests in Science, Grade 5 is the state assessment Ohio students take in science at the end of fifth grade. It sits inside Ohio's broader testing program, which the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) administers; the department's Testing section is the official home for assessment information, and its "Find sample test questions?" link points families and teachers toward sample items and practice tests. The OST Grade 5 Science case studies are 5 cases and about 2,926 words.
1Mulch, Runoff, and the Muddy Blacktop
Fifth graders at Ridgeway Elementary noticed a muddy stream crossing the blacktop after every heavy rain. Their teacher set up two identical 30 cm by 45 cm trays filled with the same soil mix and tilted both at the same angle using a 15 cm block.
610 words, about 3 min2Shadow Lengths, September to December
On September 15, students pushed a 30 cm wooden stick straight into level ground in an open part of the schoolyard and marked the tip of its shadow every two hours. On a cloudless day they recorded: 8:00 a.m., 62 cm; 10:00 a.m., 34 cm; 12:00 p.m., 22 cm; 2:00 p.m., 30 cm; 4:00 p.m., 55 cm.
585 words, about 3 min3The Green Pond After the Fish Arrived
Students built a model pond in a 40 L tub in the courtyard, with algae growing on the walls, about 60 water fleas, 8 pond snails, 3 dragonfly nymphs, and 2 small minnows. In this food web, water fleas eat algae, snails scrape algae off surfaces, nymphs eat water fleas and small snails, and minnows eat water fleas and nymphs.
561 words, about 3 min4Four Cups of Sugar, Four Dissolving Times
Four teams each placed one identical sugar cube into 200 mL of water measured in a graduated cylinder and timed how long the cube took to disappear completely without any stirring. The stopwatch started the moment the cube touched the water.
601 words, about 3 min5Two Groups, Two Paper Towel Answers
Two fifth-grade groups investigated the question, 'Which paper towel absorbs the most water?' Group A used one full sheet of each towel, dipped it in a bowl of water for 10 seconds, let it drip for 10 seconds, and massed it on a balance. Group B cut each towel into 5 cm by 5 cm squares, used four squares stacked together, and counted the drops each stack held before water ran off.
569 words, about 3 min