Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) Grade 5 case studies
Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) Grade 5 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) is Washington state's science assessment, administered through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). OSPI lists it under State Testing, alongside WaKIDS, Smarter Balanced, and the WA-AIM alternate assessment. This page supports independent study for the Grade 5 WCAS. The exam samples science understanding and practice across three broad content areas: physical sciences, life sciences, and Earth and space sciences, aligned to Washington's K–12 science learning standards. The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) Grade 5 case studies are 5 cases and about 1,812 words.
1The Muddy Runoff Problem
A fifth-grade class is studying a small stream that runs behind their school. After a heavy rain, the water turns muddy brown, and the students notice that the mud settles out in the calm pool at the bottom of the hill but stays cloudy in the fast-moving section above it.
403 words, about 2 min2The Melting Ice Challenge
Two students are racing to melt identical ice cubes on a warm day. Student A wraps her ice cube in a wool sock.
319 words, about 2 min3The Owl Pellet Investigation
A class dissects owl pellets-the undigested parts of prey that owls cough up. In one pellet, students find the skulls and bones of three different small animals: two skulls with long, sharp front teeth and one skull with flat grinding teeth.
341 words, about 2 min4The Shrinking Puddle
On Monday morning, a class measures a puddle on the playground and finds it is 30 cm across. They measure it again at lunch and find it is 22 cm across.
398 words, about 2 min5The Circuit That Won't Light
A group of students builds a simple circuit with a battery, a bulb, and two wires. Their bulb does not light.
351 words, about 2 min