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Primary 3 Science Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 5
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Questions
TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Primary 3
School: TuitionGoWhere Secondary School (AI) Subject: Science Level: Primary 3 Paper: SA2 (End-of-Year Examination) Version: 5 of 5 Duration: 60 minutes Total Marks: 60
Name: ___________________________ Class: __________ Date: _______________
Score: ________ / 60
Instructions
- This paper consists of 3 sections: Section A, Section B, and Section C.
- Answer all questions.
- Write your answers in the spaces provided.
- For multiple-choice questions, shade the correct option.
- Do not open this booklet until you are told to do so.
- Calculators are not allowed.
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (20 marks)
Questions 1–10. Each question carries 2 marks. Choose the most accurate answer.
1. Which of the following is a living thing?
(a) A plastic toy car (b) A wooden chair (c) A flowering plant (d) A metal spoon
2. Which characteristic is shared by all living things?
(a) They can fly. (b) They need air, water, and food to survive. (c) They have four legs. (d) They are green in colour.
3. A student placed the following items into two groups:
| Group X | Group Y |
|---|---|
| Cat | Balloon |
| Mushroom | Cloud |
| Fern | Clock |
Which statement best describes the classification?
(a) Group X contains only animals; Group Y contains only plants. (b) Group X contains living things; Group Y contains non-living things. (c) Group X contains non-living things; Group Y contains living things. (d) Group X contains only plants; Group Y contains only animals.
4. Which of the following is a non-flowering plant?
(a) Rose (b) Sunflower (c) Fern (d) Orchid
5. Which animal is classified as a mammal?
(a) Crocodile (b) Frog (c) Bat (d) Lizard
6. A mushroom is an example of a:
(a) Plant (b) Animal (c) Fungus (d) Bacterium
7. Which of the following statements about living things is false?
(a) All living things can reproduce. (b) All living things can move from one place to another by themselves. (c) All living things respond to changes around them. (d) All living things need water to survive.
8. Which of the following is a reptile?
(a) Penguin (b) Salamander (c) Snake (d) Goldfish
9. A student observed that a balloon grew bigger when air was pumped into it. Is the balloon a living thing?
(a) Yes, because it grew bigger. (b) Yes, because it contains air. (c) No, because it does not grow by itself or reproduce. (d) No, because it is made of rubber.
10. Which of the following is a flowering plant?
(a) Moss (b) Pine tree (c) Bougainvillea (d) Fern
Section B: Short-Answer Questions (25 marks)
Questions 11–18. Answer in the spaces provided.
11. State two characteristics that all living things share. (2 marks)
(a) _______________________________________________________________
(b) _______________________________________________________________
12. The table below lists four organisms. Classify each as a plant, animal, or fungus. (4 marks)
| Organism | Classification |
|---|---|
| Eagle | |
| Yeast | |
| Oak tree | |
| Jellyfish |
13. Explain why a car is considered a non-living thing even though it can move. (2 marks)
14. Name two differences between a flowering plant and a non-flowering plant. (2 marks)
(a) _______________________________________________________________
(b) _______________________________________________________________
15. A student classified the following items. One item is wrongly classified. Identify the wrongly classified item and explain why. (3 marks)
| Living Things | Non-Living Things |
|---|---|
| Dog | Rock |
| Grass | Bread |
| Goldfish | Bicycle |
Wrongly classified item: _______________________________________________
Reason: _______________________________________________________________
16. Complete the table below by naming one example for each animal group. (4 marks)
| Animal Group | Example |
|---|---|
| Bird | |
| Insect | |
| Amphibian | |
| Fish |
17. State one way in which bacteria are different from plants. (1 mark)
18. A potted plant was placed near a window. After one week, the stem bent towards the light. What characteristic of living things does this show? (1 mark)
Section C: Structured / Application Questions (15 marks)
Questions 19–20. Answer in the spaces provided.
19. The diagram below shows a garden with various organisms and objects.
(Imagine: a garden scene with a butterfly, a rock, a rose bush, a garden hose, a snail, a wooden bench, and a mushroom.)
19(a). List three living things shown in the garden. (3 marks)
(i) _______________________________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________________________
(iii) _______________________________________________________________
19(b). List two non-living things shown in the garden. (2 marks)
(i) _______________________________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________________________
19(c). The butterfly and the snail are both animals. State one characteristic they share as living things. (1 mark)
20. A scientist studied four organisms: a frog, a fern, a mushroom, and a goldfish.
20(a). Classify each organism into the correct group. (4 marks)
| Organism | Group |
|---|---|
| Frog | |
| Fern | |
| Mushroom | |
| Goldfish |
20(b). The frog and the goldfish are both animals. State one difference between them. (1 mark)
20(c). The fern and the mushroom are both non-animals. Explain why the fern is classified as a plant but the mushroom is not. (2 marks)
20(d). Which of the four organisms can make its own food? Explain your answer. (2 marks)
End of Paper
Answers
TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Primary 3 — Answer Key
Paper: SA2 (End-of-Year Examination) — Version 5 of 5 Total Marks: 60
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (20 marks)
1. (c) A flowering plant
- Marking note: Living things grow, reproduce, and need air/water/food. A flowering plant is a living thing. Plastic toys, wooden chairs, and metal spoons are non-living.
2. (b) They need air, water, and food to survive.
- Marking note: This is a universal characteristic of all living things. Not all living things can fly (a), have four legs (b), or are green (d).
3. (b) Group X contains living things; Group Y contains non-living things.
- Marking note: Cat, mushroom, and fern are living. Balloon, cloud, and clock are non-living. Group X is not only animals (mushroom is a fungus, fern is a plant), so (a) is incorrect.
4. (c) Fern
- Marking note: Ferns reproduce by spores and do not produce flowers. Rose, sunflower, and orchid are flowering plants.
5. (c) Bat
- Marking note: Bats are mammals — they have fur/hair and feed their young with milk. Crocodile and lizard are reptiles; frog is an amphibian.
6. (c) Fungus
- Marking note: Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom. They are not plants (no chlorophyll), not animals, and not bacteria.
7. (b) All living things can move from one place to another by themselves.
- Marking note: This is the false statement. Plants are living things but cannot move from one place to another by themselves (though they can respond to stimuli, e.g., bending towards light).
8. (c) Snake
- Marking note: Snakes are reptiles — they have dry, scaly skin and lay eggs on land. Penguin is a bird; salamander is an amphibian; goldfish is a fish.
9. (c) No, because it does not grow by itself or reproduce.
- Marking note: The balloon appears to "grow" when air is pumped in, but this is not biological growth. It cannot reproduce, respond to stimuli, or carry out life processes on its own.
10. (c) Bougainvillea
- Marking note: Bougainvillea produces flowers. Moss, pine tree, and fern are non-flowering plants.
Section B: Short-Answer Questions (25 marks)
11. (2 marks — 1 mark each)
- Accept any two of the following:
- They need air/water/food to survive.
- They can grow.
- They can reproduce.
- They can respond to changes/stimuli.
- They can move by themselves (animals/plants show movement in some form).
- Common mistake: Saying "they can breathe" — accept only if clarified as needing air/gases for survival.
12. (4 marks — 1 mark each)
| Organism | Classification |
|---|---|
| Eagle | Animal |
| Yeast | Fungus |
| Oak tree | Plant |
| Jellyfish | Animal |
- Marking note: Yeast is a single-celled fungus, not a plant or animal. Jellyfish are animals (cnidarians), not plants.
13. (2 marks)
- A car can move, but it cannot grow, reproduce, or respond to changes by itself. It does not need food, water, or air to survive in the biological sense. Movement alone does not make something a living thing.
- Marking note: Award 1 mark for stating that a car cannot grow/reproduce, and 1 mark for explaining that it does not carry out life processes on its own.
14. (2 marks — 1 mark each)
- Accept any two of the following:
- Flowering plants produce flowers; non-flowering plants do not.
- Flowering plants reproduce by seeds (in fruits); non-flowering plants reproduce by spores.
- Flowering plants often have bright petals to attract pollinators; non-flowering plants do not.
- Common mistake: Saying "flowering plants have leaves but non-flowering plants don't" — this is incorrect; both have leaves.
15. (3 marks)
- Wrongly classified item: Bread
- Reason: Bread is a non-living thing (it is made from processed flour and does not grow, reproduce, or carry out life processes). It should be in the "Non-Living Things" column, not "Living Things."
- Marking note: Award 1 mark for identifying bread, and 2 marks for a clear explanation that it does not show characteristics of living things. Some students may argue bread contains yeast (living), but commercially baked bread has dead yeast — accept either reasoning if logically explained.
16. (4 marks — 1 mark each)
- Accept any valid example for each group:
| Animal Group | Example (any valid) |
|---|---|
| Bird | Eagle / Sparrow / Parrot / Pigeon / Crow |
| Insect | Butterfly / Ant / Bee / Beetle / Grasshopper |
| Amphibian | Frog / Toad / Salamander / Newt |
| Fish | Goldfish / Salmon / Shark / Clownfish / Tuna |
- Common mistake: Whale, dolphin, and seal are mammals, not fish. Penguin is a bird, not a fish.
17. (1 mark)
- Bacteria are single-celled organisms, while plants are multi-celled (or: bacteria do not have chlorophyll/cannot make their own food, while most plants can).
- Marking note: Accept any valid structural or functional difference.
18. (1 mark)
- Responding to changes / stimuli (or: sensitivity to light).
- Marking note: The plant bends towards light (phototropism), showing it responds to environmental changes — a characteristic of living things.
Section C: Structured / Application Questions (15 marks)
19. (6 marks total)
19(a). (3 marks — 1 mark each)
- Accept any three of: butterfly, rose bush, snail, mushroom.
- Marking note: These are all living organisms. Rock, garden hose, and wooden bench are non-living.
19(b). (2 marks — 1 mark each)
- Accept any two of: rock, garden hose, wooden bench.
- Marking note: These do not show characteristics of living things.
19(c). (1 mark)
- Accept any valid characteristic: they both need food/water/air, they can both grow, they can both reproduce, they can both respond to changes, they can both move.
- Marking note: The answer must apply to both organisms.
20. (9 marks total)
20(a). (4 marks — 1 mark each)
| Organism | Group |
|---|---|
| Frog | Animal |
| Fern | Plant |
| Mushroom | Fungus |
| Goldfish | Animal |
- Marking note: Frog and goldfish are both animals but belong to different animal groups (amphibian and fish).
20(b). (1 mark)
- Accept any valid difference:
- Frog is an amphibian (can live on land and in water); goldfish is a fish (lives only in water).
- Frog has moist skin; goldfish has scales.
- Frog breathes through lungs and skin; goldfish breathes through gills.
- Frog can move on land; goldfish cannot.
- Marking note: The difference must be observable or factual.
20(c). (2 marks)
- Ferns are plants because they contain chlorophyll and can make their own food through photosynthesis. Mushrooms are fungi — they do not have chlorophyll and cannot make their own food; they absorb nutrients from decaying matter.
- Marking note: Award 1 mark for stating that ferns can make their own food (photosynthesis), and 1 mark for stating that mushrooms cannot (they are decomposers/absorbers).
20(d). (2 marks)
- The fern can make its own food.
- Explanation: Ferns are green plants that contain chlorophyll, which allows them to carry out photosynthesis using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce food (glucose).
- Marking note: Award 1 mark for identifying the fern, and 1 mark for explaining photosynthesis or the role of chlorophyll. Frog, goldfish, and mushroom cannot make their own food — they are consumers or decomposers.
End of Answer Key