Primary 4 Science Practice Paper 1

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper — Science Primary 4

Answer Key — Diversity (Version 1 of 5)

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions (10 marks)

1. C — Grass is a living thing (a plant). Rocks, pencils, and plastic bags are non-living.

2. C — A river is a non-living thing. Butterflies, mushrooms, and chickens are living things.

3. B — All living things can grow. Not all living things can fly, are green, or live on land.

4. C — Living things DO respond to changes around them. This is one of the key characteristics of life.

5. B — A seed germinating into a seedling shows growth, which is a characteristic of living things.

6. C — Diversity means there are many different types of living and non-living things in our environment.

7. B — A fern is a plant. Dogs, earthworms, and eagles are animals.

8. C — A goldfish is an animal. Roses are plants; bread mould and mushrooms are fungi.

9. C — A mushroom is a fungus. It is not a plant because it does not have leaves, roots, or make its own food through photosynthesis.

10. B — A wooden chair was once part of a living tree but is now a non-living object. The tree, fish, and flower are currently living.

Section B: Short-Answer Questions (20 marks)

11. (2 marks — 1 mark per correct difference)

Accept any two of the following:

• Living things can grow; non-living things cannot grow.
• Living things need food, water, and air; non-living things do not.
• Living things can reproduce; non-living things cannot.
• Living things can respond to changes; non-living things do not respond on their own.
• Living things can move (some); non-living things cannot move on their own.

Marking note: Award 1 mark for each valid, distinct difference. Do not award marks for vague answers such as "living things are alive."

12. (2 marks — ½ mark per correct classification)

Marking note: Coral is a living organism (a marine animal), even though the outer skeleton may appear rock-like. This is a common misconception — accept "Living" only.

13. (2 marks — 1 mark per correct example)

Accept any two living things commonly found in a garden, such as:

• Ants, butterflies, earthworms, grass, flowers, bees, caterpillars, birds, ladybugs, etc.

Marking note: Do not accept non-living things (e.g., bench, soil, watering can).

14. (a) (1 mark) Accept any one characteristic of living things: growth, need for food/water/air, reproduction, response to stimuli, respiration, or movement.

(b) (1 mark) A car moves using fuel and an engine, not on its own. It cannot grow, reproduce, or respond to changes by itself. Movement alone does not make something a living thing.

Marking note: The key point is that a car lacks other characteristics of living things or that its movement is not self-driven.

15. (a) Classification: Living thing (1 mark) Reason: A frog can grow, reproduce, needs food and water, and responds to changes. (1 mark)

(b) Classification: Non-living thing (1 mark) Reason: A stone cannot grow, reproduce, or respond to changes. (1 mark)

Marking note: Award the classification mark independently. The reason must match the classification to earn the second mark.

16. (a) (1 mark) A fungus is a type of living thing that cannot make its own food. It gets food from other living or dead things. Examples include mushrooms, mould, and yeast.

(b) (1 mark) No, a mushroom is not a plant. It is a fungus. Unlike plants, mushrooms do not have leaves, roots, or chlorophyll, and they cannot make their own food through photosynthesis.

17. (2 marks — 1 mark per correct difference)

Accept any two of the following:

• Animals can move from place to place; most plants are fixed in one place.
• Animals need to eat other organisms for food; plants make their own food through photosynthesis.
• Animals have sense organs; plants do not.
• Animals respond quickly to stimuli; plants respond slowly.

18. (2 marks) Understanding diversity helps us:

• Appreciate the variety of life around us.
• Understand how different living things depend on each other and their environment.
• Protect and conserve different species and their habitats.
• Learn how to care for living things properly.

Marking note: Award 1 mark for each valid point, up to 2 marks. Answers should show awareness of why diversity matters, not just a definition of diversity.

Section C: Structured / Application Questions (10 marks)

19. (5 marks)

(a) (3 marks — 1 mark per correct living thing) Accept any three of: fish, water lilies, frogs.

Marking note: Do not accept water, rocks, or sunlight as living things.

(b) (2 marks — 1 mark per correct non-living thing) Accept any two of: rocks, water, sunlight.

20. (5 marks)

(a) (4 marks — ½ mark per correct placement; all 8 must be correctly sorted for full marks)

Marking note:

• Bird's nest is non-living (it is made from parts of living things but is not itself alive).
• Stream (water) is non-living.
• Clouds are non-living.
• Deduct ½ mark per misplaced item.

(b) (1 mark) No, the bird's nest is not a living thing. It is made from twigs and leaves (parts of living things), but the nest itself cannot grow, reproduce, or carry out life processes.

Marking note: The key reasoning is that although the materials came from living things, the nest itself does not exhibit characteristics of life.

End of Answer Key

Note: This practice paper was generated using syllabus-aligned templates. While it follows the style and difficulty of typical Primary 4 Science assessments in Singapore, it is not derived from actual past-year examination papers. It is intended as supplementary practice material.