Sample Assessment Items
This is not meant to be printed off and given as a test…this document is to give you ideas of how this standard might be assessed. Please use these as an example when you are developing your own formative assessments. Remember formative assessment is to be given throughout the teaching of a standard to help you guide your instruction based on students needs. A good formative assessment should have a mix of multiple choice as well as open ended.
S5P3 Students will investigate electricity, magnetism, and their relationship.
b. Determine the necessary components for completing an electric circuit.
Multiple Choice:
The lights in a house are not working properly. Every time one light switch is turned on, all the lights in the house turn on. When it is turned off, each light also turns off. Which best describes the problem?
a. There are no series circuits in the house.
b. The house cannot support electrical current.
c. The house has a series circuit when it should have a parallel circuit.
d. The house has a parallel circuit when it should have a circuit breaker.
Answer: c
Jeff made the circuit in the drawing below.
What does he need to add to complete the circuit?
a. a switch
b. a magnet
c. another bulb
d. another battery
Answer: a
Seven light bulbs are connected to one electrical socket. When one bulb burns out, the others continue to shine. Which is true about the bulbs?
a. They are part of a series circuit.
b. They are part of an open circuit.
c. They are part of a circuit breaker.
d. They are part of a parallel circuit.
Answer: d
What is the purpose of the switch in an electrical circuit?
a. to turn current electricity on and off
b. to transfer current electricity to the load
c. to connect the load and the power source
d. to change a series circuit to a parallel circuit
Answer: a
A student made the circuit above. Which is the best prediction about what will happen when the switch is turned to “ON”?
a. The bulb may not light because it is burned out.
b. The bulb will not light because the battery is dead.
c. The circuit was made with a battery, a switch, and a bulb.
d. The bulb will not light because the wire is not connected.
Answer: d
Which is the safest way to conduct an experiment with electrical circuits?
a. Do not conduct the experiment indoors.
b. Do not conduct the experiment near water.
c. Do not conduct the experiment with wires.
d. Do not conduct the experiment with a power source.
Answer: b
A string of holiday lights does not light when it is plugged into a socket. After checking all of the light bulbs, you find one was burnt out. After you replace this bulb, all of the lights in the holiday string light when the string is plugged into the socket. This string is an example of what kind of circuit?
a. closed
b. open
c. parallel
d. series
Answer: d
Which of these describes what happens in an open circuit?
a. If one bulb burns out, others stay on.
b. Electric current flows through the circuit.
c. If one bulb burns out, all others go out also.
d. Electric current does not flow through the circuit.
Answer: d
Rustin gathered these objects to create a circuit.
What is Rustin missing that would complete the circuit?
a. a battery
b. another wire
c. another light bulb
d. an electrical outlet
Answer: a
What part of a circuit conducts electricity?
a. battery
b. light bulb
c. switch
d. wire
Answer: d
What part of a circuit can stop the current from flowing?
a. battery
b. light bulb
c. switch
d. wire
Answer: c
The student used some of the supplies in the science kit to build a circuit.
Which circuit would cause the light bulb to glow?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Answer: b
Open ended:
How does a basic electric circuit work?