Assessment Items
(what students would see)
FOXES TASK
The diagram shows the feeding relationships between populations of plants and animals in an area. The arrows point from the organisms being eaten to the organisms that eat them.
Which parts of the food web above are living?
A. Caterpillars
B. Foxes
C. Robins
D. Mice
E. All of the above are living
2. The foxes and the mice have a relationship which is best described as:
A. One benefits while the other is harmed.
B. They both benefit from each other.
C. They compete for resources.
D. One benefits while the other is unaffected.
3. A new species that eats only mice becomes part of this food web, greatly reducing the number of mice in this area. If the number of foxes stays the same, what effect would the new species have on the caterpillar population?
Use only the relationships between plants and animals shown in the diagram.
A. The number of caterpillars would increase.
B. The number of caterpillars would stay the same.
C. The number of caterpillars would decrease.
D. The new species eats mice, not caterpillars, so it would make not differences.
4. What reason would you give for your answer?
A. Foxes do not eat caterpillars so it would make no difference.
B. Foxes would eat more robins, so fewer caterpillars would be eaten.
C. Foxes would eat fewer robins, so more caterpillars would be eaten.
D. Fewer mice would mean more space for more robins so there would be fewer caterpillars.
5. Jon claims that grass will grow out of control if the new species is introduced. Using the evidence in this diagram, justify Jon’s argument. Jon’s argument can be justified because…
A. The new species will compete with foxes, and will reduce all other animal populations.
B. The new species only eats mice, and only mice eat the grass.
C. The new species will out compete foxes eventually, and the grass will grow out of control.
D. None of the above.
6. If loggers chopped down all of the trees in a small area, what would happen to the caterpillar population in that area?
A. The caterpillar population would increase.
B. The caterpillar population would decrease.
C. The caterpillar population would stay the same.
D. The caterpillar population would go extinct on earth.
7. Isabelle says, “The number of caterpillars would decrease after the loggers chop down all of the trees.”
Isabelle is ...
A. making a claim
B. providing evidence
C. giving a reason
8. What evidence would support Isabelle’s statement?
A. There are fewer trees in the ecosystem.
B. Foxes eat robins and robins eat caterpillars.
C. Caterpillars eat grass when trees are not available.
D. Caterpillars are not a preferred food of the new species.
9. Nestor says, “If the trees were cut down, the caterpillar population would stay the same because the caterpillars would eat something else instead of trees.” What is the best piece of evidence to support Nestor’s claim?
A. Caterpillars do not eat grass.
B. Caterpillars would be harder for robins to see in the grass.
C. Caterpillars eat grass when trees are not available.
D. Caterpillars are not eaten by mice.
10. All of the foxes in a small area found new places to live when a mining company started digging for copper. The ecosystem became out of balance. What would need to happen so the ecosystem could recover?
A. The new species could eat the robins.
B. The caterpillars could relocate away from the small area.
C. The robins could migrate away from the area.
D. Any of the events above could help the ecosystem stabilize.