According to Mr. Salazar, what would make Dana lose points?
Listen to a Classroom Conversation · ELPAC Grades 6–8 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A multiple-turn conversation between two speakers, followed by three questions.
Listen to the conversation between Dana and Mr. Salazar. Then answer the questions.
When the Hypothesis Is Wrong
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Dana: Mr. Salazar, our plant experiment didn't work. We thought the plants under the blue light would grow the tallest, but the ones under the white light did.
Mr. Salazar: That doesn't mean it didn't work. It means your hypothesis wasn't supported. That's a result, and it's worth reporting.
Dana: But won't I lose points for being wrong?
Mr. Salazar: Not for being wrong. You lose points if your conclusion ignores your data. Scientists are wrong all the time. The useful ones explain what they found.
Dana: So should I change my hypothesis so it matches what happened?
Mr. Salazar: No. Leave it exactly the way you wrote it. In your conclusion, say what you predicted, what actually happened, and one reason the results might have turned out that way. Then suggest what you would test next.
Dana: Like checking whether the white lamp was brighter than the blue one?
Mr. Salazar: That's exactly the kind of thing I mean.
The question
Choose the best answer.
According to Mr. Salazar, what would make Dana lose points?
- Having a hypothesis that turned out to be wrong
- Writing a conclusion that ignores her dataCorrect answer
- Suggesting a new experiment to try next
- Using a white lamp instead of a blue one
Why “Writing a conclusion that ignores her data” is correct
The key line answers Dana's worry directly: "Not for being wrong. You lose points if your conclusion ignores your data." This tests whether a student can hold a speaker's correction of a mistaken idea. The most tempting wrong answer is exactly the belief Mr. Salazar is correcting.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Having a hypothesis that turned out to be wrong — This is what Dana fears, and Mr. Salazar says plainly that she will not lose points for it.
- Suggesting a new experiment to try next — Suggesting a next test is something he asks her to do in the conclusion.
- Using a white lamp instead of a blue one — The white lamp was part of the experiment design and is not something she is graded down for.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 6–8, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 6–8. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.