Which of these projects would need approval from the science department before testing begins?
Read a Short Informational Passage · ELPAC Grades 6–8 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A brief factual text — a notice, a label, a set of instructions — followed by questions.
Read the notice. Then answer the questions.
Science Fair Entry Rules
Projects for the school science fair may be entered by individual students or by teams of no more than three. Every project must include a display board and a lab notebook with a dated entry for each step of the investigation. Projects that involve live animals must be approved by the science department before any testing begins; projects that use plants, soil or water samples do not need approval. Entry forms are due in Room 21 two weeks before the fair. A late form will be accepted only if a teacher has signed it, and projects with late forms are placed on a waiting list and given a table only if one is still open.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Which of these projects would need approval from the science department before testing begins?
- Measuring how fast bean plants grow under different colored lights
- Testing whether mealworms move toward light or toward darknessCorrect answer
- Comparing how quickly water drains through sand and through clay
- Checking samples of tap water and creek water for cloudiness
Why “Testing whether mealworms move toward light or toward darkness” is correct
This tests applying a rule from a notice to new examples, which is a step beyond finding the rule. The notice says projects involving "live animals" need approval, while those using "plants, soil or water samples" do not. Mealworms are live animals, so only that project needs approval; each of the other choices falls into one of the categories the notice exempts.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Measuring how fast bean plants grow under different colored lights — Bean plants are plants, and the notice says plant projects do not need approval.
- Comparing how quickly water drains through sand and through clay — Sand and clay are soil samples, which the notice lists as not needing approval.
- Checking samples of tap water and creek water for cloudiness — Water samples are named in the notice as not needing approval.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.