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FLASHSALE
In this blog post, we're breaking down the science content you'll see on your elementary education certification exam. Science is split into three categories: earth and space science, life science, and physical science. For each one, I'll walk you through the key topics to study and a practice question so you can see how these items are written.
If you're preparing for the Praxis 5005 Science or Praxis 7005 Science, this review will help you focus on what matters most.
The Three Science Categories at a Glance
|
Category |
What it covers |
|---|---|
|
Earth and space science |
Everything on and around the planet, from rocks and volcanoes to the solar system |
|
Life science |
All things biology, from DNA to cells, tissues, organs, organisms, and ecosystems |
|
Physical science |
All things physics and chemistry, including the periodic table, atoms, molecules, mixtures, and simple machines |
One thread runs through all three: inquiry. We'll come back to it at the end, because it's the single most useful strategy for this subtest.
Earth and Space Science
Earth and space science questions focus on how our planet works and where it sits in the solar system. Some of this content overlaps with social studies, since landforms and the earth's crust show up there too.
Key topics to review:
- The earth, moon, sun, and stars, including moon phases, tides, and eclipses
- The structure of the solar system
- Earth systems such as the water cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle
- The earth's crust, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the rock cycle
- Inquiry, which is central to every science category
You also need to distinguish between the earth's spheres:
|
Sphere |
What it includes |
|---|---|
|
Geosphere |
Rocks and land |
|
Hydrosphere |
Water |
|
Atmosphere |
The gases around us |
|
Biosphere |
All living things |
|
Cryosphere |
All the ice |
Keep in mind that these systems connect. The water cycle, for example, also shows up in life science, because every living thing depends on it to survive.
Practice question: Why do we have seasons?
A common question asks why it's warmer in summer than in winter. The best approach is to work through the answer choices and eliminate what you know is wrong.
- Earth moves significantly closer to the sun in summer. No. In fact, the Northern Hemisphere is closest to the sun in early January, in the middle of winter.
- The sun's energy output increases in summer and decreases in winter. Also false.
- Earth's rotation slows down. If that happened, we'd be in serious trouble, so this one is out too.
- The tilt of the earth's axis. Correct. As the earth orbits, its tilt points one hemisphere more directly toward the sun, which means more direct sunlight and longer days.
Test tip: When you see the earth's tilt in an answer choice on a seasons question, it's very likely the right answer. NASA's explanation of how the earth's tilt causes the seasons is a great resource for reviewing this concept.
Life Science
Life science questions test how living things are organized and how they depend on each other.
Key topics to review:
- Cell theory and the parts of a cell
- Body systems
- Interdependence, which is very important on this exam
- Food webs and food chains
- Producers, consumers, and decomposers
- Life cycles
- Inquiry
Practice question: What happens in a food web?
In a forest food web, wolves eat deer and deer eat shrubs. A disease wipes out most of the deer population. What is the most likely outcome?
The answer choices use a parallel structure, such as "wolf population increases, shrub population decreases" and "wolf population decreases, shrub population increases." Because every choice looks similar, you can't eliminate anything at a glance. You have to trace the food web.
- The wolves lose their main food source, so the wolf population decreases.
- The shrubs are no longer being eaten by deer, so the shrub population increases.
That makes "wolf population decreases, shrub population increases" the correct answer.
This plays out in real life, too. In Florida, the panther population is very low, and many people would love to see it grow. But predators need prey, and supporting more panthers would require a dramatic increase in the deer population. Predator and prey populations are always connected.
Physical Science
Physical science questions cover matter, energy, and motion.
Key topics to review:
- Physical changes versus chemical changes
- Forces and motion
- Electricity and circuits, including series and parallel circuits and conductors
- Forms of energy, such as kinetic, potential, and thermal
- Simple machines, such as the lever, pulley, and wedge
- Inquiry
Practice question: Physical or chemical change?
A student leaves bread on the counter for several days. It turns green and grows mold. Is this a physical change, a chemical change, or neither?
The answer is a chemical change. Here's how to tell the difference:
|
Type of change |
What happens |
Examples |
|---|---|---|
|
Physical change |
The form or appearance changes, but the substance stays the same |
Breaking, cutting, melting, freezing |
|
Chemical change |
The molecules themselves change, producing a new substance with different properties |
Bread molding, iron rusting, wood burning |
When bread molds, new substances form that weren't there before, so it's a chemical change. Remember, too, that matter is never created or destroyed. It only changes form.
The rule to remember: chemical changes produce new substances with different properties.
The Most Important Strategy: Inquiry
Inquiry shows up in every science category, and it's the most important thing you can help students do. Science is all about curiosity: asking questions, making predictions, observing, and testing ideas.
Test tip: If you see inquiry, curiosity, or student-led investigation in an answer choice, nine times out of ten it's the right answer.
Keep Preparing
Want more practice? Take our free Praxis 5001 Practice Test. It covers all four Elementary Education subtests, including science, so you can see where you stand and what to review next.
Science is just one piece of your elementary education exam. Strengthen the rest of your prep with our Praxis Elementary Education resources, and find more test-taking strategies on Test Strategy Playlist.
You can also check out the Praxis 5001 Study Companion and the Praxis 7001 Study Companion, or visit the ETS Praxis website for official test specifications and registration details.
🎬 Watch the full video for more practice questions and science subtest strategies 🎬
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