Exam Questions for Nature Study
Suggested exam questions, from easiest to more challenging, organized by topic
General Nature Study Questions:
Tell everything you can remember about your favorite nature discovery this term.
Describe the nicest walk you have had this term. What did you find?
Write notes, with drawings, on the special studies you have made this term.
What circumstances strike you in a walk in summer (autumn/winter/spring)?
Write, in the style of Gilbert White, a letter on, a), the birds, or, b), the pond life, or, c), the small mammals of your neighbourhood.
General Animal Questions:
How does your favorite animal live and work?
Tell the story of an animal you've read about this term, with drawings.
What do you know of the Herbivora? What animals does this class include? Give a life sketch of one of them.
What do you know of a), the manatee, b), the whalebone whale (sketch of skeleton), c) porpoises and dolphins?
Mammals
Describe a mammal that flies or swims.
Tell everything you know about 2 different mammals you have studied this term.
Tell what you know about a a) cat, b) squirrel, b) rabbit, or c) dog that you've seen, OR, about a flying animal (that is not a bird).
Tell everything you can about an animal you've seen in the zoo or in the park. OR What do you know about a) the elephant, b) the rhinoceros?
What do you know about the polar bear and the country he lives in? OR What can you tell about a), a gorilla, b), a chimpanzee, c) a baboon?
Describe 2 mammals you have studied this term, include an explanation of what makes them mammals.
List all the 'mammals' you've seen this term (or ever), 1) describe two of them from memory OR 2) Tell the scientific classification that you know: order, family, genus, species.
Birds
Describe a bird you've studied this term. Tell about its life.
Tell everything you know about feathers.
What do you know about birds' beaks or feet, what does this tell us about the birds that have them?
Describe three kinds of birds' nests. OR Identify the different kinds of feathers, describe what each type is for.
Tell about two birds you have seen at your birdfeeder or in your yard this term, and about two birds of prey.
Name all the birds you've seen this term, describe your favorite in detail OR draw a picture from memory.
Reptiles
Tell everything you know about an animal with scales.
Where does a snake live and how does it eat? Tell everything that you know about turtles.
Describe a reptile common to your area and draw a picture from memory.
List as many reptiles as you can think of, describe one in detail (where it lives, what it eats, what it looks like).
Tell what makes an animal a reptile. Describe one OR provide a detailed sketch from memory. Include any scientific information that you know: order, family, genus, species.
Amphibians
Describe a frog, toad or salamander you've seen.
Tell everything you know about an amphibian you've studied this term.
Tell the story of a frog from egg to grown up. Tell about his home and life. Give your story a title.
Make a diagram which shows the life cycle of a frog or newt.
List all the amphibians you know of in your area and where and when they may be found.
Give 1-2 drawings of amphibians you've studied and include any scientific information that you know: order, family, genus, species.
Fish
Tell everything you know about fish.
Name and label a fishes' parts. OR Describe how a fish uses each of his fins.
Describe how a fish breathes under water.
List the fish common to your area. Describe two that you've studied.
List as many freshwater fish and salt-water fish you can. Describe one of each. Include a drawing.
Insects
Describe a particular insect you've studied this term, including its life and work.
Tell everything you know about a a)bee, b)moth, c)ant, or d) butterfly. Where do they make their home?
What do you know about bees? OR Tell everything you know about a a) beetle, b) grasshopper, c) firefly or d) cicada.
Describe a butterfly you have watched recently. Diagram its life cycle. Label appropriately.
Describe what makes an insect an insect. Include a diagram.
Describe, with drawing if possible, a cockroach, a grasshopper, a caddis fly, a dragon fly.
Invertebrates (other than insects)
Tell everything you know about spiders. How do they live and work?
Describe a 1) spider, OR 2) an earthworm, OR 3) another invertebrate, you've studied. Tell what you know about its life.
Tell the story of a slime animal's life. Describe its parts and how they help him.
List as many invertebrates as you can think of. Describe 2 of them, include a drawing.
Describe an invertebrate that lives in the sea OR that lives underground. Include a drawing (and any scientific information that you know: order, family, genus, species).
General Plant Questions:
Explain 'the leaves are the food factories of the plant.'
What are the things a plant needs to live?
What methods of leaf-protection are employed by herbs and trees?
Wildflowers/Flowerless plants
Describe two wildflowers you have found OR draw a picture from memory.
Tell everything you know about seeds OR Describe the different parts of a flower.
Describe one of each of the following that you have found: fungi, fern, moss. OR Tell everything you know about one of the flowerless plants you've studied.
Make a list of six wild flowers you have found and describe two of them OR Tell what you know about a parasitic plant.
Tell in detail, everything you know about ferns. Give a drawing and label parts.
Describe, with drawings, 2 wildflowers you would expect to find in a) the woods, b) in the field, c) on the mountain, or d) in the desert.
Describe in detail the lily family. Name some other monocotelydons.
Garden flowers/Weeds
Describe, with drawings, the growth of a seedling. OR How do its leaves work for the plant?
Name 8-10 decorative flowers that grow in your garden/neighborhood. Describe two or more.
If a weed is a plant growing where we wish something else will grow. . . Describe two weeds from your garden/yard/neighborhood. Tell how you know it from the 'good' plants.
Name 1-2 poisonous weeds in your area. Tell how you know to avoid coming in contact with it. What happens if you do?
Draw a detailed sketch from memory of your favorite (1-3) flower that you've studied this term. OR Label the parts of a flower.
Describe botanically a daffodil, a tulip, an arum.
Tell how geography and climate affect plant life grow in your area. List 3 plants that thrive, and 3 that would not survive.
Cultivated crops
Tell everything you know about one of the crops grown near your home, or in your county/state.
Tell the story of a turnip. How do plants store food? (sub potato, carrot or other root vegetable)
Describe a crop that is cultivated in your area. Tell about its harvest. Include a drawing.
Tell everything you know about a) corn, b) alfalfa, c) cotton, d) strawberry (sub according to location) OR, e)local crop plant.
Name 3 crops important to the economy of the U.S. (Canada). What regional geographical features make these crops successful?
Trees, shrubs and woody vines
Draw a picture of a tree or shrub you have studied. Tell everything you know about it.
Name and describe the parts of a tree and how the tree changes during the different seasons.
Tell the story of one of the trees you've studied, from seed to tree. Draw a sketch to illustrate.
Describe, with drawings, a) the buds and flowers of a particular tree, b) its fruit and/or seeds, OR Tell everything you know about 2 different kinds of root systems, illustrate.
Describe, with drawings, the twigs and buds of the a) oak, b) sycamore, c) beech, d) willow, e) hazel (sub in trees common to your area).
What methods of leaf-protection are employed by herbs and trees?
Water/Earth/Sky Topics
Brook, river and ocean
Tell everything you know about the ocean.
Tell the story of a brook or river starting from its source to its end. Draw a picture.
Describe a brook you've explored from source to end. :: Is it crooked and steep, or straight and level? Rocky, sandy, muddy? Fast, slow? Full of life, polluted? Shady, sunny?
What is a glacier and how is it formed? Give a diagram. OR Describe some of the motions of the sea.
Tell everything you know about seasonal changes in a brook or river near you.
Water can take on the three forms of matter in succession. Give and describe examples from nature.
Rocks, minerals and soil
Tell everything you know about fossils.
Name several different kinds of rocks. Tell how they were formed OR Tell where you might find each of them.
List as many minerals you can think of. Describe a mineral you have seen for yourself this term.
How are mountains formed? What is a volcano? Give a diagram. OR How are canyons formed? Describe the sedimentary layers. Include a diagram.
Describe 2-3 different kinds of soil. Tell what soil is made up of, and why it is a valuable resource.
What plant fossils may be found, and in what kinds of rocks do they occur?
Describe (a), quartz crystals, (b), felspar, c), mica, (d), hornblende. In what rock do these occur?
Tell everything you know about the magnet.
Clouds/Weather/Climate
Tell everything you know about clouds.
Tell how the weather makes you feel. Assign each season with a color. OR Describe how different kinds of weather help people and/or the earth.
Describe the typical weather for 1) spring, 2) summer, 3) autumn, 4) winter, where you live.
List the different kinds of clouds. Give a drawing of each.
Water can take on the three forms of matter in succession. Give and describe examples from nature.
List the components of air. OR Tell everything you know about what causes a storm.
Describe the effect the ocean has on the weather. OR On a map trace the path of the prevailing winds.
Stars/Sky
Trace the path of the sun throughout the day. (moon/night) Where does it come up, go down? How does it change throughout the seasons?
Tell everything you know about the sun, moon and/or stars.
What is a star, a comet, a planet? Can you make a drawing of Saturn?
List the phases of the moon, with drawings.
Make a diagram which shows the sun and the planets. Tell about any recent discoveries.
What are the three great systems of shooting stars? How is it that they are visible to us? When may we expect them?
Make a chart of a) Perseus, OR b) of a constellation you have watched this term, and its neighbouring stars.
Describe the surface of the moon, and explain what is meant by 'the phases of the moon.'