comprehensive study guide and mock Objective
Assessment (OA) for WGU D678 / D671: Elementary
Science Curriculum.
actual WGU OA contains around 70-75 question High-
Yield 75-Question Master Exam. 2026
Domain 1: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) & 3D Learning
1. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are built on three dimensions. Which of the
following is NOT one of these dimensions?
A) Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)
B) Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)
C) The Scientific Method (TSM)
D) Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: The NGSS moved away from the rigid, linear "Scientific Method." Instead, it utilizes Science
and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to reflect how real scientists work.
2. A teacher asks students to observe how the shape of a bird's beak helps it crack nuts. Which
Crosscutting Concept (CCC) is being applied?
A) Patterns
B) Structure and Function
C) Energy and Matter
D) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: Structure and function is the CCC that focuses on how the shape or physical characteristics of
an object/organism relate to what it does.
3. Students are analyzing data on local rainfall to see if they can predict next month's weather. Which
NGSS dimension are they primarily engaging in?
A) Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)
B) Crosscutting Concepts
C) Disciplinary Core Ideas
D) Constructivism
✔Correct Answer💜💜: A
Rationale: "Analyzing and interpreting data" is one of the 8 Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs).
4. A teacher uses a video of a dry ice bubble expanding and popping as the starting point for a unit on
states of matter. In NGSS terms, the expanding bubble is a:
A) Core Idea
B) Phenomenon
,C) Standard
D) Assessment
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: A phenomenon is an observable event that occurs in the universe that students can use their
science knowledge to explain or predict.
5. Which statement best describes the purpose of Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)?
A) They are the hands-on skills students need to do lab work.
B) They are the overarching themes that connect all science subjects.
C) They are the fundamental scientific concepts and content knowledge students must learn.
D) They are the assessment tools used to grade students.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: DCIs are the specific science content (Earth, Life, Physical science) that students need to
understand.
Domain 2: The 5E Instructional Model & Inquiry
6. During which phase of the 5E model should a teacher introduce new science vocabulary and formal
definitions?
A) Engage
B) Explore
C) Explain
D) Elaborate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: In the Explain phase, students share their findings from the Explore phase, and the teacher
introduces formal academic vocabulary to attach to the concepts the students just experienced.
7. A teacher brings a mystery box into the classroom. When shaken, it makes a rattling noise. The
teacher asks the students what they think is inside. Which 5E phase is this?
A) Engage
B) Explore
C) Elaborate
D) Evaluate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: A
Rationale: The Engage phase is designed to capture student interest, access prior knowledge, and spark
curiosity.
8. In the Explore phase of a lesson on magnetism, what should the students be doing?
A) Reading a textbook chapter on magnetic fields.
B) Taking a quiz on the types of metals that are magnetic.
C) Testing various classroom objects with a bar magnet to see what sticks.
D) Listening to the teacher explain how magnets work.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
, Rationale: The Explore phase provides students with a common, hands-on experience where they
investigate concepts without direct instruction.
9. A class just finished learning about how plants need sunlight to grow. The teacher asks them to
design a garden for a shaded area of the schoolyard. Which 5E phase does this represent?
A) Explore
B) Explain
C) Elaborate
D) Evaluate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: The Elaborate phase requires students to apply their newly acquired knowledge to a new,
real-world situation or problem.
10. Which action is most appropriate for the Evaluate phase?
A) Hooking the students with a video.
B) Letting students play with soil samples.
C) Having students create a model and use a rubric to self-assess.
D) The teacher lecturing on a topic.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: Evaluation involves both teacher assessment and student self-assessment of their
understanding of the learning objectives.
11. Which level of inquiry provides students with the question, the materials, and the procedure, but
leaves the outcome unknown?
A) Open Inquiry
B) Guided Inquiry
C) Structured Inquiry
D) Confirmation Lab
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: In Structured Inquiry, the teacher gives the question and procedure, but students must
discover the ✔Correct Answer💜💜. (Guided inquiry provides the question, but students design the
procedure).
12. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher's primary role is as a:
A) Lecturer
B) Facilitator
C) Director
D) Assessor
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: Constructivism posits that students build their own knowledge through experiences. The
teacher facilitates this by guiding exploration rather than directly giving ✔Correct Answer💜💜s.
13. A student believes that heavy objects fall faster than light objects. The teacher drops a book and a
piece of crumpled paper simultaneously to show they hit the ground at the same time. The teacher is
helping the student overcome a:
A) Phenomenon
Assessment (OA) for WGU D678 / D671: Elementary
Science Curriculum.
actual WGU OA contains around 70-75 question High-
Yield 75-Question Master Exam. 2026
Domain 1: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) & 3D Learning
1. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are built on three dimensions. Which of the
following is NOT one of these dimensions?
A) Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)
B) Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)
C) The Scientific Method (TSM)
D) Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: The NGSS moved away from the rigid, linear "Scientific Method." Instead, it utilizes Science
and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to reflect how real scientists work.
2. A teacher asks students to observe how the shape of a bird's beak helps it crack nuts. Which
Crosscutting Concept (CCC) is being applied?
A) Patterns
B) Structure and Function
C) Energy and Matter
D) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: Structure and function is the CCC that focuses on how the shape or physical characteristics of
an object/organism relate to what it does.
3. Students are analyzing data on local rainfall to see if they can predict next month's weather. Which
NGSS dimension are they primarily engaging in?
A) Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)
B) Crosscutting Concepts
C) Disciplinary Core Ideas
D) Constructivism
✔Correct Answer💜💜: A
Rationale: "Analyzing and interpreting data" is one of the 8 Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs).
4. A teacher uses a video of a dry ice bubble expanding and popping as the starting point for a unit on
states of matter. In NGSS terms, the expanding bubble is a:
A) Core Idea
B) Phenomenon
,C) Standard
D) Assessment
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: A phenomenon is an observable event that occurs in the universe that students can use their
science knowledge to explain or predict.
5. Which statement best describes the purpose of Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)?
A) They are the hands-on skills students need to do lab work.
B) They are the overarching themes that connect all science subjects.
C) They are the fundamental scientific concepts and content knowledge students must learn.
D) They are the assessment tools used to grade students.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: DCIs are the specific science content (Earth, Life, Physical science) that students need to
understand.
Domain 2: The 5E Instructional Model & Inquiry
6. During which phase of the 5E model should a teacher introduce new science vocabulary and formal
definitions?
A) Engage
B) Explore
C) Explain
D) Elaborate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: In the Explain phase, students share their findings from the Explore phase, and the teacher
introduces formal academic vocabulary to attach to the concepts the students just experienced.
7. A teacher brings a mystery box into the classroom. When shaken, it makes a rattling noise. The
teacher asks the students what they think is inside. Which 5E phase is this?
A) Engage
B) Explore
C) Elaborate
D) Evaluate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: A
Rationale: The Engage phase is designed to capture student interest, access prior knowledge, and spark
curiosity.
8. In the Explore phase of a lesson on magnetism, what should the students be doing?
A) Reading a textbook chapter on magnetic fields.
B) Taking a quiz on the types of metals that are magnetic.
C) Testing various classroom objects with a bar magnet to see what sticks.
D) Listening to the teacher explain how magnets work.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
, Rationale: The Explore phase provides students with a common, hands-on experience where they
investigate concepts without direct instruction.
9. A class just finished learning about how plants need sunlight to grow. The teacher asks them to
design a garden for a shaded area of the schoolyard. Which 5E phase does this represent?
A) Explore
B) Explain
C) Elaborate
D) Evaluate
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: The Elaborate phase requires students to apply their newly acquired knowledge to a new,
real-world situation or problem.
10. Which action is most appropriate for the Evaluate phase?
A) Hooking the students with a video.
B) Letting students play with soil samples.
C) Having students create a model and use a rubric to self-assess.
D) The teacher lecturing on a topic.
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: Evaluation involves both teacher assessment and student self-assessment of their
understanding of the learning objectives.
11. Which level of inquiry provides students with the question, the materials, and the procedure, but
leaves the outcome unknown?
A) Open Inquiry
B) Guided Inquiry
C) Structured Inquiry
D) Confirmation Lab
✔Correct Answer💜💜: C
Rationale: In Structured Inquiry, the teacher gives the question and procedure, but students must
discover the ✔Correct Answer💜💜. (Guided inquiry provides the question, but students design the
procedure).
12. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher's primary role is as a:
A) Lecturer
B) Facilitator
C) Director
D) Assessor
✔Correct Answer💜💜: B
Rationale: Constructivism posits that students build their own knowledge through experiences. The
teacher facilitates this by guiding exploration rather than directly giving ✔Correct Answer💜💜s.
13. A student believes that heavy objects fall faster than light objects. The teacher drops a book and a
piece of crumpled paper simultaneously to show they hit the ground at the same time. The teacher is
helping the student overcome a:
A) Phenomenon
