Choose the Best Explanation

Question 1

Mia wrote: I left an ice cube on the plate in the hot sun. After ten minutes, it turned into a small puddle. Which sentence belongs next in her explanation?

Accepted Answer

The heat from the sun melted the ice into water.

Answer

The plate began to crack from the heat.

Answer

The ice cube rolled off the plate by itself.

Answer

The sun dried up all the water completely.

Question 2

Carlo is explaining why his shoes got muddy after the rain. Which sentence does NOT help explain it?

Accepted Answer

Carlo's shoes are blue with white laces.

Answer

Rain fell and made the ground soft and wet.

Answer

Carlo walked across the wet, muddy yard.

Answer

Wet soil sticks easily to the bottom of shoes.

Question 3

Rosa is writing why the puddle in her yard dried up. Which sentence best opens her explanation?

Accepted Answer

Each day the hot sun heated the puddle a little more.

Answer

The puddle turned into a small pond overnight.

Answer

Rosa's dog drank the whole puddle in one gulp.

Answer

The puddle was already dry before the rain came.

Question 4

Mila is writing about the salty sea. Which sentence best explains why it is salty?

Accepted Answer

Rivers wash salt from rocks and soil down into the sea.

Answer

Sea animals put salt into the water as they swim.

Answer

The rain that falls into the sea is salty.

Answer

Wind blows salt from the sand into the sea.

Question 5

Ana wrote: I walked across the wet pavement, and my footprints showed. By afternoon, the footprints were gone. Which sentence belongs next?

Accepted Answer

The sun's heat dried up the water in the footprints.

Answer

Someone walked over the footprints and rubbed them away.

Answer

The pavement soaked up all the color from her shoes.

Answer

Wind pushed the footprints into the grass nearby.

Question 6

Ben must explain why sweets make holes in teeth. Which sentence does that best?

Accepted Answer

Germs turn the sugar into acid, and the acid eats the tooth.

Answer

Hard candy breaks small pieces off the side of the tooth.

Answer

Sugar is heavy and presses on the tooth until it cracks.

Answer

The sweet taste makes the tooth soft and weak.

Question 7

Ana wrote: I cut the banana at ten. By noon the cut part was brown. Which sentence comes next in her explanation?

Accepted Answer

Air touched the cut part and slowly turned it brown.

Answer

Dust from the table stuck to the wet cut.

Answer

The knife left gray marks on the soft fruit.

Answer

The sun burned the cut part of the banana.

Question 8

Jun's text explains why his nail turned rusty. Which sentence does not help explain it?

Accepted Answer

Jun bought the nail at the store near the market.

Answer

Rain wet the nail every night for a whole week.

Answer

Air touched the wet iron nail all week long.

Answer

Water and air together change iron into rust.

Question 9

Dado sees the lightning flash before the thunder comes. Which sentence explains this?

Accepted Answer

Light travels much faster than sound, so it arrives first.

Answer

The lightning happens first, and the thunder starts later.

Answer

The thunder is far away, but the lightning is near.

Answer

The clouds hold the sound in until the rain falls.

Question 10

Ben's paper boat floated at first, but after a while it sank in the tub. Which sentence does NOT help explain it?

Accepted Answer

Ben's paper boat had a blue flag on top.

Answer

The paper soaked up water as it sat in the tub.

Answer

Wet paper becomes heavy and cannot float as well.

Answer

The soggy paper started to sink lower and lower.

Question 11

Ana wrote: I forgot to water my plant. Now its leaves droop. Which sentence best closes her explanation?

Accepted Answer

Water kept the leaves stiff, and that water is now gone.

Answer

The leaves are heavy with dust from the road.

Answer

The plant is sleeping until the rain comes back.

Answer

The roots grew long and pulled the leaves down.

Question 12

One of these sentences explains why we cannot see stars in the daytime. Which one?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight makes the sky so bright that the stars are hidden.

Answer

Stars only begin to shine after the sun goes down.

Answer

Clouds cover the stars every morning at sunrise.

Answer

The stars hide behind the moon in the daytime.

Question 13

Mila is writing why her sidewalk chalk drawing washed away. Which sentence best opens her explanation?

Accepted Answer

Rain began to fall hard on the sidewalk.

Answer

The drawing looked bright and colorful that morning.

Answer

Mila drew a big yellow sun and green trees.

Answer

The sidewalk was warm from the afternoon sun.

Question 14

Nena's text explains why her family boils drinking water. Which sentence gives the real reason?

Accepted Answer

The heat kills the germs that live in the water.

Answer

Boiling makes the water lighter and easier to drink.

Answer

The bubbles push the dirt up to the top.

Answer

Hot water tastes cleaner than cold water does.

Question 15

Mila wrote: The bread sat in the warm, damp kitchen. Green mold grew on it. Which sentence fits next in the explanation?

Accepted Answer

Mold from the air landed there and grew in the warm damp.

Answer

The bread dried out and slowly turned into mold.

Answer

The green color came out of the flour inside.

Answer

Cold air from the window turned the bread green.

Question 16

Jun wrote: I left my balloon on the car seat. The car sat in the hot sun all day. By afternoon, the balloon had popped. Which sentence belongs next?

Accepted Answer

The hot air inside the balloon grew bigger until it popped.

Answer

Someone in the car poked the balloon with a pin.

Answer

The balloon's color faded in the bright sunlight.

Answer

Cold air from the vent made the balloon shrink and tear.

Question 17

Rosa wrote: Steam from the rice pot rises to the ceiling. Which sentence best closes her explanation?

Accepted Answer

Warm air is lighter than cool air, so it goes up.

Answer

The pot lid pushes the steam straight up.

Answer

The steam is looking for a way out of the room.

Answer

The ceiling pulls the steam up toward itself.

Question 18

Ben wrote: I stirred hot soup with a metal spoon. Soon the handle was hot. Which sentence belongs next?

Accepted Answer

Heat moved from the soup along the metal to the handle.

Answer

The metal made its own heat when it got wet.

Answer

Stirring rubbed the spoon and made it warm.

Answer

Metal is heavy, so it always feels warm.

Question 19

Lito explains why his ball stopped rolling on the grass. Which sentence does not help?

Accepted Answer

The ball is blue with a white ring around it.

Answer

Rubbing on the grass slowed the rolling ball down.

Answer

The rough grass dragged on the ball as it rolled.

Answer

Blades of wet grass pushed back on the ball.

Question 20

Ana kept a plant in a dark room for a week and it died. Which sentence explains what happened?

Accepted Answer

The leaves need light to make food for the plant.

Answer

The plant could not see where it should grow next.

Answer

Plants get cold in the dark and freeze at night.

Answer

The dark room had no water in the air.

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Choose the Best Explanation

Ways to Play

Device Games: Students play on their phones

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Board Games: Teacher-led, projected to the class

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Zombie Escape

Avalanche

Maze Blast

Cave Climb

Blast Out

Mystery Auction

Tour Guide

Food Truck Rush

Tug of War

Bug Blast

Alien Blast

Glacier Rush

BlastRace

BlastQuiz

BlastBoard

Seek & Destroy

Mystery Blast

Checkers

Texas Hold 'Em

Da Bomb

Castle Siege

Hot Potato

Market Mayhem

King of the Hill

Bank Heist

Top Corner

Choose the Best Explanation

Ways to Play

Device Games: Students play on their phones

Blast Go

Board Games: Teacher-led, projected to the class

Like what you see?

More like this

Zombie Escape

Avalanche

Maze Blast

Cave Climb

Blast Out

Mystery Auction

Tour Guide

Food Truck Rush

Tug of War

Bug Blast

Alien Blast

Glacier Rush

BlastRace

BlastQuiz

BlastBoard

Seek & Destroy

Mystery Blast

Checkers

Texas Hold 'Em

Da Bomb

Castle Siege

Hot Potato

Market Mayhem

King of the Hill

Bank Heist

Top Corner