6th Grade Earth Science Fall Semester Mid-Term Study Guide The fall semester Earth Science mid-term will cover: Plate Tectonics, Rocks and Minerals, Volcanoes and Describing Earth, Weathering and Erosion, and Geologic Time Scale. The mid-term may include 3-4 short answer questions,1-2 sketches to draw and/or label, 3-4 partially filled charts which you should complete, 20 fill in the blank sentences, 3-5 listing questions, and 20-25 multiple choice questions The following information is taken directly from your previous Unit guides and information that should be in your Science Binder. A copy of the teacher binder is online and you may use it as a reference. An answer key for the study guide will also be available online. We will review information in class according the following schedule: Dec. 12 - Complete definitions and fill-in the blank sentences Dec. 14 - Short Answer Practice Jan. 4-5 - In Class review activities, Venn Diagram Vocabulary assignments January 8 - Venn diagram Presentations January 11 - Science Mid-Term Exam and Study Guides due as a test grade After you complete the study guide, you may replace everything in your Science Binder from the Fall Semester with this Study Guide. All mid-term test questions and any future quizzes or final tests will only cover first semester information found on this study guide. Potential short answer questions: (Students are encouraged to write these in their own words, so this key will just list the essential facts. Student answers must be in complete sentences.) What is Pangea? Wegener s Idea Means all lands in Greek All continents combined into one landmass 200-300 million years ago Describe at least 4 pieces of evidence that led Wegener to suggest the theory of Continental Drift. Glacial scars in Africa Tropical Fossils in Antarctica Continents look like a puzzle If continents were pushed together, fossils, mineral deposits and mountains line up
Define the theory of Plate Tectonics. Earth s crust broken into plates Plates move due to convection currents in the mantle Describe how the granite of a mountain could change into sandstone, a sedimentary rock, and then into quartzite, a metamorphic rock. In your paragraph, underline the following words: weathering, erosion, deposition, sediment, heat and pressure and cementation. Weathering breaks off sediment Erosion carries sediment away Sediment deposited in a new place Undergoes compaction and then cementation Forms Sedimentary rock Undergoes heat and pressure Forms metamorphic rock Describe how weathering, erosion and deposition can cause changes in the rock cycle. Weathering breaks any type of rock into sediment, which can form sedimentary rock Erosion can carry rock to a new place, massive amounts of deposition at a geosyncline can lead to subduction Subduction can cause melting, then magma, then igneous rock Subduction can cause heat and pressure to increase, then metamorphic rock Describe how subduction can cause rocks to change form. Subduction can cause melting, then magma, then igneous rock Subduction can cause heat and pressure to increase, then metamorphic rock List and briefly describe the three processes that work together to wear down and build up Earth s surfaces. Weathering breaks and wears down surfaces Erosion carries sediment away Deposition drops sediment in a new place and builds up new features
How can the layers of rocks help scientists determine age of a rock? Why is this not always accurate? Underline the following terms: law of superposition, unconformity, intrustion, extrusion, relative age Relative age compares ages of rocks to each other, not to actual age State the Law of superposition, Define unconformity Describe examples of intrusion and extrusion
Potential Lists List the six types of fossils. 1. Mold 2.Cast 3.Carbon Film 4.Trace Fossil 5.Petrified Fossil 6. Preserved Remains List the four geologic eras. 1.Cenozoic 2.Mesozoic 3.Paleozoic 4.Pre-Cambrian List three boundary types with arrow diagrams. 1. Transform 2.Divergent 3.Convergent Potential Charts and Sketches Plate Boundaries and Geologic Features Chart Major Plate Sketch Subduction Sketch Rock Cycle Processes, Products and Rock Cycle diagram Earth s Interior Sketch Identifying Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Chart Fossil Types Chart Geologic Time Scale Chart
Be able to label the major tectonic plates listed below.
Diagram Plate Boundaries and Geologic Features Type of Boundary Lithosphere is: Land Feature or Geologic Process Formed Actual Example Divergent Formed Oceanic crust Mid-ocean ridge Sea Floor Spreading Continental Crust Rift Valley Volcanoes Convergent Destroyed Oceanic to Oceanic Deep Ocean Trench Volcano Island Arc Earthquakes Oceanic to Continental Deep Ocean Trench Volcanos Earthquakes Mountains Continental to Continental Folded mountains Earthquakes Atlantic Mid- Ocean Ridge African Rift Valley Aleutian Islands Andes Mountains Himalayas Transform Neither formed nor destroyed Earthquakes Shearing San Andreas Fault
Label the sketch below: 66. Continental Crust 67. Lithosphere 68. Oceanic Crust 69. Asthenosphere 70. Core 66. 67. 69. 68. 70.
5 Processes that Cause Rocks to Change 1. Heat and Pressure (H & P) 2. Compaction and Cementation (C & C) 3. Melting (M) 4. Cooling (C) 5. Weathering and Erosion (W & E) 5 Products 1. Sedimentary Rock 2. Metamorphic Rock 3. Igneous Rock 4. Sediment 5. Magma/lava Rock Cycle Diagram How the processes and products are connected H&P Sedimentary Rock Metamorphic Rock W & E H&P Magma M C & C W & E M C Sediment W & E Igneous Rock
Geologic Time Scale Era Geologic Events Major Life Forms Cenozoic Andes and Himalayas Formed Grasslands Ice Ages Age of Mammals Mesozoic Pangea begins to break apart Age of Dinosaurs First Flowering Plants Paleozoic Appalachain Mountains form Coral Reefs Form Age of Fishes Coal Forests Pre- Cambrian Volcanoes Earth s core forms Bacteria and Algae `q
Boundary Type Convergent Boundary Mid-Plate Divergent Boundary Convergent Boundary Divergent Boundary Crust Type Oceanic to Oceanic Oceanic or Continental Oceanic Crust Oceanic to Continental Continental Geological Feature Deep-Ocean Trench Volcanic Island Arc Hot-Spot Mid-Ocean Ridge Deep Ocean Trench, Continental Mountains and Volcanoes Rift Valley Example Aleutian Trench Hawaii and Yellowstone Mid- Atlantic Ridge Andes Africa Rift Valley Draw a sketch of the plate boundaries and volcano types below:
Fossil Types and Descriptions Fossil Type Mold Cast Petrified Fossil Carbon Film Trace Rossil Preserved Remains Description A hollow impression of the animal/ plant 3-D replication of the organism Minerals replace the organism and form a hardened, mineralized, 3d replication of the organism Thin carbon film formed in rock from carbon that escaped from organism. Shows fine details Shows evidence of activity, like footprints, burrows or trails Actual organism preserved in amber, tar or ice
Subduction Zone Sketch F G E C A - Melted Crust B Volcano C Magma D Oceanic Crust E Mantle F Deep Ocean Trench G Mid Ocean Ridge (draw and label this feature to the left of the above In the space below, draw and label a subduction sketch.
Geological Event W, E or D? More specific terms or processes Possible Land Features Formed water getting into cracks, freezing and breaking rocks or pavement apart W mechanical weathering --------------------- wind blowing sand from one location to another E deflation Sand dunes wind blasting sand at rock and carving out arches W abrasion arches glaciers scraping rocks across the earth's surface W abrasion glacier scars, muddy water being carried away by a fastmoving river E ----------------- --------------------- rocks being made smooth by tumbling across a streambed W abrasion --------------------- glaciers picking up rocks as it flows over the land E plucking ponds filling up with sediment and becoming marshes D ------------------ marshes flood waters moving soil from one location to another E ------------------ flood plain flood water pounding against a canyon wall and wearing it down W impact waterfall rain washing away soil from a hillside E ------------------- -- gully, rills, layers of sediment forming at the mouth of a river D ------------------ delta u-shaped valley, glacial lakes, cirque, kettle lake a mudslide flowing down a steep hill E mudslide, mass movement --------------------- glaciers melting and dropping sediment and rocks D ------------------ moraine, drumlin, waves dropping sand on the beach waves crashing against a cliff W impact very slow movement of sediment down a hill groundwater combining with carbonic acid below the surface D E W ------------------- -- sandy beach creep, mass movement chemical erosion wave-cut cliff, sea cave, sea arch, sea stack tilted tree trunks caverns
Plate Tectonics Fill in the Blank Sentences All the continents were joined together in a supercontinent that Wegener called A(n) is any trace of an ancient organism preserved in rock. Wegener s idea that the continents slowly moved over Earth s surface became known as of the plant Glossopteris provided evidence for Wegener s hypothesis for continental drift. The idea of continents moving slowly over Earth s surface was developed by German scientist. Wegener noticed that mountain ranges on the continents of South America and line up. A canyon on the ocean floor at which the crust bends downward is called a(n). The process that continually adds new material to the ocean floor is called. The process by which the ocean floor sinks into the mantle is known as A chain of underwater mountains along which sea-floor spreading occurs is a(n) At a(n), plates come together. Breaks in Earth s crust where rocks have slipped past each other are called. The lithosphere is broken into separate sections called. A(n) is a deep valley on land that forms along a divergent boundary. The geological theory that states that pieces of Earth s crust are in constant, slow motion due to convection currents is called. At a(n), plates slip past each other. Plates move apart along a(n). Pangaea Fossil Continental Drift Fossils Alfred Wegener Africa Deep-ocean trench Sea-floor spreading Subduction Mid-ocean ridge Convergent boundary Faults Plates Rift Valley Plate Tectonic Theory Transform boundary Divergent boundary
Rocks and Minerals, Volcanoes Fill-in-the blank The look and feel of a rock s surface is its. The particles of minerals or other rocks that make up a rock are called rock forms when rock particles get pressed and cemented together. rock forms when a rock is changed by heat or pressure. rock forms when magma or lava cools and hardens. The series of processes that that slowly change Earth s rocks from one kind to another is called the rock Plate movements help drive the rock cycle by helping to form, the source of igneous rocks. Deep beneath the surface, and pressure can change sedimentary rock to metamorphic rock. Through the process of, magma. metamorphic rock can become Sediment piles up on the ocean floor through the process of. An area where material from deep within Earth s mantle rises to the crust and melts to form magma is called a(n). is an underground molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from the mantle. Volcanic belts form along the boundaries of Earth s. The Ring of Fire is a major belt of. Japan and New Zealand are examples of strings of volcanic islands known as. Texture Grains Sedimentary Metamorphic Igneous Cycle Magma Heat Melting Deposition Hot spot Magma Plates Volcanoes Island arcs
Geologic Time Scale Fill-in the Blank Most fossils form when living things die and are buried by that hardens into rock over time. A(n) is an extremely thin coating of carbon on rock. The term is used to identify a scientist who studies fossils. is the gradual change in living things over long periods. An organism is if it no longer exists and will never live again on Earth. An element that has broken down and released particles and energy is said to be. is a method of determining the absolute ages of rocks. is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in an element to decay. During, the atoms of one element break down to form atoms of another element. During a natural process called, the atoms of one element break down to form atoms of another element. The elements formed after atoms have broken down and reformed are said to be Sediment Carbon film Paleontologist Evolution Extinct Radioactive Radioactive dating Half-life Radioactive decay Radioactive decay Stable
The time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample of a radioactive element to decay is called the element s. Geologists use the law of to determine the relative ages of sedimentary rock layers. A mass of igneous rock below the Earth s surface is called a(n). A gap in the geologic record is known as a(n). A(n) occurs when many types of living things die out at the same time. The Mesozoic Era is often called the Age of because of the success of these animals. The Triassic Period saw the rise of, or warm-blooded vertebrates that feed milk to their young. The geologic period in which we are living is called the. The position in which rock layers appear can be changed by gaps in the geologic record and by. According to the law of, in horizontal sedimentary rock layers the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top. Until the, only one-celled organisms lived on land, but during this period, plants became abundant. At the start of the, many organisms evolved with hard parts including shells and outer skeletons. During the animals began to spread widely on land. At the end of the, most species of life on Earth died. Half-life Superposition Intrusion Unconformity Mass extinction Reptiles Mammals Quantenary Erosion Superposition Silurian Period Paleozoic Era Devonian Period Permian Period
Reptiles were so successful that the is often called the Age of Reptiles. At the close of the, about 65 million years ago, a second mass extinction occurred. The first dinosaurs appeared during the. During the, mammals evolved to live in many different environments on land, in water, and even in the air. The fossil record suggests that humans migrated to most continents during the. Mesozoic Era Cretaceous Period Triassic Period Cenezoic Era Cenezoic Era