Lee
County
Florida
Statewide
Science
Assessment
Review
Earth and
Space
Science
-Earth Structures
Tips for answering science questions
-Changes in Earth’s Surface
-Earth System and Patterns
-Weather and Climate
-Earth in Space and Time
-The Universe and Stars
-Objects and Distance in
Our Solar System
-Sun, Earth, and Moon Relationships
1. Locate and underline the question
2. Highlight, circle, or underline
important words/phrases as you
read the question
3. Eliminate any incorrect answer
choices
4. Answer the question
This review has been adopted from Volusia County. Version 18.1
1
Earth’s Spheres
The atmosphere is the envelope of
gasses that forms Earth’s outermost
layer. Nearly all of Earth’s mass is
found in the geosphere. The
cryosphere consists of all water in the
form of ice on Earth. The biosphere
contains all living organisms and the
hydrosphere includes 75% of the
entire Earth, which is covered in water
and water vapor. Label the spheres in
the image to the left.
Glacier
The Hoover Dam (left) is a great example of interactions within Earth’s spheres.
Below explains all of the interactions occurring. Label which “sphere” is being
discussed in each interaction.
Humans (______________) built a dam out of rock materials (______________).
Water in the lake (__________________) seeps into the cliff walls behind the dam,
becoming groundwater (__________________), or evaporating into the air
(_____________________). Humans (______________________) harness energy
from the water (____________________) by having it spin turbines to produce
electricity.
Earth’s Atmosphere
The _____________________________ is the lowest layer of the
atmosphere and is where the Earth’s weather occurs. Directly
above this layer is the _________________________, which
contains the ozone layer. The ozone layer absorbs UV Radiation
from the sun, causing this layer to ____________________ in
temperature. The mesosphere is the next layer up and protects
the Earth’s surface from meteoroids. The __________________ is
the part of the atmosphere furthest from the surface.
If the atmosphere was compromised, how would this affect life?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_2
Landforms
Identify the landforms in the images below. Each image may have more than 1 landform including coastline,
delta, mountains, dunes, rivers, lakes, and glaciers.
Sinkhole Demo
Poke a hole in the middle of a
Styrofoam bowl, and place an
antacid tablet on top. Place clay
around the tablet and fill the
bowl with sand. Pour water
into the bowl. Over time the
water will break down the
tablet, and make a sinkhole.
What layer of rock does the
antacid tablet represent?
The image
to the
right is
the
Florida
Caverns,
located in
Marianna, Florida. Much of Florida rests over layers
of limestone and dolomite. Over thousands of
years, trickling water slowly erodes away the rock,
creating caves and caverns.
The Florida aquifer system is one of the largest
in the world, expanding 100,000 square miles.
An aquifer is a body of saturated rock through
which water can easily move. Why do you
believe Florida has such a robust aquifer
system? ________________________________
______________________________________
3
Changes in Earth’s Surface
When rock is broken down into smaller pieces, we call it
physical weathering. Chemical weathering is the process
that breaks down rock through chemical changes. Below,
place a P on the line if it is an agent of physical
weathering, and a C if the process represents chemical
weathering.
___Freezing/thawing ____Acid Rain ___Animal Actions
___oxidation ___Abrasion ___Water ___Carbon Dioxide
Rock particles that are picked up and transported by one of the eroding
agents will ultimately be deposited somewhere else, and agents of erosion
become agents of deposition. Final deposition of particles (sediments)
usually occurs at the mouth of a stream. This is due to the faster flowing
stream emptying into a slower, larger body of water.
Using the image on the right, identify where erosion (E)
and deposition (D) would most likely occur.
The graph to the left is showing how the rate of deposition in relation to
the shape of the particle. How does the particle shape effect the rate of
deposition?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Human Impact: Match the human impact effect with the process
Deforestation
Desertification
Urbanization
Changing the flow of water
a. A population shift from rural to urban areas.
b. The creation of levees which can result in the flooding
of a river basin.
c. When relatively dry land region becomes increasingly
arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as
vegetation and wildlife.
d. The process whereby natural forests are cleared
through logging and/or burning, either to use the
timber or to replace the area for alternative uses.
In what ways would deforestation impact our natural environment?
4
The Water Cycle
The water cycle is a continuous process by which ______________ moves from Earth’s surface to
the atmosphere and back again. This cycle is driven by energy from the _______________ and
by the force of __________________________ .
What role does the sun play in our water
cycle?
______________________________________
______________________________________
Label the water cycle using
the following terms:
evaporation, condensation,
transpiration, percolation,
and precipitation
How is the water cycle the driving process behind weathering, erosion
and deposition?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
How might the cycling of water between the atmosphere and
hydrosphere affect weather patterns and climate?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5
Energy Transfer and Heating of Earth
The picture to the left
is showing a weather
event. What event is
occurring? _________
__________________
SUN
Y
W
Z
What do the arrows
represent? _________
__________________
X
Land
Ocean
The Sun’s energy is heating the Earth,
including the land, oceans, and atmosphere.
The diagram above shows part of this
process. Draw arrows showing the
circulation of heat from land to ocean. Circle
What does the dotted
line represent? _____
__________________
What type of front is
shown in the picture?
__________________
the letter where the sun’s heat would be at a
maximum?
Why does air move in both of the above diagrams? _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The arrows in the picture below show several ways heat is transferred from the Sun as it strikes the sand on
the surface of a beach. Name the heat transfer and explain why it is associated with each arrow.
1. _____________________ because _______________
______________________________________________.
2. _____________________ because _______________
______________________________________________.
3. _____________________ because _______________
______________________________________________.
4. _____________________ because _______________
______________________________________________.
6
Weather and Climate
The conditions of the atmosphere at a particular time and place are called weather. Weather
is measured through temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, humidity, and
precipitation. All of these factors determine the weather of an area. Changes in Earth’s
systems influence local weather.
Air pressure is the result of the
weight of air pushing down on an
area. When air pressure is high, fair
weather is coming. When air
pressure is low, stormy weather is
coming. When air pressure is steady,
the weather will likely continue.
The World Map above shows the ocean currents on Earth. The temperature of the water at the equator would be
(circle) hot / cold.
Find Europe on the map above. Great Britain (England) is located along the northern coast of the Atlantic Ocean (a little
to the left of the word Europe). How do the ocean currents affect the climate of the region?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Highlight the Gulf Stream on the map above. How does the Gulf Stream impact the climate along the costal USA?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jet streams are a band of high-speed winds about 10 km
above Earth’s surface. Jet streams normally move from west
to east (as shown in the picture to the left) along the
boundary of warm and cold air masses.
On the picture to the left, describe the typical weather
conditions that would occur above the jet stream, and the
typical weather conditions that would occur below the jet
stream.
7
Weather and Climate
The typical weather pattern in an
area over a LONG period of time is
called the climate. Which of the
following statements is an
explanation of an area’s climate?
a. There should be heavy rains
tomorrow morning.
b. The rains next week may cause some
flooding
c. The average temperature from 19902000 was 23°C
d. The high temperature for the area is
33°C.
Differentiate climate and weather. How are they alike?
How are they different? _____________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Using the picture of Massachusetts to the left, explain a
plausible reason for the cooler temperatures on the bottom
and right side of the map, and the warmer temperatures on
the top left. Please note that the viewable region is around
100 miles east to west.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Fronts affect the daily weather on a particular region. Using
the image to the left as a guide, predict the type of weather
you would expect when encountering one of these fronts.
Cold Front:
Warm Front:
Stationary Front:
Occluded Front:
8
Earth’s Geosphere
Label the interior of the Earth on the image to the left using
the following words: mantle, inner core, crust, outer core,
and lithosphere
Pressure will (circle one) increase / decrease as you
move towards the center of the Earth.
They do what!? Radioactive Dating
In order to date an artifact, the amount of Carbon14 is compared to the amount of Carbon-12 (the
stable form of carbon) to determine how much has
decayed. The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 is the
same in all living things. However, at the moment of
death, the amount of carbon-14 begins to decrease
because it is unstable, while the amount of carbon12 remains constant in the sample. Half of the
carbon-14 degrades every 5,730 years as indicated
by its half-life. By measuring the ratio of carbon-12
to carbon-14 in the sample and comparing it to the
ratio in a living organism, it is possible to determine
the age of an artifact.
How does the image above support the Law of Superposition?
Write to explain how scientists use relative dating to see farther back in time.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare and contrast the benefits of Radioactive Dating and Relative Dating.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
9
Plate Tectonics
The map above shows the plates on the Earth. Earth’s plates meet at areas called
______________ ___________________. There are three different ways the plates can
move along these areas. Movement of Earth’s crustal plates can cause both fast and slow
changes in Earth’s surface. An example of a fast change in Earth’s surface is
_____________________________. An example of a slow change in Earth’s surface is
______________________________.
What is Pangaea? ______________________________________________________________
What does the Theory of Plate Tectonics state?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name the diagrams below: Transform, Divergent, or Convergent
Write what type of landform(s) commonly forms at each boundary.
Name:
Landform:
10
Name:
Landform:
Name:
Landform:
Rock Cycle
The rock cycle is a series of processes that occur on Earth’s _____________ and in the crust
and ________________ that slowly change rocks from one kind to another. The rock cycle
relates to surface and subsurface events. Surface events refer to the __________________,
erosion, and ___________________ of the Earth. Sub-surface events refer to
___________________ and mountain building.
Label the Rock cycle with the correct term:
melting, weathering and erosion, heat and
pressure, cooling, and deposition.
Something to think about…
Do all rocks go through every part of
the rock cycle? _______________
____________________________
What evidence helped you decide
your answer? ________________
____________________________
____________________________
Explain how weathering and erosion helps change rocks within the rock cycle.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Explain how plate tectonics and mountain building change rocks within the rock cycle.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
11
Size of the Universe and Gravity
___ Earth to our closest star, the Sun
___ Earth to our next closest star,
Proxima Centuri
___ Earth to the furthest planet in
our solar system, Neptune
___ Earth to the Eagle Nebula
___ Earth to Charon, Pluto’s moon
An astronomical unit is equal to the distance from the Sun to the Earth,
whereas a light year is used to measure large distances and is the distance
light travels in one year. In the box to the left, place an AU next to the
objects you would measure distances in astronomical units, and an LY next
to the objects you would measure in light years.
The points on the chart below represent the approximate size of objects in
the universe. The approximate size of the solar system is labeled.
Below, label the Earth, The Milky Way, the Moon and the Sun.
___ Earth to the Hale Bopp Comet
Below are images of the 3 different types of galaxies including spiral,
irregular, and elliptical. Identify each type of galaxy shown below.
The image above is the Hubble Ultra
Deep Field. First developed in 2004,
every dot seen represents an entire
galaxy. What could we conclude
about our universe after viewing
this photo?_____________________
______________________________
_
_____________________
12
Newton's law of universal gravitation states that any two
bodies in the universe attract each other with a force that is
directly proportional to the product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
them. Which has a larger effect on gravitational attraction,
distance or mass?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________
What role does gravity
Compare and contrast the
play in the formation of
images of the Heliocentric
planets, solar systems
and Geocentric Mode
and galaxies?
(left).
____________________
_____________________
____________________
_____________________
____________________
_____________________
____________________
_____________________
____________________
_____________________
____________________
_________
____________________
____
Stars
Below, the HR Diagram shows that stars on the _________________________ are the hottest stars. Stars on
the top of the graph are ______________________________ than the stars on the bottom. 90% of known
stars lie along the ______________ ___________________ section in the middle of the HR Diagram. The color
of the star allows astronomers to determine a stars ______________________________.
Does the HR Diagram
allow astronomers to
classify stars according
to their size? ______
How do you know?____
____________________
____________________
What information does
the HR Diagram tell you
about our star, the
Sun?________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
Apparent and Absolute Brightness
The three stars Alnitak, Alnilam, and
Mintaka (shown to the left) in the
constellation Orion all have the same
apparent brightness from Earth.
However, Alnilam is actually farther
away than the other two stars.
A star’s color reveals its surface temperature.
The coolest stars, with a surface temperature of about
3,200 degrees Celsius, appear ___________________ in
color.
The hottest Stars, with a surface temperature of over
20,000 degrees Celsius, appear ___________________ in
color.
Our sun has a surface temperature of about 5,500 degrees
Celsius and appears ___________________ in color.
Knowing this, which star has the
greatest absolute brightness?
_______________________________
How do you know?________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
13
Our Sun
The innermost layer of the sun
is called the core. Here,
hydrogen atoms are combined
through a process called
___________ to form Helium.
The Radiation Zone is an
extremely dense area where
energy is transferred as
electromagnetic radiation. The
convection zone is the
outermost layer of the sun’s
interior. In this zone, hot gas
__________ and cooler gases
_________ towards the center,
forming loops of gas that move
energy towards the surface. The following 3 layers make up the solar atmosphere. The photosphere is the
layer that is visible to humans, while the chromosphere is the region directly above it. Lastly, the corona is
the area of the sun visible during a solar eclipse. This area extends into space for millions of kilometers and
gradually streams into charged particles known as the solar wind.
Our star, the sun is a main
sequence star, and is about
5 billion years old. Due to
its size, it will become a
red giant in about 5 billion years,
consuming the orbits of Mercury, Venus
and Earth. The sun will NOT go
supernova since it is not massive enough!
The image to the right shows a two-week time
lapse of a sunspot on the surface of the sun.
We know that sunspots are cooler regions on
the sun and are caused by intense magnetic
activity. From the image, what can we
conclude about the sun’s movement?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Huge loops of gas called
prominences often link
different parts of sunspot
regions. When the gas erupts and spreads out into
space, it becomes a solar flare. Earth’s magnetic
field helps shield us from this activity.
The image to the left is an example of a
______________________________________.
14
Objects in Our Solar System
As you get further away from the sun, the light intensity
decreases. The data table to the left shows the average surface
temperature of 6 planets in our solar system. What would be a
plausible reason for Venus to have a higher temperature than
Mercury? ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
In order for an object to be considered a planet, it must orbit a star, have enough mass to maintain a spherical
shape and clear its orbital path of all similar sized objects. Below is a data table showing a series of objects in
our solar system. Of the below objects, which are planets? Which are moons? How do you know?
Object
Orbits
Distance
from Star
(au)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Star
Star
Planet
Star
Star
Star
Star
Planet
0.7
1.0
5.4
30.4
3.0
5.4
20.1
1.0
Shape
Diameter
(km)
Moons
Orbital
zone
clear of
similarsized
objects?
Round
Round
Round
Round
No
Round
Round
Round
12,100
12,700
5,262
49,528
54
142,984
51,118
3,474
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Answers
Halley’s Comet (left) is one of the world’s most
famous comets. Last seen by Earth in 1986, it
will not make it back towards Earth until 2061.
A comet is a loose collection of ice and dust that
orbits the sun. Using the image on the right as a guide, why do you
believe it takes 75 years for the comet to orbit the sun? __________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Classify the following objects below as either IN our solar system or
OUT of our solar system.
Moons_____
Comets ______
Planets ______ Nebulae ______ Stars other than the Sun ______
15
Sun, Earth, and Moon Relationships
The Earth __________________________ once about its axis
every 24 hours and _______________________ around the
Sun every 365.25 days. On the image to the right, identify
where the equator is located along with drawing an arrow
showing the direction of Earth’s rotation.
The graph to the left shows the average
temperature over a year in the Northern
and Southern Hemisphere. The dark line
represents the Northern Hemisphere,
while the grey line represents the
Southern Hemisphere. How does the
tilt of Earth’s axis influence the inverse
relationship on the graph?___________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Identity the Moon Phases Below
Sunlight
coming
from this
direction
In the diagram above, when would we experience a spring and
neap tide? Why? ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________
16
In the image to the
right, identify (by
drawing) where the
moon would be in a
solar and lunar
eclipse. Remember, a
solar eclipse occurs
when the moons
shadow hits Earth and
a lunar eclipse occurs
when Earth blocks
sunlight from reaching
the moon. Remember,
eclipses don’t occur
every month due to
the moon’s 5.15
degree titled orbit.
*All included diagrams and images are public domain and used for educational purposes only.