Earth’s History Test Study Guide
8th Grade Science
Name ____________________________________________
Period__________
E.8.7.2 Study rock cycle foldable and complete the following table.
1.
Type of Rock
How The Rock Forms
Description of Rock
2. A. How is magma important to the rock cycle?
2. B. Describe the difference between magma and lava.
3. What type of rock are fossils found in and explain why?
4. What is the difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rock?
E.8.7.1&3.
5.
Diagram
Relative Dating Principle/Law
Brief Definition
6. The process in which sediments are picked up and moved to another place by ice, water, wind, or
gravity. ______________________________________
7. The process, making sedimentary rock, in which particles of sediment begin to stick to each other -
they are cemented together by clay, or by minerals and changes to sedimentary rock.
______________________________
8. List the processes necessary to form each type of rock: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
9. What is the difference between absolute dating and relative dating.
10. Define the Law of Superposition.
11. Define the Law of Original Horizontality.
12. Define the Law of Cross-cutting Relationships.
13. What three characteristics are necessary for an index fossil.
1.
2.
3.
14.
Circle the fossil that would make the BEST index fossil and then explain why.
Use the above diagram to answer questions #15-19.
15. Which is the youngest layer of rock?
16. Which is the oldest layer of rock?
17. Which law explains #15 and #16?
18. What is H and how did it form?
19. Explain the relative age relationship between H and I.
E.8.7.3-4
20. What can you say about the characteristics of Mississippi during the Paleozoic Era when
you consider its state fossil, the prehistoric whale?
21. Use your notes to complete the table.
Name of Era
Life Forms Found
Major Events
Years Span
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era
22. Describe the Pre-Cambria Eon. Include life forms and important events or features.
23. Order divisions of the geologic time scale from smallest to largest.
24. During which era did the land mass Pangea form? When did it break apart?
25. List events that lead to mass extinction.
For questions 26- 28, use figure Z.
26. Put A-E in order of oldest to youngest. ______________________________
Figure Z
27. What Law helps you to determine the order of the layers?
28. What law explains A in the diagram?