Name ___________________________________________________ Class______ Date ___________________________
Unit 1: Interactions
Pre/Post Test
I. Choose the answer that best respond to the following questions:
1. Dust and ash entering the atmosphere as a result of volcanic eruptions can affect Earth’s
(1) tidal activity
(3) weather and climate
(2) orbital shape
(4) rotation and revolution
2. The surface of Earth is covered by a relatively thin layer of water called the
(1) crust
(2) mantle
(3) hydrosphere
(4) atmosphere
3. Movement of Earth’s crust along plate boundaries produces
(1) fronts
(2) tides
(3) hurricanes
(4) earthquakes
4. Which term refers to the atmospheric conditions that prevail from season to season and year to year at a
certain location?
(1) weather
(2) climate
(3) equilibrium
(4) ecosystem
5. In which type of rock are fossils generally found?
(1) igneous
(2) metamorphic
(3) sedimentary
(4) volcanic
The diagram below shows three stages in the formation of a beach.
6. Which process is mostly responsible for the breaking down of the rock cliff into sand-sized sediment?
(1) weathering
(2) faulting
(3) folding
(4) precipitation
7. Which graph best represents the relationship between the amount of pollutants in the air and the
quality of the air?
Base your answers to questions 8 and 9 on the graph below and on your
knowledge of science. The graph shows the average monthly air
temperatures for three different locations, A, B, and C.
Note that question 8 has only three choices.
8. Which location experiences the least change in average monthly air
temperature between its warmest and coldest months?
(1) A
(2) B
(3) C
9. Where is location C most likely located?
(1) Southern Hemisphere
(2) New York State
The bold line on the map on the right shows the San Andreas Fault.
10. The San Andreas Fault is the result of
(1) overpopulation
(2) a large glacier
(3) weathering and erosion
(4) crustal plate movement
11. Which material is primarily a mixture of weathered rock and organic matter?
(1) minerals
(2) soil
(3) ocean water
12. Four identical sand castles are shown below.
Which sand castle will most likely be eroded fastest by the wind?
(4) seashells
(3) equator
(4) North Pole
The map below shows the four major time zones in the continental United States.
13. If it is 9 a.m. in the Eastern Time Zone, what time is it in the Pacific Time Zone?
(1) 3 a.m.
(2) 6 a.m.
(3) 6 p.m.
(4) 9 p.m.
14. Most of Earth’s major earthquakes are caused by
(1) seasonal heating and cooling of Earth’s surface
(2) weathering of rock at Earth’s surface
(3) Earth’s gravitational attraction to the Moon
(4) faulting of rock in Earth’s crust
15. Weathering and erosion of Earth’s crust are primarily caused by
(1) gravity
(3) evaporation
(2) volcanic activity
(4) sedimentation
16. Which statement is true of all rocks?
(1) Rocks contain organic material.
(2) Rocks contain fossils.
17.Igneous rocks are formed by
(1) weathering
(2) cementation
(3) Rocks are composed of minerals.
(4) Rocks are formed in layers.
(3) volcanic activity
(4) sedimentation
The diagram below shows a rock sample and an identification key.
18. This rock sample would best be classified as
(1) volcanic
(2) sedimentary
(3) metamorphic
19. The diagram on the right shows a penny scratching the surface
of the mineral calcite. Which physical property of the calcite is being
tested?
(1) streak
(3) melting point
(2) hardness
(4) reaction to acid
(4) igneous
The map on the left indicates the possible location of some of Earth’s
continents in the past.
20. Which evidence best supports the idea that the landmasses on
Earth were once in these positions?
(1) North America and India have matching mountain chains.
(2) Madagascar and India have similar shapes.
(3) Matching rock layers can be found in Africa and South America.
(4) Bedrock in Australia and Greenland have glacier scratches.
Base your answers to questions 21 and 22 on the topographic map
below, which shows the elevation of land in feet above sea level. Points
A, B, and C are locations on the map.
21. A camper walked from point A to point B by taking a
path shown by the dotted line. What is the
approximate distance the camper walked?
(1) 1.5 miles
(3) 3.0 miles
(2) 2.5 miles
(4) 3.5 miles
22. What is a possible elevation of point C?
(1) 75 feet
(3) 95 feet
(2) 85 feet
(4) 105 feet
II. Answer all questions in this part using your knowledge in science and the scientific method.
Base your answers to questions 23 through 26 on the information below and on your knowledge of science.
A student determined that shaking a container of sand caused the temperature of the
sand to rise. The student then performed a new experiment to see if shaking a container of pebbles
would cause the temperature of the pebbles to rise.
23. Explain why the shaking caused the temperature of the sand to rise. [1]
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24. Write a hypothesis for the new experiment. [1]
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25. Identify the dependent (responding) variable in the new experiment. [1]
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
26. Identify two variables that should remain constant in this experiment. [2]
__________________________________ and ___________________________________
Base your answers to questions 27 through 28 on the
map on the left, and on your knowledge of science. The
map shows earthquake activity in and around the
United States. Earthquake activity is indicated by dots.
27. State one reason that there are more earthquakes in
the western section of the area shown on the map. [1]
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
28. According to the map, what is the latitude and longitude of the location at letter X? [Your answer must
include a value, unit, and direction for each. [2]
Latitude: __________________________________
Longitude: ________________________________
29. The diagram below shows the rock cycle in Earth’s crust. Use this rock cycle diagram to fill in the rock
types and method of formation that have been left blank in the chart below. [3]
Informational/Expository Writing Assessment
Write a short essay answering the question below using your knowledge of science and the scientific method.
What are the consequences of plate movement with the surface of Earth over time?
Make sure you include on your answer:
-
Essay must have introduction, body and conclusion [1]
use of transition words and scientific key terms related to the topic in the question [1]
Claim statement [1]
Evidence that supports your claim from scientific theories you know [1]
Reasoning: How your evidence is connected to your claim [1]
Essay
Teacher
Section for
Scoring