6th Grade Science Sample Assessment Items
S6E5a.
Imagine you could drill a hole all the way to the center of the Earth. Assuming that you drill
the same speed the entire way, which layer would take the longest to drill through?
A. Crust
B. Mantle*
C. Outer Core
D. Inner Core
Which layer of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates?
A. The core
B. The lower mantle
C. The asthenosphere (middle mantle)
D. The lithosphere (crust and upper mantle)*
By which method is heat from deep in Earth’s interior transferred to its crust?
A. conduction in the ocean
B. convection in the mantle*
C. Radiation from the solid core
D. Evaporation at mid-ocean ridges
Which of these diagrams show the layers of Earth. Explain your reasoning.
a.
b.
c.
d.
2.
The layer of the Earth where pressure, density, and temperature are the greatest is the ____.
A. crust
B. mantle
C. outer core
D. inner core*
Order the layers of the Earth’s surface from lowest to highest temperature.
Identify the thickest layers of the Earth.
6th Grade Science Sample Assessment Items
S6E5a.
A
has a solid layer and a liquid layer; mostly made of iron; hottest layer
B
the upper part of this layer contains weak rocks that can flow slowly; contains
silicon, oxygen, magnesium, iron, and aluminum
C
thinnest layer; made mostly of basalt and granite; contains larger amounts
of silicon and aluminum, but fewer amounts of iron and magnesium
Letter B above describes which layer of the Earth?
A. crust
B. mantle*
C. inner core
D. outer core
Identify the layers of the Earth shown in the
diagram to the right.
1 ________________
2 ________________
3 ________________
4 ________________
Identify the layer of the Earth in the diagram to the right which makes up 70% of the Earth’s
mass and is mostly solid but capable of flow, causing changes in the Earth’s surface.
Which is the thinnest layer with large amounts of silicon and aluminum?
Plate tectonics describes movements mainly in which layer of the Earth?
Which layer of the Earth has the greatest pressure, density, and temperature?
Why is the inner core of the Earth solid?
Explain how convection currents cause the Earth’s crust to move.
Explain the density changes that occur between the layers of the Earth’s surface.
6th Grade Science Sample Assessment Items
S6E5a.
A teacher provides his students with this table that contains information about Earth’s layers.
Which layer is Earth’s outermost layer, and which is Earth’s innermost layer? [DOK 2]
A. Layer 1 is the outermost layer; layer 4 is the innermost layer.
B. Layer 4 is the outermost layer; layer 1 is the innermost layer.
C. Layer 3 is the outermost layer; layer 2 is the innermost layer.
D. Layer 2 is the outermost layer; layer 3 is the innermost layer.
Explanation of Correct Answer from Study/Resource Guide: The correct answer is choice (D)
Layer 2 is the outermost layer; layer 3 is the innermost layer. The crust, which is the
outermost layer, is made of solid rock with an average density of 3.0 g/cm3 and a
temperature range of 200°C to 400°C. The inner core, which is the innermost layer, is made
of solid nickel and iron with an average density of 12.8 g/cm3 and a temperature range of
5,000°C to 7,000°C. Choices (A), (B), and (C) are incorrect because they do not identify the
layers correctly.
A student is making a diagram of Earth’s layers. How should the temperature be labeled on
the different layers? [DOK 2]
A. The crust would be hotter than the mantle.
B. The outer core would be hotter than the mantle.
C. The crust would be hotter than the inner core.
D. The outer core would be hotter than the inner core.
Explanation of Correct Answer from Study/Resource Guide: The correct answer is choice (B)
The outer core would be hotter than the mantle. The temperature of each Earth layer
increases toward the center. Choice (A) and (C) are incorrect because the crust has the
lowest temperature. Choice (D) is incorrect because the inner core has the highest
temperature.
6th Grade Science Sample Assessment Items
S6E5a.
A student is making a diagram of Earth’s layers. How should his diagram be labeled to show
the difference between Earth’s core and Earth’s crust? [DOK 2]
A. The core should be labeled as denser and hotter than the crust.
B. The core should be labeled as denser and colder than the crust.
C. The core should be labeled as denser than the crust but with the same temperature
as the crust.
D. The core should be labeled as the same density as the crust but with a hotter
temperature than the crust.
Explanation of Correct Answer from Assessment Guide: The correct answer is choice (A) The
core should be labeled as denser and hotter than the crust. At Earth’s core, the pressure from
the planet’s other layers is so great that the core remains solid metal despite its extremely
high temperatures. Choices (B) and (C) are incorrect because Earth’s core is the planet’s
hottest layer. Choice (D) is incorrect because Earth’s core is the planet’s densest layer.