NYS Earth Science Core Curriculum
Performance Indicator 2.1 Use the concepts of density and heat energy to explain observations of weather patterns, seasonal changes, and the movements of Earth’s plates.
Curriculum-Based Questions
2.1p Landforms are the result of the interaction of tectonic forces and the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition.
2.1r Climate variations, structure, and characteristics of bedrock influence the development of landscape features including mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, ridges, escarpments, and stream drainage patterns.
2.1t Natural agents of erosion, generally driven by gravity, remove, transport, and deposit

How do the altitudes and topography of lowlands, plateaus, and highlands compare? How were these landscapes formed?

Color the lowlands, plateaus, and highlands different colors on the attached map. Include a key.

Complete the attached Skills Sheet about the Earth weathered rock particles. Each agent of erosion produces distinctive changes in the material Science Reference Table pages 2 and 3. that it transports and creates characteristic surface features and landscapes. In certain erosional situations, loss of property, personal injury, and loss of life can be reduced by effective emergency preparedness.
Some Past Part A Questions
1.
Which type of surface bedrock is most commonly found in New York State’s
(related pages: 8, 9)
Tug Hill Plateau region?
(1) intrusive igneous rock layers (3) horizontal sedimentary layers
(2) extrusive igneous rock layers (4) faulted metamorphic rock layers
2. The sequence of block diagrams below shows stages of development of a landscape.
The stages are labeled A, B, and C.
Some Past Part B-1, B-2, C Questions
January 2012 Questions 72-74
June 2011 Question 46, 51-52
*Released Regents Tests: http://www.nysedregents.org/earthscience/
Which sequence of geologic processes best describe the events that created each stage shown?
(1) erosion

subsidence and deposition

uplift and faulting
(2) uplift and deposition

flooding

folding and erosion
(3) metamorphism

(4) uplift and erosion
erosion and deposition


subsidence and erosion
High School of Language and Innovation 2012 (draft)
volcanic eruptions

folding

3. The longest portion of the Genesee River in New York State flows through which landscape region?
(1) Erie-Ontario Lowlands
(2) Tug Hill Plateau
(3) Allegheny Plateau
(4) St. Lawrence Lowlands
4. The photograph shows index fossil shells found in bedrock in New York State.
(1) Adirondack Mountains (3) St. Lawrence Lowlands
(2) the Catskills (4) Tug Hill Plateau
Readings Websites
Resources for Learning
Holt (yellow book) pg. 363-365
Glencoe (big blue book) pg. 363-
364
McGuire (little blue book) pg.
289-293, 294-
299
Unison Reading
Binder:
Landscapes
Regents Exam Prep Center: Earth Science http://regentsprep.org/Regents/earthsci/earthsci.cfm
Geology: Surface Processes http://www.hmxearthscience.com/surface_processes.html
NYS Landforms http://www.slideshare.net/BenjaminRosenthal1/nys-landforms
Landscapes http://www.fmschools.org/webpages/bertl/files/landscapes.pdf
Videos
Depositional Landforms http://video.about.com/geology/What-Is-a-
Depositional-Landform-.htm
Loch Lomond – Glacial Landforms http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/lochlomond-glacial-landforms/1138.html
At home:
Glacial Characteristics www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuS9_WKL5-A
In-Class
Activities
Landforms Binder
Landforms
Vocabulary
Landforms Memory
High School of Language and Innovation 2012 (draft)