Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
ANSWER KEY
Date: __________________
ST
STUDENT BOOK: Chapter 6, pages 184–191
RELATED HANDOUT: Concept review 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
1. Complete the following sentences, using the words or groups of words in the box below. You
may use some words more than once.
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allochromatic
building
chemical bonds
classify
composition
cools
deep
deposit
diamond
Earth’s crust
easier
erosion
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extrusive
former
hard
harder
heterogeneous
idiochromatic
intrusive
layers
lithosphere
metamorphic rocks
mineral
Mohs scale
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naturally
opaque
open-pit
ordered
ore
passages
plant
porcelain
powder
pressure
pure
rock(s)
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sedimentary
sedimentary rocks
several elements
single element
soft
translucent
transparency
transparent
upper mantle
a) The Earth is composed of a solid part and a liquid, molten part. The hard shell that covers
lithosphere
the Earth is called the “________________________
.” It is made up of two layers, the
upper mantle
Earth’s crust
________________________
and the top part of the ________________________,
which
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form the external structure of our planet.
rocks
b) The lithosphere contains minerals. It also contains ________________________
, which are
heterogeneous
________________________
mixtures of minerals.
c) Minerals can be identified by certain characteristics:
naturally
– They exist ____________________
in nature and have formed over a long period of time.
ordered
– They have an ________________________
atomic structure in the form of identically
shaped crystals.
composition
– Each mineral has a distinct chemical ________________________
. Gold, for example,
single element
is composed of a ________________________,
while other minerals contain
several elements
________________________
, such as quartz, which is made up of silicon and oxygen
atoms.
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
1
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Date: __________________
transparency
– They have well-defined properties, such as colour, ________________________
and
classify
hardness, which can be used to ________________________
them.
pure
d) The colour of a mineral depends on how ________________________
it is. Scientists
idiochromatic
distinguish between ________________________
minerals, whose colouring is part of their
allochromatic
chemical composition, and ________________________
minerals, which may vary in
colour due to impurities they contain (for example, quartz can be white, brown, pink or
purple).
Transparent
e) ________________________
minerals let light pass through them completely.
Translucent
________________________
minerals let light through, but it is impossible to distinguish an
Opaque
object through them. ________________________
minerals let no light through at all.
chemical bonds
f) The hardness of a mineral depends on the strength of the ________________________
Mohs scale
between the atoms. It is measured using the ________________________
, which assigns
soft
minerals a value of 1 to 10. A mineral with a value of 1 is ________________________
,
hard
while a mineral with a value of 10 is ________________________
. The lower the value of
easier
the mineral on the scale, the ________________________
it is to scratch. Conversely, the
harder
higher the hardness value of the mineral, the ________________________
it is to scratch.
diamond
The softest mineral is talc. The hardest mineral is ________________________
, which can
scratch all other minerals.
powder
g) The colour of the ________________________
trace left after rubbing a mineral on an
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porcelain
unglazed ________________________
surface can be different from the colour of the
mineral
________________________
itself (for example, yellow pyrite leaves a black powder
Idiochromatic
trace). ________________________
minerals leave a powder trace (“streak”) that is
coloured, but allochromatic minerals leave a white or pale streak.
h) To mine minerals, they must first be located. Then the rock containing the mineral, which is
ore
called ________________________
, must be extracted. A site with mining potential
because of the amount and concentration of minerals it contains is called a
deposit
“________________________.
”
i) There are two ways to extract minerals: If the ore lies close to the surface, an
open-pit
deep
________________________
mine is dug. If the deposit is ________________________
in
passages
the earth, a mine with underground ________________________
is dug. Different
rock
processes are then used to separate the mineral from the ________________________
.
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
2
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Date: __________________
pressure
j) Rock formation is the result of ________________________
and volcanic activity. There
sedimentary
are three main families of rocks: igneous rocks, ________________________
rocks and
metamorphic rocks.
cools
k) Igneous rocks are formed when magma ________________________
and solidifies as it
tries to make its way through the Earth’s crust. If the magma solidifies before reaching the
intrusive
surface, it forms ________________________
igneous rocks. If it reaches the surface and
extrusive
solidifies on contact with the air, it forms ________________________
igneous rocks.
erosion
Sedimentary rocks
l) ________________________
result from ________________________
by wind and water,
which breaks the rocks into small pieces that mix with animal and
plant
________________________
remains. These fragments eventually fall to the bottom of
layers
bodies of water and create successive ________________________
of rock. The lowest
sedimentary rocks
layers are compacted under the pressure, forming ________________________
.
metamorphic rocks
m) Igneous and sedimentary rocks can be transformed into ________________________
Former
when they are subjected to high pressure or temperatures. ________________________
igneous or sedimentary rocks are transformed in both appearance and properties (for
example, limestone, a sedimentary rock, can be changed into marble, a metamorphic rock).
building
n) Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are used as ________________________
materials and for ornamental or decorative purposes.
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2. Find the word that fits each of the following definitions.
a) inorganic solids with well-defined properties
Minerals
b) sedimentary rock used to make cement
Limestone
3. Using the Mohs scale, identify the mineral described in each of the following statements.
a) I can scratch fluorite and calcite, but feldspar can scratch me.
Apatite
b) I can scratch all minerals with a number lower than seven, but I can be scratched by
corundum.
Topaz
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
3
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
ST
Group: __________ Date: __________________
STUDENT BOOK: Chapter 6, pages 192–195
RELATED HANDOUT: Concept review 25
Name: ____________________________________________
ANSWER KEY
The
lithosphere:
Support
activities – Secondsoil
Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 25
1. Complete the following sentences, using the words or groups of words in the
box below. You may not need some words, and you may use others more than once.
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absorb
active layer
between 6 and 7
buffering capacity
climate change
erosion
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fertile
growth
horizon A
horizon C
horizons
humus
layers
lithosol
minerals
organic matter
parent rock
permafrost
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permanently
pH
soil
subsoil
upper layer
parent rock
a) Soil comes from ________________________
, which is the solid part of the Earth’s crust.
erosion
Over time, ________________________
wears down the rocks at the surface of the
lithosol
lithosphere. This leads to the formation of ________________________
, a soil consisting of
organic matter
large rock fragments. The fragments mix with ________________________
from
decomposing plant and animal residues. The mixture sets off a series of physical and
soil
chemical reactions that eventually produces ________________________
.
layers
b) Soil develops and forms distinct, more or less parallel ________________________
called
horizons
parent rock
“________________________
.” Deep underground, ________________________
(horizon
R) supports all the other horizons. Above it, there is fragmented parent rock
horizon C
(________________________
), which is formed by the disintegration of the underlying
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subsoil
parent rock. Next comes the ________________________
(horizon B), mostly composed of
horizon A
small mineral particles, and then the topsoil (________________________
), which is a
mixture of humus and water-soluble minerals. This part supports plant life. Finally, the
upper layer
________________________
of soil (horizon O) contains mostly
humus
________________________
from decomposing plant and animal residues.
fertile
c) For soil to be ________________________
enough to support plant growth, it must have a
minerals
sufficient amount of ________________________
, adequate moisture and an appropriate
pH
soil ________________________.
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
4
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
d) In polar regions and on mountain peaks in
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
western Canada, for example,
ACTIVITY 26
there is
permanently
________________________
frozen soil whose
Date: __________________
ST
STUDENT BOOK: Chapter 6, pages 195–199
RELATED HANDOUT: Concept review 26
permafrost
temperature has been 0°C or lower for at least two years.
This type of soil is called
active layer
“________________________.” In some regions,
the upper layer of this soil (the
“________________________”) thaws in summer, and some plants can grow there. This
climate
change
type of soil
is particularly
sensitive to ________________________.
2. What is the role of microorganisms in the soil?
Microorganisms decompose organic matter to make nutrients for plants.
3. What distinguishes different soil horizons?
Their colour, texture and composition
ANSWER KEY
The lithosphere: energy resources
© ERPI Reproduction and adaptation permitted
solely for classroom use with Observatory.
1. Complete the following sentences with the words or groups of words in the box below. You
may not need some words, and you may use others more than once.
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algae
balance
biodiversity
clean
coal
compacted
contamination
depleted
deprives
energy resources
fertilizer
fluid
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
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fossil energy
fossil fuels
gas
geothermal energy
global population
heat
heavy
hydrocarbons
hydrogen
liquid
methane
necessary conditions
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nuclear fission
nucleus
nutrients
oil
organic residue
pesticides
rainwater
reduce
renewable
rest
risk of accidents
same way
5
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
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silt
solid
sulphur dioxide
surface
swamps
synonym
terrestrial plants
thermal energy
time
uranium
very slowly
waste
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Date: __________________
a) Humans benefit from the natural resources found underground, particularly
coal
energy resources
_______________________
, such as oil, natural gas and _______________________
.
These resources can be used for heating, travelling and generating electricity.
fossil fuels
Oil
b) _______________________
, natural gas and coal are _______________________
made from organic residues that accumulated and transformed over long periods of
time
fossil energy
______________________
. The energy they provide is called “______________________
.”
algae
c) Oil comes from organisms (marine animals and _______________________
) that lived in
the ocean a long time ago and and whose remains sank to the sea floor and were covered
silt
by sand, _______________________
, rocks and minerals. Over time, and with pressure,
very slowly
these organisms _______________________
turned into oil. Oil is a
liquid
_______________________
.
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same way
oil
d) Natural gas is formed in the _______________________
as _______________________
. It
gas
is a _______________________
.
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
6
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Date: __________________
terrestrial plants
e) Coal comes from _______________________
and trees that formerly grew in
swamps
_______________________.
Over time, sand and silt gradually covered the
swamps
organic residue
_______________________,
and the _______________________
was compressed into
solid
coal. Coal is a _______________________
.
thermal energy
f) When they are burned, fossil fuels produce a large amount of _______________________
that can be transformed into electrical energy or mechanical energy. They also emit
sulphur dioxide
pollutants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), _______________________
(SO2) and nitrogen
methane
oxides (NOx). In addition, natural gas is mainly composed of _______________________
(CH4), a gas that pollutes more than CO2.
Uranium
g) _______________________
is a radioactive element found in the Earth’s crust. It is used to
nucleus
nuclear fission
generate electricity. Through _______________________
, its _______________________
is split, and it releases enormous amounts of energy. However, nuclear energy has certain
risk of accidents
disadvantages: the _______________________
during nuclear fission and the problem of
waste
radioactive _______________________
.
Geothermal energy
h) _______________________
is yet another type of energy. It comes from the Earth’s
heat
internal _______________________
and is recovered through the underground circulation
fluid
of a _______________________
that heats up when it comes in contact with molten rock; it
then rises to the surface, charged with energy. It is mainly used in areas where hot rock lies
surface
close to the _______________________
, for example, near a volcano. This type of energy
renewable
reduce
is _______________________
, and geothermal systems _______________________
heating costs as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, the systems are
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expensive to install.
i) Researchers are currently looking for new sources of energy that are renewable and
hydrogen
clean
_______________________
. Processes involving _______________________
are being
explored.
2. What is the most abundant element on Earth?
Hydrogen
3. Which fossil fuel does not come from marine organisms?
Coal
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
7
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks
Name: ____________________________________________
Group: __________
Date: __________________
4. Which greenhouse gas is primarily responsible for global warming?
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
5. How many nuclear power plants are there in Québec?
Only one
6. Complete the diagram below that shows how acid rain is formed.

Emissions of
sulphuric
Formation of ______________
sulphur dioxide
___________________________
(SO2)
acid
_______________
(H2SO4) and
nitrogen oxides
and _______________________
(NOx)
(HNO3)
nitric acid _________________
industrial processes
from ___________________________
 Rainwater 
Acid rain
H2O
(____________)
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and fossil fuel combustion
Observatory / Guide
11129-B
8
ANSWER KEY
Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two
ACTIVITY 24
The lithosphere: minerals and rocks