5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
Name ___________________
Date ____________________
Mark the correct answer for each question on your answer sheet.
1.
Which of these actions should come LAST in a scientific investigation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.
testing a hypothesis
making an observation
setting up a control
stating a conclusion
Which of the following is the BEST way to find much of the information
astronomers have learned about the solar system?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Write to a university astronomer.
Look up “solar system” on the Internet.
Buy a large reflecting telescope.
Read the astrology column in the newspaper.
Use the table below to answer question 3.
Planet
Earth
Mars
Saturn
Neptune
3.
Diameter
12,756 km
6,794 km
120,000 km
48,600 km
Which is an accurate statement based on the data in the table?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The diameter of Saturn is approximately twice Earth’s diameter.
The diameter of Mars is approximately half Earth’s diameter.
The Diameter of Earth and Saturn are approximately the same.
The diameter of Neptune is approximately three times Mars’
diameter.
Page 1 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
4.
Which statement would scientists have the MOST trouble measuring?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5.
I have a fever.
I weigh 101 pounds.
I am 62 inches tall.
My dog is better than your dog.
The natural process of rocks gradually breaking up and being worn away over
time is known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
weathering.
cementing.
sedimentation.
melting.
Use the list below to answer question 6.
Examples of Weathering and Erosion
6.
1.
A pothole in the street
2.
A cracked sidewalk
3.
Plant roots growing out of a crack in a rock
4.
A muddy stream
Which item on the list is an example of erosion taking place?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.
item
item
item
item
1
2
3
4
All of these help change rock into soil EXCEPT
A.
B.
C.
D.
lava flows
freezing and thawing
acids from plants
changes in temperature
Page 2 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
8.
Which is an example of chemical weathering?
A.
B.
C.
D.
rocks hitting each other in a swift current
a strong wind blowing sand through a canyon
ice forming in cracks in rocks
acidic water dissolving limestone
Rosalita is demonstrating a force that shapes Earth’s surface. This is what she did:
1.
2.
3.
4.
put clay at one end of a straw;
filled the straw with water;
put clay at the other end of the straw; and
put the straw in a freezer overnight.
The pictures show the straw before and after it went in the freezer.
9.
Which was she demonstrating?
A.
B.
C.
D.
10.
how glaciers form from ice
how lava expands like ice to flow out of volcanoes
how ice can break open a rock
how tectonic plates expand when frozen
In which of the following areas would soil erosion MOST LIKELY occur if
they received the same amount of rainfall?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a forest
flat agricultural lands
agricultural lands on a steep slope
restored prairies
Page 3 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
Use the diagram below to answer question 11.
11.
This diagram shows an example of
A.
B.
C.
D.
wind erosion.
lava flow.
ice erosion.
sedimentary rock.
Use the pictures below to answer question 12.
12.
The pictures show the same river over thousands of years. Which order of
numbers lists the pictures from the youngest to the oldest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
1, 3, 2
3, 2, 1
3, 1, 2
2, 3, 1
Page 4 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
Use the diagram below to answer question 13.
13.
When the flow of water slows down at the mouth of a large river, a delta is
formed because
A.
B.
C.
D.
14.
Which of the following is NOT a way that mountains can form?
A.
B.
C.
D.
15.
more erosion takes place.
the slower water carves the rock
sediments are deposited.
the riverbed suffers more weathering.
Two ocean plates collide, forcing molten crust upward.
An ocean plate sinks beneath a plate carrying a continent.
Two plates carrying continents collide and meld together.
Two rock layers shift and crack into separate pieces.
Which of the following does NOT support the theory of continental drift?
A. identical fossils found in Antarctica and China
B. identical rocks found in the mountains of South Africa and South
America
C. coral reefs and coal deposits found in the North Polar regions
D. similar volcanic islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Page 5 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
16.
Which landform results when one of Earth’s plates slides past another?
A.
B.
C.
D.
faults
plateaus
mountains
deltas
Use the map below to answer question 17.
17.
The map shows part of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, including the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This ridge is where
A.
B.
C.
D.
18.
crustal plates dip into the interior.
crustal plates are moving apart.
crustal plates are colliding.
the ocean floor is the oldest.
The Ring of Fire is an area
A. of intense fire at the top of a volcano.
B. in which a meteorite hit the earth and left a circular depression.
C. in the Western United States which is subject to frequent forest
fires.
D. of intense volcanic and earthquake activity around the Pacific Ocean.
Page 6 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
19.
When an area of Earth’s surface suddenly moves, a seismograph draws wavy
lines. Which of the following MOST LIKELY happened?
A.
B.
C.
D.
20.
What is the cause of most earthquakes?
A.
B.
C.
D.
21.
a rift valley
a glacier
a sandbar
a floodplain
Volcanoes are formed from
A.
B.
C.
D.
23.
the rotation of Earth
The direction of the wind
The pull of Earth’s gravity
The movement of plates on Earth’s crust
Which feature of Earth is created by faults?
A.
B.
C.
D.
22.
a volcanic eruption
a thunderstorm
a nuclear explosion
an earthquake
hot gases pushing up through Earth’s surface.
molten rock pushing up through Earth’s surface.
large continental plates colliding with one another.
the rapid erosion of large mountain ranges.
Which conservation method would help prevent erosion of topsoil from a
large field that is flat and unprotected?
A.
B.
C.
D.
building windbreaks
dam construction
contour plowing
building terraces
Page 7 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
The diagram below shows the Mount St. Helens volcano before and after it erupted
in 1980.
24.
About how much height did the volcano lose directly under its summit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
25.
Which part of the ocean is the most economically productive?
A.
B.
C.
D.
26.
2,000 feet
4,000 feet
6,000 feet
8,000 feet
continental shelf
ocean basin
continental plain
mid-ocean ridge
Which ocean feature is a flat area covered by a layer of mud, sand, and
animal remains?
A.
B.
C.
D.
rift valley
mid-oceanic ridge
abyssal plain
continental slope
Page 8 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
27.
Which is NOT a way oceanographers gather new information about the
depths of the ocean below 1000 feet?
A.
B.
C.
D.
28.
sonar on surface ships
scuba diving
submersible robots
snorkeling
Which does NOT cause movement of ocean waters?
A.
B.
C.
D.
wind
the Moon and Sun
Earth’s rotation
sea creatures
Use the table below to answer question 29.
Salt
Sodium
Magnesium
Calcium
Chlorine
Sulfate
29.
Which is the most abundant dissolved material in ocean water?
A.
B.
C.
D.
30.
Composition
(%)
30.4
3.7
1.16
55.2
7.7
calcium
chlorine
magnesium
sodium
When industrial waste enters rivers, it eventually reaches the ocean. This
pollution can kill ocean life or make seafood unsafe for eating. Which is
NOT true about this type of pollution?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It is
It is
It is
It is
spread in the ocean by currents.
sometimes radioactive.
often concentrated in coastal areas.
all being eliminated by modern technology.
Page 9 of 9
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
Answer Keys
1. D
2. B
3. B
4. D
5. A
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. A
13. C
14. A
15. D
16. A
17. B
18. D
19. D
20. D
21. A
22. B
23. A
24. B
25. A
26. C
27. D
28. D
29. B
30. D
Page 1 of 2
5th Grade Science Checkpoint #1: Earth Science
1st Nine Weeks
1.
A
B
C
D
16.
A
B
C
D
2.
A
B
C
D
17.
A
B
C
D
3.
A
B
C
D
18.
A
B
C
D
4.
A
B
C
D
19.
A
B
C
D
5.
A
B
C
D
20.
A
B
C
D
6.
A
B
C
D
21.
A
B
C
D
7.
A
B
C
D
22.
A
B
C
D
8.
A
B
C
D
23.
A
B
C
D
9.
A
B
C
D
24.
A
B
C
D
10.
A
B
C
D
25.
A
B
C
D
11.
A
B
C
D
26.
A
B
C
D
12.
A
B
C
D
27.
A
B
C
D
13.
A
B
C
D
28.
A
B
C
D
14.
A
B
C
D
29.
A
B
C
D
15.
A
B
C
D
30.
A
B
C
D
Page 2 of 2