Egyptian American International School
The Science Department 2015-2016
MID YEAR EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Gr. 11 Environmental Science
The Exam Duration 2 Hours
THE EXAM WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
PART A: 50 Multiple Choice questions
PART B: 10 COMPLETE
PART C: 10 TRUE OR FALSE
PART D: SHORT ESSAY
PART E: LONG ESSAY, DIAGRAM, PROBLEM SOLVING
PART F: BONUS
THE EXAM WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL
Chapter 1: science & the environment
1.1 understanding our environment
Vocabulary words:
 Environmental
 biodegradable
science
pollutants
 natural resources
 ecology
 pollution
 social science
 agriculture
 biodiversity
 earth science
 volume
 renewable resources
 hunters- gatherers
Main Points
 The difference between the environmental science & ecology
 The 5 main sciences contributing to the environmental science
 The effect of hunters- gatherers on the environment
 The meaning of the agriculture & the effect of agricultural revolution on the environment
 Understand how to use critical thinking skills to solve problems.
 Describe the steps of the scientific method.
CHAPTER 3: The dynamic earth
2.1 geosphere?
2.2 Atmosphere
2.3 hydrosphere biosphere
Vocabulary Words:
 geosphere
 asthenosphere
 stratosphere
 crust
 tectonic plate
 thermosphere
 mantle
 erosion
 water cycle
 core
 mesosphere
 closed , open system
 lithosphere
 troposphere
 salinity
Main Points:
 Explain the different classifications of the earth’s layers .
 Distinguish crust , mantle , inner core , outer core, lithosphere , asthenosphere.
 Understand the different movements of tectonic plates & their effects.
 Interpret the properties of the layers of the atmosphere
 Distinguish between the different phases of the water cycle
 Recognize the effects of the green house gases on our world.
 Identify the meaning of aquifers
 Understand why the earth was considered as an open system while it’s considered now as a closed system.
CHAPTER 4: the organization of life
4.1 everything is connected
Vocabulary Words:
 Organism
 Population
 Community



Biotic factors
Abiotic factors
condensation


ecosystem
habitat
GR 11 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MID YEAR EXAM STUDY GUIDE -Page 1 of 3
Main Points:
 List the different levels of organization of the life.
 Understanding the meaning of ecosystem.
 Mentioning the difference between the biotic & abiotic factors.
 Explaining the concept of evolution
 State the main points of natural selection
 The difference between natural & artificial selection .
 Understanding the concept of adaptation .
 Describing the meaning of a habitat.
CHAPTER 5: how an ecosystem works
5.1 energy flow in an ecosystem.
Vocabulary Words:
 photosynthesis
 bacteria
 food chain
 producer
 herbivore
 food web
 consumer
 carnivore
 trophic level
 decomposer
 omnivore

energy pyramid
 fungi
 cellular respiration
Main Points
 Describe how the energy is transferred from the sun to the producers
 Explain how the energy is passed from the plants to the other organisms
 Describe the way in which consumers depend on the producers
 List 2 types of consumers
 Distinguishing between herbivores , carnivores , omnivores.
 Describing the difference between the energy transfer in a food chain & in a food web
 Understanding how much energy is transferred from one living organisms in each step of the food chain
 Understanding the meaning of a trophic layer, energy pyramid.
CHAPTER 6: biomes
6.1 what’s a biome.
Vocabulary words:
 Biome
 Climate
 Latitude
 Altitude
Main Points :
 Describing how the plants determine the name of the biome.
 Explain how temperature & precipitation determine which plants grow in an area.
 Explaining how latitude & altitude affect which plants grow in an area.
6.2 Forest biomes.
Vocabulary words:
 Tropical rain forest
 Emergent layer
 Canopy



Epiphyte
Understory
Temperate rain forest


Temperate deciduous
forests
Taiga
Main points:
 List three characteristics of the tropical rain forests
 Name & describe the main layers of a tropical rain forest
 Describe one plant in a temperate deciduous forest & an adaptation that helps the plant to survive.
 Describe one adaptation that may help an animal survive in taiga
 Name two threats to the worlds forest biomes.
GR 11 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MID YER EXAM STUDY GUIDE - Page 2 of 3
6.3 grassland, deserts, tundra
Vocabulary words:


Savanna


Temperate
grasslands
Desert
Tundra
Main points:
 Describe the difference between tropical rain forests & temperate grasslands.
 Describe two desert animals & the adaptation that help them to survive.
 Describe one threat to tundra biomes.
 Describe the climate in a chaparral biome.
CHAPTER 7: aquatic ecosystems
7.1 fresh water ecosystems
Vocabulary words:
 Wetland
 Plankton
 Nekton



Benthos
Littoral zone
Benthic zone

Eutrophication
Main points:
 Describe the factors that determine where an organism lives in an aquatic ecosystem.
 Describe the littoral zone & the benthic zone that makes up a lake or a pond.
 Describe two environmental functions of wetlands.
 Describe one threat against river ecosystem.
7.2 Marine ecosystems
Vocabulary words:
 Estuary
 Salt marsh


Mangrove swamp
Barrier island

Coral reef
Main points:
 Explain why an estuary is a very productive ecosystem
 Compare salt marshes & mangrove swamps
 Describe two threats to ocean organisms
GR 11 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MID YER EXAM STUDY GUIDE - Page 3 of 3