Name: Date:
1 st Semester Exam Study Guide (Broken Into Units)
Day 1: Rock Cycle & Earth System Unit Study Guide
1.
Be able to identify and describe the four Earth System spheres. (B)
2.
Be able to predict which sphere would be affected by an event. (ex. Flood) (B)
3.
Be able to provide examples of components in each of the four Earth System spheres. (B)
4.
Describe the relationship between a sphere and the system. Define system & Sphere.
5.
Identify which rock type is created through which process. (C)
6.
Be able to describe each individual process listed on the rock cycle diagram. (C)
Hour:
7.
Explain the path a rock must take through the rock cycle in order to reach a desired outcome. (C)
8.
Understand what the rock cycle (diagram) shows or tells you about rocks. (C) “Hint: recycle”
9.
Be able to explain the differences between intrusive and extrusive rocks and where they form (environment). (D)
10.
Describe the textures (crystal size) of an igneous rock & what it tells you about the location (cooling time) where the rock formed. (D)
11.
Be able to identify locations where a metamorphic rock could form. (D, last diagram)
12.
Discuss the different types of metamorphism (Contact and Regional) and provide an example of where they could occur.
13.
Explain the two texture (foliated and non-foliated) types for metamorphic rocks.
14.
Be able to describe deposition. (A)
15.
Be able to understand why sediment sizes decrease as distance increases from a mountain source. (A)
16.
Identify rocks based on their grain size and distance from a mountain source. (A)

Name: Date:
A.
Sedimentary Rocks
Hour:
Deposition is the geological process by which sediments, soil, and rocks are added (deposited) to a landform or land mass. Fluids such as wind and water can deposit sediment, as well as ice flowing because of gravity. In the picture below, sediment begins as parent rock in the mountains and then it is weathered (broken down), eroded (moved), and deposited. The size of sediment grains decreases as distance increases from the source. In other words, very small sediment grains are normally found really far from mountain sources. Since sediment forms sedimentary rocks, the relationship between size of grains and distance from source impacts where certain rocks form.

Name: Date:
B.
Earth System & Rock Cycle Diagrams
C. Rock Cycle
D.
Igneous Rock Handout
Cooling Time vs. Crystal Size of Igneous Rocks
And Environments
Hour:

Name:
Day 2: Geologic Time Scale Unit Study Guide
Date:
1.
Use & identify relative dating principles & apply them to a relative dating puzzle. (A)
2.
Understand the relationship between number of half-lives and half-life percentages & fractions.
3.
Read & understand a half-life data table. (C)
4.
Read & interpret the geologic time scale and its divisions of time. (D)
Hour:
5.
Understand which half-life isotopes to use when dating a specific object. Ex. Carbon-14 for wood. (C)
6.
Know the age of the Earth.
7.
Understand the differences between isotopes, half-life, absolute dating, relative dating, radioactive decay & radiometric dating.
8.
Be able to solve absolute dating (fraction) problems. Ex. ½ C
14
, tells us one half life for an age of 5,730 years. (C)
9.
Know the parent & daughter material used in each dating method. (C)
10.
Explain how an index fossil can be used to absolute date a rock layer. (A)
11.
Interpret a radioactive decay graph for half-lives, percent remaining & age. (B)
Diagram A
Fossil
Sample
Geologic Age of Fossil
5 million years
3 million years
1 million years
Index Fossil & Relative Dating Diagrams

Name:
Diagram B
Date:
Radiometric Dating Graph
This graph is used to show the radioactive decay of an unidentified fossil. The half life of this fossil is 2,000 years.
A
Hour:
B
C
D
E F
Diagram C
Parent Material
Carbon
Potassium
Uranium
Parent/Daughter/Half Life Diagram
Daughter Material
Nitrogen
Argon
Lead
Length of Half Life
5,730 years
1.3 billion years
4.5 billion years

Name:
Diagram D
Date:
Geologic Time Scale
Hour:

Name:
Day 2: Plate Tectonics Unit Study Guide
Date:
1.
Know what state of matter (solid, liquid or gas) each layer of Earth’s interior is.
2.
Be able to recite the order of Earth’s internal layers.
3.
Compare Earth’s layers and the tectonic plates.
4.
Discuss the changing densities of Earth’s internal layers.
5.
Know what creates Earth’s magnetic field.
6.
Compare and contrast the properties of oceanic & continental crust. (A)
7.
Know why people have a hard time believing Earth is made of layers.
8.
Explain why we use models in science.
9.
Compare and contrast convergent, divergent & transform boundaries.
10.
Define Sea Floor Spreading.
11.
Identify plate boundary types & features/landforms displayed in a picture. (B)
12.
Define & identify the three forces that cause plate motion (ridge push, slab pull & convection) (B)
13.
Determine direction of plate movement based on a Hawaii hot spot map/diagram. (C)
Nazca/South American Plate Diagram
Diagram A
Hour:

Name:
Diagram B
Date:
Convergent Boundary Diagram
Hour:
Diagram C
Hawaii Diagram