Topic 5: History of the Earth (SC.7.E.6.3 and SC.E.6.4)

1. The diagram shows the folding of rock layers that occurs in the process of mountain building.

Which layer in the diagram is the youngest?

• Layer L

• Layer M

• Layer N

• Layer Q

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Fossils provide information about the layers of rock in which they are found. For example, the fish fossil indicates that the sediments in the surrounding rock were deposited in or near a body of water.

What information does the fish fossil provide about the age of the rock layer surrounding it?

• The rock is younger than the fossil.

• The rock is older than the fossil.

• The rock and fossil are the same age.

• The age of the rock is unrelated to the age of the fossil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossils are the preserved remains of organisms that lived long ago. According to the law of superposition, the rock layers that contain fossils should be far below Earth’s surface. Which answer best explains why fossils are sometimes found at or near the surface?

• Fossils are less dense than rock, so they rise to the surface.

• Fossils are moved to the surface by other organisms.

• Sedimentary rock layers are relatively soft, and new fossils sink through upper layers into older, deeper layers.

• Some rock layers with fossils have been exposed because of different processes, such as faulting, folding, and weathering.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The rock layers that make up the Grand Canyon range in age from 2 billion to 230 million years. What would a scientist need in order to compare the ages of rocks from two different parts of the canyon?

• the location of each rock

• the size and hardness of each rock

• the size of the crystals that make up the rock

• the radioactive elements in each rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Many features of rocks offer clues to their ages. Which feature does NOT provide information about the age of a rock?

• the position of the rock relative to other rock layers.

• the size of the crystals that make up the rock

• the radioactive elements within the rock

• the fossils found within the rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists find a fossil of a fish on top of a mountain. What kind of evidence does the fossil provide scientists about the way this area might have changed over time?

• It shows that fish were once able to live without water.

• It shows that oceans can change quickly and become land.

• It shows that the animals found on the mountain today evolved from fish.

• It shows that the mountain may have once been under water and raised up by natural processes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The picture below shows a river flowing through a canyon.

What can you infer about how the canyon looked a thousand years ago?

• The canyon was just as deep but had no water.

• The canyon was not as deep as it is today.

• The canyon was much deeper than it is today.

• The canyon looked exactly like it does today.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Scientists have found evidence that suggests that parts of Florida were once underwater. What kind of evidence could suggest this?

• fossils found in igneous rock

• fossils of marine animals

• artifacts of tools once used for fishing

• fossils of insects that can be found in Florida today

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Raj’s class is learning about natural processes that change Earth over long periods of time. Which example is NOT a natural process that changes Earth over time?

• mining

• earthquakes

• erosion

• weathering

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following is NOT an example of a fossil?

• a petrified dinosaur bone
• a footprint captured in mud
• a seashell found on the beach
• an insect stuck in amber

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1