Earth Science

Students were tasked with making a model of how natural forces can change the surface

features of Earth. They make a pile of sand in front of an electric fan and turn it on. This model best represents which of the following changes to the surface of Earth?

• The formation of a delta at the mouth of a river.

• The building of a mountain on the edge of a continent.

• The movement of dunes caused by the blowing wind.

• The creation of a canyon by flowing water.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

Stalagmites are structures that form on the floor of some caves. Most scientists explain this by saying that stalagmites form when minerals dissolved in water are left behind where water drips. Which evidence would support this explanation?

• Freezing water turns it into a solid.

• Water found in caves has minerals in it.

• Some stalagmites are taller than others.

• Many caves are found deep underground.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS1-1

A student argues that a destructive force can change the surface of Earth. Which of the following could be used to support this claim?

• A new island forms in the middle of an ocean.

• A plain becomes a deep canyon with steep walls.

• A sand dune shifts from one location to another.

• A mountain grows taller over a thousand years.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS1-1

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

Students placed two desks next to each other, and then pulled them apart. This demonstration best models which change that happens to the surface of the Earth.

• Large cracks forming on the ground.

• Waves making a beach smaller.

• Sand dunes moving by winds.

• Weathering changing the shape of a mountain.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

Over many years, the depth of a lake gets more shallow. What could cause this change?

• The climate in the area gets warmer.

• Sediments are deposited in the lake.

• The Sun evaporates the water.

• A hurricane brings heavy rains.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

What is the breakdown of the Earth’s crust into sediment called?

• Weathering

• Raining

• Erosion

• Whooshing

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NGSS.4-ESS2-1

What does physical weathering involve?

• Water

• Wind

• Temperature

• All of the Above

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

What is the process called when a glacier deposits rocks in oceans and lakes?

• Deposition

• Drainage

• Pollution

• Depotism

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What do flood plains, sandbars, and river deltas in common?

• They are formed by water erosion.

• They have been formed by glacial erosion.

• They have been formed by wind erosion.

• They have been formed by sandblasting.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

What type of erosion formed the Grand Canyon?

• Wind

• Water

• Sandblasting

• Glacial

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1