Adrian's family went to the beach over the summer. While there, Adrian noticed that the rocks closer to the water’s edge were smooth, and the rocks farther away from the water were rough and jagged. What MOST likely caused the rocks closer to the water to be smooth?

• birds pecking at the rocks

• fish swimming over the rocks

• waves crashing down on the rocks

• people walking over the rocks to get to the water

The third graders in Mr. Miller’s class were looking at pictures of mountain ranges in the United States. The students observed that the Appalachian Mountains were round and short, while the Rocky Mountains were taller and more jagged. What would cause the mountain ranges to be so different?

• More people have traveled over the Rocky Mountains than the Appalachian Mountains.

• The Appalachian Mountains have had more exposure to erosion from wind and water.

• More animals live in the Appalachian Mountains, so they have been worn down more from the animals walking over them.

• The snow in the Rocky Mountains keeps them for eroding as quickly as the Appalachian Mountains.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Some students noticed little trenches around the outside of the school building.

What do you think will happen to the trenches over time?

• The trench holes will stay the same because they were made to catch the rain and control flooding.

• The trench holes will get smaller because grass will grow over the area and it will be watered by the rain.

• The trench holes will get larger because the rain water will continue to push the soil out of the trench.

• The trench holes will disappear because rocks and soil will fill up from the bottom layer of the ground.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Several friends were standing on the side of Providence Canyon, known as the Little Grand Canyon, in Georgia. Looking down they could see the layers of rock and the river at the bottom.

They wondered how it was formed. Each had a different idea. Which one is correct?

• There was a huge flood that rushed through the land and formed the Canyon in one day.

• The Canyon was formed when the Earth was formed, it just got bigger with earthquakes.

• The river and streams slowly carved out the Canyon over time and pushed the soil away.

• The Canyon was dug by humans in less than a week and the river sunk to the bottom.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

During the fall, Carlos noticed a small crack in a rock in his backyard. Over the winter, the area that Carlos lives in got a lot of rain and temperatures dropped below freezing many nights. When Carlos observed the rock again in the spring, he noticed the crack was much larger. What caused the crack to get bigger?

• The rain water continued to carve out the crack over time.

• Over time, the rain would freeze to ice, which expanded the crack in the rock.

• Wind from the freezing nights would cause erosion to the rock.

• There was a flood that moved with a fast speed that caused the crack to expand.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A group of third graders in Bethesda Elementary went outside for recess on the first day of school and ran down a big hill. At the bottom of the hill, they noticed that part of the ground looked different from last school year.

Which of the following BEST describe what caused the shift in the appearance of the ground?

• Strong winds moved the soil from one spot of the playground to another.

• The soil carved out quickly from other students playing before them.

• Rain water moved quickly down the hill and the water carved out part of the soil.

• An earthquake broke apart the soil.

Tags

NGSS.4-ESS2-1

The breaking down of rocks into small pieces by wind and water.....

• soil
• weathering
• silt
• humus

What contains water, air, humus, and tiny pieces of rock?

• soil
• minerals
• rocks
• toys

Soil is made of

• weathered rocks and minerals
• dead plants and animals
• air and water
• all of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3