Earth's History

What is the primary method used to determine the relative age of rock layers?

• Radiometric dating

• Law of Superposition

• Fossil correlation

• Stratigraphy

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DOK Level 1: Recall

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which process involves the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical composition?

• Chemical weathering

• Erosion

• Physical weathering

• Deposition

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DOK Level 1: Recall

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed approximately 335 million years ago?

• Gondwana

• Laurasia

• Pangaea

• Eurasia

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DOK Level 1: Recall

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which of the following is a result of plate tectonics?

• Formation of mountains

• Creation of river valleys

• Erosion of coastlines

• Weathering of rocks

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DOK Level 1: Recall

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

How does the geologic time scale help scientists?

• It predicts future geological events.

• It organizes Earth's history into manageable sections.

• It measures the speed of tectonic plate movement.

• It determines the chemical composition of rocks.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which of the following best describes the process of erosion?

• The breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces

• The movement of sediment from one place to another

• The formation of new rock layers

• The chemical alteration of minerals

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

How do fossils provide evidence for past plate motions?

• By showing the age of the rocks they are found in

• By indicating the climate of the past

• By revealing the types of organisms that lived in different areas

• By showing similar species on continents now separated by oceans

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which geoscience process is responsible for the creation of the Grand Canyon?

• Volcanic activity

• Glacial movement

• River erosion

• Tectonic uplift

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Analyze the diagram of rock strata. Which layer is the oldest?

• Top layer

• Middle layer

• Bottom layer

• Cannot be determined

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Construct an explanation for how the distribution of fossils supports the theory of continental drift.

• Fossils are found only in specific regions.

• Similar fossils are found on continents that are now widely separated.

• Fossils are found in the same rock layers worldwide.

• Fossils are only found in oceanic regions.

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3