What Happened Before

Geologists discovered a layer of rock formed millions of years in the past. Which of the following would provide the best evidence of what the environment was like when the rock formed?

• The time when the rock appears to have formed

• The sediments from which the rock is made

• The fossil plants and animals found in the rock

• The kinds of rocks above and below the rock layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossil ferns, like the ferns found in modern swamps, were discovered in a layer of rock. In a rock layer below were found the fossils of cactus, like those that live in hot, arid deserts today. Based on this evidence, we could conclude that the area where the fossils were discovered had what sequence of climates in the past?

• Forest, followed by deep ocean

• Cold climate that got warmer over time

• Rushing river, then a dark cave

• Very dry and then, much more damp

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossil ferns, like the ferns found in modern swamps, were discovered in a layer of rock. In a rock layer below were found the fossils of cactus, like those that live in hot, arid deserts today. Based on this evidence, we could conclude that the area where the fossils were discovered had what sequence of climates in the past?

• Forest, followed by deep ocean.

• Cold climate that got warmer over time.

• Rushing river, then a dark cave.

• Very dry and then, much more damp.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

In the rock layers below the Antarctic, a region currently covered in ice, scientists have discovered the remains of plants that usually live only in very warm climates. What is the most reasonable conclusion for scientists to draw from this evidence?

• The antarctic will be covered in ice for millions of years.

• The climate in the antarctic was very different in the past.

• These plants have adapted to live in the antarctic.

• The antarctic has daylight for only six months of the year.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

A scientist finds the plant fossil shown. Which question can the scientist most likely answer by examining this fossil?

• How much water was absorbed by the roots?

• What was the environment like in the area when the plant was alive?

• How much oxygen was in the area where the plant lived?

• What was the average yearly rainfall in the area?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What scientific evidence can best determine the age of a fossil?

• The type of rock surrounding the fossil

• The depth at which the fossil was found

• Radiometric dating of the fossil

• The size of the fossil

Which of the following processes occurred before the formation of sedimentary rock?

• Melting of rock

• Erosion and deposition

• Metamorphism

• Volcanic eruption

What happened before the Big Bang according to current scientific theories?

• The universe was in a singularity

• The universe was expanding

• The universe was in a steady state

• The universe was filled with stars

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-2

Before the discovery of penicillin, how were bacterial infections primarily treated?

• With herbal remedies

• With antibiotics

• With vaccines

• With antiseptics

What scientific principle explains the movement of continents before the theory of plate tectonics?

• Continental drift

• Seafloor spreading

• Subduction zones

• Mantle convection

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3