Earth's Features - Amplify Benchmark

Which is an example of a living organism that causes the earth to be reshaped?

• a snake slithering through the grass

• a bird building a nest in a tree branch

• a prairie dog burrowing into the ground

• a bear scratching its back against a rock

Jamila wants to travel somewhere where she has the best chance of seeing a volcano, but from a safe distance. She doesn’t like to go on boats, so she wants to make sure it is on land. Use the map below to explain which location would be the best place to do this.

• Australia; there are several volcanoes just off the coast.

• Africa; there are several volcanoes inland.

• Russia; there are several earthquakes, so there has to be several volcanoes here, too.

• South America; there are several volcanoes inland.

Geologists have been studying a site to learn more about the fossils there.

Study the image above that the geologist made. Which of the following claims can be supported by the evidence from the image?

• The site has always been a forest environment.

• The site was a forest before it was an ocean environment.

• The site was an ocean environment before it was a forest.

• The site has always been an ocean environment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The diagram below shows fossils during different periods in time (labeled A–E).

Using the image above, what can you infer about the environment where these fossils were found?

• The environment was cold and dry for all living things that once lived in this location.

• There were times when the environment was too extreme for any living things to live in this

  location.

• The environment was hot and dry for all living things that once lived in this location.

• The environment was perfect for all living things to live during one period in time.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Scientists study and track the locations of active volcanoes and earthquakes on maps to look for patterns.

Which statement best describes the data and patterns you see in the map?

• There are equal numbers of volcanoes and earthquakes.

• Anywhere there is an earthquake, a volcano will always be in that same location too.

• Most of the volcanoes on Earth are located in the center of the oceans.

• Volcanoes that occur on continents most often occur along the coasts.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Claim: The site was an ocean environment before it was a forest.

What is your evidence to support this claim?

• All of the fossils are from living things from a land environment.

• All of the fossils are from living things from an ocean environment.

• The most recent fossils are from a land environment, and older fossils are from an ocean

  environment.

• The most recent fossils are from an ocean environment, and older fossils are from a land

  environment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The paleontologist has found small pieces of dinosaur fossil in a rock layer. She and her crew set up camp to further investigate this rock layer. They want more evidence to determine the age of the dinosaur fossils in comparison to other fossils that have been found. The science team has a big breakthrough when they find large teeth and a skull of the same type of dinosaur in the same rock layer.

Finding the large skull convinces the team that dinosaurs lived during the time period represented by this rock layer. __________fossils are less likely to be moved over time by processes such as weathering and erosion. If this happens, scientists might think they are the wrong age if they are mixed in with fossils from ___________.

• - Smaller

  - different organisms

• - Larger

  - a different layer

• - Smaller

  - a different layer

• - Larger

  - Smaller

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Technology can be improved over time to meet the needs of society. Which is an example of an improvement that can cause people to be better protected from natural hazards?

• stream gauges that provide data on possible flooding

• alarms that go off when fires in fireplaces become too hot

• alarms that go off when fires in fireplaces become too hot

• weather vanes that tell which direction the wind is coming from

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Jeremiah lives in a house that is very close to a flowing river. He notices that his town is getting a lot more rain this year than normal. The water in the river is moving much faster than normal and is higher up on the sides of the river. What actions could Jeremiah take to make sure this river water does not end up in his house?

• He could consider ideas to slow down the erosion from the increase in rainfall.

• He could consider ideas to increase the erosion from the increase in rainfall.

• He could consider ideas to maintain the erosion at the same levels.

• There is no way to reduce the risk of erosion from the potential flooding.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

The students in a science class must find a way to demonstrate how rainfall helps shape the land.

Which of the following investigations would best represent these ideas?

• Place an ice cube on a baking sheet, and set it in the sun until it melts.

• Pour water on top of a pile of sand, and watch as it moves the sand around.

• Place a fan in front of a pile of sand, turn it on, and watch the sand blow away.

• Set a large rock in a tray of water, and watch as the rock weathers by the next day.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4