A canyon is most often created by which type of process?

• Volcanic eruption

• Erosion by running water

• Deposition of river sediments

• Uplift from plate collision

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which surface feature is mainly the result of constructive forces?

• Ocean trench

• Delta at a river’s mouth

• Sinkhole in limestone bedrock

• Sea arch carved by waves

A team of students observes a sand dune growing larger each month as wind blows sand against a fence. Which evidence best supports classifying this sand dune as a product of a constructive process?

• The wind removes loose sand from surrounding areas.

• Layers of sand are added to the dune over time.

• Small plants struggle to take root on the dune’s surface.

• Animals burrow into the dune, scattering sand grains.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Examine the pairs below. Which pair correctly matches a surface feature with the dominant process that formed it?

• Volcano — Erosion

• Valley glacier — Deposition

• Sandbar — Deposition by waves

• Delta — Weathering

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Four classmates present arguments about how Mount Rainier (a tall volcanic mountain) was formed. Whose argument is best supported by scientific evidence?

• Lena: “Mount Rainier was carved by glaciers, so it is mainly a destructive feature.”

• Mateo: “Repeated lava eruptions built up layer after layer, so the mountain is a constructive feature.”

• Jada: “Mount Rainier formed when a meteorite struck Earth.”

• Sam: “Mount Rainier formed when a river deposited sediment at its base.”

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A class wants to model river deposition. Which setup would best illustrate this constructive process?

• A tray filled with dry sand and a fan blowing steadily across it

• A clear stream table where water flows over sand and slows at the end

• A tray of soil repeatedly frozen and thawed overnight

• A block of limestone sprayed with vinegar every hour

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

While using a wind-tunnel box to form mini sand dunes, which piece of data should students record each trial to connect wind speed with dune height?

• Amount of sand that sticks to the tunnel walls

• Average wind speed measured by the anemometer

• Humidity level inside the classroom

• Color of the sand particles

Students tilt a plastic gutter, let water flow over soil, and measure how far the soil travels. Which result best supports that the model demonstrates erosion?

• Water temperature rises after flowing over the soil.

• Soil particles collect at the end of the gutter.

• The gutter becomes slippery.

• The soil changes color.

A group builds a baking-soda volcano to model mountain formation. Which type of data would most clearly show the constructive growth of the cone?

• pH change of the vinegar before and after eruption

• Height of the cone measured after each eruption layer

• Mass of baking soda left in the bottle

• Time required for the eruption to finish

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

You must design an investigation to compare weathering rates of two rock samples using a freeze-thaw model. Which plan is most likely to produce reliable, analyzable data?

• Freeze both rocks once, then check which one looks more cracked.

• Subject both rocks to ten identical freeze-thaw cycles, measuring mass loss after each cycle.

• Place one rock in ice water and the other in hot water; observe color changes.

• Freeze one rock five times and the other fifteen times, then decide which one "broke more."

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3