Download Earth Matters Benchmark Study Topics

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Earth Matters I Benchmark Study Topics
Chapter 1—Plate Tectonics
Section 1—Earth’s Interior
List the order of Earth’s layers.
What is the asthenosphere?
What is the lithosphere?
How does pressure change within the different layers?
Section 2—Convection and the Mantle
What are convection currents?
Where in the mantle do convection currents take place?
What causes of the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?
Section 3—Drifting Continents
What was Wegener’s hypothesis?
Explain how fossil and land mass evidence supported Wegener’s hypothesis (use a
separate piece of paper if needed).
Why was Wegener’s hypothesis rejected?
According to Wegener’s evidence, what two things on Earth changed over time?
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Section 4—Sea-Floor Spreading
Describe the process of sea-floor spreading (not subduction).
What is the Mid-ocean ridge?
Where is the Mid-ocean ridge?
Section 5—The Theory of Plate Tectonics
What is the theory of plate tectonics?
What is a plate boundary?
Subduction occurs at what plate boundary?
Define scientific theory.
There are three types of plate boundaries—convergent (3), divergent (2), and transform (1).
Draw a diagram and describe the movement of the plates and the landforms created at 2
different convergent plate boundaries and at 1 divergent plate boundary (use a separate
piece of paper if needed).
List ways that valleys can form at convergent & divergent plate boundaries
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Chapter 2—Earthquakes
Section 1—Forces in Earth’s crust
Show the motion of the 3 types of stress—tension, compression, & shearing.
Which stress can create hills and valleys or anticlines and synclines?
List all of the places you could find faults.
Section 2—Earthquakes and seismic waves
In which layer of the Earth would you find the focus, or point where the rock breaks
and starts the earthquake?
Chapter 3—Volcanoes
Section 1—Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics
Where do volcanic belts commonly occur?
How do the Hawaiian Islands form?
Section 3—Volcanic Eruptions
Why does liquid magma rise?
Explain how volcanoes can be both constructive and destructive forces (use a separate
piece of paper if needed).
Chapter 1 Section 5
What is a scientific theory?
Lab work
What can you determine, or figure out, by first measuring the mass and volume of an
object?