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Test Date: Friday, April 8, 2011
Science Unit C- Study Guide
I. Big Ideas:

There are several kinds of soil that make up the earth’s surface. Different
places may have layers of different kinds of soil. (Lesson One)

Soil is made of weathered rock, and living, once-living, and nonliving
things. (Lesson Two)

When water is added to soil, some of the water will be absorbed by the
soil. When the soil cannot absorb any more water, puddles will form.
Over time, some of the water will evaporate into the air. (Lesson Three)

Most things that people need in order to live come from the earth. People
use plants, soil, and water. (Lesson Four)

Rocks come in many different sizes, from grains of sand to boulders.
Smaller rocks come from larger rocks that have been broken. (Lesson Five)

Wind, water, and other natural forces can break down rocks. This is
called weathering. These forces can also move rock and soil from place to
place. This is called erosion. Water flows downhill. (Lesson Six)

Different rocks have different sizes and textures. Minerals are grouped by
how hard or soft they are. (Lesson Seven)

Fossil remains are the remains of once-living things that changed to rock
over millions of years; trace fossils are imprints that plants or animals left
that changed to solid rock over millions of years. Fossils give information
about the once-living things that made them. (Lesson Eight)

Rocks can be grouped by color, shape, size, mass, and texture. Rocks are
alike in some ways and different in others. (Lesson Nine)

Rocks and minerals are very important parts of life. (Lesson Ten)
II. Vocabulary

Clay Soil: Hard soil that is often found under top soil.

Sandy Soil: Soil found near oceans or lakes.

Top Soil: The dark, loose top layer of soil.

Rock: A nonliving thing.

Living Things: Things that need air, water, and food to stay alive.

Nonliving Things: Things that do not need air, water, or food.

Once-living Things: Things that once needed air, water, and food to stay
alive, that are not alive now.

Puddles: Water that cannot be absorbed by soil.

Absorb: To soak into.

Evaporate: To disappear into the air.

Shelter: A home.

Boulders: Very big rocks.

Sand: Tiny pieces of broken rock.

Erosion: Erosion occurs when wind and water move soil and rocks.

Weathering: When wind, water, and other things break rocks.

Minerals: Materials that are formed in the earth and water.

Scratch: To make a mark on something.

Texture: How something feels.

Fossil Remains: The parts of once-living things that have changed into
rock.

Trace Fossils: The outlines of once-living things in rocks.