Changes Over Time
This is a slow change where high rocks become lower over many years. What is it?
erosion (or wearing down of mountains)
A sudden shaking of Earth that can change the ground and sometimes cause tsunamis. What is it?
earthquake
Name one museum in Alberta where you can see fossilized dinosaur bones.
Royal Tyrrell Museum or Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum
Which of these (wind, water, or ice) forms sand dunes?
wind
Name one thing that soil is made of (choose one: air, water, rock particles, or decaying plants).
any one of air, water, rock particles, decaying plants
Name one visible change that can happen to Earth’s surface over a long time (example: rivers _____).
rivers changing course (or lakes drying out, glaciers moving, mountains wearing down)
Big, fast ocean waves caused by undersea earthquakes or volcanoes are called what?
tsunami
This region in Alberta is famous for dinosaur fossils and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What is it?
Dinosaur Provincial Park
Which force makes caves by slowly dissolving rock? (wind, water, or ice)
water
What part of soil is full of living or once-living plants and animals and sits on top?
humus
True or false: Earth’s surface does not change over time. (Answer with “True” or “False”.)
False
Name three natural events that can change Earth’s surface in a short time.
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, floods, melting/freezing, wildfires, tornadoes, etc.
Name two dinosaurs that lived in Alberta (pick any two from the list in the unit).
Albertosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Nodosaurus, Tyrannosaurus (and others)
What creates meanders (curvy river paths)? (wind, water, or ice) — explain in one sentence.
water (meanders form from flowing water eroding outer banks and depositing inside banks)
Give two ways animals can change the soil (short answer).
animals burrowing (worms tunneling), overpopulation impacts, animals eating plants, moving soil
Give two examples of gradual processes that shape Earth’s surface (choose from wind, water, ice).
wind and water (or water and ice; any two)
This event is a fast-moving wall of snow down a mountain. What is it?
avalanche
How do paleontologists learn that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago? (short answer)
By studying fossils in rock layers and using evidence from layers and fossils (stratigraphy and fossil evidence)
How do glaciers shape valleys differently than rivers? (short answer)
Glaciers carve wide U-shaped valleys; rivers carve narrower V-shaped valleys
Why is topsoil important for plants? (short answer)
Topsoil has nutrients and organic matter where seeds grow and plants get water and nutrients
Explain how glaciers have helped create rivers in Alberta (short answer).
Melting glaciers create runoff that flows into rivers; glaciers carved channels and their meltwater supplies rivers in Alberta.
Describe how a volcanic eruption can change Earth’s surface (short answer).
Volcanic eruptions can add new rock, build mountains, change landscapes with lava and ash; they can bury land and change rivers.
List two places in Alberta where fossilized dinosaur bones have been found.
Alberta’s badlands; Grande Cache; Fort McMurray; and other sites
Give one example of a landform formed by water and one formed by wind. Name each.
Example answers — water: sea stacks or meanders; wind: sand dunes or rock arches
Describe how human activities can change Earth’s surface and one action people can take to be responsible stewards.
Example: building towns or farming can remove soil and change land; stewardship action: plant trees, recycle, save water, pick up litter, compost.