Earth Science
Name three causes of rapid changes to Earth’s surface.
Volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the daily measure of temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate is weather measured over time.
How long is the lunar cycle?
The lunar cycle is 28 days.
What are the four main stages of a life cycle?
Birth (seed, egg, live birth), growth/development (size and weight), reproduction (produce seeds, mate and lay eggs), death (length of life cycle)
Define producers, consumers, and decomposers
What is erosion and what causes it
Erosion is the movement of small pieces of weathered rock by wind, water, and ice. This could include moving ice (glaciers), strong winds, and flowing water (rivers).
Name the five steps of the water cycle.
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, absorption, runoff
Name the 8 planets in the solar system in order.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
What are the four main stages of the life cycle of a frog or butterfly?
Egg, larva (caterpillar, tadpole), pupa (cocoon), adult
What are the five types of energy we studied in class?
The five types of energy we studied in class are heat, electrical, mechanical, light, and sound.
Name the 5 properties of minerals that we discussed in class
Hardness, luster, cleavage, color, streak
What are the four types of precipitation? Define each one.
SURPRISE! Explain the difference between properties of materials and properties of objects
Properties of materials don’t change based on an object’s size. These include hardness, texture, and color. Properties of objects can change. These include size, shape and weight.
Name 4 structures of a plant and explain the function of each one.
How does energy move through an ecosystem? Give an example.
Energy starts with the sun. Sunlight is absorbed by plants and converted into food. This energy is absorbed by animals that eat the plants, and animals that eat those animals. Decomposers break down the dead plants and animals.
What is weathering and what causes it?
Weathering is the breaking of small pieces of rock by wind, water, and ice.
This could include frost wedging (repeated freezing and thawing), abrasion (scraping), and tree root wedging (roots in cracks).
How can I measure climate? (2 ways)
I can measure climate by looking at average temperature and precipitation (weather data over time) or by comparing seasonal data in different places.
Explain the difference between rotation and revolution of the Earth.
Rotation is when the Earth spins on its axis. It takes 24 hours (1 day). Revolution is when the Earth revolves around the sun. It takes 365 days (1 year).
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is all of the living and non-living things in a particular area. For example, a meadow ecosystem would include deer, squirrels, grasses, trees, flowers, rocks, etc.
SURPRISE! Explain the steps of photosynthesis
How is soil formed (2 ways)?
Soil is formed by:
-weathering and erosion (breaking down small pieces of rocks)
-plant and animal decomposition (humus)
How can we measure weather? (4 ways)
Temperature, precipitation (amount and type), wind direction, and wind speed.
What are the 8 main phases of the lunar cycle?
The 8 main phases are new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.
What is the difference between an instinct and a learned behavior? Give an example of each.
An instinct is a behavior an animal is born knowing how to do. An example is a bird knowing how to fly. A learned behavior is a behavior an animal can learn over time. An example is a seal that learns to balance a ball on its nose.
Explain how the reflection of light helps us see.
When light bounces off an object and enters our eyes, we are able to see.