Vocabulary
Define "observation" in your own words.
Uses the five senses to gather information about the world.
Which Earth science subfield studies the atmosphere?
Meteorology.
Identify the independent and dependent variable: "If you give a houseplant more daily sunlight, then it will grow taller than a plant with less light."
Independent: daily sunlight. Dependent: plant height (growth).
Write a testable hypothesis in If-Then-Because format for: "More sunlight affects plant growth."
Example: "If a plant receives more daily sunlight, then it will grow taller because increased light increases photosynthesis rate."
What are the five senses used for making observations? List them.
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch.
What is a "controlled variable"?
It is constant. It never changes.
What line divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Name it and whether it's latitude or longitude.
Equator — latitude.
Identify the independent and dependent variable: "If you stir sugar into warm water instead of cold water, then the sugar will dissolve faster."
Independent: water temperature (warm vs cold). Dependent: rate/time to dissolve sugar.
Explain what makes a hypothesis "testable." Give one example of an untestable hypothesis.
Testable means it can be measured or observed and potentially falsified. Untestable example: "Plants prefer kindness" (not measurable).
If you make a mistake in a laboratory notebook, what are two correct steps to fix it?
Cross out the mistake with a single line, initial and date the correction, then write the correct entry nearby.
Give the definition of "quantitative data" and provide one classroom example.
Quantitative data: numerical data (e.g., measuring plant height in centimeters).
List the four seasons and give the approximate date one of them begins (pick one).
Spring: about March 19–23; Summer: June 21; Autumn: Sept 19–23; Winter: Dec 21.
In an experiment testing different fertilizer brands on plant height, name two controlled variables you should keep constant.
Examples: same type of plant, same pot size, same watering schedule, same light exposure besides the tested sunlight levels, same soil type.
Convert this claim into a testable hypothesis: "Music affects studying."
Testable hypothesis: "If students listen to classical music while studying, then their quiz scores will increase because music may improve concentration."
Provide a brief compare/contrast (2–3 short points) between latitude and longitude.
Latitude: horizontal lines, measure north/south from Equator, values in degrees N/S. Longitude: vertical lines, measure east/west from Prime Meridian, values in degrees E/W.
Define "solstice" and explain how it differs from an equinox.
Solstice: when day and night lengths are most unequal (longest day or longest night). Equinox: day and night are approximately equal.
Draw (describe in words) the order of Sun, Earth, and Moon for a solar eclipse.
Solar eclipse order: Sun → Moon → Earth; Moon casts umbra/penumbra onto Earth.
Describe how you would measure the dependent variable in: "students run around the track for five minutes, then their heart rate will increase." (What tool / procedure?)
Measure heart rate with a heart-rate monitor or count beats per minute immediately after activity; record baseline and post-run values.
Give a clear hypothesis and a brief experimental plan (variables and one measurement) for testing whether water temperature affects how fast sugar dissolves.
Hypothesis: "If water temperature is higher, then sugar will dissolve faster because increased temperature increases molecular motion." Experimental plan:
independent = water temperature (e.g., 10°C, 25°C, 40°C);
dependent = time to completely dissolve a fixed mass of sugar;
controlled = volume of water, stir rate, sugar mass.
Define "dependent variable" and give an example that is not in the review document.
Dependent variable: the measurable response in an experiment. Example: time to cool, number of seeds germinated, temperature change in °C.
Define "oceanography" and name two subtopics or questions an oceanographer might study.
Oceanography: study of the ocean; subtopics: marine ecosystems, ocean currents, chemical composition, waves/tides.
What line divides Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres? Name it and whether it's latitude or longitude.
Greenwich Meridian - Prime Meridian - Longitude
Explain why it is important to change only one independent variable at a time in an experiment.
Changing only one independent variable isolates its effect so results can be attributed to that variable.
Two students propose different hypotheses for the same experiment. Describe how experimental results could support one hypothesis over the other (use a short example).
If results (measurements) match predictions of one hypothesis and differ significantly from the other, that supports the matching hypothesis. Example: two hypotheses predict different directions of change; collected data shows one direction.
Describe the order and labels (Sun, Earth, Moon, umbra, penumbra) for a lunar eclipse and explain why the Moon appears dark/red during a total lunar eclipse.
Lunar eclipse order: Sun → Earth → Moon; Earth's umbra and penumbra fall on the Moon; moon appears dark/red because Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light and allows red wavelengths to reach and refract onto the Moon.