Since we have adopted a new test format (the reflection exams), review questions tend not to be so helpful. You will be relying on the data you have collected from our in-class activities.

Below is a very simple outline of what we covered in this unit. Some of the information below has yet to be covered. However, we will get to it before we take the exam.

Topics on the reflection exam:
1. Fossils (formation, what is preserved, etc.)
2. Fossil types (carbon film, mold/cast, etc.)
3. Fossil identification
4. Trace fossil: footprint analysis
5. Natural evidence: tree ring analysis
6. Relative age: rock layers
7. General discussion of evidence scientists have collected and what that evidence can tell us (basically, this summarizes our unit).
 
 
You may print and answer these questions and bring them with you for the quiz on this information.

Physical and Chemical Changes
  1. What is a physical property? List some examples.
  2. What is a chemical property? List some examples.
  3. What is a physical change? List some examples.
  4. What is a chemical change? List some examples.
  5. What signs can you look for to determine if a chemical change has occurred?
  6. What is the only way to determine if a chemical change has occurred?
  7. Challenge: students will often say that chemical reactions cannot be undone. Are they correct? Explain.

Weathering
  1. What is weathering?
  2. What is mechanical weathering? Chemical weathering?
  3. How does mechanical weathering occur?
  4. How does chemical weathering occur?
  5. What affects the rate (how fast/slow) of weathering?

Rock Cycle
  1. Do all rocks follow the same path in the rock cycle? Explain.
  2. What three things can happen to a rock at any point in the rock cycle?
  3. What causes the rock cycle to happen?
 
 
You may print/write these questions and answers and use them on quiz.

Introduction to Rocks
  1. What is a rock?
  2. What does it mean if a rock is monominerallic?
  3. What are the four layers of earth? Briefly describe each.
  4. What are the three types of rock?
  5. In general, how does each type of rock (sed, ig, met) form?

Rock Classification
  1. How do scientists classify rocks?
  2. What are the four types of grain?
  3. What are the two types of grain size? Describe each.
  4. What are the two types of grain pattern? Describe each.
  5. What are the two types of grain shape? Describe each.
  6. What is no visible grain and how does it form?

Igneous Rocks
  1. What is an igneous rock?
  2. What is origin?
  3. What is an intrusive igneous rock?
  4. What is an extrusive igneous rock?
  5. How are igneous rocks classified?
  6. What are the four crystal (grain) sizes? How does each form?
  7. What is the relationship between cooling rate and crystal size?
  8. How do you determine the amount of silica in an igneous rock?
  9. How can you tell if an igneous rock is intrusive or extrusive?

Sedimentary Rocks
  1. What is a sedimentary rock?
  2. What are sediments? Provide examples of sediments.
  3. What are the five steps that form a sedimentary rock? Briefly describe each step.
  4. How are sedimentary rocks classified?
  5. What are the three groups of sedimentary rock? Briefly describe each.
  6. What are some uses of sedimentary rocks?

Metamorphic Rocks
  1. What is a metamorphic rock?
  2. What is a parent rock?
  3. What is metamorphism? What changes does it cause?
  4. What are two things that cause changes in metamorphic rock?
  5. What is recrystallization?
  6. What changes does pressure cause in metamorphic rocks?
  7. What is foliation? What is non-foliation?
 
Quiz 3 Questions 10/13/2011
 
Characteristics of Minerals
  1. What is a mineral?
  2. Briefly explain what each characteristic of a mineral is. (Ex: what is a solid?)
  3. How can you tell by sight if a substance is a rock of mineral? (Ex: how could you tell granite is a rock but quartz is a mineral? Note: you can't tell if something is a rock or mineral by look alone. But, for our class we decided there are some that you can.)

Properties of Minerals
  1. What is a property?
  2. What are six tests used to identify minerals?
  3. What is luster?
  4. What are the types of luster?
  5. What is streak? How do you find streak?
  6. What is mass? What is volume? What is the unit (metric) of each?
  7. What is density? How is it calculated? What is the unit of density?
  8. What is hardness? How is it found?
  9. Which properties are most reliable for minerals? Why?
 
 
Making Observations and Inferences
  1. What is an observation?
  2. What senses are used to make observations?
  3. What scientific tools can be used to make observations?
  4. What are qualitative and quantitative observations? How are they different?
  5. How are observations made?
  6. What is an inference?
  7. How are inferences made?
  8. What is Ockham's Razor?
  9. How is Ockham's Razor used when making an inference?
  10. What makes a good inference?
  11. Practice making observations and inferences.

Making and Labeling Diagrams
  1. What steps should you following to make a scientific drawing?
  2. Describe how you properly label a diagram.
  3. Draw a picture of a butterfly and label the basic parts (ex: wings, antenna, abdomen, thorax, etc.)

Chemistry
  1. What is an atom?
  2. What are the subatomic particles of an atom? What are their charges?
  3. How is an atom different from an element?
  4. The periodic table is organized on how the elements ___.
  5. Draw an electron diagram for any of the first 18 elements.
  6. What are the first three shells of an atom called? How many electrons can be in each one?
  7. What is a valence shell?
  8. What does the atomic number tell you about an atom?
  9. What does the atomic mass tell you about an atom?
  10. On the periodic table, what is a group? What is a period?
  11. What happens to the number of valence electrons as you move across a period?
  12. What happens to the number of shells as you move down a group?
  13. What do groups have in common with each other?
  14. What do periods have in common with each other?


9/27/11 - Additional questions.
Hi team! I thought of some more review questions to help you study. These are all from the chemistry lesson.
  1. What does a Lewis dot diagram show you?
  2. Draw a Lewis dot diagram for any of the first 18 elements.
  3. Using the photocopied periodic table and only looking and period and group numbers, determine the number of shells and valence electrons for the following elements: Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S), and Lead (Pb).
  4. Find the element Radon (Rn) on the periodic table. Draw a Lewis diagram for it just by looking at the group number.

 
 
Below are questions to help you review for tests and quizzes for unit 1. Only using this guide will not fully prepare you for a test or quiz. You need to review notes, activities, and any other materials given to you in class.

Lab Safety Questions
1. How do you stay safe in a lab?
2. When can you drink from lab equipment?
3. When can you eat or drink in the lab?
4. What do you do if the fire alarm sounds?
5. What do you do in a lock down?
6. Where do we go during a tornado drill?
7. What do you do if you get injured in the lab?

"What is Science?" Questions
1. What is science?
2. What are the two major branches/fields of science?

Scientific Method Questions
1. What is the scientific method?
2. Can science answer all questions? Explain.
3. What are the steps (and correct order) of the scientific method?
4. Do all scientists use the scientific method? Explain.

Problems and Variables
1. What is a scientific problem?
2. What are independent and dependent variables?
3. How do you write a problem?
4. How do you write a hypothesis?
5. What is the only difference between a control and experimental group?
6. Here is a sample problem: "How does temperature affect how fast a lifesaver dissolves?"
 - What is the independent variable for this problem?
 - What is the dependent variable for this problem? 
 - Write a hypothesis for this problem.
 - What would the control group look like for this problem?
 - What would the experimental group look like for this problem?
7. When can you use personal pronouns (I, you, etc.) in a lab report?
8. What are the rules for writing a procedure?
9. What are the rules for drawing data tables?
10. How do you write a conclusion paragraph? What should be included in it?
 

    HEY! Read this:

    These review questions are designed to help you think about the topics in the unit. They do not replace the activities, lab, experiments, and experiences we have in class.

    Simply reviewing these questions will never fully prepare you for class tests and quizzes. However, they will help you guide your thinking about the big topics that were discussed in class.