8th Grade NCDPI Formative Assessments (Earth)

Front

The diagram represents a section of Earth that a paleontologist, a scientist who studies fossils, has been working with for years.  Which statement correctly describes this diagram?

Back

Layer W contains fossils of organisms that existed on Earth after the organisms found in layers U and R.

Front

Diagram 1 shows dark-shaded areas of three continents that contain similar ancient rock structures.  Diagram 2 shows similar fossils that were found on landforms.  Both diagrams show the different continents arranged as scientists believe they might have existed before they moved apart because of continental drift. Which statement is correct based on the information provided in the two diagrams?

Back

The diagrams support each other by offering two separate sources of evidence that support the past shapes and positions of the landforms.

Front

How does this diagram of the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt show the global ocean current’s impact on Earth’s climate?

Back

It helps to distribute heat around the globe, regulating temperatures.

Front

Identify the independent variable in the data chart related to the impact of farms on a lake's water quality.

Back

amount of nitrate

Front

Identify the dependent variable in the data chart related to the impact of farms on a lake's ecosystem.

Back

amount of fish

Front

The three satellite images below were taken of the area around location X on the Colorado River Basin map. The lighter areas on the outside of the river are mineral deposits of the lakeshore that were once underwater or dissolved in the water. Scientists have been using both global and local technologies to monitor the amount of water in the Colorado River Basin.  The technologies have helped government agencies to conclude that

Back

water conservation plans are needed because water levels in the rivers leading into Lake Mead are a major cause for the downward trend in lake surface elevation.

Front

Which statement would not support the claim that wind energy is considered a clean, renewable resource?

Back

There are only certain places that are suitable for collecting wind energy.

Front

What is a disadvantage of using solar energy?

Back

Environmental impact during manufacturing

Front

Since the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased significantly. Which of the following statements best explains this observation? Options: Increased volcanic activity has released large amounts of carbon dioxide, Deforestation has reduced the capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide, Natural variations in Earth’s orbit have caused a warming trend, Solar flares have emitted more towards Earth.

Back

Deforestation has reduced the capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide.

Front

Burning coal for electricity generation can have a long-term impact on:

Back

Air quality and climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions