Earth's Features

A student developed a model to show the progression of a sea arch and the ocean waves using playdoh. Dates labeled below the image show a timelapse. Four of the student’s classmates analyzed the student model on how the model shows constructive and destructive forces. Which of the following students made a correct conclusion based upon the

model?

• Student A: A sea arch is formed by a destructive force. Evidence from the model is that waves carved

  out the land in a long period of time.

• Student B: A sea arch is formed by a constructive force. Evidence from the model is that waves build

  up land in another area in a long period of time.

• Student C: A sea arch is formed by a destructive force. Evidence from the model is that an earthquake

  caused the arch to fall down in a short period of time.

• Student D: A sea arch is formed by a constructive force. Evidence from the model exhibits deposition

  when the waves build up the land in a short period of time.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A well-populated beachfront community in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is trying to decide

whether or not to fund the construction of a seawall to protect their homes. To make their decision,

they held a community meeting last week. Which of the following questions from the community

meeting is most relevant to investigate in order to determine whether or not a seawall is needed?

• How do the heights of sand dunes compare across the beachfront?

• How many tourists have visited the beach over the last 5 years?

• What are the measures of the size of the shoreline over the past 10 years?

• What is the rainfall total that took place last month with Hurricane Matthew?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A man notices that water is regularly flooding the street near the front of his house. The flooding is

also ruining the grass in his front yard. He wants to contact the county to see if they can put in a storm

drain on the street outside of his home. What would be the BEST question that the man should ask

about storm drains as a solution to limit the flooding?

• Are storm drains safe for the animals that live nearby?

• Do storm drains cause flooding to occur somewhere else on the street?

• Would he have to pay for the storm drain to be put in front of his house?

• Would a storm drain help to control the road flooding outside of his house?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

A well-populated beachfront community in Panama City Beach, Florida is trying to decide what to do

after a large storm washed away a large portion of their beach. Some people suggested putting in a

jetty to block large waves from their beach. To make their decision, they held a community meeting

last week. Which of the following questions from the community meeting would be the most helpful in

order to decide what they should do about restoring their beach?

• How difficult is it to build a jetty?

• How many tourists have visited the beach over the last 5 years?

• How does the installation of a jetty prevent waves from eroding away the beach?

• What is the cost to the people of the community for building this jetty?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

A family is planning a vacation to Florida in the fall. The family knows that this time of year, Florida

experiences hurricanes and tropical storms. What question might the family ask to ensure it will be

safe to go on their trip?

• What do the most recent seismograph reports say about the vacation destination in Florida?

• What systems are developing in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean according to satellite imagery?

• How do GIS maps help us understand the land in Florida better?

• What infrared images are available to help us see when hurricanes happened in previous years?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A hurricane is approaching Florida with high speeds. Which question should meteorologists ask to

help them plan and predict the destruction that could be caused?

• What is the most recent satellite image of the cities on the coast of Florida?

• What can GIS maps tell us about the expected flooding in Florida?

• Have the seismographs picked up any recent seismic activity?

• Have the infrared images located any high wind speeds?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

There has been frequent seismic activity in California. Which question should scientists ask to help

them plan and predict when another earthquake may happen?

• What has the recent month of satellite imagery over California looked like?

• Have infrared images picked up the intensity of the vibrations of seismic activity?

• Has there been a pattern in the seismic activity read from the data on a seismograph?

• How does GIS maps help California understand how seismic activity relates to the elevation of the

  land?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A group of students were observing the land around the creek near their school. Each student was asked to explain the natural processes that had shaped the creek and the land around it. Which is the best argument to explain what happened?

• It was a fast constructive process caused by the wind.

• It was a slow destructive process caused by the movement of water.

• It was a slow constructive process caused by earthquakes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which example describes a method that could be used to prevent erosion on a hill?

• Make the hill steeper.

• Plant trees or plants along the hill.

• Put stones at the bottom of the hill.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

The photograph below shows the destruction caused by fast flowing currents in a river near a small town. Based on what you can observe in the photograph, what type of technology should the town consider to limit the impacts of future flooding?

• The town should consider constructing a levee to reduce erosion.

• The town should consider contour plowing to reduce the loss of rich soil.

• The town should consider terracing to reduce runoff.

• The town should consider constructing a dam to reduce erosion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2