PreTest: Unit 4 - Rocks and Soils

1. Third grade students performed scratch tests and recorded their results in the table below. They observed that gypsum could be scratched by three tools: paper cliff, penny, and fingernail. However, quartz could not be scratched at all. Based on their results, which choice lists the minerals in order from SOFTEST to HARDESTS?

• a. gypsum, calcite, quartz, fluorite

• b. quartz, fluorite, calcite, gypsum

• c. gypsum, calcite, fluorite, quartz

• d. calcite, fluorite, gypsum, quartz

2. Katie crushes a rock and puts the pieces in a glass of water. She shakes the glass and lets the pieces of rock settle. Then she observes the glass and records the information on the sheet below. Which conclusion could you draw from Katie's observations?

• a. the rock is very softt

• b. the rock is dirty

• c. the rock is made of more than one material

• d. the rock is very old

3. Maria collects some rocks from a river. Which description most likely matches the rocks she found?

• a. rough and dirty

• b. rough and sparkling

• c. smooth and sparkling

• d. smooth and rounded

4. A student tests a mineral, comparing it to the Mohs scale shown below.

He makes the following observations: It can scratch calcite and gypsum, It will not scratch topaz, It is softer than feldspar. It is harder than talc or fluorite. Which mineral from the table is the BEST match for the hardness of the mineral sample the student has?

• a. apatite

• b. corundum

• c. diamond

• d. quartz

5. A soil sample is dark in color and moist feeling. Another soil is lighter in color and feels gritty. Which soil do you think would be best for growing plants? Explain your thinking.

6. A Class of 3rd graders observes a hill at their school over the year. They find that the hill is smaller at the end of the year than at the beginning. How might this have happened?