Review Facts
for the
Earth Science SOL
A review and study guide for the Virginia End of Course Standards of Learning Assessment for Earth Science
Name: _________________________________________________ Pd.: ________
Review Facts for the Earth Science SOL
Table of Contents
Item Page #
How to Use This Booklet 1
Unit 1: Scientific Investigation 2
Unit 2: Mapping the Earth 3
Unit 3: Minerals and Rocks 3
Unit 4: Geologic Processes/Features 4
Unit 5: Freshwater/Geologic Processes 6
Unit 6: Renewable/Non-Renewable Resources 7
Unit 7: Historical Geology 7
Unit 8: Virginia Geology 8
Unit 9: Oceanography 9
Unit 10: Meteorology 10
Unit 11: Astronomy 11
Notes and Questions 13
Concept Checks – First Semester 15
Concept Checks – Second Semester 16
SOL Verbs 17
SOL Vocabulary Terms 18
Pictures and Diagrams 20
Top 10 Strategies for taking the SOL Back Cover
Date and time of your Earth Science SOL
Please study these facts well. Knowing this information will make an enormous difference in your success on the SOL. Study them often. Read over every single item at least once a day. You will get to the point where you are tired of reading it because it has become so familiar…this is a good thing! It means that you are learning it and your brain is storing it. Take the advice on page 1 seriously. Remember, what you get out of something is directly proportional to what you put into it.
I wish you success on all of your SOL’s!
How to Use This Booklet
Your very best opportunity to pass the Earth Science SOL is the first time you attempt it. After that your chances of success begin to decline unless you really work very hard. So read on, take the advice that follows and let’s get past this test!
This booklet is separated by individual Earth Science curriculum units. For each unit, you will find two sections. There is a third section at the end that covers all of the units. Go through each unit individually and with a purpose. If you come up with questions that you can’t answer, go to the back of the booklet and record those questions to be searched out later.
Begin with reviewing the facts that appear under the heading “These are the facts you should know…:”. As you review each fact, take time to honestly assess whether you are sure you know that information. If you know it, check it off in the box at the left of each statement.
The second section is a list of things that you should be able to do once you have learned all of the requirements for a given unit. Go through each item that appears under the heading “When finished with this unit, you should be able to…:” and see if you can do exactly what each says. If you find you cannot illustrate, diagram, label, define, explain, etc. what is asked, go back and study that element. Check it off when you can successfully do what it asks.
The third section is a concept check. This is a list of terms or concepts that are associated with a unit. It is very important that you are completely honest about this check. If you are completely sure you understand the concept or can cleanly define the term, put a ‘ü’ next to it. If you are somewhat sure about it but know that you don’t know it well, put a ‘+’ in the space next to the term, indicating that you need to know more. Finally, if you have absolutely no idea about a term, put a ‘o’ next to it, indicating that you know nothing about this. Let these symbols help focus your study.
Don’t bother to restudy those things that you know very well. It is a waste of valuable time. Focus first on the things with a ‘+’ and get them quickly up to speed. Sometimes all it takes is refreshing your memory. Before you change it from a ‘+’ to a ‘ü’, leave it, study something else and then come back to it. If you still feel like you now have it, then you should change your ‘+’ to a ‘ü’.
Spend the remainder of your time working on the things that you need to learn that were marked with a ‘o’. These are the items you need to search out, ask questions about and work hard to commit to memory quickly. Read, study, listen to explanations…what ever it takes…just learn it. The goal would be to get it to a ‘ü’, but if you can get it to a ‘+’ then you have dramatically increased your chances for success.
After you have reviewed each unit and worked through the concept checks, review the most frequently used verbs in the SOLs that appears on page 17. If you need to define them, please do. Words like ‘drive’ and ‘survey’ have many meanings. Make sure you understand which definition would be used in an SOL test. For instance, the word drive should not be described as ‘what you do with a car’. That has no relevance to an SOL. Remember that most of these words describe processes that are associated with Earth Science concepts.
Read through each of the units as many times as you need in order for these facts to become fully a part of your thinking. Read them aloud. You didn’t learn the words to your favorite songs by listening to them once. In order to learn anything it requires repetition, practice and understanding. Ask family members to quiz you. Form study groups with friends. Attend after school SOL review sessions. Draw pictures and label them. Read if you need to. When you come for the after school review sessions, bring the questions that you have written down and get them answered.
If you truly desire to pass the test, you need to invest your time. No one else can do this for you. You have been given all the necessary tools. Build the knowledge base in your brain by spending time. The things you enjoy doing will still be there after the SOL…let them wait. Learn to prioritize your time. Don’t procrastinate. Review every day as you get closer to the SOL. Challenge yourself, you’ll be surprised at how proud you will be of yourself.
Your hard work will always pay off!
Unit 1: Scientific Investigation
These are the facts you should know…:
? Density = mass/volume The S.I. Unit for Density is: g/cm3 or g/mL
? Volume for irregular objects is found by water displacement.
? Warm (air, water, magma) rises because it is less dense. Cold (air, water, magma) sinks because it is more dense.
? As pressure increases so does density.
? Water is most dense as a liquid. Density = 1 g/mL
? The same substance has the same density. As mass increases so does the volume.
? A hypothesis is a prediction about a problem that can be tested.
? A variable is a changeable factor in an experiment.
? Constants are factors that are the same.
? Any valid scientific theory has passed tests designed to invalidate it.
? There can be more than one explanation for any phenomena.
? The independent variable is the factor that YOU, the experimenter changes and that data is usually plotted on the x-axis.
? The dependent variable is the factor that changes as a result of the manipulation of the Independent variable and that data is usually plotted on the y-axis.
? A control is a standard for comparison. It can be thought of as the part of the experiment where there is no manipulation of the independent variable.
? Kilo = 1000; Deci = 1/10 or 0.1; Centi = 1/100 or 0.01; Milli = 1/1000 or 0.001
? SI Units: for length – meter (m); for volume – milliliter (mL) or cubic centimeter (cm3); for mass – gram (g);
for area – square meter (m2); for temp. – Kelvin (K)
When finished with this unit, you should be able to…:
? Predict future trends given scientific data in the form of diagrams, maps, tables, charts or graphs.
? Interpret the validity of a theory using data to support their conclusion.
? Identify independent and dependent variables, as well as experimental controls given scientific designs and data.
? Analyze data in the form of tables and graphs to reach conclusions and support or refute hypotheses.
? React to lab emergency using the proper equipment and procedures.
? Identify potential safety concerns in the lab and the proper procedures for handling.
? Research a scientific topic in order to form a testable hypothesis.
? Design a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis that identifies variables and incorporates repeated trials.
? Conduct an experiment to test a hypothesis using the appropriate technology.
? Interpret data to reach logical conclusions.
? Communicate experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific conclusions.
? Apply the appropriate units of the metric system and tools when measuring various earth substances, distances and processes.
? Convert the basic metric units to other commonly used units such as Kilo, centi, and milli.
? Calculate density given mass and volume data in the form of diagrams or data tables.
? Compare and contrast the three states of matter.
? Identify the three states of matter as they are found on earth.
? Explain how the scientific method is used to validate scientific theories.
? Location and proper operation of eye wash station, emergency shower, power shut-off; and fire extinguishers.
? Know the major safety symbols.
? Know how lab areas are organized and how all chemicals are properly labeled, stored and handled.
? Use scientific methodology to design and test a hypothesis.
? Construct a graph, table, chart, or diagram from data.
? Interpret graphs and diagrams.
? Discuss how water occurs on the earth as a solid (ice), a liquid, or a gas (water vapor) due to its position in the solar system.
? The metric system, which is based on powers of ten, is used for making scientific measurements (not specified in the SOL, but essential to all sciences).
? Measure mass and volume of materials in the lab using the correct equipment.
? Calculate density.
? Interpret data from a graph or table that shows change in mass, density, or temperature with time.
Unit 2: Mapping the Earth
These are the facts you should know…:
? Latitude lines go East-West but measure North and South of the Equator.
? Longitude lines go North-South but measure East and West of the Prime Meridian.
? When finding coordinates of a location, the latitude is first, longitude is second.
? The closer the contour lines, the steeper the slope.
? Contour lines form V's and point upstream when there are rivers and creeks present.
? The increase in elevation between two adjacent contour lines is the contour interval.
When finished with this unit, you should be able to…:
? Identify the latitude and longitude of a given location on a map (world, US, state, or local), or conversely, given the latitude and longitude coordinates, identify the correct location.
? Read and interpret maps, including legends and lines (e.g. contour and isobar) used on maps.
? Measure the distance between two points on a map as well as determine the direction of one point in relationship to the other.
? Calculate the contour interval and changes in elevation on a topographic map and compare these to another map with a different scale.
? Identify topographic features on a map.
? Construct a profile from a topographic map as well as determine the correct profile for a given topographic map.
? Analyze GPS images for contour profiles and topographic features, and calculate directions and distances between two points on a GPS image.
? Analyze aerial and satellite images of differing scales and identify earth features and landforms.
? Compare topographic maps of different scales.
? Locate points and directions on maps and globes using latitude and longitude.
? Determine distance and elevation on a map.
? Identify a hilltop, stream, and valley on a topographic map.
Unit 3: Minerals and Rocks
These are the facts you should know…:
? A mineral is found in nature, inorganic, solid, with a definite chemical composition and structure.
? Mineral properties depend on their atomic structure.
? Minerals may be identified by their physical properties such as hardness, color, luster, and streak.
? Most rocks are made of one or more minerals.
? Some major rock-forming minerals are quartz, feldspar, calcite, and mica.
? Ore minerals include pyrite, magnetite, hematite, galena, graphite, and sulfur.
? The major elements found in Earth’s crust are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron. The most abundant group of minerals is the silicates, which contain silicon and oxygen.
? Igneous rocks are classified by composition and texture.
? Igneous Rocks are produced by the cooling of magma (cooled below Earth’s surface) or lava (cooled above Earth’s surface).
? Fast cooling = Extrusive - Texture includes small, fine-grained mineral grains, glassy, air holes present. (pumice, basalt, obsidian)
? Slow cooling = Intrusive- Texture includes coarse or large mineral grains. (granite)
? Metamorphic formed by heat and pressure or chemical action.
? Metamorphic include foliated (banded) and non-foliated.
? Foliated rocks have bands of different minerals. Examples are slate, schist, gneiss.
? Non-foliated rocks have little or no banding and are relatively homogenous throughout and include marble and quartzite.
? Limestone morphs into marble. Sandstone morphs into quartzite.
? Sedimentary rocks form from rock fragments, organic material, or chemical precipitation.
? Sedimentary are found in flat layers or strata. Fossils are found in these layers.