Earth & Space Science (Grade 6) Midterm — Semester 1, Form B
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Free printable Earth & Space Science midterm (Grade 6): 15 multiple-choice questions plus 1 written response covering Earth's Structure & Plate Tectonics, Rocks & Minerals, Weathering, Erosion & Deposition. Answer key included — customize it in the Midterm Maker.
Earth & Space Science (Grade 6) Midterm — Semester 1, Form B
Name: Date: Period:
Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Answer the written response in complete sentences.
Covers: Earth's Structure & Plate Tectonics · Rocks & Minerals · Weathering, Erosion & Deposition
Part 1: Multiple Choice
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When an ocean plate collides with a continental plate, the denser ocean plate sinks into the mantle. What is this called?
- A. Weathering
- B. Deposition
- C. Subduction
- D. Sea-floor spreading
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Which layer of Earth is the thinnest?
- A. Inner core
- B. Crust
- C. Outer core
- D. Mantle
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The San Andreas Fault is where two plates slide past each other sideways. What type of boundary is this?
- A. Convergent boundary
- B. Transform boundary
- C. Hot spot boundary
- D. Divergent boundary
-
The Hawaiian Islands formed as a plate moved over which feature?
- A. A transform boundary
- B. A mid-ocean ridge
- C. A continental collision
- D. A hot spot
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What type of plate boundary forms where two plates move apart?
- A. Divergent boundary
- B. Transform boundary
- C. Convergent boundary
- D. Collision boundary
-
Granite has large crystals because it formed in what way?
- A. Shells were cemented together
- B. Sediment was pressed together
- C. Lava cooled quickly on the surface
- D. Magma cooled slowly deep underground
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Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils?
- A. Igneous
- B. Metamorphic
- C. Sedimentary
- D. Volcanic glass
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Which type of rock forms when heat and pressure change an existing rock?
- A. Igneous
- B. Sedimentary
- C. Volcanic
- D. Metamorphic
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Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms from which rock?
- A. Granite
- B. Sandstone
- C. Shale
- D. Limestone
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What is the name for the ongoing process in which rocks change from one type to another?
- A. The carbon cycle
- B. The life cycle
- C. The water cycle
- D. The rock cycle
-
When moving water slows down and drops the sediment it carries, what is the process called?
- A. Weathering
- B. Erosion
- C. Subduction
- D. Deposition
-
Water seeps into a crack, freezes, and expands, splitting the rock. What is this called?
- A. Acid rain
- B. Ice wedging
- C. Deposition
- D. Oxidation
-
Which action would best reduce soil erosion on a hillside?
- A. Removing ground cover
- B. Cutting down the trees
- C. Plowing straight downhill
- D. Planting grass and shrubs
-
A ridge of rock and soil left behind by a melting glacier is called what?
- A. Delta
- B. Sinkhole
- C. Moraine
- D. Sand dune
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Iron-rich rocks turning reddish-brown like rust is an example of what?
- A. Glacial erosion
- B. Chemical weathering
- C. Mechanical weathering
- D. Deposition
Part 2: Written Response
- Describe one path through the rock cycle, starting with an igneous rock and ending with a different type of rock. Name each process along the way.
Answer Key — Earth & Space Science (Grade 6) Midterm — Semester 1, Form B
- C — Subduction Subduction is the sinking of a denser plate beneath another plate.
- B — Crust The crust is only about 5–70 km thick, far thinner than the other layers.
- B — Transform boundary At transform boundaries plates grind past each other horizontally, causing earthquakes.
- D — A hot spot A stationary hot spot built volcanoes as the Pacific Plate moved over it.
- A — Divergent boundary Divergent boundaries pull apart, letting magma rise and form new crust.
- D — Magma cooled slowly deep underground Slow cooling underground gives crystals time to grow large.
- C — Sedimentary Fossils are preserved in layers of sediment that harden into rock.
- D — Metamorphic Metamorphic means 'changed form'; heat and pressure transform existing rock.
- D — Limestone Heat and pressure recrystallize limestone into marble.
- D — The rock cycle The rock cycle shows how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks transform over time.
- D — Deposition Deposition is the laying down of sediment in a new place.
- B — Ice wedging Water expands about 9% when it freezes, forcing cracks wider.
- D — Planting grass and shrubs Plant roots hold soil in place and slow runoff.
- C — Moraine Glaciers push and carry debris, leaving moraines when they melt back.
- B — Chemical weathering Oxidation is a chemical change that forms new substances such as rust.
Written Response — Look-Fors
- Correct sequence (e.g., igneous → weathering/erosion → deposition → compaction/cementation → sedimentary, or heat/pressure → metamorphic); accurate process names.