Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
Complete this review and return. Make sure that you also review or get tutoring on any topics you still
do not understand. In addition you may use brain pop and Edmodo to help you study for you CBA.
PROCESS SKILLS
1. What do you do when a beaker is cracked? You are to report the broken material to the teacher and place
the broken beaker in a container designed for broken glass (Sharps Container).
.
2. What is the purpose of experimental investigations? An experimental investigation is carried out so that
people can better understand why the causes of an event occur.
3. List the steps of the scientific method. 1) State the Problem, 2) Gather information, 3) Form a Hypothesis
4) test the hypothesis, 5) record and analyze information/observations, 6) make conclusions, 7) test again.
4. Define independent variable: A dependent variable is a variable that is manipulated (controlled, changed)
by the researcher/student/person doing the experiment.
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5. Define dependent variable: A dependent variable is a variable which is expected to change as a result of an
experimental change of the independent variable(s) .
.
6. How would you find the Mass of a rolling marble?
a) Subtract the object's initial speed from its final speed. b) Divide this answer by the time it spends
accelerating. c) Divide the force acting on the body by this acceleration.
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7. In order to test a hypothesis, it must be TESTABLE
.
8. Explain when you would use a bar graph. A bar graph is used to compare the relative sizes of
objects/groups
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9. When would you use a line graph? A line graph is used to track change over a period of time
A pie chart is used to compare parts of the whole
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10. Where do you measure a graduated cylinder from? To read the graduated cylinder, the cylinder must
be placed on a flat surface and the bottom of the meniscus is read for a correct measurement.
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11. What units do you use to measure volume? liters
Length? meter
Mass? gram
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS
1. Where is ground water located? Ground water is located in water-bearing permeable rock , in areas
called aquifers
.
2.
Where is surface water located? Surface water is located in bayous, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and the
ocean
.
3. What is a watershed? A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off
of it goes into the same place.
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4. What causes an earthquake? The surface of the earth is made up of great tectonic plates of rock. These
plates are all moving slowly towards, or away from, each other. Sometimes when they push together they
slip and there is a jolt, and that is what we feel as an earthquake.
Strike-slip faults indicate rocks are sliding past each other horizontally, with little to no vertical
movement.
Normal faults create space. Two blocks of crust pull apart, stretching the crust into a valley.
Reverse faults also called thrust faults, slide one block of crust on top of another.
5. What causes a tsunami to form? Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes generated in a subduction
zone, an area where an oceanic plate is being forced down into the mantle by plate tectonic forces.
6. What affect do catastrophic events have on an ecosystem? Catastrophic Events caused by nature such as
floods, tornadoes or droughts effect the ecosystem greatly. These events impact the ecosystem both
positively and negatively. The removal of old growth allows new growth to begin.
Define the words below and give an example of each.
7. Weathering: Any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which objects exposed to the weather
are worn or broken down.
8.What is the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering?
Mechanical weathering includes any of the various weathering processes that cause physical
disintegration of exposed rock without any change in the chemical composition of the rock: Chemical
weathering includes any of the various weathering processes that cause exposed rock to undergo
chemical decomposition, changing the chemical and mineralogical composition of the rock.
.
9. Erosion: The group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and
transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth's surface.
10. Deposition : the state of being deposited or precipitated.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
ECOSYSTEMS
1. Define the term abiotic and give 3 examples. Abiotic is characterized by the absence of life or living
organisms. Environmental factors such habitat (pond, lake, ocean, desert, and mountain) or weather such
as temperature, cloud cover, rain, snow, hurricanes, etc. are abiotic factors.
2. List the levels of organization for an ecosystem
The levels of organization in an ecosystem are from smallest to largest: organism, population,
community, ecosystem, biome and biome.
3. Which biome has the greatest variety of organisms? The Tropical Forest has the greatest variety of
organisms.
4. Use words to describe the types of biomes
a) Tundra biome. The tundra is type of biome where there is no tree growth, there the subsoil is
permanently frozen, and there is a short growing season.
b) Taiga. The taiga biome, the largest biome on land, is full of dense evergreen forests. These forests
of conifer trees are also known as boreal forests.
c) Temperate Forest Temperate forests are almost always made of two types of trees, deciduous and
evergreen. Deciduous trees are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. Evergreens are trees that
keep their leaves all year long, like pine trees. The temperate forest biome is found in regions where
winters are cold and summers are war
d) Tropical Rain Forest Rainforests get their name because they receive an average of 80 inches a
year. Rainforests are found at and near the equator.
e) Grassland The types of grassland include prairies, plains and savannas. These develop where there
is not enough rain for forests but too much rain for deserts.
f) Desert In order for an area of land to be considered a desert, it must receive less than 10 inches of
water a year.
5. Define pioneer species and give 2 examples. Pioneer species are hardy species which are the first to
colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems. Two examples include lichen and Lyme grass.
6. What causes primary succession? Primary succession begins in an area with no remnants of an older
community are present.
7. Define secondary succession. Secondary succession is the series of community changes which take
place on a previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat. Examples include areas which have
been cleared of existing vegetation (such as after tree-felling in a woodland) and destructive events such
as fires.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
8. What is Ecological Succession? the progressive replacement of one community by another until a
climax community is established.
9. What is a Climax Community? An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals
remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment.
10. What is a pioneer species? Pioneer species species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted
or damaged ecosystems.
11. What is a microhabitat? Microhabitat is a term
for the conditions and organisms (ecosystem) in the
immediate vicinity of a plant or animal. They are
small and complex.
12. Label the levels on the food pyramid and food
chain:
13. Put the following n a food Pyramid: phytoplankton, water flea, mullet, and mackerel
mackerel
mullet
water flea
phytoplankton
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
14. What does Earth do so that matter keeps existing? Earth recycles matter
.
.
15. What is biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem.
16. How does biodiversity contribute to sustainability? Biodiversity contributes to sustainability by
increasing the chances of survival.
17. What are some genetic traits that allow organisms to survive in certain ecosystems? Genetic traits
that allow organisms to survive include camouflage, extra fat, ability to store/retain water, fur.
18. Define decomposers. An organism, usually a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down the cells of dead
plants and animals into simpler substances.
19. Define the three terms: Migration, Hibernation, Tolerance.
a) Migration: The moving from place to place
b) Hibernation: to spend the winter in close quarters in a dormant condition, as bears
c) Tolerance: the power of enduring or resisting the action of a change
20. Define the following: Weathering, Erosion, Deposition:
a) Weathering: the various mechanical and chemical processes that cause exposed rock to decompose.
b) Erosion: the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers,
winds, waves.
c) Deposition: accumulation or laying down of matter by a natural process, as the laying down of
sediments in a river
21. How much energy is passed and why? Organism use 90% of their energy intake for growth,
maintenance, and reproduction. Only 10% of energy is passed to the next level of consumer.
22. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is a series of organisms interrelated in their feeding habits, the smallest being fed upon by
a larger one. A food web is a collection of interrelated food chains in an ecological community.
23. What is a dichotomous key? A dichotomous key is used to identify a plant or animal in which each
stage presents descriptions of two distinguishing characters, with a direction to another stage in the key,
until the species is identified.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
12. Complete the dichotomous key below.
Bird W: The beak is relatively short and heavy………… go to 2
The bottom surface of the lower beak is flat and straight…………….Geospiza
Bird X: The beak is relatively short and heavy go to 2
The bottom surface of the lower beak is curved ………. go to 3
The lower edge of the upper beak is mostly flat………….Platyspiza
Bird Y: The beak is relatively long and slender …………….. Certhidea
Bird Z: The beak is relatively short and heavy………… go to 2
The bottom surface of the lower beak is curved ………. go to 3
The lower edge of the upper beak is has a distinct bend ………Camarthynchus
13. Know the meaning of the following terms: autotroph, heterotroph, herbivore, carnivore, and
omnivore.
Autotroph – makes it’s own food (producer)
Heterotroph – does not make it’s own food (consumer)
Herbivore – eat only plants
Carnivore – eats meat (other animals)
Omnivore – eats both plants and animals.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
Catastrophic Events:
Blizzard: a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold.
Drought: A long period of abnormally low rainfall, lasting up to several years.
Thunderstorm: is a disturbance in Earth's atmosphere that involves lightning and thunder. Sometimes gusty
surface winds, heavy rain, and hail.
Tornado: is a violent windstorm that spirals around a rotating column of air (The Vortex) and moves in a
narrow path over land.
Hurricane: a massive system of rotating winds that form over warm tropical waters. They are called a typhoon
in the Pacific Ocean.
Funnel Cloud rapidly rotating clouds that become visible as a funnel at the base of the thundercloud. When it
touches ground, it becomes a tornado.
Flooding: a great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land not usually submerged.
Tsunami large oceanic wave formed as a result of an earthquake, volcanic eruption, meteorite impact, or
underwater landslide.
Earthquake: The sudden movement of the Earth's lithosphere (its crust and upper mantle). Earthquakes are
caused by the release of built-up stress within rocks along geologic faults or by the movement of magma in
volcanic areas.
Volcano: a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, steam, ashes, etc., are expelled, either continuously or at
irregular intervals.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
GENETICS
1. Define adaptation: Any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of its parts that
results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in
its environment.
2. Define natural selection: The process by which forms of life having traits that better enable them to
adapt to specific environmental pressures, as predators, changes in climate, or competition for food or
mates, will tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers than others of their kind, thus ensuring the
perpetuation of those favorable traits in succeeding generations.
3. Define Selective Breeding: The intentional mating of two animals in an attempt to produce offspring
with desirable characteristics or for the elimination of a trait.
4. Describe Darwin’s observations. Darwin collected a group of finches from the Galapagos Islands and
observed that each island had a different environments (food supply) and the different finches had
different beaks suited for the food on the island they were collected from
.
5. Define Variation: Something slightly different from another of the same type.
WHAT ALLOWS LIFE TO EXIST?
1. What is the composition of the atmosphere and why is it important?
The Earth’s atmosphere is composed of the following molecules: nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon
(1%), and then trace amounts of carbon dioxide, helium, methane, hydrogen, ozone, carbon monoxide,
and ammonia. Atmosphere regulates the temperature of earth's crust. Harmful ultra-violet radiations are
absorbed in the stratosphere by the vital ozone layer. The constant mixing of the contents of atmosphere
occurs due to air currents and the vertical temperature gradient. This prevents accumulation of harmful
gases and vapors at any particular spot.
2. Describe the path of Carbon through the carbon cycle: Carbon is extracted from the atmosphere by
plants through the process known as photosynthesis. This carbon is combined with other elements in
complex ways to form organic molecules important to life. This carbon is later transferred to animals
that consume, or eat plants. When plants and animals die, much of their carbon is returned to the
atmosphere as the organisms decompose. Every so often, a plant or animal does not decompose right
away. Their bodies are trapped in locations where decomposition can simply not take place. This is most
common at the bottom of oceans and seas where the lifeforms become buried by sand. Instead of
returning to the atmosphere, the carbon from these lifeforms is trapped within the Earth. Over millions
of years, more and more of the carbon on Earth has been trapped in this manner. Today, almost 99% of
all the carbon on Earth has been locked up deep within the Earth.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
3. Two pathways of carbon in the carbon cycle: Photosynthesis and respiration.
a) Photosynthesis: The synthesis of complex organic material using carbon dioxide, water, inorganic
salts, and light energy (from sunlight) captured by light-absorbing pigments, such as chlorophyll
found in plants.
b) Respiration: The process in living organisms of taking in oxygen from the surroundings and giving
out carbon dioxide.
4. Describe the path of Nitrogen through the nitrogen cycle: There are specialized bacteria whose
function it is to fix nitrogen, converting it, so that it can be used by plants. There are still other bacteria
that do the reverse. That is, they return nitrogen to its gaseous form. After nitrogen is fixed, it can be
absorbed and used by plants, and subsequently by animals. The process of nitrogen being fixed, used by
plants and animals, and later returned to the atmosphere is referred to as the nitrogen cycle.
5. Define Transpiration (hint part of the water cycle) Transpiration is a process in which water
evaporates from the surface of a leaf through microscopic pores known as stomata.
6. Define Organic Compound: Large class of compounds that contain Carbon. Carbon is considered the
element of life due to all living things are composed of carbon. Carbon is the most abundant element in
living things. The six element that can mak up organic matter include: Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen,
Hydrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur (use the phrase No Cats On Hot PlateS)
a) Hydrocarbon: Any organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in
petroleum, natural gas and coal.
7. Circle the compounds that are organic:
C2H6,
H2O,
CH3CH2COO,
C6H5OH,
C6H9OCl,
NaBH4,
HCl,
CH3CH2OCH3,
KMnO4,
HIO4
KOH,
8. What is an inorganic compound? An inorganic compound is one which does not contain CarbonHydrogen bonds. It is made from or contains material that does not come from plants or animals.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
9. What is needed for life to exist on a planet?
There are seven things that they need to do to count as being alive. The phrase MRS GREN is a way to
remember them:
M
Movement
All living things move, even plants
R
Respiration
Getting energy from food
S
Sensitivity
Detecting changes in the surroundings
G
Growth
All living things grow
R
Reproduction
Making more living things of the same type
E
Excretion
Getting rid of waste
N
Nutrition
Taking in and using food
10. List some items that make manned space exploration possible:
a) Solar Powered Radios: the radio is used for astronauts to directly communicate with others in space
and to communicate with those on Earth.
b) A source of oxygen
c) A source of water
d) Dehydrated food (a source of energy and light weight)
e) First Aid Kit: good for emergencies.
f) Maps: used to identify your location.
g) Space Suit Repair Kit: suit does not work with tears in it.
h) Bungee Cord: used to climb and not loose contact with the space ship.
i) Solar Blanket: to maintain body heat
j) Air Mattress: used as a sled move
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
Microgravity: a condition, especially in space orbit, where the force of gravity is so weak that weightlessness
results.
11. Describe the following for the Earth that allows Life to exist:
Atmosphere: Our atmosphere traps heat and protects Earth from UV Radiation.
Proximity to the Sun: The right distance from the Sun created the correct temperatures for life
(Too close/ too hot; too far /too cold)
Presence of Water: Living organisms on Earth have the need for water to keep functioning.
Name ____________________
Test Date _________________
SEVENTH GRADE FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
Review from 6th Grade:
List the properties of metals:
Metals are good electrical conductors and heat conductors, are malleable ( can be beaten into thin sheets),
ductile( can be stretched into wire), they possess metallic luster and are solid at room temperature.
List the properties of non-metals:
Properties of non-metals include being poor conductors of heat and electricity, being brittle when a solid, they
are non-ductile, they do not possess metallic luster.
Define Gravity:
The fundamental force of attraction that all objects with mass have for each other.