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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read the following text and answer the questions:
THE PLANET EARTH
The Earth is an almost spherical planet. A variety of living things inhabit its surface: some on the
solid surface, or lithosphere, others in the liquid surface or hydrosphere, and some in the gaseous
surface, known as the atmosphere; almost all need to breathe air, which is found in the
atmosphere. But, what’s inside this sphere, which has a radius of almost 6,400 km?
With the help of seismographs, scientists have learnt how the vibrations that accompany
earthquakes spread through the inside of the Earth; using this knowledge, geologists have
determined that inside the Earth there are a series of layers with different compositions and
properties, as we can see in the following diagram:
Thickness (km)
Mass of the
Earth (%)
Density (g/cm )
crust
Between 6 and 70
0.38
3
upper mantle
Between 70 and
670
9
3.5
iron and magnesium
silicates
Lower mantle
Between 670 and
2 900
49.2
5.6
magnesium oxides,
iron and silica
outer core
Between 2 900
and 5 120
30.8
9.9
molten iron and
nickel
inner core
Between 5120
and 6370
1.7
13
solid iron and nickel
Layer
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
3
Composition
ganite in the
lithosphere and
basalt in the sea
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Activities
1. Taking into account the information you have just read, indicate the thickness (in Km) of each
of the Earth’s layers:
Layer
Crust
Upper Mantle
Lower
mantle
3
Density (g/cm )
Composition
Thickness
2. The Earth’s inner and outer cores are formed by the same elements; however, the density of
the inner core is much bigger. Explain why this might be.
3. Read the following text. What two advantages are gained from recycling glass? Justify your
answers:
The most abundant rock in the Earth’s crust is granite, a rock made up of three minerals:
quartz, feldspar and mica. In chemical terms, quartz is known as silicon oxide, or by its more
common term: silica – the material that forms sand. By heating very pure sand to temperatures
of around 1 500 ºC we can make glass, a material with lots of uses. The best thing is that glass
can be completely recyclable. It can be melted again at around 800 ºC and then reused to make
new objects. This is why we have special bins for recycling glass.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
3
COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read the following text and answer the questions:
THE BODIES THAT INHABIT THE EARTH
If you look at the natural world around you, you’ll notice that there are living things and other
things that are devoid of life. These are inanimate objects such as stones or, more precisely,
rocks. The branch of chemistry that studies the composition and properties of living organisms
is called organic chemistry. And the branch of chemistry that studies the composition and
properties of inanimate objects is called inorganic chemistry. From a chemical point of view,
some rocks like calcite or quartz are made from only one substance: these are simple rocks.
Other rocks are a combination of substances, like granite, which is a mix of quartz, feldspar
and mica: These are compound rocks. Each of the substances that make up rocks is known as
a mineral. Many rocks are used directly in construction, but others are used to obtain metals.
Metals can be obtained from some minerals through a variety of chemical procedures. For
example, pyrite is used to obtain iron, and galena is used to obtain copper, etc. Some metals
can be obtained from nature in their natural state, like gold, silver or platinum, but most of
them are obtained from minerals.
Activities
1. With reference to the previous text, see if you can label the circles correctly:
2. Taking into account the information from the previous text, classify the materials according to
the table below:
Mix
Pure substance
Compound
Element
silver
galena
granite
pyrite
calcite
iron
quartz
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read this text and answer the questions:
Throughout history, the use of one material or another has affected the way people lived their
lives. Right back in Pre-history we can refer to the Stone Age, the Bronze Age or the Iron Age.
These periods were characterised by the use of each of these materials. The Stone Age, or
Palaeolithic Age, lasted from 250 000 B.C. until about 10 000 B.C. During this period, humans
learnt how to use flint rocks, a form of hard quartz, to make tools such as arrowheads or axes.
This enabled them to become hunters and gatherers as, up to that time, they had fed
themselves on the plants they found and dead or wounded animals that they could catch
easily. The discovery of fire allowed them, among other things, to obtain copper from minerals.
Copper is a soft metal but, when it’s mixed with tin, it becomes a much more resistant alloy
known as bronze. This was obtained by heating minerals containing both metals to around
1 000 ºC. Humans from this period could then make tools and other objects such as cups and
decorative objects. Bronze was softer than flint, but more resistant and easier to handle; its
use became generalised and this gave rise to a new period called the Bronze Age in around
2 500 B.C. During this period, new agricultural tools appeared, such as ploughs, as well as new
types of weapons. This enabled humans to organise themselves as warriors to then try to
conquer new lands, as well as defending their own. The advantages of having this metal also
lead to the appearance of commercial activity that involved exchange with neighbouring
villages and also those further away. A little later on, around 1000 B.C., a new metal came onto
the scene: iron. It was also obtained from heating minerals, but higher temperatures were
required – around 1 500 ºC. The deposits of minerals containing iron were far more abundant
than those containing bronze, and the metal was even more resistant. This meant it was easier
to make tools like saws, axes, nails and objects that could cut, such as razors for shaving. The
Iron Age lasted until around the year 1 B.C., but the importance of this metal continued
throughout the Roman Era and even into the Viking Age, in the year 1 000 of our own times.
Activities
1. Make a graphic representation, such as a timeline, to show the duration of the three Prehistorical ages mentioned in the text.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
2. The discovery of some materials depends on the technological advances taking place. Go over
the text again and make a note of the technological advances that enabled the appearance of
each of the eras mentioned: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
3. Some technological advances meant changes in societies that gave rise to new ways of life.
Read the text and indicate a social change that came about from the use of the materials that
were commented on: flint, bronze and iron.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
3
COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read the description of the characteristics that can be seen in a rock and its mineral components
and answer the questions:
IDENTIFYING ROCKS
Rock X
1. Rock widely found in Spain.
2. Forms large masses in which strata cannot be
seen.
3. Various mineral components can be seen. They
are crystals, each with a different colour, of a
similar size and distributed evenly.
4. The minerals are of three types:
The first type are black, they can be scratched
with a fingernail. They have a silky non-metallic
shine and are formed by soft sheets that are
easily prised loose with a knife. They have little
density and do not produce effervescence
when placed in acids.
The second type are white or pinkish. Sheets
do not prise off with the use of a knife. A knife does not scratch them but a file does. They
have a black non-metallic pearly shine and, when the rock is moved you can see how light
is reflected off it. There is no effervescence with acids and the density is normal.
The third type are greyish, with a glassy non-metallic shine. They are not very dense. They
can scratch glass and the two previously mentioned minerals. Like the second of these,
sheets do not prise off with the use of a knife and there is no effervescence produced on
contact with acids.
Activities
1. Taking into account the descriptions of each of the mineral components in Rock X, indicate the
characteristics they have in common. What differentiates them from each another?
2. Read the text carefully and indicate the approximate hardness of each of the minerals that
make up Rock X on a rising scale from 1 to 10. Give reasons for your answer. Bear in mind the
following information regarding the Mohs scale: the hardness of a fingernail is 2.5, that of a
knife blade, 4.5; window glass is 5.5 and a file is 6.5.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Now the teacher, following the appropriate safety measures, is going to carry out the following
experiment in the laboratory:
1. Rock X is heated with a burner.
2. When it is very hot, it is placed in a container with very cold water.
3. The heating and cooling process is repeated several times.
4. The rock is wrapped in a thick cloth. It is placed on the table and hit with a hammer. It breaks up
easily.
5. The resulting pieces are placed onto a clean surface. With the help of a magnifying glass, the
types of grain are separated into three different piles.
3. Explain why Rock X has broken up so easily and why its component parts have separated.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
4. Use these two keys and indicate the name of Rock X and of each of the minerals that make it
up, explaining the reasons for your choices.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
3
COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Course: _____ Date: _______
Geology 1º ESO
3
COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read the description of these three rocks and answer the questions:
INVESTIGATING THE ORIGIN OF ROCKS
1. Does not have fossils.
2. Does not have cavities or holes.
granodiorite
3. At first sight various components are visible.
They are different coloured crystals distributed in a
homogeneous manner.
4. If a fine sheet or laminate is studied under a
microscope, different crystals of similar sizes can
be seen with no spaces between them.
1. Does not have fossils.
2. Does not have cavities or holes.
granitic porphyry
3. At first sight various components are visible.
They have a variety of colours and very large
crystals separated by cement, in which the smaller
crystals cannot be distinguished.
4. If a very fine sheet is examined under the
microscope, very large crystals can be seen in a
mass or cement of very small crystals.
1. Does not have fossils.
2. There are abundant cavities and holes that
sometimes connect with each other.
obsidian
3. At first sight, it appears to be uniform; no
different components can be seen. Black and with
a glassy shine and a curved fracture.
4. Under the microscope, formed crystals can
barely be seen, only a mass of glass.
Activities
1. If none of these rocks have fossils, what conclusions can be reached regarding the conditions
under which they were formed?
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
Read about the following experiment and answer the questions:
a) A test-tube is filled up to the half-way mark with powdered sulphur.
b) The test-tube is held with forceps and is gently heated with the burner, making sure that it is
heated all over until the sulphur takes on a reddish mahogany colour that shows that it has
melted.
c) The contents of the test-tube are then tipped out onto a wooden board without stirring them.
After a short time, when it cools, fine crystals will be seen to appear. These can be studied
with a low power microscope.
2. Indicate the changes in state that have taken place during this experiment, explaining the
cause and give the name of each change.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO
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COMPETENCES ASSESSMENT
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
3. Granodiorite, granitic porphyry and obsidian are rocks with a magmatic origin. Their formation
process is like that described in the previous experiment carried out in the laboratory. Explain
the phases of the process for the formation of magmatic rocks.
4. The speed of magma solidification is variable and gives rise to the following relationship: ‘the
faster the solidification of the magma, the smaller the size of the crystals’. With this in mind,
indicate under what conditions granodiorote, granitic porphyry and obsidian were formed.
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL / © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1º ESO