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Earth and Space Science

Free Earth and Space Science study guide: 6 units with summaries, key ideas, flashcards and 60 practice questions with step-by-step solutions.

Lines up with: State end-of-course exams; NGSS Earth and Space Science.

Units

1. UNIT 01

   Earth's structure and plate tectonics

   Earth has layers, and its outer shell is broken into plates that move a few centimeters a year, causing earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains.
2. UNIT 02

   Rocks, minerals and the rock cycle

   Rocks are made of minerals and constantly change from one type to another through the rock cycle.
3. UNIT 03

   Weather and climate

   Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere; climate is the long-term average. Both come from the sun heating Earth unevenly.
4. UNIT 04

   Earth's history

   Rock layers and radioactive elements let scientists read Earth's 4.6-billion-year history.
5. UNIT 05

   The solar system

   Earth's motions and the Moon's orbit explain days, years, seasons, moon phases, eclipses and tides.
6. UNIT 06

   Stars and the universe

   Stars form from gas clouds, shine by fusion, and die in ways set by their mass. The universe began about 13.8 billion years ago and is still expanding.