Earth's History Learning Quizzes: Explore the Past of Our Planet

Question 1

Which is the oldest era in Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

Precambrian Era

Answer

Paleozoic Era

Answer

Mesozoic Era

Answer

Cenozoic Era

Question 2

Which life forms were the dominant species during the Mesozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

Dinosaurs

Answer

Trilobites

Answer

Mammals

Answer

Birds

Question 3

What is the process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces?

Accepted Answer

Weathering

Answer

Erosion

Answer

Deposition

Answer

Metamorphism

Question 4

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

Wind

Answer

Oil

Answer

Natural gas

Answer

Coal

Question 5

What is the name of the layer of gases that surrounds Earth?

Accepted Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Hydrosphere

Answer

Geosphere

Question 6

Which instrument is used to measure temperature?

Accepted Answer

Thermometer

Answer

Barometer

Answer

Compass

Answer

Anemometer

Question 7

Which of these is NOT an era in Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

Modern Time

Answer

Paleozoic Era

Answer

Mesozoic Era

Answer

Cenozoic Era

Question 8

What was the name of the giant landmass that existed during the Paleozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 9

Which era is when humans first appeared?

Accepted Answer

Cenozoic Era

Answer

Paleozoic Era

Answer

Mesozoic Era

Answer

Modern Time

Question 10

What is the name of the type of rock that contains fossils?

Accepted Answer

Sedimentary rock

Answer

Igneous rock

Answer

Metamorphic rock

Answer

Crystal

Question 11

Which of these is a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

Solar energy

Answer

Oil

Answer

Natural gas

Answer

Coal

Question 12

Which geological era came first?

Accepted Answer

Paleozoic Era

Answer

Cenozoic Era

Answer

Mesozoic Era

Question 13

Which geological era are we in now?

Accepted Answer

Cenozoic Era

Answer

Mesozoic Era

Answer

Paleozoic Era

Question 14

Which animal lived during the Paleozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

Trilobites

Answer

Mammals

Answer

Birds

Question 15

Which layer of Earth is home to all living things?

Accepted Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Hydrosphere

Question 16

Which part of the Earth is solid rock?

Accepted Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Outer Core

Answer

Inner Core

Question 17

How is new land made?

Accepted Answer

Plate Tectonics

Answer

Erosion

Answer

Glaciation

Answer

Subduction

Question 18

Which of these is NOT a type of fuel dug from the ground?

Accepted Answer

Wind

Answer

Coal

Answer

Oil

Answer

Natural Gas

Question 19

Who first said that animals change over time?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Albert Einstein

Answer

Isaac Newton

Answer

Galileo Galilei

Question 20

Earth is made up of three main layers. Which of these is NOT a layer of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Core

Question 21

The Earth has gone through different time periods called geological eras. Which geological era is known for the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

Mesozoic

Answer

Paleozoic

Answer

Cenozoic

Answer

Precambrian

Question 22

Coal, natural gas, and oil are all examples of _________.

Accepted Answer

Fossil fuels

Answer

Renewable energy sources

Answer

Alternative energy sources

Answer

Sustainable energy sources

Question 23

What is the primary cause of earthquakes?

Accepted Answer

Movement of tectonic plates

Answer

Volcanic eruptions

Answer

Hurricanes

Answer

Landslides

Question 24

Which of these is NOT a renewable energy source?

Accepted Answer

Coal

Answer

Solar

Answer

Wind

Answer

Hydroelectric

Question 25

Who is known as the 'Father of Continental Drift'?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Wegener

Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Marie Curie

Answer

Isaac Newton

Question 26

Which is the biggest ocean in the world?

Accepted Answer

Pacific Ocean

Answer

Atlantic Ocean

Answer

Indian Ocean

Answer

Arctic Ocean

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a layer of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Core

Question 28

Which of the following caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

Asteroid Impact

Answer

Ice Age

Answer

Volcanic Eruption

Answer

Climate Change

Question 29

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

Solar Energy

Answer

Oil

Answer

Coal

Answer

Natural Gas

Question 30

What is the name of the force that pulls objects towards the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Gravity

Answer

Friction

Answer

Magnetism

Answer

Centrifugal Force

Question 31

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed long ago before the continents drifted apart?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 32

Which of these events caused the extinction of many dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

Asteroid impact

Answer

Climate change

Answer

Volcanic eruption

Answer

Disease

Question 33

How are layers of rock formed?

Accepted Answer

Deposition

Answer

Erosion

Answer

Weathering

Answer

Subduction

Question 34

What was Earth's first atmosphere like?

Accepted Answer

Reducing atmosphere

Answer

Oxidizing atmosphere

Answer

Nitrogen-rich atmosphere

Answer

Oxygen-rich atmosphere

Question 35

What type of rock is formed when lava cools?

Accepted Answer

Igneous

Answer

Sedimentary

Answer

Metamorphic

Answer

Volcanic

Question 36

What is the name of the layer of the Earth where living things are found?

Accepted Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Hydrosphere

Answer

Geosphere

Question 37

How do tectonic plates help to form mountains?

Accepted Answer

When two tectonic plates collide, they push against each other and create mountains.

Answer

When a tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, it melts and forms volcanoes that can become mountains.

Answer

When two tectonic plates move away from each other, the crust stretches and forms valleys, not mountains.

Answer

When a tectonic plate moves past another tectonic plate, the crust does not change shape, so mountains are not formed.

Question 38

What was the **first** major event in Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

Earth formed from a cloud of gas and dust.

Answer

Ice ages happened.

Answer

Dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Answer

The first humans appeared.

Question 39

What are the preserved remains or traces of ancient plants and animals called?

Accepted Answer

Fossils

Answer

Old rocks

Answer

Stories

Question 40

Which of these animals lived **during** the time of dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

Triceratops

Answer

Whales

Answer

Humans

Answer

Elephants

Question 41

What is an example of a slow, long-term change that can happen to Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

Mountains forming as Earth's plates move.

Answer

A tree falling

Answer

Building a house

Question 42

What happened during an ice age?

Accepted Answer

Large areas of Earth were covered in ice.

Answer

The first humans evolved.

Answer

Volcanoes erupted.

Answer

Dinosaurs went extinct.

Question 43

Scientists study fossils to learn about what?

Accepted Answer

Life on Earth in the past.

Answer

New medicines

Answer

Treasure

Question 44

Imagine you found a fossil of a small sea creature in the middle of a desert. What does this **likely** tell you about the desert long ago?

Accepted Answer

The desert was once covered by an ocean.

Answer

The desert was always hot.

Answer

The desert was once a forest.

Answer

The desert was always dry.

Question 45

Which of these events takes the **longest** amount of time to happen?

Accepted Answer

A mountain range forming.

Answer

A tree growing

Answer

A person getting older

Question 46

What is the process of rocks changing from one type to another over time called?

Accepted Answer

The rock cycle

Answer

Forming rocks in a volcano

Answer

Building with rocks

Question 47

If you were to dig a very deep hole in the ground, what would you most likely find at the bottom?

Accepted Answer

The oldest rocks

Answer

Dinosaur fossils

Answer

Water

Answer

The newest rocks

Question 48

What is the name of the giant landmass that existed millions of years ago before the continents drifted apart?

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Volcano

Answer

Tectonic

Answer

Earthquake

Question 49

Which of these is a fossil?

Accepted Answer

A dinosaur bone

Answer

A bird feather

Answer

A piece of glass

Answer

A shiny rock

Question 50

What do we call a scientist who studies fossils?

Accepted Answer

Paleontologist

Answer

Doctor

Answer

Astronaut

Answer

Teacher

Question 51

Which of these animals lived during the time of dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

Stegosaurus

Answer

Giant Ground Sloth

Answer

Saber-toothed Cat

Answer

Woolly Mammoth

Question 52

How do scientists learn about animals that lived long ago?

Accepted Answer

By studying fossils

Answer

By visiting the zoo

Answer

By reading fairy tales

Answer

By watching animal shows

Question 53

What caused the extinction of dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

An asteroid impact

Answer

A giant volcano

Answer

They evolved into birds

Answer

An ice age

Question 54

What natural disaster causes the ground to shake?

Accepted Answer

Earthquake

Answer

Rainbow

Answer

Rainstorm

Answer

Snowstorm

Question 55

Which of these is a sign that a volcano might erupt?

Accepted Answer

Smoke coming from the top

Answer

Rain falling on the volcano

Answer

Birds flying near the volcano

Answer

Trees growing on the volcano

Question 56

Over millions of years, mountains are formed by:

Accepted Answer

The movement of Earth's plates

Answer

The piling up of snow

Answer

The flow of rivers

Answer

The growth of tall trees

Question 57

What can we learn from studying rocks and minerals?

Accepted Answer

About Earth's history and resources

Answer

About the weather forecast

Answer

About different types of animals

Answer

About different languages