1. exam will cover material through geologic time

2. 22 questions

• 4 short answer questions
• 3 matching questions
• 3 extended true false questions
• 4 selecting applicable statements
• 8 multiple-choice questions

3. question topics

• 1 question on minerals
• 5 questions on plate tectonics (including relation to rock types)
• 3 questions on igneous rocks & volcanos (including relations to plate tectonics)
• 2 questions on metamorphic rocks & metamorphism
• 3 questions on sedimentary rocks & depositional environment
• 2 questions on stratigraphy & sequence of events
• 1 question on relative and absolute dating
• 5 questions will involve interpretation of slides (including rock origin [2], volcanism [1], depositional environment [1], and stratigraphy [1])
• some questions may involve interpretation of maps, sketches, graphs, or cross-sections of an outcrop or of physical features (e.g. depositional environment, nature of metamorphism -- type, parent material, plate-tectonic setting, sequence of events)

4. my emphasis is on:

• understanding & using concepts, principles
• reasoning & synthesizing ideas, NOT rote memorization & repetition of terms and facts
• logical thinking, analysis, & figuring things out

 

5. Be sure to look at study guide on p. 5-8 of lab manual, especially the study questions. I will be looking at these as I write the exam.

6. You can look at some sample questions by following this link: midterm 1 sample 

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