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Grade 9 · Science · Earth and Space Science

9th grade How hazards and resources shaped where people live worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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How hazards and resources shaped where people live

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Use this

    A world map marking the Ring of Fire and the Nile and Mississippi floodplains.

  2. Why have river floodplains drawn farms and towns, by Ari's reading (USGS)?

    • Flood sediment leaves mineral-rich soil that makes excellent farmland
    • Rivers carry the soil away, leaving flat bare rock
    • Floods stop once towns are built on the plain
    • Floodplain soil is thin and rocky, so it is easy to dig

  3. Besides fertile soil, what else do river valleys offer people, by Bo's reading (USGS)?

    • Water, and routes for boats, roads and railroads
    • Deep beds of fresh volcanic soil
    • Cooler weather with no rain or floods in any season
    • Shelter from each kind of natural hazard

  4. Why do people farm the slopes of some volcanoes, by Kira's reading (USGS)?

    • Volcanoes stop erupting once farms are planted
    • Volcanic rock weathers into some of Earth's most fertile soils
    • Volcanic slopes get no rain, so crops stay dry
    • Fresh lava rock is soft enough to plow

  5. Where do most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen, by Jun's reading (USGS)?

    • Mostly near the North and South Poles
    • Along plate boundaries, like the Ring of Fire
    • Mostly in the middle of plates, far from their edges
    • At random spots anywhere on Earth

  6. About how many potentially active volcanoes are there worldwide, not counting mid-ocean ridges, by Luz's reading (USGS)?

    • About 135,000
    • About 1,350
    • About 17
    • About 13

  7. Model sites (model data)

    SiteSoilFresh waterTransportMain hazard
    A: river floodplainrich river soilriverriver and railfloods
    B: volcano sloperich volcanic soilspringsone roaderuptions
    C: coastsandy soilwellsportstorm surge
    D: dry plateauthin soillittlefew roadsdrought

  8. Using the model table, which site has river water and rail but faces floods, by Noah's reading?

    • Site C, the coast
    • Site A, the river floodplain
    • Site D, the dry plateau
    • Site B, the volcano slope

  9. Using the model table, what is site B's main hazard, by Pia's reading?

    • Eruptions
    • Drought
    • Storm surge
    • Floods

  10. Using the model table, which site has the least fresh water, by Ren's reading?

    • Site B, the volcano slope
    • Site C, the coast
    • Site D, the dry plateau
    • Site A, the river floodplain

  12. What does a 100-year flood mean, by Tala's reading (USGS)?

    • A flood that can't happen two years in a row
    • A flood that comes once each 100 years, on schedule
    • A flood that covers 100 miles of river
    • A flood with a 1% chance of happening in any year

  13. USGS: a 100-year flood has a 1% yearly chance. By the same rule, what yearly chance does a 500-year flood have, by Esme's math?

    Use the picture in question 9.

    • 0.2%
    • 5%
    • 2%
    • 0.5%
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9th grade How hazards and resources shaped where people live worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Explain how hazards and resources shape where people live. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain why floodplains, volcanic slopes and coasts draw people: fertile soil, water, transport routes, ports and resources.
  • I can explain that the same places carry hazards, that earthquakes and eruptions cluster along plate boundaries, and read a 100-year flood as a 1% yearly chance.
  • I can score sites on several criteria in a table and explain why people weigh benefits against hazards.

Standard: HS-ESS3-1

Words to know

floodplain: Flat land beside a river that the river floods from time to time

alluvial soil: Soil built from sediment that rivers drop

plate boundary: Where two tectonic plates meet; most quakes and eruptions happen here

100-year flood: A flood with a 1% chance of happening in any year

criteria table: A table that scores options on several goals

trade-off: Giving up some of one benefit to gain another

Common mistakes

Your child misnamed why people settle a place. USGS: floodplain sediment and weathered volcanic rock make fertile soil, and river valleys give water and transport routes.

Your child left out the hazard. USGS: the same floodplains and volcanoes that give rich soil also flood and erupt; people weigh benefits against hazards.

Your child placed hazards at random. USGS: most earthquakes and eruptions happen along plate boundaries, such as the Ring of Fire.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with how hazards and resources shaped where people live?

Your child misnamed why people settle a place. USGS: floodplain sediment and weathered volcanic rock make fertile soil, and river valleys give water and transport routes.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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