How people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

2. 1.

   Ari fills in a chain. Cause: people pave a big field. What effect goes in the middle box (USGS)?

   • More rain soaks into the ground
   • More rainwater runs off into streams
   • The field gets more rainfall
   • Less rainwater runs off the field than before
3. 2.

   Bo fills in a chain. Cause: ship water carried zebra mussels into the Great Lakes (USGS). What effect goes in the middle box?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • The mussels stayed in one small spot of one lake
   • The mussels spread and clog water pipes
   • Native mussels grew in number
   • The lakes turned salty
4. 3.

   Kira fills in a chain. Cause: people burn coal, oil and gas for energy. What effect goes in the middle box (NOAA)?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Less carbon dioxide stays in the air than before
   • More carbon dioxide builds up in the air
   • The ocean gets saltier
   • The air gains more oxygen
5. 4.

   Jun fills in a chain. Zebra mussels ride on boats to new lakes (USGS). Which fix goes in the fix box?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Add more mussels to each lake
   • Move more boats between lakes
   • Paint the boats a brighter color so the mussels can see them
   • Inspect and clean boats before they enter a new lake
6. 5.

   Luz fills in a chain. Paved lots send more rain into streams. Which fix goes in the fix box (EPA)?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Paint the pavement white
   • Pave the lawn next to the lot too
   • Build a rain garden that lets water soak in
   • Cut down the trees nearby
7. 6.

   Before the 1700s, 280 or less; 1960, 317; 1990, 354; 2024, 425. Note: Mauna Loa yearly means, rounded. Using the NOAA table, about how much carbon dioxide was in the air in 2024, by Noah's reading?

   • About 280 ppm
   • Less than in 1960
   • About 317 ppm
   • About 425 ppm

8. Read this first

   Where rain goes (Data: USGS)

   Ground	Runs off	Soaks in
   Forest or meadow	10%	50%
   Mostly paved (75–100%)	55%	15%

9. 7.

   Using the USGS table, what share of rain runs off mostly paved ground, by Pia's reading?

   • About 50%
   • About 10%
   • About 15%
   • About 55%

10. Use the table

    U.S. changes, 1970 to 2025 (Data: EPA)

    Measure	Change
    Six main air pollutants	down 78%
    Population	up 67%
    Miles driven	up 197%
    Energy use	up 46%

11. 8.

    Using the EPA table, how did the six main air pollutants change from 1970 to 2025, by Ren's reading?

    • They dropped 78%
    • They rose 78%
    • They did not change
    • They rose 197%

12. Four boxes in a row

    Cause, effect, fix, then the fix's cost.

13. 9.

    A power plant adds a scrubber to clean its smoke (EPA). What cost might it weigh, by Zee's reading?

    • Scrubbers have no trade-offs
    • Scrubbers make the smoke coming out of the tall stack even dirtier
    • The equipment costs money, and wet ones need water treatment
    • Scrubbers cost nothing to run
14. 10.

    Lake workers check every boat for zebra mussels. What cost might the lake weigh, by Esme's reading?

    • The checks need no workers
    • Time and workers for the boat checks
    • The checks spread mussels faster to the new lake
    • The checks cost nothing