EARTH SCIENCE GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS LISTED BY CHAPTER/UNIT
Throughout all chapters:
Formulate testable questions and hypothesis
Recognize the importance of the independent variable, dependent variable, control of constants, and multiple trials to the design of a valid experiment.
Design and conduct a valid experiment
Evaluate the design of an experiment and make suggestions for reasonable improvements or extensions of an experiment
Make qualitative observations using the five senses.
Judge whether measurements and computation of quantities are reasonable
Calculate the range and average/mean of a set of data
Use qualitative and quantitative data to construct reasonable explanations (conclusions)
Use data to describe relationships and make predictions to be tested
Recognize the possible effects of errors in observations, measurements, and calculations on the formulation of explanations (conclusions)
Make predictions supported by scientific knowledge/explanations
Analyze whether evidence (data) supports proposed explanations (hypotheses, laws, theories)
Evaluate the reasonableness of an explanation(conclusion)
Communicate the procedures and results of investigations and explanations through:
oral presentations, drawings and maps, data tables, graphs (bar, single line, pictographs), equations and writings.
interpret data in order to make and support conclusions
Identify the physical, social, economic, and/or environmental problems that may be overcome using science and technology (e.g. the need for alternative fuels, human travel in space, AIDS) and analyze the
advantages and/or disadvantages of that use
Explain how technological improvements such as those developed for use in space exploration or by the military have led to the invention of new products that may improve our lives here on Earth (e.g., materials, freeze-dried foods, infrared goggles, Velcro, satellite imagery, robotics)
Identify the link between technological developments and the scientific discoveries made possible through their development (e.g., Hubble telescope and stellar evolution, composition and structure of the universe;
the electron microscope, and cell organelles; sonar and the composition of the Earth; manned and unmanned space missions and space exploration; Doppler radar and weather conditions; MRI and CAT-scans and brain
activity)
Describe how technological solutions to problems can have both benefits and drawbacks (e.g., storm water runoff, fiber optics, windmills, efficient car design, electronic trains without conductors, sonar, robotics, Hubble
telescope)
Describe how the contribution of scientists and inventors have contributed to science, technology and human activity (e.g., George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie,
Galileo, Albert Einstein, Mae Jemison, Edwin Hubble, Charles Darwin, Jonas Salk, Louis Pasteur, Jane Goodall, Tom Akers, John Wesley Powell) (ASSESS LOCALLY)
Recognize the difficulty scientists (e.g. Darwin, Copernicus, Newton) experience as they attempted to break through the accepted ideas (hypotheses, laws, theories)of their time to establish theories that are now
considered to be common knowledge.
Recognize that explanations have changed over time as a result of new evidence
Describe ways in which science and society influence one another (e.g., scientific knowledge and the procedures used by scientists influence the way many individuals in society think about themselves, others, and the environment; societal challenges often inspire questions for scientific research; social priorities often influence research priorities through the availability of funding for research.
MAGNETS/ELECTRICITY
Describe the interactions (i.e., repel, attract,) of like and unlike charges (i.e., magnetic, static electric, electrical)
Diagram and identify a complete electric circuit by using a source (battery), a means of transfer (wires) and a receiver (resistance bulbs, motors, fans)
Observe and describe the evidence of energy transfer in a closed series circuit
Describe the effects of resistance (number of energy sources), and the kind if transfer materials on the current being transferred through a circuit (e.g., brightness of light, speed of motor)
Classify materials as conductors or insulators of electricity when placed with a circuit (e.g., wood, pencil lead, plastic, glass, aluminum foil, lemon juice, air, water.)
Diagram and distinguish between complete series and parallel circuits
FORCES AND MOTION
Describe circular motion of a moving object as the result of a force acting toward the center.
Classify different types of motion (e.g., straight line, projectile, circular, vibrational).
Given an object in motion calculate its speed (distance / time).
Interpret a line graph representing an object’s motion in terms of distance over time (speed) using metric terms.
Identify and describe the types of forces acting on an object in motion, at rest, floating/sinking (I.e., type of force, direction, and amount of force in Newtons)
Compare the forces acting on an object by using a spring scale to measure them to the nearest Newton.
Recognize that every object exerts a gravitational force of attraction on every other object.
Recognize that an object’s weight is a measure of the gravitational force of a planet/moon acting on that object.
Compare the amount of gravitational force acting between objects (which is dependent upon their masses and the distance between them).
Compare the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces ( including magnetic, gravity, friction, push or pull) on an object’s motion.
Explain that when forces (including magnetic, gravity, friction, push or pull) are balanced, objects are at rest or their motion remains constant.
Explain that a change in motion is the result of an unbalanced force acting upon an object.
Explain how the acceleration of a moving object is affected by the amount of net force applied and the mass of the object.
Recognize examples of work being done on an object (force applied and distance moved in the direction of the applied force) with and without the use of simple machines.
Calculate the amount of work done when a force is applied to an object over a distance ( W = F x d)
Explain how simple machines affect the amount of effort force, distance through which a force is applied, and/ or direction of force while doing work.
Recognize that the amount of work input equals the amount of work output with or without the use of a simple machine.
Evaluate simple machine designs to determine which design requires the least amount of effort force and explain why.
CH 1 THE NATURE OF SCIENCE
Use data to describe relationships and make predictions to be tested.
Recognize the possible effects of errors in observations, measurements, and calculations on the formulation of explanations (conclusions).
Make predictions supported by scientific knowledge/explanations.
Analyze whether evidence (data) supports proposed explanations (hypotheses, laws, theories).
Evaluate the reasonableness of an explanation(conclusion).
Communicate the procedures and results of investigations and explanations through:
oral presentations, drawings and maps, data tables, graphs (bar, single line, pictographs), equations and writings, interpret data in order to make and support conclusions.
Formulate testable questions and hypothesis.
Recognize the importance of the independent variable, dependent variable, control of constants, and multiple trials to the design of a valid experiment.
Design and conduct a valid experiment.
Evaluate the design of an experiment and make suggestions for reasonable improvements or extensions of an experiment.
Make qualitative observations using the five senses.
Judge whether measurements and computation of quantities are reasonable.
Calculate the range and average/mean of a set of data.
Use qualitative and quantitative data to construct reasonable explanations (conclusions).
Recognize that different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations (e.g., some involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some
involve experiments; some involve making observations in nature; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models).
Acknowledge that there is no fixed procedure called “the scientific method”, but that some investigations involve systematic observations, carefully collected, relevant evidence, logical reasoning, and some
imagination in developing hypothesis and other explanations.
Determine the appropriate tools and techniques to collect data.
Use a variety of tools and equipment to gather data (e.g., microscopes, thermometers, analog and digital meters, computers, spring scales, balances, metric rulers, graduated cylinders, stopwatches) *
Measure length to the nearest millimeter, mass to the nearest gram, volume to the nearest milliliter, force (weight) to the nearest Newton, temperature to the nearest degree Celsius, time to the nearest second. *
Compare amounts/measurements *
Ch 2 matter and its changes
Using the kinetic theory model, illustrate and account for the physical properties (i.e., shape, volume, malleability, and viscosity) of a solid, liquid, or gas in terms of the arrangement and motion of molecules in a substance.
Use the kinetic theory model to explain changes in the volume, shape, and viscosity of materials in response to temperature changes during a phase change.
Recognize thermal energy as the random motion (kinetic energy) of molecules or atoms within a substance.
Use the molecular kinetic model to explain changes in the temperature of a material.
Recognize that elements (unique atoms) and compounds (molecules or crystals) are pure substances that have characteristic properties.
Describe evidence (e.g., diffusion of colored material into clear material such as water; light reflecting off of dust particles in air; changes in physical properties and reactivity such as gold hammered into foil, oil spreading on the surface of water, decay of organic matter, condensation of water vapor by increased pressure) that supports the theory that matter is composed of moving particles too small to be seen (atoms, molecules).
Describe the relationship between temperature and the movement of atmospheric gases (i.e., warm air rises due to the expansion of the volume of gas, cool air sinks due to contraction of the volume of gas.)
Predict the effect of transfer on the physical properties of a substance as it changes to or from a solid, liquid, or gas ( i.e., phase changes that occur during freezing, melting, evaporation, boiling, condensation).
Recognize that more than 100 known elements (unique atoms) exist that may be combined in nature or by man to produce compounds that make up the living and nonliving substances in the environment (DO NOT assess the memorization of Periodic Table).
Provide evidence that mass is conserved during a chemical change in a closed system (e.g. vinegar + baking soda, mold growing in a closed container, steel wool rusting).
Recognize examples of chemical energy that is stored in chemical compounds (e.g., energy stored in and released from food molecules batteries, nitrogen explosives, fireworks, organic fuels).
Identify the different energy transformations that occur between different systems (e.g., chemical energy in battery converted to electricity in circuit converted to light and heat from a bulb).
Recognize that, during an energy transformation, heat is often transferred from one object (system) to another because of a difference in temperature.
Recognize that energy is not lost but conserved as it is transferred and transformed.
Identify the evidence of different energy transformations (e.g., explosion of light, heat, and sound, temperature change, electrical charge) that may occur as chemical energy is released during a chemical reaction.
CH 3 MINERALS
Describe the physical and chemical properties (e.g. magnetic attraction, conductivity, melting point and boiling point, reactivity) of pure substances (elements or compounds) (e.g. copper wire, aluminum wire, iron, charcoal, sulfur, water, salt, sugar, sodium bicarbonate, galena, quartz, magnetite, pyrite) using appropriate senses and tools.
Describe the distinguishing properties that can be used to classify minerals (i.e., texture, smell, luster, hardness, crystal shape, streak and reaction to magnets and acids).
Describe the methods used to identify the distinguishing properties of minerals.
CH 4 ROCKS
Differentiate between mineral and rocks (which are composed of different kinds of minerals).
Explain that the amount of matter remains constant while being recycled through the rock cycle.
Classify rocks as sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic.
Explain how heating and cooling in the mantle layer leads to the formation of metamorphic rocks and some igneous rocks.
Make inferences about the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks from their physical properties (e.g., crystal size indicates rate of cooling, air pockets or glassy texture indicate volcanic activity)
Explain the diagram the external and internal processes of the rock cycle (e.g., weathering and erosion, sedimentation, compaction, heating, recrystallization, and resurfacing due to forces that drive plate motion)
CH 9 EARTHQUAKES
Explain how rock layers are affected by the folding, breaking, and uplifting of rock layers due to plate motion.
Describe how the movement of crustal plates can cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that can result in mountain building and trench formation.
CH 10 VOLCANOES
Distinguish between renewable (e.g., geothermal, hydroelectric) and nonrenewable (e.g., fossil fuels) energy sources.
Describe how the movement of crustal plates can cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that can result in mountain building and trench formation.
CH 11 PLATE TECTONICS
Explain that convection currents are the result of uneven heating inside the mantle resulting in the melting of rock materials, convection of magma, eruption/flow of magma, and movement of crustal plates.
CH 12 CLUES TO EARTH’S PAST
Describe the methods used to estimate geologic time and the age of the Earth (e.g., techniques used to date rocks and rock layers, presence of fossils).
Use rock and fossil evidence to make inferences about the age, history, and changing life forms and environment of the Earth (i.e., changes in successive layers of sedimentary rock and the fossils contained within them, similarities between fossils in different geographic locations, fossils of organisms indicating changes in climate, fossils of extinct organisms)
CH 14 ATMOSPHERE
Describe the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere (i.e., mixture of gases, water and minute particles) and how it circulated as air masses.
Describe the role the atmosphere (e.g., clouds, ozone) plays in precipitation, reflecting and filtering light from the sun, and trapping heat energy emitted from the Earth’s surface.
Identify factors that affect climate (e.g., latitude, altitude, prevailing wind currents, amount of solar radiation)
Explain and trace the possible paths of water through the hydrosphere, geosphere and atmosphere (i.e., the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, groundwater/surface run-off).
Relate the different forms water can take (i.e., snow, rain, sleet, fog, clouds, dew, humidity) as it moves through the water cycle to atmospheric conditions (i.e., temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed, humidity) at a given geographic location.
Explain how thermal energy is transferred throughout the water cycle by the processes of convection, conduction, and radiation.
Recognize that thermal energy is transferred as heat from warmer objects to cooler objects until both reach the same temperature.
Recognize the type of materials that transfer energy by conduction, convection, radiation and classify examples of each.
Classify common materials (e.g., wood, foam plastic, glass, aluminum foil, soil, air water) as conductors or insulators of thermal energy.
Predict the differences in temperature over time on different colored (black and white) objects absorb and emit radiant energy.
Provide examples of how the availability of fresh water for humans and other living organisms is dependent on the water cycle.
Explain that the amount of matter remains constant while being recycled through the water cycle.
CH 15 WEATHER
Identify solar radiation as the primary source of energy for weather phenomena.
Differentiate between weather and climate.
Explain how the differences in surface temperature, due to the different heating and cooling rates of water and soil, affect the temperature and movement of the air above.
Recognize the characteristics of air masses (i.e., high/low barometric pressure, temperature) and predict their effect on the weather in a given location.
Identify weather conditions associated with cold fronts and warm fronts.
Identify factors that affect weather patterns in a particular region (e.g., proximity to large bodies of water, latitude, altitude, prevailing wind currents, amount of solar radiation, location with respect to mountain ranges).
Collect and interpret weather data (e.g., cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction) from weather instruments and maps to explain present day weather and to predict the next day’s weather.
Recognize that significant changes in temperature and barometric pressure may cause dramatic weather phenomena (i.e., severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes).
Relate the different forms water can take (i.e., snow, rain, sleet, fog, clouds, dew, humidity) as it moves through the water cycle to atmospheric conditions (i.e., temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed, humidity) at a given geographic location.
CH. 22 THE SUN – EARTH - MOON SYSTEM
Observe the change in time and location of moon rise, moon set and the moon’s appearance relative to time of day and month over several months and note the pattern in this change.
Recognize that the Moon rises later each day due to its revolution around the Earth in a counterclockwise direction.
Recognize that the Noon is in the sky for roughly 12 hours in a 24-hour period (i.e., if the Moon rises at about 6 P.M., it will set at about 6 A.M).
Recognize that one half of the Moon is always facing the Sun and therefore one half of the Moon is always lit.
Relate the apparent change in the moon’s position in the sky as it appears to move east to west over the course of a day to Earth’s counterclockwise rotation about its axis.
Describe how the appearance of the moon that can be seen from Earth changes approximately every 28 days in an observable pattern (moon phases).
Describe how the Moon’s relative position changes as it revolves around the Earth.
Recognize that the phases of the moon are due to the relative positions of the Moon with respect to the Earth and Sun.
Illustrate and explain a day as the time it takes a planet to make a full rotation on its axis.
Diagram the path (orbital ellipse) the Earth travels as it revolves around the sun.
Illustrate and explain a year as the time it takes a planet to revolve around the sun.
Explain the relationships between a plant’s length of year (period of revolution) and its position in the solar system.
Relate the axial tilt and orbital position of the Earth as it revolves around the sun to the intensity of sunlight falling on different parts of the Earth during different seasons.
Relate the apparent east-to-west changes in the positions of the Sun, other stars, and the planets in the sky over the course of a day to Earth’s counterclockwise rotation about its axis.
Describe the pattern that can be observed in the changes in the number of hours of visible sunlight, and the time and location of sunrise and sunset, throughout the year.
Recognize that in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun appears lower in the sky during the winter and higher in the sky during the summer.
Recognize that in winter, the Sun appears to rise in the Southeast and set in the Southwest, accounting for a relatively short day length, and that in summer, the Sun appears to rise in the Northeast and set in the Northwest, accounting for a relatively long day length.
Recognize that the Sun is never directly overhead when observed from North America.
CH 23 - THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Classify celestial bodies in the solar system into categories: sun, moon, planets and other small bodies (i.e., asteroids, comets, meteors) based on physical properties.
Compare and contrast the size, composition, atmosphere and surface of the planets (inner vs. outer) in our solar system and Earth’s moon.
Identify the relative proximity of common celestial bodies (i.e., sun, moon, planets, smaller celestial bodies such as comets and meteors, and other stars) in the sky to the Earth.
Describe how the Earth’s placement in the solar system is favorable to sustain life (i.e. distance from the sun, temperature, atmosphere.
Compare and contrast the characteristics of Earth that support life with the characteristics of other planets that are considered favorable or unfavorable to life (e.g., atmospheric gases, temperatures, water, pressure).
Describe how the Earth’s gravity pulls any object on or near the Earth toward it (including natural and artificial satellites).
Describe how the planet’s gravitational pull keeps satellites and moons in orbit around them.
Describe how the sun’s gravitational pull holds the Earth and other planets in their orbits.
CH 24 STARS AND GALAXIES
Recognize that stars are separated from one another by vast and different distances, which causes stars to appear smaller than the sun.
Compare the distance light travels from the sun to earth to the distance light travels from other stars to Earth using light years.