Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples of extended structures could include minerals such as but not limited to halite, agate, calcite, or sapphire. Examples of molecular-level models could include drawings, 3-D models, or computer representations showing different molecules with different types of atoms.
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form synthetic materials. These natural resources may or may not be pure substances. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods, or alternative fuels, and focus is on qualitative as opposed to quantitative information.
Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
Emphasis is on the design, controlling the transfer of energy to the environment, and modification of a device using factors such as type and concentration of a substance. Examples of designs could involve chemical reactions such as dissolving ammonium chloride, calcium chloride or a citric acid and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reaction in order to warm or cool an object.
Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
Emphasis is on the ability to maximize or minimize thermal energy transfer as it relates to devices used when an area loses electricity after a natural disaster. Examples of devices could include an insulated box or a solar cooker. Testing of the device relies on performance and not direct calculation of the total amount of thermal energy transferred.
Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
Examples of empirical evidence used in arguments could include an inventory or other representation of the energy (i.e. mechanical, thermal, or other forms of energy) before and after the transfer in the form of temperature changes or motion of object. This does not include the quantification of the energy transferred in the system.
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s geologic history.
Emphasis is on analyses of rock formations and fossils they contain to establish relative ages of major events in Earth’s history. Major events could include the formation of mountain chains and ocean basins, adaptation and extinction of particular living organisms, volcanic eruptions, periods of massive glaciation, and the development of watersheds and rivers through glaciation and water erosion. The events in Earth’s history happened in the past continue today. Scientific explanations can include models.
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
Emphasis is on the processes of melting, crystallization, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation, which act together to form minerals and rocks through the cycling of Earth’s materials.
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.
Emphasis is on how processes change Earth’s surface at time and spatial scales that can be large (such as slow plate motions or the uplift of a large mountain ranges) or small (such as rapid landslides on microscopic geochemical reactions), and how many geosciences processes usually behave gradually but are punctuated by catastrophic events (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteor impacts). Examples of geoscience processes include surface weathering and deposition by the movements of water, ice, and wind. Emphasis is on geoscience processes that shape local geographic features, where appropriate.
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and sea floor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
Examples of data include similarities of rock and fossil types on different continents, the shapes of the continents (including continental shelves), and the locations of ocean structures (such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches).
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
Emphasis is on how these resources are limited and typically non-renewable, and how their distributions are significantly changing as a result of removal by humans. Examples of uneven distributions of resources as a result of past processes include but are not limited to petroleum (locations of the burial of organic marine sediments and subsequent geologic traps), metal ores (locations of past volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with subduction zones), and soil (locations of active weathering and/or deposition of rock).
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
Emphasis is on how some natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and severe weather, are preceded by phenomena that allow for reliable predictions, but others, such as earthquakes, occur suddenly and with no notice, and thus are not yet predictable. Examples of natural hazards can be taken from interior processes (such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), surface processes (such as mass wasting and tsunamis), or severe weather events (such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods). Examples of data can include the locations, magnitudes, and frequencies of the natural hazards. Examples of technologies can be global (such as satellite systems to monitor hurricanes or forest fires) or local (such as building basements in tornado-prone regions or reservoirs to mitigate droughts).
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
Examples of the design process may include examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of human impacts may include water usage (such as the withdrawal of water from streams and aquifers or the construction of dams and levees), land usage (such as urban development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and pollution (such as of the air, water, or land).
Construct and use argument(s) based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of survival and successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
Examples of behaviors that affect the probability of animal reproduction could include nest building to protect young from cold, herding of animals to protect young from predators, or vocalization of animals and colorful plumage to attract mates for breeding. Examples of animal behaviors that affect the probability of plant reproduction could include transferring pollen or seeds or creating conditions for seed germination and growth. Examples of plant structures could include bright flowers attracting butterflies that transfer pollen, flower nectar and odors that attract insects that transfer pollen, or hard shells on nuts that squirrels bury.
Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
Emphasis is on explanations of the evolutionary relationships among organisms in terms of similarity or differences of the gross appearance of anatomical structures.
Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
Emphasis is on inferring general patterns of relatedness among embryos of different organisms by comparing the macroscopic appearance of diagrams or pictures.
Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
Emphasis is on finding patterns of changes in the level of complexity of anatomical structures in organisms and the chronological order of fossil appearance in the rock layers.
Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
Emphasis is on conceptual understanding that changes in genetic material may result in making different proteins. Examples include radiation treated plants, genetically modified organisms (e.g. roundup resistant crops, bioluminescence), or mutations both harmful and beneficial.
Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations of species over time.
Emphasis is on using mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of trends in changes to populations over time. Students should be able to explain trends in data for the number of individuals with specific traits changing over time.
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