High School Integrated Science 1 Curriculum … Science 1 Curriculum Essentials Document Boulder Valley School District Department of Curriculum and Instruction August 2011 2 Introduction

High School

Integrated Science 1 Curriculum Essentials

Document

Boulder Valley School District Department of Curriculum and Instruction

August 2011

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Introduction

Science Curriculum Essentials in BVSD In 2009, the Colorado Department of Education published the most recent version of the Colorado Academic Standards. This revision of the Boulder Valley School District Science Curriculum had three main goals:

align with the revised Colorado Academic Standards maintain unique elements of our BVSD curriculum that reach beyond the standards maintain a viable list of concepts and skills that students should master in each grade level or course

Inquiry A new organizational feature of the Colorado Academic Standards is the integration of science inquiry skills with specific scientific concepts. Instead of having a separate standard for inquiry, the skills associated with the process of scientific inquiry are embedded in the Evidence Outcomes for each Grade Level Expectation. In addition, the nature and history of science has been integrated into the Grade Level Expectations under “Nature of the Discipline”. This approach is echoed by the Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas which states that the skills or practices of inquiry and the core ideas “must be woven together in standards, curricula, instruction, and assessments.” Scientific inquiry remains a central focus of the revised BVSD Science Curriculum Essentials Documents. The following definition from the National Science Education. Standards serves as the basis for our common understanding of how scientific inquiry is defined. Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Inquiry also refers to the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. The following points serve to clarify the vision of what inquiry means in BVSD. Inquiry involves five essential features, which are heavily integrated into the wording of Evidence Outcomes in the Colorado Academic Standards. Students engaged in scientific inquiry should ask or respond to:

scientifically oriented questions give priority to evidence formulate explanations based on evidence connect explanations to scientific knowledge communicate and justify explanations (Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards).

Inquiry based science instruction involves a continuum of learning experiences from teacher-led to learner self-directed activities, including but not limited to hand-on labs. Hence, both a structured assignment involving reading and written reflection and an open-ended, hands-on investigation could be considered inquiry as long as they involve the five essential features identified above. The ultimate goals of inquiry-based instruction are to engage learners, develop their conceptual understanding of the natural world around them, and to overcome misconceptions in science. Inquiry-based activities should balance students’ application of content knowledge, creativity and critical thinking in order to analyze data, solve a problem or address a unique question.

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Course Description In the first year of this inquiry-based two-year course, the study of principals and concepts concerning the physical world is integrated with the study of relationships between the structure, processes, and resources on Earth and other solar bodies. Content areas explored include Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation, the nature of matter and its transformation via chemical or physical change, the transformation and forms of energy, Earth’s interaction with extraterrestrial forces, plate tectonics, climate, natural hazards and the impacts of resource extraction and use. The course emphasizes the study and proper use of fundamental science tools including the metric system, periodic table, graphing.

Math as the language of science

Nature of Science

Forms, quantification, and transformation of energy

Effects of natural hazards

Chemical bonding and types of bonds

Impact of resource extraction and use

Chemical and nuclear reactions

Climate as a result of energy transfer

Structure of matter Plate tectonics

Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation

Interaction of Earth with extraterrestrial forces

Topics at a Glance

Assessments • Instructor-developed • Lab reports • District assessment

• Second year curriculum (S12) is in a separate document • Integrated Science is an alternative to the Physical Science/Biology /Earth Space Geophysical Science sequence

Effective Components of a HS Science Program • Maintains an inquiry‐based learning environment • Addresses a limited number of concepts, but does so in depth • Provides students with multiple opportunities to learn and timely feedback to help students know what they need to

improve upon • Explains concepts and problems in multiple ways • Uses assessment to guide instruction • Differentiates instruction to meet student needs • Draws out and actively engages the preexisting understandings about the natural world that students bring with them • Assists students in developing me acognitive skills within the context of learning about science t• Provides opportunities and support to apply writing, reading, and mathematics skills in the context of investigating

scientific concepts, including hand‐graphing data • Provides a safe, equitable and engaging learning environment for all students

Technology Integration & Information Literacy • Uses technology responsibly for communication and transfer of ideas • Uses technology to organize, analyze and communicate about data • Collaborates with others to identify information problems and to seek their solutions • Organizes and reports information in a variety of complex ways including tables, graphs, charts, reports, labeled

diagrams • Evaluates the accuracy and objectivity of various information sources (text, audio, video, etc.) • Presents information in a variety of formats including text, audio, pictures, video

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1. Physical Science

Students know and understand common properties, forms and changes in matter and energy. Prepared Graduates The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Physical Science standard:

Observe, explain, and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton's laws of motion, acknowledging the limitations of their application to very small or very fast objects

Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions

Apply an understanding that energy exists in various forms, and its transformation and conservation occur in processes that are predictable and measurable

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Content Area: Science Standard: Physical Science Prepared Graduates:


GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION: High School Integrated Science 1 Concepts and skills students master:

1. Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation describe the relationships among forces acting on and between objects, their masses, and changes in their motion – but have limitations

Evidence Outcomes 21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies

Stu nde ts can: Gather, analyze and interpret data

Inquiry Questions: a. and create

graphs regarding position, velocity and acceleration of moving objects

b. Develop, communicate and justify an evidence-based analysis of the forces acting on an object and the resultant acceleration produced by a net force

c. Develop, communicate and justify an evidence-based scientific prediction regarding the effects of the action-reaction force pairs on the motion of two interacting objects

d. Examine the effect of changing masses and distance when applying Newton's law of universal gravitation to a system of two bodies

e. Identify the limitations of Newton’s laws in extreme situations

f. Use Newton’s Second Law (force = mass x acceleration) to calculate the magnitude of a change in the motion of an object

g. Apply Newton’s Laws to free-body force diagrams and mathematical problem-solving.

1. How can forces be acting on an object without changing the object’s motion?

2. Why do equal but opposite action and reaction forces not cancel?

Relevance and Application: 1. Newton's laws are used in a variety of design processes such as vehicle

safety, aerospace, bridge design and interplanetary probes. 2. An understanding of forces leads to safer building designs such as

earthquake-safe buildings. 3. Forces present in the earth lead to plate tectonics.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Use an inquiry approach to answer a testable question about an

application of Newton’s laws of motion. 2. Share experimental data, respectfully discuss conflicting results, and

analyze ways to minimize error and uncertainty in measurement. 3. Differentiate between the use of the terms “law” and “theory” as they

are defined and used in science compared to how they are used in other disciplines or common use.

4. Use technology to perform calculations and to organize, analyze and report data.

Content Area: Science Standard: 1. Physical Science Prepared Graduates:


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2. Matter has definite structure that determines characteristic physical and chemical properties

21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies Evidence Outcomes

Students can: a. Develop, communicate, and justify an 1. What patterns can be observed in the properties of elements and families in the

evidence-based scientific explanation supporting the current model of an atom

b. Gather, analyze and interpret data on chemical and physical properties of elements such as density, melting point, boiling point, and conductivity

c. Use characteristic physical and chemical properties to develop predictions and supporting claims about elements’ positions on the periodic table

d. Develop a model that differentiates atoms and molecules, elements and compounds, and pure substances and mixtures

Inquiry Questions:

periodic table? 2. What properties of nanoscale particles differ from those of macroscopic samples of

the same substance?

Relevance and Application: 1. The unique properties of various elements make them useful for specific

applications. For example, metalloids and semiconductors are useful in electronic applications.

2. Alloys are created by combining metals with other elements to produce materials with useful properties that are not found in nature. For example, iron and carbon make steel.

3. Consumers can make informed decisions regarding the purchase of household chemicals when they understand chemical properties and their implications. For example, choosing lead based versus non-lead based paints weighs safety concerns against color and durability in applications.

4. The unique properties of nanoscale particles provide special benefits and dangers. Nature of the Discipline:

1. Recognize that the current understanding of molecular structure related to the physical and chemical properties of matter has developed over time and become more sophisticated as new technologies have led to new evidence.

2. Ask testable questions about the nature of matter, and use an inquiry approach to investigate it.


Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and

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nuclear reactions


3. Matter can change form through chemical or nuclear reactions abiding by the laws of conservation of mass and energy


Students can: Inquiry Questions: a. Recognize, analyze, interpret, and

balance chemical equations (synthesis, decomposition, combustion, and replacement) or nuclear equations (fusion and fission)

b. Predict reactants and products for different types of chemical and nuclear reactions

c. Predict and calculate the amount of products produced in a chemical reaction based on the amount of reactants

d. Examine, evaluate, question, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media to investigate the conservation of mass and energy

1. What patterns of chemical reactions exist? 2. How are chemical reactions distinguished from nuclear reactions?

Relevance and Application: 1. Products formed in different types of reactions are useful to people. For example,

polymerase reactions making nylon. 2. The use of chemicals can have both positive and negative environmental effects.

For example, the use of lime to make acidic soils more productive or the use of CFCs causing the ozone hole.

3. When using radioactive substances, there are benefits such as medicine and energy production as well as dangers such as environmental and health concerns.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Critically evaluate chemical and nuclear change models. 2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a model which represents complex

natural phenomenon. 3. Use an inquiry approach to test predictions about chemical reactions. 4. Share experimental data, and respectfully discuss conflicting results.


Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and

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nuclear reactions


4. Atoms bond in different ways to form molecules and compounds that have definite properties


Students can: a. Develop, communicate, and justify an

evidence-based scientific explanation supporting the current models of chemical bonding

b. Gather, analyze, and interpret data on chemical and physical properties of different compounds such as density, melting point, boiling point, pH, and conductivity

c. Use characteristic physical and chemical properties to develop predictions and supporting claims about compounds’ classification as ionic, polar or covalent

d. Describe the role electrons play in atomic bonding

e. Predict the type of bonding that will occur among elements based on their position in the periodic table

Inquiry Questions: 1. How can various substances be classified as ionic or covalent compounds? 2. What role do electrons play in different types of chemical bonds?

Relevance and Application: 1. Related compounds share some properties that help focus chemists when looking

for a substance with particular properties for a specific application. For example, finding new super conductors.

2. Carbon atoms bond in ways that provide the foundation for a wide range of applications. For example, forming chains and rings such as sugars and fats that are essential to life and developing synthetic fibers and oils.

3. Living systems create and use various chemical compounds such as plants making sugars from photosynthesis and chemicals that can be used as medicine, and endocrine glands producing hormones.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Recognize that the current understanding of molecular structure related to the

physical and chemical properties of matter has developed over time and become more sophisticated as new technologies have led to new evidence.

2. Employ data-collection technology to gather, view, analyze, and interpret data about chemical and physical properties of different compounds.


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5. Energy exists in many forms such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, radiant, thermal, and nuclear, that can be quantified and experimentally determined


Students can: a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-

based scientific explanation regarding the potential and kinetic nature of mechanical energy

b. Use appropriate measurements, equations and graphs to gather, analyze, and interpret data on the quantity of energy in a system or an object

c. Use direct and indirect evidence to develop predictions of the types of energy associated with objects

d. Identify different energy forms, and calculate their amounts by measuring their defining characteristics

e. Gather and analyze data to determine the specific heat of a substance

Inquiry Questions: 1. What factors can be measured to determine the amount of energy

associated with an object? 2. What are the most common forms of energy in our physical world? 3. What makes an energy form renewable or nonrenewable? 4. What makes some forms of energy hard to measure? 5. Extension: What factors can be measured to determine the amount of

energy and power associated with an electrical component or system? 6. Extension: What factors are important in determining the performance of a

chemical battery? 7. Extension: What factors affect the flow of electrical current through circuits

and components?

Relevance and Application: 1. Society and energy providers must conduct a cost-benefit analysis of

different ways to provide electricity to our society. 2. An understanding of energy transformations is necessary when designing

clean energy systems that convert any type of energy into electricity such as wind generators and solar cells.

3. There are advantages and disadvantages to using various energy sources such as gasoline, diesel, ethanol, hydrogen, and electricity as transportation fuel.

4. Politics plays a role in shaping energy policy such as balancing conflicting stakeholder needs.

5. Energy plays a role in living systems and Earth’s systems. For example, cells convert sugar to ATP and then to energy, energy inside the earth drives plate tectonic phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanoes, and energy from the Sun drives weather.

6. Extension: Advances in battery technology are vitally important as electronics become more ubiquitous and the world looks for new sources of energy.

7. Extension: An understanding of energy transformations is necessary when designing clean energy systems that convert any type of energy into electricity such as wind generators and solar cells.

8. Extension: Knowledge of electricity and electric circuits is relevant to all

electrical devices. This includes mobile devices and the electricity used in homes.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Critically evaluate scientific claims made in popular media or by peers

regarding the application of energy forms, and determine if the evidence presented is appropriate and sufficient to support the claims.

2. Use the historical context and impact of early energy research and consider the potential implications for current energy studies on science and our society.

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Content Area: Science

Standard: 1. Physical Science Prepared Graduates:



6. When energy changes form, it is neither created not destroyed; however, because some is necessarily lost as heat, the amount of energy available to do work decreases


Students can: a. Use direct and indirect evidence to develop

and support claims about the conservation of energy in a variety of systems, including transformations to heat

b. Evaluate the energy conversion efficiency of a variety of energy transformations

c. Describe energy transformations both quantitatively and qualitatively

d. Differentiate among the characteristics of mechanical and electromagnetic waves that determine their energy

e. Examine, evaluate, question, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media to investigate energy conservation and loss

f. Apply the terms frequency, wavelength and amplitude to both sound (longitudinal) and light (transverse) wave

Inquiry Questions: 1. Why is 100 percent efficiency impossible in an energy transformation? 2. How does the law of conservation of energy help us solve problems involving

complex systems? 3. Scientists or engineers often say energy is “lost.” Is there a word that might be

better than “lost?” Why? Relevance and Application:

1. Incremental strides have been made in improving the efficiency of different forms of energy production and consumption. For example, today’s engines are much more efficient than those from 50 years ago, and batteries are more powerful and last longer than those from just a few years ago.

2. Different technologies such as light-emitting diodes, compact fluorescent lights, and incandescent light bulbs have different efficiencies and environmental impacts.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Critically evaluate scientific claims made in popular media or by peers regarding

the application of energy transformations, and determine if the evidence presented is appropriate and sufficient to support the claims.

2. Ask testable questions and make a falsifiable hypothesis about the conservation of energy, and use an inquiry approach to find an answer.

3. Share experimental data, and respectfully discuss conflicting results emulating the practice of scientists.


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Standard: 1. Physical Science Prepared Graduates:

Engage in scientific inquiry by asking or responding to scientifically oriented questions, collecting and analyzing data, giving priority to evidence, formulating explanations based on evidence, connecting explanations to scientific knowledge, and communicating and justifying explanations.


7. Scientists use the tools of math to solve problems, analyze data, and evaluate the validity of results.


Students can: a. Use dimensional analysis to solve one factor

metric problems. b. Calculate quantities (such as density and

specific heat). c. Understand the concept of significant figures

and apply to simple calculations. d. Connect the concept of significant figures to

precision of measuring tools. e. Identify when error has been introduced into a

scientific investigation because certain variables are not controlled or more than one variable is changed.

f. Calculate percent error. g. Use and convert between fundamental metric

units.

Inquiry Questions: 1. How do we identify sources of error and quantify their impact on data? 2. How accurately and precisely can a quantity be measured?

Relevance and Application:

1. Being able to identify sources of variability is critical to deciding if an observation, such as an increase in the number of tornadoes in a given season, represents an actual change or is merely the result of natural fluctuation.

2. Incorrect conversion of English to metric units resulted in the failure of a NASA satellite.

Nature of the Discipline:

1. Math is a central tool of science.

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Engage in scientific inquiry by asking or responding to scientifically oriented questions, collecting and analyzing data, giving priority to evidence, formulating explanations based on evidence, connecting explanations to scientific knowledge, and communicating and justifying explanations.


8. Scientists ask questions and state hypotheses using prior knowledge to help design and guide scientific investigations, using appropriate technology and safe laboratory practices.


Students can: h. Formulate testable hypotheses based on observed

phenomena and prior knowledge. i. Design and conduct an experiment to test the

hypothesis, identifying the independent and dependent variables, and using appropriate equipment and technology to collect data.

j. Identify and use appropriate safe practices. k. Write a conclusion linking results to the hypothesis.

Inquiry Questions: 1. What types of questions and hypotheses can be answered by science? 2. What elements of design are critical in conducting a scientific

investigation? 3. How can we ensure that scientific investigations are both safe and

consistent with standard scientific practice? 4. How do we identify sources of error and quantify their impact on data? 5. How do we know if the conclusions of a scientific investigation are

valid?

Relevance and Application: 4. A scientific approach to answering a question requires formulating a

testable hypothesis. 5. Questions about which a testable hypothesis cannot be formulated are

not amenable to evaluation by the scientific method. 6. Safe practices in the lab extend to safe practices in the workplace.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. The scientific method involves formulating a hypothesis, designing

experiments to test the hypothesis, and evaluating the data to determine if the results support the hypothesis.

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Content Area: Science Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science Prepared Graduates:

Describe and interpret how Earth's geologic history and place in space are relevant to our understanding of the processes that have shaped our planet


9. As part of the solar system, Earth interacts with various extraterrestrial forces and energies such as gravity, solar phenomena, electromagnetic radiation, and impact events that influence the planet’s geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in a variety of ways



evidence-based scientific explanation addressing questions around the extraterrestrial forces and energies that influence Earth

b. Analyze and interpret data regarding extraterrestrial forces and energies

c. Clearly identify assumptions behind conclusions regarding extraterrestrial forces and energies and provide feedback on the validity of alternative explanations

d. Use specific equipment, technology, and resources such as video libraries, image libraries, and computers to explore the universe, as well as GPS, GIS, and telescopes if available.

Inquiry Questions: 1. What influences Earth’s position in the universe? 2. How does Earth get its energy? 3. How does the electromagnetic spectrum positively and negatively impact

Earth’s systems?

Relevance and Application: 1. Fusion is the most common source of energy in the universe, and it provides

the basis of Earth’s energy through fusion reactions in the Sun. 2. Different types of telescopes have given us data about the universe, galaxy,

and solar system.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Understand the physical laws that govern Earth are the same physical laws

that govern the rest of the universe. 2. Critically evaluate strengths and weaknesses of a model which represents

complex natural phenomena.

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Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system


10. The theory of plate tectonics helps explain geological, physical, and geographical features of Earth



tion about how it can

nd geological, physical,

evidence-based scientific explanathe theory of plate tectonics and be used to understaand geographical features of Earth

b. Analyze and interpret data on plate tectonics and the geological, physical, and geographical features of Earth

c. Understand the role plate tectonics has had with respect to long-term global changes in Earth’s systems such as continental buildup, glaciations, sea-level fluctuations, and climate change

d. Investigate and explain how new conceptual interpretations of data and innovative geophysical technologies, such as paleomagnetic reversals, led to the current theory of plate tectonics

Inquiry Questions: 1. How do the different types of plate boundaries create different landforms on

Earth? 2. How have scientists “discovered” the layers of Earth? 3. What drives plate motion? 4. What might happen to Earth’s landforms in the future?


3. New conceptual interpretations of data and innovative geophysical technologies led to the current theory of plate tectonics.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Understand that all scientific knowledge is subject to new findings and that the

presence of reproducible results yields a scientific theory. 2. Ask testable questions and make a falsifiable hypothesis about plate tectonics

and design a method to find an answer. 3. Share experimental data, and respectfully discuss conflicting results. 4. Recognize that the current understanding of plate tectonics has developed over

time and become more sophisticated as new technologies have lead to new evidence.

Content Area: Science Standard 1: Physical Science Prepared Graduates:



11. Climate is the result of energy transfer among interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere

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evidence-based scientific explanation that shows climate is a result of energy transfer among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere

b. Analyze and interpret data on Earth’s climate c. Explain how a combination of factors such as

Earth’s tilt, seasons, geophysical location, proximity to oceans, landmass location, latitude, and elevation determine a location’s climate

d. Identify mechanisms in the past and present that have changed Earth’s climate

e. Analyze the evidence and assumptions regarding climate change

f. Interpret evidence from weather stations, buoys, satellites, radars, ice and ocean sediment cores, tree rings, cave deposits, native knowledge, and other sources in relation to climate change

Inquiry Questions: 1. How can changes in the ocean create climate change? 2. How is climate influenced by changes in Earth’s energy balance? 3. How have climates changed over Earth’s history? 4. How does climate change impact all of Earth’s systems? 5. How have climate changes impacted human society?


1. Much of the data we receive about the ocean and the atmosphere is from satellites.

2. Human actions such as burning fossil fuels might impact Earth’s climate. 3. Technological solutions and personal choices such as driving higher mileage

cars and using less electricity could reduce the human impact on climate. Nature of the Discipline:

1. Understand how observations, experiments, and theory are used to construct and refine computer models.

2. Examine how computer models are used in predicting the impacts of climate change.

3. Critically evaluate scientific claims in popular media and by peers regarding climate and climate change, and determine if the evidence presented is appropriate and sufficient to support the claims.

2. Life Science Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life and how living things interact with each other and their environment. Prepared Graduates

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The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Life Science standard:

Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of organizational levels, and recognize living systems’ dependence on natural selection

Explain and illustrate with examples how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment

Analyze how various organisms grow, develop, and differentiate during their lifetimes based on an interplay between genetics and their environment

Explain how biological evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of living organisms

3. Earth Systems Science

Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth's systems and the structure and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space.

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Prepared Graduates: The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.

Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Earth Systems Science standard:



Describe how humans are dependent on the diversity of resources provided by Earth and Sun


Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science Prepared Graduates:



12. There are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration, development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable resources



evidence-based scientific explanation regarding the costs and benefits of exploration, development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable resources

b. Evaluate positive and negative impacts on the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere in regards to resource use

c. Create a plan to reduce environmental impacts due to resource consumption

d. Analyze and interpret data about the effect of resource consumption and development on resource reserves to draw conclusions about sustainable use

e. Evaluate the relative merit of alternative energy options as a means of finding sustainable non-polluting energy.

Inquiry Questions: 1. How do humans use resources? 2. How can humans reduce the impact of resource use? 3. How are resources used in our community? 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of energy?


1. Technologies have had a variety of impacts on how resources are located, extracted, and consumed.

2. Technology development has reduced the pollution, waste, and ecosystem degradation caused by extraction and use.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Infer assumptions behind emotional, political, and data-driven conclusions

about renewable and nonrenewable resource use. 2. Critically evaluate scientific claims in popular media and by peers, and

determine if evidence presented is appropriate and sufficient to support the claims.

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13. Natural hazards have local, national and global impacts such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and thunderstorms



evidence-based scientific explanation regarding natural hazards, and explain their potential local and global impacts

b. Analyze and interpret data about natural hazards using direct and indirect evidence such as seismic energy travel times to triangulate the relative positions of earthquake epicenters

c. Make predictions and draw conclusions about the impact of natural hazards on human activity – locally and globally

Inquiry Questions: 1. Why are some natural hazards difficult to predict, while others are easier to

predict? 2. How are humans impacted by natural hazards? 3. How can we prepare for natural hazards? 4. How is climate change expected to change the incidence of natural hazards?

Relevance and Application: 1. Engineers must know the hazards of a local area and design for it such as

building safe structures in zones prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, or tornadoes.

2. Differing technologies are used to study different types of natural hazards. 3. Natural hazard zones affect construction or explain why monitoring natural

hazards through air traffic safety, evacuations, and protecting property is important.

4. Science is used by disaster planners who work with the scientific community to develop diverse ways to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards on the human population and on a given ecosystem.

Nature of the Discipline: 1. Collaborate with local, national, and global organizations to report and review

natural disaster data, and compare their conclusions to alternate explanations.

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Prepared Graduate Competencies in Science The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting. Prepared Graduates:




Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of organizational levels, and recognize living systems’ dependence on natural selection

Explain and illustrate with examples how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment

Analyze how various organisms grow, develop, and differentiate during their lifetimes based on an interplay between genetics and their environment

Explain how biological evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of living organisms




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Standard Grade Level Expectation High School 1. Physical

Science

1. Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation describe the relationships among forces acting on and between objects, their masses, and changes in their motion – but have limitations

2. Matter has definite structure that determines characteristic physical and chemical properties

3. Matter can change form through chemical or nuclear reactions abiding by the laws of conservation of mass and energy

4. Atoms bond in different ways to form molecules and compounds that have definite properties

5. Energy exists in many forms such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, radiant, thermal, and nuclear, that can be quantified and experimentally determined

6. When energy changes form, it is neither created not destroyed; however, because some is necessarily lost as heat, the amount of energy available to do work decreases

2. Life Science 1. Matter tends to be cycled within an ecosystem, while energy is transformed and eventually exits an ecosystem

2. The size and persistence of populations depend on their interactions with each other and on the abiotic factors in an ecosystem

3. Cellular metabolic activities are carried out by biomolecules produced by organisms

4. The energy for life primarily derives from the interrelated processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Photosynthesis transforms the sun’s light energy into the chemical energy of molecular bonds. Cellular respiration allows cells to utilize chemical energy when these bonds are broken.

5. Cells use the passive and active transport of substances across membranes to maintain relatively stable intracellular environments

6. Cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems maintain relatively stable internal environments, even in the face of changing external environments

7. Physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism are influenced to varying degrees by heritable genes, many of which encode instructions for the production of proteins

8. Multicellularity makes possible a division of labor at the cellular level through the expression of select genes, but not the entire genome

9. Evolution occurs as the heritable characteristics of populations change across generations and can lead populations to become better adapted to their environment

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Standard Grade Level Expectation High School (continued) 3. Earth Systems Science

1. The history of the universe, solar system and Earth can be inferred from evidence left from past events

2. As part of the solar system, Earth interacts with various extraterrestrial forces and energies such as gravity, solar phenomena, electromagnetic radiation, and impact events that influence the planet’s geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in a variety of ways

3. The theory of plate tectonics helps to explain geological, physical, and geographical features of Earth

4. Climate is the result of energy transfer among interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere

5. There are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration, development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable resources

6. The interaction of Earth's surface with water, air, gravity, and biological activity causes physical and chemical changes

7. Natural hazards have local, national and global impacts such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and thunderstorms

Eighth Grade 3. Earth Systems Science

1. Weather is a result of complex interactions of Earth's atmosphere, land and water, that are driven by energy from the sun, and can be predicted and described through complex models

2. Earth has a variety of climates defined by average temperature, precipitation, humidity, air pressure, and wind that have changed over time in a particular location

3. The solar system is comprised of various objects that orbit the Sun and are classified based on their characteristics

4. The relative positions and motions of Earth, Moon, and Sun can be used to explain observable effects such as seasons, eclipses, and Moon phases

5. Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions

6. Geologic time, history, and changing life forms are indicated by fossils and successive sedimentation, folding, faulting, and uplifting of layers of sedimentary rock

7. Complex interrelationships exist between Earth’s structure and natural processes that over time are both constructive and destructive

8. Water on Earth is distributed and circulated through oceans, glaciers, rivers, ground water, and the atmosphere

9. Earth’s natural resources provide the foundation for human society’s physical needs. Many natural resources are nonrenewable on human timescales, while others can be renewed or recycled

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Standard Grade Level Expectation Seventh Grade 2. Life Science 1. Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to

survive and have offspring in a specific environment 2. The human body is composed of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues,

organs, and organ systems that have specific functions and interactions

3. Cells are the smallest unit of life that can function independently and perform all the necessary functions of life

4. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important processes by which energy is acquired and utilized by organisms

5. Multiple lines of evidence show the evolution of organisms over geologic time

6. Human activities can deliberately or inadvertently alter ecosystems and their resiliency

7. Organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information (genes) to offspring, which influences individuals’ traits in the next generation

8. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms, populations, and entire species

9. Organisms interact with each other and their environment in various ways that create a flow of energy and cycling of matter in an ecosystem

Sixth Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Identify and calculate the direction and magnitude of forces that act on an object, and explain the results in the object’s change of motion

2. There are different forms of energy, and those forms of energy can be changed from one form to another – but total energy is conserved

3. Distinguish between physical and chemical changes, noting that mass is conserved during any change

4. Recognize that waves such as electromagnetic, sound, seismic, and water have common characteristics and unique properties

5. Mixtures of substances can be separated based on their properties such as solubility, boiling points, magnetic properties, and densities

6. All matter is made of atoms, which are far too small to see directly through a light microscope. Elements have unique atoms and thus, unique properties. Atoms themselves are made of even smaller particles

7. Atoms may stick together in well-defined molecules or be packed together in large arrangements. Different arrangements of atoms into groups compose all substances.

8. The physical characteristics and changes of solid, liquid, and gas states can be explained using the particulate model

9. Distinguish among, explain, and apply the relationships among mass, weight, volume, and density

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Standard Grade Level Expectation Fifth Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Mixtures of matter can be separated regardless of how they were created; all weight and mass of the mixture are the same as the sum of weight and mass of its parts

2. Life Science 1. All organisms have structures and systems with separate functions 2. Human body systems have basic structures, functions, and needs


1. Earth and sun provide a diversity of renewable and nonrenewable resources

2. Earth’s surface changes constantly through a variety of processes and forces

3. Weather conditions change because of the uneven heating of Earth’s surface by the Sun’s energy. Weather changes are measured by differences in temperature, air pressure, wind and water in the atmosphere and type of precipitation

Fourth Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic, chemical, and electrical

2. Life Science 1. All living things share similar characteristics, but they also have differences that can be described and classified

2. Comparing fossils to each other or to living organisms reveals features of prehistoric environments and provides information about organisms today

3. There is interaction and interdependence between and among living and nonliving components of systems


1. Earth is part of the solar system, which includes the Sun, Moon, and other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable patterns that lead to observable paths of objects in the sky as seen from Earth

Third Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Matter exists in different states such as solids, liquids, and gases and can change from one state to another by heating and cooling

2. Life Science 1. The duration and timing of life cycle events such as reproduction and longevity vary across organisms and species


1. Earth’s materials can be broken down and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand – some of which are usable resources for human activity

Second Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Changes in speed or direction of motion are caused by forces such as pushes and pulls.

2. Life Science 1. Organisms depend on their habitat’s nonliving parts to satisfy their needs

2. Each plant or animal has different structures or behaviors that serve different functions


1. Weather and the changing seasons impact the environment and organisms such as humans, plants, and other animals

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Standard Grade Level Expectation First Grade 1. Physical Science

1. Solids and liquids have unique properties that distinguish them

2. Life Science 1. Offspring have characteristics that are similar to but not exactly like their parents’ characteristics

2. An organism is a living thing that has physical characteristics to help it survive


1. Earth’s materials can be compared and classified based on their properties

Kindergarten 1. Physical Science

1. Objects can move in a variety of ways that can be described by speed and direction

2. Objects can be sorted by physical properties, which can be observed and measured

2. Life Science 1. Organisms can be described and sorted by their physical characteristics


1. The sun provides heat and light to Earth

Preschool 1. Physical Science

1. Objects have properties and characteristics 2. There are cause-and-effect relationships in everyday experiences

2. Life Science 1. Living things have characteristics and basic needs 2. Living things develop in predictable patterns


1. Earth’s materials have properties and characteristics that affect how we use those materials

2. Events such as night, day, the movement of objects in the sky, weather, and seasons have patterns

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Academic Vocabulary

Standard 1: acceleration, accuracy, action-reaction, alloy, amplitude, anecdotal evidence, atom, bias, boiling point, causation, chemical bond, chemical energy, chemical equation, chemical property, chemical reaction, combustion, compound, conductivity, conservation of energy, conservation of matter, constant, controlled experiment, correlation, covalent, cycle, data, decomposition (chemical reaction), density, dependent variable, efficiency, electrical energy, electromagnetic wave, electron, element, energy, energy transformation, error, evidence, experiment, explanation, falsifiable, fission, force, frequency, fusion, gravitation, heat, hypothesis, independent variable, investigation, ionic, kinetic energy, law, macroscopic, mass, matter, mechanical energy, melting point, metal, metalloid, methodology, microscopic, mixture, molecule, motion, nanoscale, neutron, non-renewable energy, nuclear energy, nuclear equation, nuclear reaction, optimum, pH, periodic table, physical property, plate tectonics, polar, position, potential energy, product, proton, qualitative, quantitative, radiant energy, radioactive, reactant, renewable energy, replacement (chemical reaction), research-based evidence, semiconductor, skepticism, substance, super conductor, synthesis (chemical reaction), synthetic, system, testable question, theory, thermal energy, uncertainty, velocity

Word Definition

Acceleration the rate of increase of speed Accuracy the degree of agreement between a measured or computed value

of a physical quantity and the standard or accepted value for that quantity

Action-reaction accompanied by a reaction of equal magnitude but opposite direction

Alloy a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion

Amplitude in a wave, the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation from the point of equilibrium.

Anecdotal evidence short account of a particular incident or event that is not scientific or is hearsay and therefore considered unreliable

Atom the smallest particle of a chemical element, consisting of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons

Bias statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others

Boiling point the temperature at which a liquid boils at a fixed pressure, especially under standard atmospheric conditions

Causation the act that produces an effect, where the effect is understood to be a consequence of the act

Chemical bond any of several forces, especially the ionic bond, covalent bond, and metallic bond, by which atoms or ions are bound in a molecule

Chemical energy a form of potential energy related to the structural arrangement of atoms or molecules, which results from the chemical bonds and which can be transformed to other forms of energy by a chemical reaction

Chemical equation a representation of a chemical reaction using symbols of the elements to indicate the amount of substance of each reactant and product

Chemical property a property or behavior of a substance when it undergoes a chemical change or reaction

Chemical reaction a process that involves rearrangement of the molecular or ionic

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structure of a substance, as opposed to a change in physical form or a nuclear reaction

Combustion reaction of a substance with oxygen in which energy is released Compound a pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance consisting of

atoms or ions of two or more different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated by physical means. A compound usually has properties unlike those of its constituent elements

Conductivity the ability or power to conduct or transmit heat, electricity, or sound

Conservation of energy a principle stating that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant regardless of changes within the system

Conservation of matter a principle in classical physics stating that the total mass of an isolated system is unchanged by interaction of its parts

Constant an experimental or theoretical condition, factor, or quantity that does not vary or that is regarded as invariant in specified circumstances

Controlled experiment an experiment that isolates the effect of one variable on a system by holding constant all variables but the one under observation

Correlation a measurable and predictable relationship Covalent of, relating to, or denoting chemical bonds formed by the sharing

of electrons between atoms Cycle a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order Data factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis

for reasoning, discussion, or calculation Decomposition (chemical reaction) the separation of a chemical compound into elements or simpler

compounds Density the mass of a substance per unit volume Dependent variable the observed or measured variable in an experiment or study

whose changes are determined by the presence of one or more independent variables

Efficiency the ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system

Electrical energy energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor

Electromagnetic wave wave of energy having a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum and propagated as a periodic disturbance of the electromagnetic field when an electric charge oscillates or accelerates

Electron an elementary particle in all atoms that has a negative charge Element substance composed of atoms having an identical number of

protons in each nucleus Energy the capacity of a physical system to do work Energy transformation to convert energy from one form to another Error difference between a computed or measured value and a true or

theoretically correct value Evidence information acquired through objective experience Experiment a test under controlled conditions that is made to examine the

validity of a hypothesis or determine the efficacy of something previously untried

Explanation a statement based on scientific evidence and logical argument about causes and effects or relationships between variables

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Falsifiable the possibility that an assertion could be shown untrue Fission a nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus, especially a heavy

nucleus such as an isotope of uranium, splits into fragments, usually two fragments of comparable mass, releasing from 100 million to several hundred million electron volts of energy

Force an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body; a push or a pull

Frequency the number of repetitions per unit time of a complete waveform Fusion a nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive

nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy Gravitation the force of attraction that bodies exert on one another as a result

of their mass Heat a form of energy associated with the motion of atoms or molecules

and capable of being transmitted through solid and fluid media by conduction, through fluid media by convection, and through empty space by radiation

Hypothesis a tentative explanation for an observation Independent variable a manipulated variable in an experiment or study whose presence

or degree determines the change in the dependent variable Investigation a detailed inquiry or systematic examination Ionic formed by the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged ions Kinetic energy the energy possessed by an object because of its motion Law a phenomenon of nature that has been shown to invariably occur

whenever certain conditions exist or are met Macroscopic large enough to be perceived or examined by the unaided eye Mass the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its

acceleration under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field

Matter physical substance or material in general; that which occupies space and possesses mass

Mechanical energy energy of an object due to its motion or position Melting point the temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid at standard

atmospheric pressure Metal a substance with high electrical conductivity, luster, and

malleability, which readily loses electrons to form positive ions (cations)

Metalloid an element with properties intermediate between those of a metal and nonmetal

Methodology means, technique, or procedure; method Microscopic too small to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be

studied under a microscope Mixture a composition of two or more substances that are not chemically

combined with each other and are capable of being separated Molecule the simplest unit of a chemical compound that can exist, consisting

of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds Motion a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of

something Nanoscale relating to or occurring on a scale of nanometers (10 -9 m) Neutron a neutral elementary particle of about the same mass as a proton Non-renewable energy of or relating to an energy source, such as oil or natural gas, or a

natural resource, such as a metallic ore, that is not replaceable after it has been used

Nuclear energy the energy released by a nuclear reaction

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Nuclear equation notations are used to represent the decay of one element into another or the fusion of atoms from different elements

Nuclear reaction a change in the identity or characteristics of an atomic nucleus that results when it is bombarded with an energetic particle, as in fission, fusion, or radioactive decay

Optimum the point at which the condition, degree, or amount of something is the most favorable

pH p(otential of) H(ydrogen); a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with

Periodic table a table of the chemical elements arranged in order of atomic number, usually in rows, so that elements with similar atomic structure (and hence similar chemical properties) appear in vertical columns

Physical property a property of an element or compound that can be observed without a chemical reaction of the substance

Plate tectonics a theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying mantle

Polar descriptor for a chemical compound whose molecules exhibit electrically positive characteristics at one extremity and negative characteristics at the other

Position place or location Potential energy stored energy; the ability of a system to do work due to its

position or internal structure. For example, gravitational potential energy is a stored energy determined by an object's position in a gravitational field while elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a spring

Product a substance resulting from a chemical reaction Proton an elementary particle in all atoms that has a positive charge Qualitative involving distinctions, descriptions, or comparisons based on

qualities that can be observed without measurement (e.g. color, shape, appearance)

Quantitative involving distinctions, descriptions, or comparisons that can be quantified or measured

Radiant energy energy that is transmitted in the form of (electromagnetic) radiation

Radioactive emitting or relating to the emission of ionizing radiation or particles

Reactant a substance participating in a chemical reaction, especially a directly reacting substance present at the initiation of the reaction

Renewable energy energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished)

Replacement (chemical reaction) chemical reactions in which one element is replaced by another (single replacement), or where the positive ion of one compound is exchanged with the positive ion of another compound (double replacement)

Research-based evidence data derived from sound scientific research methods. It is noted as research-based to differentiate from anecdotal or circumstantial evidence

Semiconductor any of various solid crystalline substances, such as germanium or silicon, having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunlight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_resource

less than good conductors, and used especially as a base material for computer chips and other electronic devices

Skepticism a doctrine that suspends judgment until there is sufficient scientific evidence to believe a claim

Substance a particular kind of matter with uniform properties Superconductor an element or metallic alloy which, when cooled to near absolute

zero, loses all electrical resistance Synthesis (chemical reaction) formation of a compound from simpler compounds or elements Synthetic prepared or made artificially System a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements

forming a complex whole Testable question a question that can tested in a scientific investigation Theory a set of statements or principles devised to explain a large set of

data and has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted Thermal energy the energy of the motion of the particles or the oscillations in a

system; the total, internal energy of a thermodynamic system or sample of matter that results in the system's temperature

Uncertainty the estimated amount or percentage by which an observed or calculated value may differ from the true value

Velocity a vector quantity whose magnitude is a body's speed and whose direction is the body's direction of motion

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Academic Vocabulary

Standard 2: accuracy, air pressure, anecdotal evidence, asteroid, atmosphere, bias, biosphere, chemical change, circulate, climate, climate change, comet, conservation of energy, conservation of mass, constant, controlled experiment, correlation, cross-cutting relationships, crust, cycle, data, degradation, density, dependent variable, deposition, dwarf planet, eclipse, electromagnetic radiation, elevation, energy, energy transfer, energy transformation, erosion, error, evidence, experiment, explanation, extraction, extraterrestrial force, falsifiable, fault, force, fossil, galaxy, geographic information system, geologic time scale, geosphere, geophysical, glaciation, glacier, gravitation, ground water, humidity, hypothesis, independent variable, index fossil, infer, latitude, law, longitude, magnitude, mass, matter, mid-ocean ridge, mixture, moon phase, natural hazard, non-renewable, orbit, original horizontality, phase change, physical change, plate tectonics, precipitation, renewable, sedimentary, sedimentation, seismic wave, skepticism, solar phenomena, solar system, superposition, sustainable use, system, theory, tide, unconformity, universe, uplift, wave, weather

Word Definition Accuracy the degree of agreement between a measured or computed value

of a physical quantity and the standard or accepted value for that quantity

Air pressure the force exerted by air on any surface in contact with it Anecdotal evidence short account of a particular incident or event that is not scientific

or is hearsay and therefore considered unreliable Asteroid any of the thousands of small bodies of from 775 km to less than

1.6 km in diameter that revolve about the sun in orbits lying mostly between those of Mars and Jupiter

Atmosphere the gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth or another body in space

Bias statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others

Biosphere the part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life

Causation the act that produces an effect, where the effect is understood to be a consequence of the act

Chemical change any of several forces, especially the ionic bond, covalent bond, and metallic bond, by which atoms or ions are bound in a molecule

Circulate to move in a circle or circuit Climate meteorological conditions including temperature, precipitation, and

wind, which characteristically prevail in a particular region Climate change a long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather

patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years Comet a celestial body moving about the Sun, usually in a highly eccentric

orbit, consisting of a central mass surrounded by an envelope of dust and gas that may form a tail that streams away from the sun

Conservation of energy a principle stating that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant regardless of changes within the system

Conservation of matter a principle in classical physics stating that the total mass of an isolated system is unchanged by interaction of its parts

Constant an experimental or theoretical condition, factor, or quantity that does not vary or that is

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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mass

regarded as invariant in specified circumstances Controlled experiment an experiment that isolates the effect of one variable on a system

by holding constant all variables but the one under observation

Correlation a measurable and predictable relationship Cross-cutting relationships relationships which may occur between two adjacent rock bodies,

where the relative age may be determined by observing which rock “cuts” the other: a granitic dike cutting across a sedimentary unit

Crust solid, outermost layer of the Earth, lying above the mantle Cycle a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order Data factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis

for reasoning, discussion, or calculation Degradation Ecology: deterioration of the environment through depletion of

resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife Geology: a general lowering of the earth's surface by erosion or weathering

Density the mass of a substance per unit volume Dependent variable the observed or measured variable in an experiment or study

whose changes are determined by the presence of one or more independent variables

Deposition the laying down of matter by a natural process

Dwarf planet any celestial body within the solar system that is larger than a satellite but smaller than a planet, and that orbits the sun

Eclipse the obscuration of the light of the moon by the intervention of the Earth between it and the Sun (lunar eclipse) or the obscuration of the light of the Sun by the intervention of the Moon between it and a point on the earth (solar eclipse)

Electromagnetic radiation wave of energy having a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum and propagated as a periodic disturbance of the electromagnetic field when an electric charge oscillates or accelerates

Elevation height above a fixed reference point Energy the capacity of a physical system to do work Energy transfer to pass energy from one place or thing to another Energy transformation to convert energy from one form to another Erosion the group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution,

abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth's surface

Error difference between a computed or measured value and a true or theoretically correct value

Evidence information acquired through objective experience Experiment a test under controlled conditions that is made to examine the

validity of a hypothesis or determine the efficacy of something previously untried

Explanation a statement based on scientific evidence and logical argument about causes and effects or relationships between variables

Extraction the action of taking out something, especially using effort or force Extraterrestrial force any force which originates beyond Earth Falsifiable the possibility that an assertion could be shown untrue Fault a fracture in the earth's crust resulting in the relative displacement

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and loss of continuity of the rocks on either side of it Force an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce

motion or stress in a stationary body; a push or a pull Fossil a remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as

a skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the earth's crust

Galaxy any of numerous large-scale aggregates of stars, gas, and dust that constitute the universe

Geographic information system a computer system for capturing, manipulating, analyzing and displaying all forms of geographic information

Geologic time scale a system of chronologic measurement relating stratigraphy to time that is used by geologists, paleontologists and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth

Geophysical the physics of Earth and its environment, including the physics of fields: meteorology, oceanography, and seismology

Geosphere the solid layer of Earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle

Glaciation the process, condition, or result of being covered by glaciers Glacier an extended mass of ice formed from snow falling and

accumulating over the years and moving very slowly, either descending from high mountains, as in valley glaciers, or moving outward from centers of accumulation, as in continental glaciers

Gravitation the force of attraction that bodies exert on one another as a result of their mass

Groundwater the water beneath the surface of the ground, consisting largely of surface water that has seeped down: the source of water in springs and wells

Humidity a measure of the amount of moisture in the air Hypothesis a tentative explanation for an observation Independent variable a manipulated variable in an experiment or study whose presence

or degree determines the change in the dependent variable Index fossil a fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be

used to date the rock layer in which it is found Infer draw conclusions, interpret, or try to explain observations Investigation a detailed inquiry or systematic examination Latitude the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's

equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes Law a phenomenon of nature that has been shown to invariably occur

whenever certain conditions exist or are met Longitude the angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at

Greenwich, England, or west of the standard meridian of a celestial object, usually expressed in degrees and minutes

Macroscopic large enough to be perceived or examined by the unaided eye Magnitude relative size or extent Mass the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its

acceleration under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field

Matter physical substance or material in general; that which occupies space and possesses mass

Methodology means, technique, or procedure; method Mid-ocean ridge any of several seismically active submarine mountain ranges that

extend through the Atlantic, Indian, and South Pacific oceans: each is hypothesized to be the locus of seafloor spreading

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_sciences

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Mixture a composition of two or more substances that are not chemically combined with each other and are capable of being separated

Moon phase one of the cyclically recurring apparent forms of the moon caused by the relative position of the Sun, Moon and Earth

Natural hazard a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment

Non-renewable of or relating to an energy source, such as oil or natural gas, or a natural resource, such as a metallic ore, that is not replaceable after it has been used

Orbit the path of a celestial body or an artificial satellite as it revolves around another body

Original horizontality The principal that states that the deposition of most water-laid sediment in horizontal or near-horizontal layers that are essentially parallel to Earth's surface

Phase change a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition

Plate tectonics a theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying asthenosphere in the upper mantle

Polar descriptor for a chemical compound whose molecules exhibit electrically positive characteristics at one extremity and negative characteristics at the other

Position place or location Potential energy stored energy; the ability of a system to do work due to its

position or internal structure. For example, gravitational potential energy is a stored energy determined by an object's position in a gravitational field while elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a spring

Precipitation any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, which falls to the Earth's surface

Renewable any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished naturally with the passage of time

Research-based evidence data derived from sound scientific research methods. It is noted as research-based to differentiate from anecdotal or circumstantial evidence

Sedimentary rocks formed when sediment is deposited and becomes tightly compacted

Sedimentation the phenomenon of sediment or gravel accumulating Seismic wave wave of force that travels through the Earth or other elastic body,

for example as a result of an earthquake, explosion, or some other process that imparts forces

Skepticism a doctrine that suspends judgment until there is sufficient scientific evidence to believe a claim

Solar phenomena an observable occurrence relating to the Sun (example: solar flares)

Solar system a system of planets or other bodies orbiting a star Superposition the principle that in a series of stratified sedimentary rocks the

lowest stratum is the oldest when the beds have not been overturned

Sustainable use the use of resources at a rate which will meet the needs of the present without impairing the ability of future generations to meet their needs

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System a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole

Theory a set of statements or principles devised to explain a large set of data and has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted

Tide the alternate rising and falling of the sea due to the attraction of the moon and sun

Unconformity a surface of contact between two groups of unconformable strata representing a missing interval

Universe all matter and energy, including the Earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole

Uplift upheaval; raising something to a higher level Wave a disturbance traveling through a medium by which energy is

transferred from one particle of the medium to another without causing any permanent displacement of the medium itself

Weather the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure