Earth and Space Science

A. INQUIRY SKILLS

Students will design and conduct scientific investigations Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations Use appropriate tools, technology, and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data Organize and maintain a journal showing all phases of investigations Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence and logic Use mathematics to explain, interpret, and improve investigations and communications Construct logical relationships between evidence and explanations Identify and analyze alternative explanations, models, and predictions Demonstrate understanding about scientific inquiry Use fair test procedures
Students will communicate scientific procedures and explanations Demonstrate effective methods to organize and display scientific concepts Present investigative procedures and results to others verbally, graphically, and in writing Communicate science concepts accurately and clearly, using scientific vocabulary

B. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE CONTENT

Students will explain the dynamic processes that determine global climate Describe external transfer of energy from the sun to the Earth Explain methods for energy transfer within the Earth, including radioactive decay and gravitational potential Model the forces of plate tectonics as driven by the Earth's internal heat Determine relationships between convection currents in the atmosphere and oceans, with temperature variations of the Earth's surface and atmosphere Investigate the dynamic processes that influence global climate (examples: cloud cover and the Earth's rotation, features such as mountain ranges and oceans)
Students will relate the Earth's geochemical cycles to geological processes Infer that the Earth's system contains a fixed amount of stable chemical elements Compare how elements cycle among the chemical reservoirs of the Earth (examples: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen) Analyze the chemical, biotic, and physical changes that matter undergoes as it is driven by the Earth's internal and external sources of energy
Students will critique theories related to the origin and evolution of the Earth Investigate scientific theories of the origin of the solar system Compare early Earth conditions with present day conditions Use Earth evidences to create a model for the passage of geological time (examples: fossil evidence, rock sequence, and decay of radioactive isotopes) Explain the dynamic processes that cause changes in geological features over long periods of time (example: Karst topography)
Students will understand current theories concerning the origin and evolution of the universe Evaluate models that support current scientific theories for the creation of the universe Describe the formation of stars, galaxies, and clusters to the visible mass in the universe Explain the role of hydrogen fusion in the formation of the physical universe
Students will explain how space explorations have increased current understandings about the universe Evaluate the relative technical, experimental, and theoretical outcomes derived from space explorations Create a timeline that illustrates the accumulation of knowledge about the universe provided by space explorations Asses the current program for space exploration and predict the future

C. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Students will demonstrate abilities of technological design Design and build a conceptual or physical model that solves an identified problem Evaluate outcomes based on specified criteria and possible consequences Communicate the nature of the problem investigated, processes used, and solutions
Students will understand the interdependence of science and technology Summarize how new technologies extend scientific knowledge and scientific knowledge influences the development of new technologies (examples: computers, telescopes, remote sensing) Evaluate the impact and trade-offs of new technologies in earth and space science

D. SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

Students will practice personal well-being and community health Demonstrate consistent, safe laboratory practices Summarize the effects of ozone, radon gas, gamma, and solar radiation upon an individual's personal health

Students will evaluate factors that influence the capacity of the environment to support populations Investigate how woldwide population growth affects the Earth's resources Distinguish how technology creates positive and negative changes on the carrying capacity of an environment Determine how Earth and space monitoring technology produces significant changes on the carrying capacity of an environment

Students will investigate the impact of natural-induced hazards Conclude that normal adjustments of the Earth create hazardous conditions to humans Compare hazards that are rapid and catastrophic (examples: earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and severe weather), with slower changes that result in problems for individuals and communities (examples: stream channel changes, sedimentation in lakes and harbors, coastal erosion) Describe safe behaviors for individuals during natural hazards Debate how changes in the natural environment bring benefits as well as risks to communities and individuals (examples: flooding, volcanic action, artesian wells)

Students will evaluate factors affecting environmental quality Analyze natural and man-made hazards that affect environmental quality Describe how human consumption depletes nonrenewable resources and places severe stress upon renewable resources Evaluate human-created changes to the ecosystem cycles for detrimental effects to humans and other organisms (examples: physical, biological, and chemical) Investigate factors that influence environmental quality (examples: population growth, resource use, overconsumption, the capacity of technology to solve problems, human views about the Earth)

E. HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE

Students will know that the human dimensions of science provides a context for scientific knowledge Compare contemporary investigations in earth science that are conducted by individuals and those conducted by teams of scientists Compare the dynamics of classroom investigations conducted individually and those by small groups Examine the ethical considerations involved in scientific research and the development of new technologies Conduct peer reviews and accurate reporting of investigations Investigate careers related to science, technology, and engineering

Students will understand that science offers tentative explanations of the natural world through the use of empirical observations Compare knowledge derived from scientific investigations with other ways of knowing about the natural world (examples: myths and superstitions) Validate that scientific knowledge is subject to change as new evidence becomes available

Students will explain how science concepts build on previous knowledge Investigate the contributions of diverse cultures to science Create a timeline that shows the development of a science concept (examples: planetary motion, size of planets, and earth-centered universe)