NGSS: Earth’s Place in the Universe

HS-ESS2-1

Develop a model to illustrate how Earths internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how the appearance of land features (such as mountains, valleys, and plateaus) and sea-floor features (such as trenches, ridges, and seamounts) are a result of both … Read More “HS-ESS2-1”

October 1, 2018
HS-ESS2-2

Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earths surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples should include climate feedbacks, such as how an increase in greenhouse gases causes a rise in global temperatures that melts glacial ice, which reduces the amount of sunlight reflected … Read More “HS-ESS2-2”

October 1, 2018
HS-ESS2-3

"Develop a model based on evidence of Earths interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both a one-dimensional model of Earth, with radial layers determined by density, and a three-dimensional model, which is controlled by mantle convection and the resulting plate tectonics. Examples of evidence include maps … Read More “HS-ESS2-3”

October 1, 2018
HS-ESS2-4

Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earths systems result in changes in climate. [Clarification Statement: Examples of the causes of climate change differ by timescale, over 1-10 years: large volcanic eruption, ocean circulation; 10-100s of years: changes in human activity, ocean circulation, solar output; 10-100s … Read More “HS-ESS2-4”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS2-6

Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earths systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle. Examples of models can be conceptual or physical.] [Assessment Boundary: … Read More “MS-ESS2-6”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS3-1

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earths mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes. [Clarification Statement: 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. … Read More “MS-ESS3-1”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS3-2

Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects. [Clarification Statement: 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 … Read More “MS-ESS3-2”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS3-3

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of the design process 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 can include water usage … Read More “MS-ESS3-3”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS3-4

Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earths systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence include grade-appropriate databases on human populations and the rates of consumption of food and natural resources (such as freshwater, mineral, and energy). Examples of impacts can include changes to … Read More “MS-ESS3-4”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS3-5

Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. [Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity) and natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence can … Read More “MS-ESS3-5”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS2-1

Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among solar system objects. Examples of scale properties include the sizes of an objects layers (such as crust and atmosphere), … Read More “MS-ESS2-1”

October 1, 2018
MS-ESS2-2

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earths 4.6-billion-year-old history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to establish relative ages of major events in Earths history. Examples of Earths major events … Read More “MS-ESS2-2”

October 1, 2018