1: Earth’s Place in the Universe

1: Develop and use models to illustrate the lifespan of the sun, including energy released during nuclear fusion that eventually reaches Earth through radiation.

H-R Diagram
Nuclear Reactions

2: Engage in argument from evidence to compare various theories for the formation and changing nature of the universe and our solar system (e.g., Big Bang Theory, Hubble’s law, steady state theory, light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, composition of matter in the universe).

Big Bang Theory - Hubble's Law

3: Evaluate and communicate scientific information (e.g., Hertzsprung-Russell diagram) in reference to the life cycle of stars using data of both atomic emission and absorption spectra of stars to make inferences about the presence of certain elements.

Nuclear Reactions

4: Apply mathematics and computational thinking in reference to Kepler’s laws, Newton’s laws of motion, and Newton’s gravitational laws to predict the orbital motion of natural and man-made objects in the solar system.

Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws
Solar System Explorer

5: Use mathematics to explain the relationship of the seasons to the tilt of Earth’s axis (e.g., zenith angle, solar angle, surface area) and its revolution about the sun, addressing intensity and distribution of sunlight on Earth’s surface.

Seasons Around the World

2: Earth’s Systems

9: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain how constructive and destructive processes (e.g., weathering, erosion, volcanism, orogeny, plate tectonics, tectonic uplift) shape Earth’s land features (e.g., mountains, valleys, plateaus) and sea features (e.g., trenches, ridges, seamounts).

Erosion Rates
Plate Tectonics
River Erosion
Weathering

12: Develop a model of Earth’s layers using available evidence to explain the role of thermal convection in the movement of Earth’s materials (e.g., seismic waves, movement of tectonic plates).

Conduction and Convection
Plate Tectonics

13: Analyze and interpret data of interactions between the hydrologic and rock cycles to explain the mechanical impacts (e.g., stream transportation and deposition, erosion, frost-wedging) and chemical impacts (e.g., oxidation, hydrolysis, carbonation) of Earth materials by water’s properties.

Erosion Rates
River Erosion
Rock Cycle
Water Cycle
Weathering

14: Construct explanations from evidence to describe how changes in the flow of energy through Earth’s systems (e.g., volcanic eruptions, solar output, ocean circulation, surface temperatures, precipitation patterns, glacial ice volumes, sea levels, Coriolis effect) impact the climate.

Greenhouse Effect - Metric

15: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to verify that weather (e.g., temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, dew point, adiabatic cooling, condensation, precipitation, winds, ocean currents, barometric pressure, wind velocity) is influenced by energy transfer within and among the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere.

15.a: Analyze patterns in weather data to predict various systems, including fronts and severe storms.

Weather Maps - Metric