PS: Physical Science Core

PS.1: Recognize periodic trends of elements, including the number of valence electrons, atomic size, and reactivity.

PS.1.1: Categorizing elements as metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and noble gases

Electron Configuration
Element Builder
Ionic Bonds

PS.1.2: Differentiating between families and periods

Covalent Bonds
Electron Configuration
Ionic Bonds

PS.1.3: Using atomic number and mass number to identify isotopes

Element Builder
Nuclear Decay

PS.2: Identify solutions in terms of components, solubility, concentration, and conductivity.

PS.2.3: Describing factors that affect solubility and rate of solution, including nature of solute and solvent, temperature, agitation, surface area, and pressure on gases

Solubility and Temperature

PS.3: Contrast the formation of ionic and covalent bonds based on the transfer or sharing of valence electrons.

PS.3.1: Demonstrating the formation of positive and negative monatomic ions by using electron dot diagrams

Covalent Bonds
Element Builder

PS.4: Use nomenclature and chemical formulas to write balanced chemical equations.

PS.4.1: Explaining the law of conservation of matter

Balancing Chemical Equations
Chemical Equation Balancing
Limiting Reactants
Stoichiometry

PS.4.2: Identifying chemical reactions as composition, decomposition, single replacement, or double replacement

Balancing Chemical Equations
Dehydration Synthesis

PS.4.3: Defining the role of electrons in chemical reactions

Covalent Bonds
Dehydration Synthesis
Electron Configuration
Element Builder
Ionic Bonds

PS.7: Relate velocity, acceleration, and kinetic energy to mass, distance, force, and time.

PS.7.1: Interpreting graphical representations of velocity versus time and distance versus time

Atwood Machine
Distance-Time Graphs
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs
Fan Cart Physics
Freefall Laboratory
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Uniform Circular Motion

PS.7.2: Solving problems for velocity, acceleration, force, work, and power

Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
Freefall Laboratory
Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Pulley Lab
Roller Coaster Physics
Uniform Circular Motion

PS.7.3: Describing action and reaction forces, inertia, acceleration, momentum, and friction in terms of Newton’s three laws of motion

2D Collisions
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
Freefall Laboratory
Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics

PS.7.4: Determining the resultant of collinear forces acting on a body

2D Collisions
Air Track
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
Uniform Circular Motion

PS.7.5: Solving problems for efficiency and mechanical advantage of simple machines

Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
Pulley Lab
Torque and Moment of Inertia

PS.8: Relate the law of conservation of energy to transformations of potential energy, kinetic energy, and thermal energy.

PS.8.1: Identifying the relationship between thermal energy and the temperature of a sample of matter

Boyle's Law and Charles' Law
Calorimetry Lab
Energy Conversion in a System
Phase Changes
Temperature and Particle Motion

PS.8.3: Explaining how thermal energy is transferred by radiation, conduction, and convection

Heat Transfer by Conduction

PS.8.4: Relating simple formulas to the calculation of potential energy, kinetic energy, and work

Air Track
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Rolling Objects
Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
Period of a Pendulum
Potential Energy on Shelves
Pulley Lab
Simple Harmonic Motion

PS.9: Compare methods of energy transfer by mechanical and electromagnetic waves.

PS.9.1: Distinguishing between transverse and longitudinal mechanical waves

Earthquake - Recording Station

PS.9.2: Relating physical properties of sound and light to wave characteristics

Sound Beats and Sine Waves

PS.10: Explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

PS.10.3: Identifying mechanical, magnetic, and chemical methods used to create an electrical charge

Energy of a Pendulum

PS.10.4: Describing electrical circuits in terms of Ohm’s law

Advanced Circuits
Circuits

PS.11: Describe the nuclear composition of unstable isotopes and the resulting changes to their nuclear composition.

PS.11.1: Identifying types of nuclear emissions, including alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma radiation

Nuclear Decay

PS.12: Identify metric units for mass, distance, time, temperature, velocity, acceleration, density, force, energy, and power.

Density Experiment: Slice and Dice
Density Laboratory
Determining Density via Water Displacement
Relative Humidity
Uniform Circular Motion

BIO: Biology Core

BIO.1: Select appropriate laboratory glassware, balances, time measuring equipment, and optical instruments to conduct an experiment.

BIO.1.4: Using appropriate SI units for measuring length, volume, and mass

Stoichiometry

BIO.2: Describe cell processes necessary for achieving homeostasis, including active and passive transport, osmosis, diffusion, exocytosis, and endocytosis.

BIO.2.1: Identifying functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in cellular activities

RNA and Protein Synthesis

BIO.2.2: Comparing the reaction of plant and animal cells in isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic solutions

Cell Structure
Osmosis

BIO.2.3: Explaining how surface area, cell size, temperature, light, and pH affect cellular activities

Cell Structure
Paramecium Homeostasis
Photosynthesis Lab
pH Analysis
pH Analysis: Quad Color Indicator

BIO.3: Identify the reactants and products associated with photosynthesis and cellular respiration and the purposes of these two processes.

Cell Energy Cycle
Interdependence of Plants and Animals
Photosynthesis Lab

BIO.5: Identify cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems as levels of organization in the biosphere.

BIO.5.1: Recognizing that cells differentiate to perform specific functions

Cell Structure

BIO.6: Describe the roles of mitotic and meiotic divisions during reproduction, growth, and repair of cells.

BIO.6.2: Comparing sexual and asexual reproduction

Cell Division

BIO.7: Apply Mendel's law to determine phenotypic and genotypic probabilities of offspring.

BIO.7.1: Defining important genetic terms, including monohybrid cross, phenotype, genotype, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant trait, recessive trait, incomplete dominance, codominance, and allele

Chicken Genetics
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Microevolution
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

BIO.7.3: Calculating genotypic and phenotypic percentages and ratios using a Punnett square

Chicken Genetics
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Microevolution
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

BIO.8: Identify the structure and function of DNA, RNA, and protein.

BIO.8.1: Explaining relationships among DNA, genes, and chromosomes

Building DNA
Cell Division
DNA Fingerprint Analysis
Human Karyotyping

BIO.8.3: Relating normal patterns of genetic inheritance to genetic variation

Microevolution

BIO.8.4: Relating ways chance, mutagens, and genetic engineering increase diversity

Evolution: Mutation and Selection

BIO.8.5: Relating genetic disorders and disease to patterns of genetic inheritance

Human Karyotyping

BIO.9: Differentiate between the previous five-kingdom and current six-kingdom classification systems.

BIO.9.4: Justifying the grouping of viruses in a category separate from living things

Virus Life Cycle (Lytic)

BIO.10: Distinguish between monocots and dicots, angiosperms and gymnosperms, and vascular and nonvascular plants.

BIO.10.2: Recognizing chemical and physical adaptations of plants

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Natural Selection

BIO.12: Describe protective adaptations of animals, including mimicry, camouflage, beak type, migration, and hibernation.

BIO.12.1: Identifying ways in which the theory of evolution explains the nature and diversity of organisms

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

BIO.12.2: Describing natural selection, survival of the fittest, geographic isolation, and fossil record

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
Natural Selection

BIO.13: Trace the flow of energy as it decreases through the trophic levels from producers to the quaternary level in food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids.

BIO.13.4: Using the ten percent law to explain the decreasing availability of energy through the trophic levels

Food Chain

BIO.14: Trace biogeochemical cycles through the environment, including water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

BIO.14.1: Relating natural disasters, climate changes, nonnative species, and human activity to the dynamic equilibrium of ecosystems

Rabbit Population by Season
Water Pollution

CH: Chemistry Core

CH.1: Differentiate among pure substances, mixtures, elements, and compounds.

CH.1.2: Contrasting properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids

Electron Configuration
Element Builder
Ionic Bonds

CH.3: Use the periodic table to identify periodic trends, including atomic radii, ionization energy, electronegativity, and energy levels.

CH.3.1: Utilizing electron configurations, Lewis dot structures, and orbital notations to write chemical formulas

Covalent Bonds
Electron Configuration
Element Builder
Stoichiometry

CH.3.2: Calculating the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an isotope

Element Builder
Nuclear Decay

CH.3.3: Utilizing benchmark discoveries to describe the historical development of atomic structure, including photoelectric effect, absorption, and emission spectra of elements

Bohr Model of Hydrogen
Bohr Model: Introduction
Element Builder

CH.4: Describe solubility in terms of energy changes associated with the solution process.

CH.4.1: Using solubility curves to interpret saturation levels

Solubility and Temperature

CH.4.3: Describing acids and bases in terms of strength, concentration, pH, and neutralization reactions

pH Analysis
pH Analysis: Quad Color Indicator

CH.5: Use the kinetic theory to explain states of matter, phase changes, solubility, and chemical reactions.

Collision Theory
Phase Changes
Temperature and Particle Motion

CH.6: Solve stoichiometric problems involving relationships among the number of particles, moles, and masses of reactants and products in a chemical reaction.

CH.6.1: Predicting ionic and covalent bond types and products given known reactants

Covalent Bonds
Dehydration Synthesis
Ionic Bonds
Limiting Reactants

CH.6.3: Identifying the nomenclature of ionic compounds, binary compounds, and acids

pH Analysis
pH Analysis: Quad Color Indicator

CH.6.4: Classifying chemical reactions as composition, decomposition, single replacement, or double replacement

Balancing Chemical Equations
Dehydration Synthesis

CH.6.5: Determining empirical or molecular formulas for a compound using percent composition data

Covalent Bonds

CH.7: Explain behavior of ideal gases in terms of pressure, volume, temperature, and number of particles using Charles’s law, Boyle’s law, Gay-Lussac’s law, the combined gas law, and the ideal gas law.

Boyle's Law and Charles' Law

CH.8: Distinguish among endothermic and exothermic physical and chemical changes.

CH.8.2: Calculating temperature change by using specific heat

Calorimetry Lab
Phase Changes
Relative Humidity

CH.9: Distinguish between chemical and nuclear reactions.

CH.9.2: Calculating the half-life of selective radioactive isotopes

Half-life

CH.9.5: Describing carbon-14 decay as a dating method

Half-life

PH: Physics Core

PH.1: Explain linear, uniform circular, and projectile motions using one- and two-dimensional vectors.

PH.1.1: Explaining the significance of slope and area under a curve when graphing distance-time or velocity-time data

Atwood Machine
Distance-Time Graphs
Distance-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs
Fan Cart Physics
Freefall Laboratory
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics
Slope - Activity B
Uniform Circular Motion

PH.2: Define the law of conservation of momentum.

PH.2.1: Calculating the momentum of a single object

2D Collisions
Air Track

PH.2.2: Calculating momenta of two objects before and after collision in one-dimensional motion

2D Collisions
Air Track

PH.3: Explain planetary motion and navigation in space in terms of Kepler’s and Newton’s laws.

2D Collisions
Air Track
Atwood Machine
Fan Cart Physics
Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws
Solar System Explorer
Uniform Circular Motion

PH.4: Describe quantitative relationships for velocity, acceleration, force, work, power, potential energy, and kinetic energy.

Atwood Machine
Energy of a Pendulum
Fan Cart Physics
Freefall Laboratory
Inclined Plane - Rolling Objects
Inclined Plane - Simple Machine
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Period of a Pendulum
Potential Energy on Shelves
Pulley Lab
Roller Coaster Physics
Simple Harmonic Motion
Uniform Circular Motion

PH.5: Explain the concept of entropy as it relates to heating and cooling, using the laws of thermodynamics.

PH.5.1: Using qualitative and quantitative methods to show the relationship between changes in heat energy and changes in temperature

Calorimetry Lab

PH.6: Describe wave behavior in terms of reflection, refraction, diffraction, constructive and destructive wave interference, and Doppler effect.

PH.6.1: Explaining reasons for differences in speed, frequency, and wavelength of a propagating wave in varying materials

Photoelectric Effect
Sound Beats and Sine Waves

PH.6.3: Demonstrating particle and wave duality

Bohr Model of Hydrogen
Bohr Model: Introduction
Photoelectric Effect

PH.6.4: Describing change of wave speed in different media

Earthquake - Determination of Epicenter
Refraction

PH.7: Describe properties of reflection, refraction, and diffraction.

PH.7.2: Demonstrating the path of light through mirrors, lenses, and prisms

Laser Reflection
Ray Tracing (Lenses)
Ray Tracing (Mirrors)

PH.8: Summarize similarities in the calculation of electrical, magnetic, and gravitational forces between objects.

PH.8.1: Determining the force on charged particles using Coulomb’s law

Coulomb Force (Static)
Pith Ball Lab

PH.9: Describe quantitative relationships among charge, current, electrical potential energy, potential difference, resistance, and electrical power for simple series, parallel, or combination direct current (DC) circuits.

Advanced Circuits
Circuits
Household Energy Usage

AS: Aquascience Elective Core

AS.3: Explain the importance of biogeochemical cycles in an aquatic environment.

Cell Energy Cycle
Interdependence of Plants and Animals
Photosynthesis Lab

AS.6: Describe adaptations that allow organisms to exist in specific aquatic environments.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Natural Selection

BOT: Botany Elective Core

BOT.7: Explain plant cell processes, including light dependent and light independent reactions of photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and transport

Cell Energy Cycle
Interdependence of Plants and Animals
Osmosis
Photosynthesis Lab

BOT.10: Describe the structure and function of flower parts.

BOT.10.1: Describing seed germination, development, and dispersal

Pollination: Flower to Fruit

BOT.12: Describe the ecological and economic importance of plants.

BOT.12.2: Analyzing effects of human activity on the plant world

Water Pollution

BOT.13: Identify viral, fungal, and bacterial plant diseases and their effects.

Virus Life Cycle (Lytic)

ESS: Earth and Space Science Elective Core

ESS.2: Describe effects on weather of energy transfer within and among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.

ESS.2.1: Describing the energy transfer related to condensation in clouds, precipitation, winds, and ocean currents

Coastal Winds and Clouds
Relative Humidity
Water Cycle

ESS.2.3: Using data to analyze global weather patterns

Coastal Winds and Clouds

ESS.3: Explain how weather patterns affect climate.

ESS.3.2: Interpreting weather maps and symbols to predict changing weather conditions

Hurricane Motion
Weather Maps

ESS.3.3: Identifying technologies used to obtain meteorological data

Coastal Winds and Clouds
Relative Humidity

ESS.4: Describe the production and transfer of stellar energies.

ESS.4.1: Describing the relationship between the life cycles and nuclear reactions of stars

H-R Diagram

ESS.4.2: Describing how the reception of solar radiation is affected by atmospheric and lithospheric conditions

Coastal Winds and Clouds
Greenhouse Effect
Seasons Around the World
Seasons in 3D
Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun
Seasons: Why do we have them?

ESS.6: Explain the length of a day and of a year in terms of the motion of Earth.

ESS.6.1: Explaining the relationship of the seasons to the tilt of Earth’s axis and its revolution about the sun

Seasons Around the World
Seasons in 3D
Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun
Seasons: Why do we have them?

ESS.7: Explain techniques for determining the age and composition of Earth and the universe.

ESS.7.1: Using radiometric age methods to compute the age of Earth

Half-life

ESS.9: Relate the life cycle of stars to the H-R diagram.

ESS.9.1: Explaining indicators of motion by the stars and sun in terms of Doppler effect and red and blue shifts

Doppler Shift
Doppler Shift Advanced

ENV: Environmental Science Elective Core

ENV.1: Identify the influence of human population, technology, and cultural and industrial changes on the environment.

ENV.1.1: Describing the relationship between carrying capacity and population size

Food Chain
Rabbit Population by Season

ENV.2: Evaluate various fossil fuels for their effectiveness as energy resources.

ENV.2.2: Identifying the by-products of the combustion of fossil fuels, including particulates, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide

Interdependence of Plants and Animals
Photosynthesis Lab

ENV.2.5: Identifying effects of fossil fuel by-products on the environment, including ozone depletion; formation of acid rain, brown haze, and greenhouse gases; and concentration of particulates and heavy metals

Greenhouse Effect

ENV.4: Identify the impact of pollutants on the atmosphere.

ENV.4.2: Describing the formation of primary, secondary, and indoor air pollutants

Greenhouse Effect
Water Pollution

ENV.6: Identify sources of local drinking water.

ENV.6.1: Determining the quality of fresh water using chemical testing and bioassessment

Water Pollution

ENV.6.3: Describing water conservation methods

Water Cycle
Water Pollution

ENV.6.4: Describing the process of underground water accumulation, including the formation of aquifers

Water Cycle

ENV.8: Identify major contaminants in water resulting from natural phenomena, homes, industry, and agriculture.

ENV.8.1: Describing the eutrophication of water by industrial effluents and agricultural runoffs

Water Pollution

ENV.8.2: Classifying sources of water pollution as point and nonpoint

Water Pollution

FS: Forensic Science Elective Core

FS.9: Use laws of physics to explain forensic evidence.

FS.9.1: Analyzing blood splatter patterns in relation to speed, height, and direction

Golf Range!

GEN: Genetics Elective Core

GEN.1: Explain how the Hardy-Weinberg principle provides a baseline for recognizing evolutionary changes in gene frequency due to genetic drift, gene flow, nonrandom mating, mutation, and natural selection

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

GEN.2: Describe factors such as radiation, chemicals, and chance that cause mutations in populations.

GEN.2.1: Describing effects of genetic variability on adaptations

Chicken Genetics
Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)
Natural Selection

GEN.3: Describe the significance of Mendel’s work to the development of the modern science of genetics, including the laws of segregation and independent assortment.

Chicken Genetics
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

GEN.5: Describe inheritance patterns based on gene interactions.

GEN.5.2: Identifying incomplete dominance, codominance, and multiple allelism

Chicken Genetics
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

GEN.7: Describe the structure and function of DNA, including replication, translation, and transcription.

GEN.7.3: Defining the role of RNA in protein synthesis

RNA and Protein Synthesis

GEN.8: Explain the structure of eukaryotic chromosomes, including transposons, introns, and exons.

Human Karyotyping

GEN.10: Explain the development and purpose of the Human Genome Project.

GEN.10.1: Analyzing results of the Human Genome Project to predict ethical, social, and legal implications

Human Karyotyping

GEN.11: Describe the replication of DNA and RNA viruses, including lytic and lysogenic cycles, using diagrams.

RNA and Protein Synthesis
Virus Life Cycle (Lytic)

GEO: Geology Elective Core

GEO.1: Describe layers of Earth, including the lithosphere, asthenosphere, outer core, and inner core.

GEO.1.3: Relating the types of lithosphere to tectonic plates

Plate Tectonics

GEO.2: Relate the concept of equilibrium to geological processes, including plate tectonics and stream flow.

Plate Tectonics

GEO.3: Explain natural phenomena that shape the surface of Earth, including rock cycles, plate motions and interactions, erosion and deposition, volcanism, earthquakes, weathering, and tides

Plate Tectonics
Rock Cycle
Tides

GEO.5: Classify rocks as sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.

GEO.5.2: Describing mineral composition and chemical elements of rocks

Rock Classification

GEO.5.3: Describing characteristics of clastic, organic, and chemical sedimentary rocks

Rock Classification
Rock Cycle

GEO.5.4: Explaining texture and composition of rocks

Rock Classification

GEO.6: Explain the concept of geological time within the framework of the geologic time scale.

GEO.6.1: Describing how sedimentary rocks provide a record of evolutionary change

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
Rock Classification
Rock Cycle

GEO.6.2: Describing the role of fossils in determining the age of strata

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

GEO.7: Describe processes of rock formation.

GEO.7.2: Explaining factors that control texture and composition of rocks

Rock Classification

GEO.8: Explain interactions among topography, climate, organic activity, time, and parent material through which soils are created.

Building Topographical Maps
Reading Topographical Maps

GEO.10: Explain the mechanism of plate tectonics.

GEO.10.1: Explaining processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Earthquake - Determination of Epicenter
Earthquake - Recording Station
Plate Tectonics

GEO.10.2: Identifying Earth’s main tectonic plates

Plate Tectonics

GEO.10.3: Describing faults and folds and their relationships to tectonic forces

Plate Tectonics

GEO.10.4: Describing technologies used to measure and forecast earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Plate Tectonics

GEO.13: Describe the formation and characteristics of river systems.

GEO.13.1: Explaining the formation of alluvial fans

Rock Cycle

GEO.14: Explain the interaction of the continuous processes of waves, tides, and winds with the coastal environment.

GEO.14.2: Identifying the positive and negative impact of humans on coastal regions

Water Pollution

GEO.15: Identify geological regions in Alabama and the southeastern United States.

GEO.15.1: Identifying geological ages of Alabama rocks

Rock Classification

GEO.15.3: Identifying earthquake zones in Alabama

Earthquake - Determination of Epicenter
Earthquake - Recording Station
Plate Tectonics

GEO.15.4: Identifying types of rocks in Alabama

Rock Classification

HAP: Human Anatomy and Physiology Elective Core

HAP.3: Classify major types of cells, including squamous, cuboidal, columnar, simple, and stratified.

Cell Structure

MS: Marine Science Elective Core

MS.2: Differentiate among freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater.

Water Pollution

MS.3: Describe physical characteristics of oceans, including topography of the ocean floor, plate tectonics, wave motion, depth, and pressure.

Plate Tectonics

MS.4: Recognize interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean.

MS.4.1: Describing how waves, ocean currents, and tides are generated

Tides

MS.7: Identify patterns and interrelationships among producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers in a marine ecosystem.

Food Chain

MS.9: Arrange various forms of marine life from most simple to most complex.

MS.9.6: Describing adaptations in the marine environment

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Natural Selection

MS.11: Describe the positive and negative effects of human influence on marine environments.

Water Pollution

ZOO.6: Identify factors used to distinguish species, including behavioral differences and reproductive isolation.

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

ZOO.7: Explain how species adapt to changing environments to enhance survival and reproductive success, including changes in structure, behavior, or physiology.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Natural Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks

ZOO.8: Differentiate among organisms that are threatened, endangered, and extinct.

ZOO.8.2: Identifying causative factors of decreasing population size

Food Chain