1: Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts laboratory and field investigations following safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices.

1.A: The student is expected to: demonstrate safe practices during laboratory and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards; and

Hearing: Frequency and Volume

2: Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific practices during laboratory and field investigations.

2.A: The student is expected to: plan and implement comparative and descriptive investigations by making observations, asking well defined questions, and using appropriate equipment and technology;

Effect of Environment on New Life Form
Hearing: Frequency and Volume
Pendulum Clock
Programmable Rover
Real-Time Histogram
Sight vs. Sound Reactions
Time Estimation

2.B: The student is expected to: design and implement experimental investigations by making observations, asking well defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and using appropriate equipment and technology;

Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors
Effect of Environment on New Life Form
Growing Plants
Hearing: Frequency and Volume
Pendulum Clock
Real-Time Histogram
Seed Germination
Sight vs. Sound Reactions
Temperature and Sex Determination - Metric
Time Estimation

2.C: The student is expected to: collect and record data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative means such as labeled drawings, writing, and graphic organizers;

Measuring Volume

2.D: The student is expected to: construct tables and graphs, using repeated trials and means, to organize data and identify patterns; and

Seed Germination
Temperature and Sex Determination - Metric

4: Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and safety equipment to conduct science inquiry.

4.A: The student is expected to: use appropriate tools, including journals/notebooks, beakers, Petri dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, hot plates, test tubes, balances, microscopes, thermometers, calculators, computers, timing devices, and other necessary equipment to collect, record, and analyze information; and

Crumple Zones
Measuring Volume
Triple Beam Balance
Weight and Mass

5: Matter and energy. The student knows the differences between elements and compounds.

5.A: The student is expected to: know that an element is a pure substance represented by a chemical symbol and that a compound is a pure substance represented by a chemical formula;

Chemical Equations

5.C: The student is expected to: identify the formation of a new substance by using the evidence of a possible chemical change such as production of a gas, change in temperature, production of a precipitate, or color change.

Chemical Changes

6: Matter and energy. The student knows matter has physical properties that can be used for classification.

6.A: The student is expected to: compare metals, nonmetals, and metalloids using physical properties such as luster, conductivity, or malleability;

Circuit Builder
Mineral Identification

6.B: The student is expected to: calculate density to identify an unknown substance; and

Density Laboratory

6.C: The student is expected to: test the physical properties of minerals, including hardness, color, luster, and streak.

Heat Absorption
Radiation

8: Force, motion, and energy. The student knows force and motion are related to potential and kinetic energy.

8.A: The student is expected to: compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy;

Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Sled Wars

8.B: The student is expected to: identify and describe the changes in position, direction, and speed of an object when acted upon by unbalanced forces;

Crumple Zones
Force and Fan Carts

8.C: The student is expected to: calculate average speed using distance and time measurements;

Free-Fall Laboratory

8.D: The student is expected to: measure and graph changes in motion; and

Distance-Time Graphs - Metric
Free Fall Tower
Free-Fall Laboratory

9: Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that the Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it just changes form.

9.A: The student is expected to: investigate methods of thermal energy transfer, including conduction, convection, and radiation;

Conduction and Convection
Energy Conversion in a System
Heat Absorption
Heat Transfer by Conduction
Herschel Experiment - Metric
Radiation

9.B: The student is expected to: verify through investigations that thermal energy moves in a predictable pattern from warmer to cooler until all the substances attain the same temperature such as an ice cube melting; and

Conduction and Convection

9.C: The student is expected to: demonstrate energy transformations such as energy in a flashlight battery changes from chemical energy to electrical energy to light energy.

Energy Conversion in a System
Energy Conversions
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects

10: Earth and space. The student understands the structure of Earth, the rock cycle, and plate tectonics.

10.C: The student is expected to: identify the major tectonic plates, including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific, North American, and South American; and

Plate Tectonics

10.D: The student is expected to: describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events such as ocean basin formation, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building.

Plate Tectonics

11: Earth and space. The student understands the organization of our solar system and the relationships among the various bodies that comprise it.

11.B: The student is expected to: understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system; and

Gravity Pitch

12: Organisms and environments. The student knows all organisms are classified into domains and kingdoms. Organisms within these taxonomic groups share similar characteristics that allow them to interact with the living and nonliving parts of their ecosystem.

12.A: The student is expected to: understand that all organisms are composed of one or more cells;

Paramecium Homeostasis

12.E: The student is expected to: describe biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem in which organisms interact; and

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Food Chain
Pond Ecosystem