High School Geology
Curriculum Essentials
Document
Boulder Valley School District
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
May 2012
Introduction
Science Curriculum Essentials in BVSD
In 2009, the Colorado Department of Education published the most recent version of the Colorado
Academic Standards.
This revision of the Boulder Valley School District Science Curriculum had three main goals:
 align with the revised Colorado Academic Standards
 maintain unique elements of our BVSD curriculum that reach beyond the standards
 maintain a viable list of concepts and skills that students should master in each grade level or
course
Inquiry
A new organizational feature of the Colorado Academic Standards is the integration of science inquiry
skills with specific scientific concepts. Instead of having a separate standard for inquiry, the skills
associated with the process of scientific inquiry are embedded in the Evidence Outcomes for each Grade
Level Expectation. In addition, the nature and history of science has been integrated into the Grade Level
Expectations under “Nature of the Discipline”. This approach is echoed by the Framework for K-12 Science
Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas which states that the skills or practices of
inquiry and the core ideas “must be woven together in standards, curricula, instruction, and assessments.”
Scientific inquiry remains a central focus of the revised BVSD Science Curriculum Essentials Documents.
The following definition from the National Science Education Standards serves as the basis for our
common understanding of how scientific inquiry is defined.
Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose
explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Inquiry also refers to the activities of
students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an
understanding of how scientists study the natural world.
The following points serve to clarify the vision of what inquiry means in BVSD.
Inquiry involves five essential features, which are heavily integrated into the wording of Evidence
Outcomes in the Colorado Academic Standards. Students engaged in scientific inquiry should:
 ask or respond to scientifically oriented questions
 give priority to evidence
 formulate explanations based on evidence
 connect explanations to scientific knowledge
 communicate and justify explanations
(Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards)
Inquiry based science instruction involves a continuum of learning experiences from teacher-led to learner
self-directed activities, including but not limited to hand-on labs. Hence, both a structured assignment
involving reading and written reflection and an open-ended, hands-on investigation could be considered
inquiry as long as they involve the five essential features identified above.
The ultimate goals of inquiry-based instruction are to engage learners, develop their conceptual
understanding of the natural world around them, and to overcome misconceptions in science.
Inquiry-based activities should balance students’ application of content knowledge, creativity and critical
thinking in order to analyze data, solve a problem or address a unique question.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
2
21st Century Skills in Science
Colorado's Description of 21st Century Skills
Colorado's description of 21st century skills is a synthesis of the essential abilities students must apply in
our rapidly changing world. Today’s students need a repertoire of knowledge and skills that are more
diverse, complex, and integrated than any previous generation. These skills do not stand alone in the
standards, but are woven into the evidence outcomes, inquiry questions, and application and are within
the nature of science. Science inherently demonstrates each of Colorado’s 21st century skills, as follows:
Critical Thinking and Reasoning
Science requires students to analyze evidence and draw conclusions based on that evidence. Scientific
investigation involves defining problems and designing studies to test hypotheses related to those
problems. In science, students must justify and defend scientific explanations and distinguish between
correlation and causation.
Information Literacy
Understanding science requires students to research current ideas about the natural world. Students must
be able to distinguish fact from opinion and truth from fantasy. Science requires a degree of skepticism
because the ideas of science are subject to change. Science students must be able to understand what
constitutes reliable sources of information and how to validate those sources. One key to science is
understanding that converging different lines of evidence from multiple sources strengthens a scientific
conclusion.
Collaboration
Science students must be able to listen to others’ ideas, and engage in scientific dialogs that are based on
evidence – not opinion. These types of conversations allow them to compare and evaluate the merit of
different ideas. The peer review process helps to ensure the validity of scientific explanations.
Self-Direction
Students in science must have persistence and perseverance when exploring scientific concepts. Students
must generate their own questions, and design investigations to find the answers. Students must be open
to revising and redefining their thinking based on evidence.
Invention
Scientists and engineers often have to think “outside the box” as they push the limits of our Designing
investigations and engineering new products involves a large degree of invention. current knowledge.
They must learn from their failures to take the next steps in understanding. Science students also must
integrate ideas from multiple disciplines to formulate an understanding of the natural world. In addition to
using invention to design investigations, scientists also use findings from investigations to help them to
invent new products.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
3
High School Geology Overview
Course Description
This course acquaints students with basic
scientific principles that apply to the earth and
our natural environment. Emphasis is placed
on current and historical geologic processes of
North America with particular emphasis on the
Rocky Mountain States and the Boulder area.
Laboratory work includes exercises with maps,
rock structures, minerals, fossils, and energy
resources. New discoveries and environmental
issues are discussed. Field experiences are an
integral part of the course. Students are
expected to have enrolled in Physical Science
prior to taking this course. This class could be
continued for a second semester.
Assessments
 Teacher generated assessments
Standard
3. Earth Systems
Science
11/28/2012








Topics at a Glance
Geologic history
Composition of the Earth
Plate tectonics
Climate and the Earth
Extraterrestrial forces and energy
Earth resources and sustainability
Forces that shape Earth’s Crust
Geologic hazards and their impacts
Big Ideas in HS Geology (grade level expectations)
1. The history of the universe, Solar System and Earth can be
inferred from evidence left from past events
2. As part of the Solar System, Earth interacts with various
extraterrestrial forces and energies such as gravity, solar
phenomena, electromagnetic radiation, and impact events
that influence the planet’s geosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere in a variety of ways
3. The theory of plate tectonics helps explain geological,
physical, and geographical features of Earth
4. Climate is the result of energy transfer among interactions of
the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
5. There are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration,
development, and consumption of renewable and
nonrenewable resources
6. The interaction of Earth's surface with water, air, gravity,
and biological activity causes physical and chemical changes
7. Natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and
tsunamis have local, national and global impacts
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
4
1. Physical Science
Students know and understand common properties, forms and changes in matter and energy.
Prepared Graduates
The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education
system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.
Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Physical Science standard:
11/28/2012

Observe, explain, and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton's laws of motion,
acknowledging the limitations of their application to very small or very fast objects

Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of
matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions

Apply an understanding that energy exists in various forms, and its transformation and
conservation occur in processes that are predictable and measurable
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
5
2. Life Science
Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life and how living
things interact with each other and their environment.
Prepared Graduates
The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system
must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.
Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Life Science standard:

Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of
organizational levels, and recognize living systems’ dependence on natural selection

Explain and illustrate with examples how living systems interact with the biotic and
abiotic environment

Analyze how various organisms grow, develop, and differentiate during their lifetimes
based on an interplay between genetics and their environment
 Explain how biological evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of living organisms
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
6
3. Earth Systems Science
Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth's systems and the structure and dynamics
of Earth and other objects in space.
Prepared Graduates:
The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education
system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.
Prepared Graduate Competencies in the Earth Systems Science standard:
11/28/2012

Describe and interpret how Earth's geologic history and place in space are relevant to
our understanding of the processes that have shaped our planet

Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
interact as a complex system

Describe how humans are dependent on the diversity of resources provided by Earth
and Sun
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
7
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Describe and interpret how Earth's geologic history and place in space are relevant to our understanding of the processes that have
shaped our planet
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
1. The history of the universe, Solar System and Earth can be inferred from evidence left from past events
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation addressing questions about
Earth’s history
b. Analyze and interpret data regarding Earth’s history
c. Analyze and interpret data regarding the history of the
universe
d. Seek, evaluate, and use a variety of specialized
resources available from libraries, the Internet, and the
community to find scientific information on Earth’s
history
e. Examine, evaluate, question, and ethically use
information from a variety of sources and media to
investigate the history of the universe, Solar System
and Earth
Inquiry Questions:
1. How do we know the age of the Earth, the Sun and the
universe?
2. How did the formation of Earth help shape its features today?
3. How can we interpret the geologic history of an area?
4. What will happen to the Earth in the future?
Relevance and Application:
1. Geologic principles such as original horizontality,
superposition, cross-cutting relationships, unconformities, and
index fossils allow us to accurately interpret geologic history.
2. Employ data-collection technology such as geographic
mapping systems and visualization tools to gather and analyze
data and scientific information about Earth’s history.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Understand that all scientific knowledge is subject to new
evidence and that the presence of reproducible results yields a
scientific theory.
2. Critically evaluate scientific claims in popular media and by
peers regarding Earth’s history, and determine if evidence
presented is appropriate and sufficient to support the claims.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
8
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Describe and interpret how Earth’s geologic history and place in space are relevant to our understanding of the processes that have
shaped our planet
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
2. As part of the Solar System, Earth interacts with various extraterrestrial forces and energies such as gravity, solar phenomena,
electromagnetic radiation, and impact events that influence the planet’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere in
a variety of ways
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation addressing questions around the
extraterrestrial forces and energies that influence Earth
b. Analyze and interpret data regarding extraterrestrial
forces and energies
c. Clearly identify assumptions behind conclusions
regarding extraterrestrial forces and energies and
provide feedback on the validity of alternative
explanations
d. Use specific equipment, technology, and resources such
as satellite imagery, global positioning systems (GPS),
global information systems (GIS), telescopes, video
and image libraries, and computers to explore the
universe
11/28/2012
Inquiry Questions:
1. What influences Earth’s position in the universe?
2. How does Earth get its energy?
3. How does the electromagnetic spectrum positively and
negatively impact Earth’s systems?
Relevance and Application:
1. Fusion is the most common source of energy in the universe,
and it provides the basis of Earth’s energy through fusion
reactions in the Sun.
2. Different types of telescopes have given us data about the
universe, galaxy, and Solar System.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Understand the physical laws that govern Earth are the same
physical laws that govern the rest of the universe.
2. Critically evaluate strengths and weaknesses of a model which
represents complex natural phenomena.
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
9
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates: Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex
system
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
3. The theory of plate tectonics helps explain geological, physical, and geographical features of Earth
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation about the theory of plate
tectonics and how it can be used to understand
geological and geographical features of Earth
b. Analyze and interpret data on plate tectonics and the
geological, physical, and geographical features of Earth
c. Understand the role plate tectonics has with respect to
long-term global changes in Earth’s systems such as
continental buildup, glaciations, sea-level fluctuations,
and climate change
d. Investigate and explain how new conceptual
interpretations of data and innovative geophysical
technologies led to the current theory of plate tectonics
Inquiry Questions:
1. How do the different types of plate boundaries create different
features on Earth?
2. How have scientists “discovered” the layers of Earth?
3. What drives plate motion?
4. What might happen to Earth’s landforms in the future?
Relevance and Application:
1. Conceptual interpretations of data and innovative geophysical
technologies are still contributing to the current theory of plate
tectonics.
11/28/2012
Nature of Discipline:
1. Understand that all scientific knowledge is subject to new
findings and that the presence of reproducible results yields a
scientific theory.
2. Ask testable questions and make a falsifiable hypothesis about
plate tectonics and design a method to find an answer.
3. Share experimental data, and respectfully discuss conflicting
results.
4. Recognize that the current understanding of plate tectonics
has developed over time and become more sophisticated as
new technologies have lead to new evidence.
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
10
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
4. Climate is the result of energy transfer among interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation that shows climate is a result of
energy transfer among the atmosphere, hydrosphere,
geosphere and biosphere
b. Analyze and interpret data on Earth’s climate
c. Explain how a combination of factors such as Earth’s
tilt, seasons, geophysical location, proximity to oceans,
landmass location, latitude, and elevation determine a
location’s climate
d. Identify mechanisms in the past and present that have
changed Earth’s climate
e. Analyze the evidence and assumptions regarding
climate change
f. Interpret evidence from weather stations, buoys,
satellites, radars, ice and ocean sediment cores, tree
rings, cave deposits, native knowledge, and other
sources in relation to climate change
Inquiry Questions:
1. How can changes in the ocean create climate change?
2. How is climate influenced by changes in Earth’s energy
balance?
3. How have climates changed over Earth’s history?
4. How does climate change impact all of Earth’s systems?
5. How have climate changes impacted human society?
Relevance and Application:
1. Much of the data we receive about the ocean and the
atmosphere is from satellites.
2. Human actions such as burning fossil fuels might impact
Earth’s climate.
3. Technological solutions and personal choices such as driving
higher mileage cars and using less electricity could reduce the
human impact on climate.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Understand how observations, experiments, and theory are
used to construct and refine computer models.
2. Examine how computer models are used in predicting the
impacts of climate change.
3. Critically evaluate scientific claims in popular media and by
peers regarding climate and climate change, and determine if
the evidence presented is appropriate and sufficient to support
the claims.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
11
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Describe how humans are dependent on the diversity of resources provided by Earth and Sun
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
5. There are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration, development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable
resources
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation regarding the costs and benefits
of exploration, development, and consumption of
renewable and nonrenewable resources
b. Evaluate positive and negative impacts on the
geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere in
regards to resource use
c. Create a plan to reduce environmental impacts due to
resource consumption
d. Analyze and interpret data about the effect of resource
consumption and development on resource reserves to
draw conclusions about sustainable use
11/28/2012
Inquiry Questions:
1. What are some different resources that humans use?
2. How can humans reduce the impact of resource extraction and
use?
3. How are resources used in our community?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using different
types of energy?
Relevance and Application:
1. Technologies have had a variety of impacts on how resources
are located, extracted, and consumed.
2. Technology development has reduced the pollution, waste,
and ecosystem degradation caused by extraction and use of
resources.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Infer assumptions behind economic, political, and data-driven
conclusions about renewable and nonrenewable resource use.
2. Critically evaluate scientific claims in popular media and by
peers, and determine if evidence presented is appropriate and
sufficient to support the claims.
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
12
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
6. The interaction of Earth's surface with water, air, gravity, and biological activity causes physical and chemical changes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Evidence Outcomes
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation addressing questions regarding
the interaction of Earth’s surface with water, air,
gravity, and biological activity
b. Analyze and interpret data, maps, and models
concerning the direct and indirect evidence produced
by physical and chemical changes that water, air,
gravity, and biological activity create
c. Evaluate negative and positive consequences of
physical and chemical changes on the geosphere
d. Use remote sensing and geographic information
systems (GIS) data to interpret landforms and
landform changes due to human activity
11/28/2012
Inquiry Questions:
1. How do Earth’s systems interact to create new landforms?
2. What are positive changes on Earth’s geosphere due to water,
air, gravity, and biological activity?
3. What are negative changes on Earth’s geosphere due to
water, air, gravity, and biological activity?
Relevance and Application:
1. Geologic, physical, and topographic maps can be used to
interpret surface features
2. Recognize that landform models help us understand the
interaction among Earth’s systems.
3. Human activities such as agricultural practices have impacts
on soil formation and soil loss.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Ask testable questions and make a falsifiable hypothesis about
physical and chemical changes on the geosphere and use an
inquiry based approach to find an answer.
2. Share experimental data, and respectfully discuss conflicting
results.
3. Use appropriate technology to help gather and analyze data,
find background information, and communicate scientific
information on physical and chemical changes on the Earth’s
surface.
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
13
Content Area: Science - High School Geology
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Prepared Graduates:
Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION
Concepts and skills students master:
7. Natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis have local, national and global impacts
Evidence Outcomes
21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies
Students can:
a. Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based
scientific explanation regarding natural hazards, and
explain their potential local and global impacts
b. Analyze and interpret data about natural hazards using
direct and indirect evidence
c. Make predictions and draw conclusions about the
impact of natural hazards on human activity – locally
and globally
Inquiry Questions:
1. Why are some natural hazards difficult to predict, while others
are easier to predict?
2. How are humans impacted by natural hazards?
3. How can we prepare for natural hazards?
4. How is climate change expected to change the incidence of
natural hazards?
5. Are natural hazards beneficial?
Relevance and Application:
1. Engineers must know the hazards of a local area and design
for it such as building safe structures in zones prone to
earthquakes, volcanoes, or tsunamis,
2. Multiple technologies are used to study different types of
natural hazards.
3. Natural hazard zones affect construction or explain why
monitoring natural hazards through air traffic safety,
evacuations, and protecting property is important.
4. Disaster planners work with the scientific community to
develop diverse ways to mitigate the impacts of natural
hazards on the human population and on a given ecosystem.
Nature of Discipline:
1. Collaborate with local, national, and global organizations to
report and review natural disaster data.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
14
Prepared Graduate Competencies in Science
The preschool through twelfth-grade concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado
education system must master to ensure their success in a postsecondary and workforce setting.
Prepared Graduates:

Observe, explain, and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton's laws of motion,
acknowledging the limitations of their application to very small or very fast objects

Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and
predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions

Apply an understanding that energy exists in various forms, and its transformation and conservation
occur in processes that are predictable and measurable

Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of
organizational levels, and recognize living systems’ dependence on natural selection

Explain and illustrate with examples how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic
environment

Analyze how various organisms grow, develop, and differentiate during their lifetimes based on an
interplay between genetics and their environment

Explain how biological evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of living organisms

Describe and interpret how Earth's geologic history and place in space are relevant to our
understanding of the processes that have shaped our planet

Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a
complex system

Describe how humans are dependent on the diversity of resources provided by Earth and Sun

Engage in scientific inquiry by asking or responding to scientifically oriented questions, collecting and
analyzing data, giving priority to evidence, formulating explanations based on evidence, connecting
explanations to scientific knowledge, and communicating and justifying explanations.
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
15
Standard
High School
1. Physical
Science
Grade Level Expectation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2. Life Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
11/28/2012
Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation describe the relationships
among forces acting on and between objects, their masses, and
changes in their motion – but have limitations
Matter has definite structure that determines characteristic physical
and chemical properties
Matter can change form through chemical or nuclear reactions abiding
by the laws of conservation of mass and energy
Atoms bond in different ways to form molecules and compounds that
have definite properties
Energy exists in many forms such as mechanical, chemical, electrical,
radiant, thermal, and nuclear, that can be quantified and
experimentally determined
When energy changes form, it is neither created not destroyed;
however, because some is necessarily lost as heat, the amount of
energy available to do work decreases
Matter tends to be cycled within an ecosystem, while energy is
transformed and eventually exits an ecosystem
The size and persistence of populations depend on their interactions
with each other and on the abiotic factors in an ecosystem
Cellular metabolic activities are carried out by biomolecules produced
by organisms
The energy for life primarily derives from the interrelated processes of
photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Photosynthesis transforms the
sun’s light energy into the chemical energy of molecular bonds.
Cellular respiration allows cells to utilize chemical energy when these
bonds are broken.
Cells use the passive and active transport of substances across
membranes to maintain relatively stable intracellular environments
Cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems maintain relatively stable
internal environments, even in the face of changing external
environments
Physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism are influenced
to varying degrees by heritable genes, many of which encode
instructions for the production of proteins
Multicellularity makes possible a division of labor at the cellular level
through the expression of select genes, but not the entire genome
Evolution occurs as the heritable characteristics of populations change
across generations and can lead populations to become better adapted
to their environment
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
16
Standard
Grade Level Expectation
High School (continued)
3. Earth Systems
1. The history of the universe, solar system and Earth can be inferred
Science
from evidence left from past events
2. As part of the solar system, Earth interacts with various
extraterrestrial forces and energies such as gravity, solar phenomena,
electromagnetic radiation, and impact events that influence the
planet’s geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in a variety of ways
3. The theory of plate tectonics helps to explain geological, physical, and
geographical features of Earth
4. Climate is the result of energy transfer among interactions of the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
5. There are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration,
development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable
resources
6. The interaction of Earth's surface with water, air, gravity, and
biological activity causes physical and chemical changes
7. Natural hazards have local, national and global impacts such as
volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and thunderstorms
Eighth Grade
3. Earth Systems
1. Weather is a result of complex interactions of Earth's atmosphere, land
Science
and water, that are driven by energy from the sun, and can be
predicted and described through complex models
2. Earth has a variety of climates defined by average temperature,
precipitation, humidity, air pressure, and wind that have changed over
time in a particular location
3. The solar system is comprised of various objects that orbit the Sun
and are classified based on their characteristics
4. The relative positions and motions of Earth, Moon, and Sun can be
used to explain observable effects such as seasons, eclipses, and Moon
phases
5. Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, midocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate
boundaries and attributed to plate motions
6. Geologic time, history, and changing life forms are indicated by fossils
and successive sedimentation, folding, faulting, and uplifting of layers
of sedimentary rock
7. Complex interrelationships exist between Earth’s structure and natural
processes that over time are both constructive and destructive
8. Water on Earth is distributed and circulated through oceans, glaciers,
rivers, ground water, and the atmosphere
9. Earth’s natural resources provide the foundation for human society’s
physical needs. Many natural resources are nonrenewable on human
timescales, while others can be renewed or recycled
11/28/2012
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
17
Standard
Seventh Grade
2. Life Science
Grade Level Expectation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Sixth Grade
1. Physical
Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
11/28/2012
Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to
survive and have offspring in a specific environment
The human body is composed of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues,
organs, and organ systems that have specific functions and
interactions
Cells are the smallest unit of life that can function independently and
perform all the necessary functions of life
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important processes by
which energy is acquired and utilized by organisms
Multiple lines of evidence show the evolution of organisms over
geologic time
Human activities can deliberately or inadvertently alter ecosystems
and their resiliency
Organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information (genes) to
offspring, which influences individuals’ traits in the next generation
Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of
individual organisms, populations, and entire species
Organisms interact with each other and their environment in various
ways that create a flow of energy and cycling of matter in an
ecosystem
Identify and calculate the direction and magnitude of forces that act on
an object, and explain the results in the object’s change of motion
There are different forms of energy, and those forms of energy can be
changed from one form to another – but total energy is conserved
Distinguish between physical and chemical changes, noting that mass
is conserved during any change
Recognize that waves such as electromagnetic, sound, seismic, and
water have common characteristics and unique properties
Mixtures of substances can be separated based on their properties
such as solubility, boiling points, magnetic properties, and densities
All matter is made of atoms, which are far too small to see directly
through a light microscope. Elements have unique atoms and thus,
unique properties. Atoms themselves are made of even smaller
particles
Atoms may stick together in well-defined molecules or be packed
together in large arrangements. Different arrangements of atoms into
groups compose all substances.
The physical characteristics and changes of solid, liquid, and gas states
can be explained using the particulate model
Distinguish among, explain, and apply the relationships among mass,
weight, volume, and density
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
18
Standard
Fifth Grade
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
3. Earth Systems
Science
Grade Level Expectation
1.
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
Fourth Grade
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
1.
1.
2.
3.
3. Earth Systems
Science
Third Grade
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
3. Earth Systems
Science
Second Grade
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
2.
3. Earth Systems
Science
11/28/2012
1.
Mixtures of matter can be separated regardless of how they were
created; all weight and mass of the mixture are the same as the sum
of weight and mass of its parts
All organisms have structures and systems with separate functions
Human body systems have basic structures, functions, and needs
Earth and sun provide a diversity of renewable and nonrenewable
resources
Earth’s surface changes constantly through a variety of processes and
forces
Weather conditions change because of the uneven heating of Earth’s
surface by the Sun’s energy. Weather changes are measured by
differences in temperature, air pressure, wind and water in the
atmosphere and type of precipitation
Energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic,
chemical, and electrical
All living things share similar characteristics, but they also have
differences that can be described and classified
Comparing fossils to each other or to living organisms reveals features
of prehistoric environments and provides information about organisms
today
There is interaction and interdependence between and among living
and nonliving components of systems
Earth is part of the solar system, which includes the Sun, Moon, and
other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable patterns that lead to
observable paths of objects in the sky as seen from Earth
Matter exists in different states such as solids, liquids, and gases and
can change from one state to another by heating and cooling
The duration and timing of life cycle events such as reproduction and
longevity vary across organisms and species
Earth’s materials can be broken down and/or combined into different
materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle, formation of soil, and
sand – some of which are usable resources for human activity
Changes in speed or direction of motion are caused by forces such as
pushes and pulls.
Organisms depend on their habitat’s nonliving parts to satisfy their
needs
Each plant or animal has different structures or behaviors that serve
different functions
Weather and the changing seasons impact the environment and
organisms such as humans, plants, and other animals
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
19
Standard
First Grade
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
Grade Level Expectation
1.
Solids and liquids have unique properties that distinguish them
1.
Offspring have characteristics that are similar to but not exactly like
their parents’ characteristics
An organism is a living thing that has physical characteristics to help it
survive
Earth’s materials can be compared and classified based on their
properties
2.
3. Earth Systems
Science
Kindergarten
1. Physical
Science
1.
1.
2.
2. Life Science
1.
3. Earth Systems
Science
Preschool
1. Physical
Science
2. Life Science
1.
3. Earth Systems
Science
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
11/28/2012
Objects can move in a variety of ways that can be described by speed
and direction
Objects can be sorted by physical properties, which can be observed
and measured
Organisms can be described and sorted by their physical
characteristics
The sun provides heat and light to Earth
Objects have properties and characteristics
There are cause-and-effect relationships in everyday experiences
Living things have characteristics and basic needs
Living things develop in predictable patterns
Earth’s materials have properties and characteristics that affect how
we use those materials
Events such as night, day, the movement of objects in the sky,
weather, and seasons have patterns
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
20
Academic Vocabulary
Standard 3: air, air mass, air pressure, astronomy, atmosphere, atom, attract, axis, bar graph, benefits,
bias, biological activity, biosphere, buoy, capacity, causation, cave deposits, Celsius, centimeter,
characteristic, chemical change, chemical formula, Chemistry, circulation, climate, climate change, cloud,
component, composition, compound, computer, conclusion, condensation, conduction, consequences,
conservation of energy, conservation of mass, conservation of matter, constant, consumption,
continental build-up, controlled experiment, convection, Coriolis effect, costs, cross-cutting relationships,
crust, data, data interpretation, density, dependent variable, deposition, development, Earth, Earth
layers, Earth’s material, Earth’s tilt, earthquake, eclipse, ecosystem degradation, electromagnetic
radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, electron, element, elevation, energy, energy balance, energy
transfer, environmental impact, equator, erosion, error, evaporation, evidence, evolution, experiment,
explanation, exploration, extraterrestrial forces, falsifiable hypothesis, fault, fossil, fossil fuel, front,
fusion, galaxy, gas, geographic information systems (GIS), geographic information systems (GIS) data,
geographic mapping systems, geologic history, geologic map, geologic, geology, geophysical location,
geophysical technologies, geosphere, glaciation, glacier, global impact, global positioning systems (GPS),
global information systems (GLIS), gram, gravity, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gas, ground water,
heat, humidity, hurricane, hydrologic cycle, hydrosphere, hypothesis, ice sediment core, igneous, impact
events, implication, independent variable, index fossil, infrared, invertebrate, investigation, kilogram,
kinetic energy, landform, landform models, landmass location, latitude, law, length, line graph, liquid,
liter, lithosphere, local impact, macroscopic, magnetism, magnitude, map, mass, matter, measure,
mechanical, metamorphic, meteorology, meter, metric, microscopic, milliliter, millimeter, mineral,
mixture, model, molecule, Moon, moon (lunar) phases, national impact, native knowledge, natural
hazard, natural resources, neutron, non-renewable, nuclear, observation, ocean sediment core,
oceanography, opinion, orbit, original horizontality, Pangaea, particulate model, periodic table, pH, phase
change, physical change, physical map, planet, plasma, plate boundary, plate motion, plate tectonics,
plateau, polarity, pole, pollution, position, precipitation, prediction, pressure, prevailing wind, property,
proton, proximity to oceans, qualitative, quantitative radar, radiation, radiometric dating, ratio, remote
sensing, renewable, resource, resource consumption, resource extraction, resource location, revolution,
rock, rock cycle, rotation, salinity, satellite, satellite imagery, science, scientific law, scientific theory,
sea-level fluctuations, season, sediment, sedimentary, soil, soil formation, soil loss, solar phenomena,
solar system, solid, solubility, soluble, solution, sort, space, spectroscope, speed, star, state of matter,
stratosphere, substance, Sun, superposition, surface, surface features, sustainable use, system, t-chart,
table, telescope, temperature, testable, testable question, theory, thermometer, thunderstorm, tide,
topographic map, transfer, transform, tree rings, troposphere, tsunami, ultraviolet, unconformity, unit,
universe, uplift, variable, verify, video/image libraries, visible light, volcanic eruption, volcano, volume,
waste, water cycle, wavelength, weather, weather station, weathering, weight, white light, work, year
Word
Air
Air mass
Air pressure
Astronomy
Atmosphere
Atom
Attract
Axis
Bar graph
11/28/2012
Definition
the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of
oxygen and nitrogen
a body of air extending hundreds or thousands of miles horizontally and
sometimes as high as the stratosphere and maintaining as it travels nearly
uniform conditions
the pressure exerted by the atmosphere
the science of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet
the smallest particle of a chemical element, consisting of a positively charged
nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons
to cause to draw near or adhere by physical force
an imaginary line through a body, about which it rotates
a graph consisting of parallel, usually vertical bars or rectangles with lengths
proportional to the frequency with which specified quantities occur in a set of
data
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
21
Benefits
Bias
Biological activity
Biosphere
Buoy
Capacity
Cave deposits
Celsius
Centimeter
Characteristic
Chemical change
Chemical formula
Chemistry
Circulation
Climate
Climate change
Cloud
Component
Composition
Compound
Computer
Conclusion
Condensation
Conduction
Consequences
Conversation of
energy
Conservation of
mass
Conservation of
matter
Constant
Consumption
Continental buildup
11/28/2012
In reference to resources, what benefits are gained by extracting a given
commodity?
statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some
outcomes over others
how do earth systems processes affect life on Earth?
the part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that
is capable of supporting life
an instrument that collects weather and ocean data within Earth’s oceans
the maximum amount that can be contained
minerals deposited in caves that are used for interpreting climate change
of or relating to a temperature scale that registers the freezing point of water
as 0° and the boiling point as 100° under normal atmospheric pressure
metric unit of length equal to 1/100 of a meter
a feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a
distinguishing trait
a change in which the substances present at the beginning of the change are
not present at the end; new substances are formed. The change cannot be
“undone”
A representation of a substance using symbols to represent constituent
elements
the branch of science concerned with the properties and interactions of the
substances of which matter is composed
movement in a circle or circuit
meteorological conditions including temperature, precipitation, and wind, which
characteristically prevail in a particular region
long term (hundreds to thousands of years) change in weather patterns;
includes global warming, global cooling, sea-level fluctuations, etc.
a visible body of very fine water droplets or ice particles suspended in the
atmosphere at altitudes ranging up to several miles above sea level
a single part of a larger system
the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole
a pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance consisting of atoms or ions of
two or more different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated
by physical means. A compound usually has properties unlike those of its
constituent elements
a programmable machine designed to accomplish complex mathematical
operations
a judgment or decision reached by reasoning
the process by which a gas or vapor changes to a liquid
the transmission or conveying of something through a medium or passage,
especially the transmission of electric charge or heat through a conducting
medium without perceptible motion of the medium itself
the results of intended or unintended action or inaction
a principle stating that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant
regardless of changes within the system
a principle in classical physics stating that the total mass of an isolated system
is unchanged by interaction of its parts
a fundamental principle of classical physics that matter cannot be created or
destroyed in an isolated system
an experimental or theoretical condition, factor, or quantity that does not vary
or that is regarded as invariant in specified circumstances
use of natural resources, either renewable or nonrenewable
formation of new, or addition to old, continental masses by plate tectonic
mechanisms
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
22
Controlled
experiment
Convection
Coriolis effect
Costs
Cross-cutting
relationships
Crust
Data
Data interpretation
Density
Dependent variable
Deposition
Development
Earth
Earthquake
Earth layers
Earth’s material
Earth’s tilt
Eclipse
Ecosystem
degradation
Electromagnetic
radiation
Electromagnetic
spectrum
Electron
Element
Elevation
Energy
Energy balance
Energy transfer
Environmental
impact
Equator
Erosion
Error
Evaporation
Evidence
11/28/2012
an experiment that isolates the effect of one variable on a system by holding
constant all variables but the one under observation
heat transfer in a gas or liquid by the circulation of currents from one region to
another
result of an apparent force that as a result of earth's rotation deflects moving
objects (as projectiles or air currents) to the right in the northern hemisphere
and to the left in the southern hemisphere
In reference to resources, what is the ultimate cost of extracting a resource
from Earth?
a basic geologic principle that states that any geologic event that cuts across a
pre-existing geologic feature is younger than the pre-existing feature
solid, outermost layer of the Earth, lying above the mantle
factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for
reasoning, discussion, or calculation
the use of a variety of techniques to understand complex sets of data
the mass of a substance per unit volume
the observed or measured variable in an experiment or study whose changes
are determined by the presence of one or more independent variables
the laying down of matter by a natural process
the processes involved in presenting natural resources for human consumption
the third planet from the sun
a sudden movement of the Earth's crust caused by the release of stress
accumulated within the Earth’s crust
crust, mantle, and core; sedimentary strata
any substance occurring naturally on Earth, such as water, soil, rocks, etc
inclination of Earth’s axis toward or away from the sun and its effect on climate
the partial or complete obscuring, relative to a designated observer, of one
celestial body by another
the breakdown of an ecosystem by exploration for and development and
consumption of Earth resources
a kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and X‐rays,
in which electric and magnetic fields vary simultaneously
the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation
an elementary particle in all atoms that has a negative charge
a substance composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each
nucleus; elements cannot be reduced to simpler substances by normal
chemical means
height above a given level, especially sea level
the capacity of a physical system to do work
earth’s input and output of energy and how it affects climate
the movement of energy among the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and
biosphere and how it affects climate
the effects that exploration for and development and consumption of Earth
resources have on the environment
the imaginary great circle around the Earth's surface, equidistant from the
poles and perpendicular to the Earth's axis of rotation; it divides the Earth into
the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere
the group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion,
corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth's
surface
difference between a computed or measured value and a true or theoretically
correct value
to convert or change into a vapor
information acquired through objective experience
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
23
Evolution
Experiment
Explanation
Exploration
Extraterrestrial
forces
Falsifiable
hypothesis
Fault
Fossil
Fossil fuel
Front
Fusion
Galaxy
Gas
Geographic
information
systems (GIS)
Geographic
information
systems (GIS) data
Geographic
mapping systems
Geologic history
Geologic map
Geologic time
Geology
Geophysical
location
Geophysical
technologies
Geosphere
Glaciations
Glacier
Global impact
Global positioning
systems (GPS)
Global information
systems (GLIS)
Gram
Gravity
11/28/2012
a gradual process in which something changes into a different form
a test under controlled conditions that is made to examine the validity of a
hypothesis or determine the efficacy of something previously untried
a statement based on scientific evidence and logical argument about causes
and effects or relationships between variables
the process of searching for and finding Earth resources
gravity, solar phenomena, electromagnetic radiation, and impact events that
influence Earth systems
a scientific hypothesis must have some feature about it that would allow an
experimenter to prove the hypothesis false
a break in a rock volume along which there has been evidence of displacement
a remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or
leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the Earth's crust
a hydrocarbon deposit, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from
living matter of a previous geologic time and used for fuel
the interface between air masses of different temperatures or densities
thermonuclear reaction, usually in a star’s interior
any of numerous large‐scale aggregates of stars, gas, and dust that constitute
the universe
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by relatively
low density and viscosity, relatively great expansion and contraction with
changes in pressure and
temperature, the ability to diffuse readily, and the spontaneous tendency to
become distributed uniformly throughout any container
a system designed to manipulate geographic data
data collected and manipulated from using a GIS
part of a GIS that creates multiple theme maps for use in planning
the study of geologic time and associated events
the two dimensional representation of the three dimensional geologic features
in an area
the period of time covering the physical formation and development of Earth,
especially the period prior to human history
the scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the earth
The location of an area based on its geophysical characteristics and its effect on
climate; such features might include magnetic, gravitational, and electrical
properties
instruments that measure magnetic, gravitational, electrical, and seismic
properties of Earth
the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
periods of time where the climate has cooled and glaciers have advanced
a huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted
snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting and sublimation
The effect of a natural or man-made event felt over the entire globe
a space-based satellite navigation system that provides weather information
anywhere on Earth
a system that uses GIS to study global problems
the basic unit of mass in the metric system
the force that attracts a body towards the center of the Earth, or towards any
other physical body having mass
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
24
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas
Groundwater
Heat
Humidity
Hurricane
Hydrologic cycle
Hydrosphere
Hypothesis
Ice sediment core
Igneous
Impact events
Implication
Independent
variable
Index fossil
Infrared
Invertebrate
Investigation
Kilogram
Kinetic energy
Landform
Landform models
Landmass location
Latitude
Length
Light
Line graph
Liquid
Liter
Lithosphere
Local impact
Macroscopic
Magnetism
Magnitude
Map
11/28/2012
the phenomenon whereby Earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by
the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor,
and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat
radiated back from Earth's surface
a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that contributes to the greenhouse effect by
absorbing infrared radiation
water beneath the Earth's surface, often between saturated soil and rock,
which supplies wells and springs
a form of energy associated with the motion of atoms or molecules and capable
of being transmitted through solid and fluid media by conduction, through fluid
media by convection, and through empty space by radiation
the amount of water suspended in the air in tiny droplets
a tropical storm with sustained wind speeds greater than 117 kph (74 mph)
the cycle of evaporation and condensation that controls the distribution of
Earth's water as it evaporates from bodies of water, condenses, precipitates,
and returns to those bodies of water
the watery layer of the Earth's surface; includes water vapor
a tentative explanation for an observation
A drilling sample taken from ice to study climate change
rocks or minerals formed by the cooling and hardening of magma or molten
lava
Earth collisions with solar system debris
a probable consequence
a manipulated variable in an experiment or study whose presence or degree
determines the change in the dependent variable
a fossil used to define and identify a geologic time period
electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength just greater than that of red
light but less than that of microwaves, emitted particularly by heated objects
an animal, such as an insect or mollusk, which lacks a backbone or spinal
column
a detailed inquiry or systematic examination
metric unit equaling 1000 grams
energy which a body possesses by virtue of being in motion
a recognizable, naturally formed feature on Earth's surface. Landforms have a
characteristic shape and can include such large features as plains, plateaus,
mountains, and valleys, as well as smaller features such as hills, eskers, and
canyons
models that depict landforms
the effect of landmass location on a given location’s climate
A location’s angular distance north or south of the Equator and its effect on
climate
the distance of something from end to end, usually the longest dimension
electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
a diagram that exhibits a relationship, often functional, between two sets of
numbers as a set of points having coordinates determined by the relationship
the state of matter in which a substance exhibits a characteristic readiness to
flow, little or no tendency to disperse, and relatively high incompressibility
basic unit of fluid volume in the metric system
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
the effect of a natural or man-made event on a city or community
large enough to be perceived or examined by the unaided eye
the property displayed by magnets and produced by the motion of electric
charges, which results in attraction or repulsion between objects
relative size or extent
two dimensional representation of a three dimensional surface
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
25
Mass
Matter
Measure
Mechanical
Metamorphic
Meteorology
Meter
Metric
Microscopic
Milliliter
Millimeter
Mineral
Mixture
Model
Molecule
Moon
Moon (lunar)
phases
Motion
National impact
Native knowledge
Natural hazard
Natural resources
Neutron
Nonrenewable
resource
Nuclear
Observation
Ocean sediment
core
Oceanography
Opinion
Orbit
Original
horizontality
11/28/2012
the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its acceleration
under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field
physical substance or material in general; that which occupies space and
possesses mass
to ascertain the dimensions, quantity, or capacity of
relating to the action of forces on material objects
rocks altered considerably from the original structure and composition by
pressure and heat
the science that deals with the phenomena of the atmosphere, especially
weather and weather conditions
metric unit of length
system of weights and measures based on multiples of ten
too small to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be studied under
a microscope
one one‐thousandth of a liter; 1000 milliliters equal 1 liter
one one‐thousandth of a meter; 1000 millimeters equal 1 meter
a naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite
chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and
hardness
a composition of two or more substances that are not chemically combined
with each other and are capable of being separated
an explanation or representation of an object, system, or process that cannot
be easily studied
the simplest unit of a chemical compound that can exist, consisting of two or
more atoms held together by chemical bonds
the natural satellite of Earth, orbiting it every 28 days and shining by reflected
light from the sun
one of the cyclically recurring apparent forms of the moon
a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
the effect of a natural or man-made event on a national level
knowledge which is acquired and preserved through generations in an original
or local society, and is based on experience in working to secure subsistence
from nature
a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on
humanity and/or our surroundings
a material source of wealth, such as timber, fresh water, or a mineral deposit,
that occurs in a natural state and has economic value
a neutral elementary particle of about the same mass as a proton
of or relating to an energy source, such as oil or natural gas, or a natural
resource, such as a metallic ore, that is not replaceable after it has been used
relating to atomic nuclei; derived from the energy of atomic nuclei
the act of making and recording a measurement
a drilling sample taken from deep ocean sediment to aid our understanding of
past climate changes
the branch of science concerned with the physical and biological properties and
phenomena of the sea
a belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive
knowledge or evidence
the path of a celestial body or an artificial satellite as it revolves around
another body
a geologic principle that states that most sediments were originally laid down
horizontally; if the rocks are found in an inclined position, then some force
must have been applied after they were deposited.
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
26
Pangaea
Particulate model
Periodic table
pH
Phase change
Physical change
Physical map
Planet
Plasma
Plate boundary
Plate motion
Plate tectonics
Plateau
Polarity
Pole
Pollution
Position
Precipitation
Prediction
Pressure
Prevailing wind
Property
Proton
Proximity to oceans
Qualitative
Quantitative
Radar
Radiation
Radiometric dating
11/28/2012
(plate tectonics) a hypothetical super‐continent that included all the
landmasses of the earth before the Triassic Period. When continental drift
began, Pangaea broke up into Laurasia and Gondwanaland
model of matter describing all matter as composed of particles with space in
between them; the relative distance between particles and the motion of the
particles can be used to explain the phases of matter (gas, liquid, solid)
a table of the chemical elements arranged in order of atomic number, usually
in rows, with elements having similar atomic structure appearing in vertical
columns
p(otential of) H(ydrogen); a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution,
numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity
and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges
from 0 to 14
a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in
chemical composition
a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in
chemical composition
refers to a map that depicts identifiable landmarks like mountains, oceans,
rivers, lakes, deserts, etc.
a non‐luminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet
an electrically neutral, highly ionized gas composed of ions, electrons, and
neutral particles. It is a phase of matter distinct from solids, liquids, and
normal gases
the areas along which plate tectonic movement occurs: convergent, divergent,
and transform
movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates thought to be caused by convection in
the mantle and core
a theory that explains the global distribution of geological phenomena such as
seismicity, volcanism, continental drift, and mountain building in terms of the
formation, destruction, movement, and interaction of earth's lithospheric plates
an elevated, comparatively level expanse of land
the state of having poles or opposites
either extremity of an axis through a sphere
the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment
place or location
any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, which falls to Earth's
surface
a statement about what one thinks will happen in an investigation
force applied uniformly over a surface, measured as force per unit of area
a wind from the predominant or most usual direction
something that can be known by looking at or feeling an object; something one
can observe
an elementary particle in all atoms that has a positive charge
nearness to oceans and its effect on a location’s climate
involving distinctions, descriptions, or comparisons based on qualities that can
be observed without measurement (e.g. color, shape, appearance)
involving distinctions, descriptions, or comparisons that can be quantified or
measured
an object-detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to determine
spatial properties of moving or fixed objects; often used to determine the
properties of weather systems
emission and propagation of energy in the form of rays or waves
a method of determining the age of objects or material using the decay rates of
radioactive components such as potassium‐argon
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
27
Ratio
Remote sensing
Renewable resource
Resource
Resource
consumption
Resource extraction
Resource location
Revolution
Rock
Rock cycle
Rotation
Salinity
Satellite
Satellite imagery
Science
Scientific law
Scientific theory
Sea-level
fluctuations
Season
Sediment
Sedimentary
Soil
Soil formation
Soil loss
Solar phenomena
Solar system
Solid
Solubility
Soluble
Solution
Sort
Space
11/28/2012
the relationship between two quantities expressed as the quotient of one
divided by the other
the acquisition of information about objects or phenomena without actually
touching the objects or phenomena in question.
any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished
naturally with the passage of time
available supply of something that can be drawn upon when needed
use of resources
removal of resources from Earth’s crust
exploration for Earth resources
movement of an object in space (a planet) around a larger object (a star), held
in position by the force of gravity
any natural material with a distinctive composition of minerals
the process by which rocks are recycled and changed from one form of rock to
another
the act or process of turning around a center or an axis
the relative proportion of salt in a solution
any celestial body orbiting around a planet or star
photographs of solar system-object surface features taken by artificial
satellites
the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the
structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation
and experiment
a phenomenon of nature that has been shown to invariably occur whenever
certain conditions exist or are met
a well‐substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an
organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of
circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "scientific theories must
be falsifiable"
rise and fall of sea-level based on changes in the climate leading to changes in
the environment
one of the natural periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and
solstices or atmospheric conditions
material that has been deposited by water, ice or wind
rocks formed when sediment is deposited and becomes tightly compacted
the top layer of the Earth's surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles
mixed with organic matter
the creation of soil by the interaction of climate, relief, parent material, and
living organisms; living organisms include vegetation, fauna, and human
activity
removal of soil by human activities like logging, farming, and construction and
its effect on the formation of landforms
physical features that include but are not limited to solar flares, prominences,
coronal mass ejections, and sunspots
a system of planets or other bodies orbiting a star
the state in which a substance has no tendency to flow under moderate stress;
resists forces (such as compression) that tend to deform it; and retains a
definite size and shape
the quality or condition of being soluble
that can be dissolved, especially easily dissolved
homogeneous mixture of two or more substances, which may be solids, liquids,
gases, or a combination of these
to arrange according to class, kind, or size; classify
an empty area (usually bounded in some way between things); the expanse in
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
28
Spectroscope
Speed
Star
State of matter
Stratosphere
Substance
Sun
Superposition
Surface
Surface features
Sustainable use
System
T-chart
Table
Telescope
Temperature
Testable
Testable question
Thermometer
Thunderstorm
Tide
Topographic map
Transfer
Transform
Tree rings
Troposphere
Tsunami
Ultraviolet
Unconformity
Unit
Universe
Uplift
Variable
Verify
11/28/2012
which the solar system, stars, and galaxies exist; the universe
an instrument for producing and observing spectra, the entire range of
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
the rate or a measure of the rate of motion
a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear
reactions in the interior
the physical state that matter exists in; solid, liquid or gas
the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere
a particular kind of matter with uniform properties
the star round which earth orbits
a geologic principle that states that older sedimentary rocks are deposited
beneath younger sedimentary rocks
the outer or the topmost boundary of an object
a solar-system object’s visible expression of the underlying processes that have
operated to create the object
resource consumption that does not exhaust the available supply of the
resource
a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a
complex whole
a graphic organizer with two columns in which the entry in one column is
paired with the entry in the other
an orderly arrangement of data, especially one in which the data are arranged
in columns and rows in an essentially rectangular form
a scientific instrument designed to collect and record electromagnetic radiation
from cosmic sources
a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter,
expressed in terms of units or degrees designated on a standard scale
able to be tested or investigated by a scientific investigation
a question around which an experiment can be designed to produce data
(evidence) for answers or further questioning
a tool used to measure temperature
produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, a weather event that produces thunder,
lightning, rain, hail, etc
the alternate rising and falling of the sea due to the attraction of the moon and
sun
a map that shows elevation changes over a given area through the use of
contours (lines of equal elevation)
to convey or cause to pass from one place or thing to another
to convert from one form to another
growth rings in trees that are indicators of past climates and climate change
the lowest region of the atmosphere between the Earth's surface and the
tropopause, characterized by decreasing temperature with increasing altitude
an ocean wave created by underwater earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes
electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength just shorter than that of violet
light but longer than that of X‐rays
a break in rock sequences that can indicate uplift and erosion or non-deposition
a standard amount of a physical quantity, such as length or energy, used to
express magnitudes of that quantity
all matter and energy, including the Earth, the galaxies, and the contents of
intergalactic space, regarded as a whole
upheaval; raising something to a higher level
a factor or condition that can change and might affect the outcome of an
experiment
to determine or test the accuracy of, as by comparison, investigation, or
reference
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
29
Video/image
libraries
Visible light
Volcanic eruption
Volcano
Volume
Waste
Water cycle
Wavelength
Weather
Weather station
Weathering
Weight
White light
Work
Year
11/28/2012
data collections of videos and various images that can be accessed to study
aspects of earth science
electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material
an opening in Earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are
ejected
the amount of 3‐dimensional space occupied by an object
material that is not utilized (for whatever reason) during the extraction and
consumption of Earth resources
the circulation of the Earth's water, in which water from the sea evaporates,
forms clouds, falls as rain or snow, and returns to the sea by rivers
the distance between one peak or crest of a wave of light, heat, or other
energy and the next corresponding peak or crest
the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables
such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure
a collection of sensing instruments designed to monitor various climatic
conditions
any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which rocks exposed to the
weather undergo changes in character and break down
the force with which a body is attracted to Earth or another celestial body,
equal to the product of the object's mass and the acceleration of gravity
apparently colorless light containing all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum
at equal intensity (such as ordinary daylight)
the transfer of energy from one physical system to another, especially the
transfer of energy to a body by the application of a force that moves the body
in the direction of the force
the time taken by the Earth to make one revolution around the sun
BVSD Curriculum Essentials
30