Colorado Academic Standards Online

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Science - 2026

Middle School, Standard 2. Life Science

| Read the Colorado Essential Skills | Expand Set of GLEs Below

Prepared Graduates:

5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells. (MS-LS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on developing evidence that living things are made of cells, distinguishing between living and nonliving things, and understanding that living things may be made of one cell or many and varied cells.)
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways the parts of cells contribute to the function. (MS LS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the cell functioning as a whole system and the primary role of identified parts of the cell, specifically the nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria, cell membrane, and cell wall.) (Boundary Statement: Organelle structure/function relationships is limited to the cell wall and cell membrane. Function of the other organelles is limited to their relationship to the whole cell. Does not include the biochemical function of cells or cell parts.)
Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells. (MS-LS1-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the conceptual understanding that cells form tissues and tissues form organs specialized for particular body functions. Examples could include the interaction of subsystems within a system and the normal functioning of those systems.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the mechanism of one body system independent of others. Limited to the circulatory, excretory, digestive, respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Conduct an investigation to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals of an investigation. (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Developing and Using Models) (Civic/Interpersonal: Collaboration/Teamwork)
Use an oral and written argument supported by evidence to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
Use an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?
LS1.A Structure and Function: All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular).

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale.
Structure and Function: Complex and microscopic structures and systems can be visualized, modeled, and used to describe how their function depends on the relationships among its parts; therefore complex natural structures/systems can be analyzed to determine how they function.
Systems and System Models: Systems may interact with other systems; they may have sub-systems and be a part of larger complex systems.

Prepared Graduates:

5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. (MS-LS1-4) (Clarification Statement: Examples of behaviors that affect the probability of animal reproduction could include nest building to protect young from cold, herding of animals to protect young from predators, and vocalization of animals and colorful plumage to attract mates for breeding. Examples of animal behaviors that affect the probability of plant reproduction could include transferring pollen or seeds, and creating conditions for seed germination and growth. Examples of plant structures could include bright flowers attracting butterflies that transfer pollen, flower nectar and odors that attract insects that transfer pollen, and hard shells on nuts that squirrels bury.)
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms. (MS-LS1-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of local environmental conditions could include availability of food, light, space, and water. Examples of genetic factors could include large-breed cattle and species of grass affecting growth of organisms. Examples of evidence could include drought decreasing plant growth, fertilizer increasing plant growth, different varieties of plant seeds growing at different rates in different conditions, and fish growing larger in large ponds than they do in small ponds.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include genetic mechanisms, gene regulation or biochemical processes.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Use an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support and refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
Construct a scientific explanation base on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do organisms grow and develop?
LS1:B Growth and Development of Organisms: Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring. Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction. Genetic factors as well as local conditions affect the growth of the adult plant.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural systems.

Prepared Graduates:

5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction.

Grade Level Expectation:

3. Sustaining life requires substantial energy and matter inputs.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. (MS-LS1-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of matter and flow of energy.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis.)
Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism. (MS-LS1-7) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing that molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is released.) (Boundary Statement: Assessment does not include details of the chemical reactions for photosynthesis or respiration.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
Develop and use a model to describe phenomena and unobservable mechanisms. (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do organisms detect, process, and use information about the environment?
LS1:C Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms: Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
PS3:D Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life: The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen. Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Energy and Matter: Within a natural system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.

Prepared Graduates:

5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction.

Grade Level Expectation:

4. Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories. (MS-LS1-8) (Boundary Statement: Does not include mechanisms for the transmission of this information.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence. (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) (Professional: Information literacy)
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence. Science knowledge is based upon logical connections between evidence and explanations.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do organisms detect, process, and use information about the environment?
LS1:D Information Processing: Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain. The signals are then processed in the brain, resulting in immediate behaviors or memories.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural systems and phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause and effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability.
Connections to Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science: Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology. Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science, and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.
Connections to Nature of Science: Science is a Human Endeavor. Scientists and engineers are guided by habits of mind such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.

Prepared Graduates:

6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment.

Grade Level Expectation:

5. Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. (MS-LS2-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause - and - effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.)
Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. (MS-LS2-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on predicting consistent patterns of interactions in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of ecosystems. Examples of types of interactions could include competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
Construct an explanation that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables that predict phenomena. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do organisms interact with the living and nonliving environments to obtain matter and energy?
LS2:A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors. In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction. Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.
Patterns: Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships.
Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World: The use of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.

Prepared Graduates:

6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment.

Grade Level Expectation:

6. Ecosystems are sustained by the continuous flow of energy, originating primarily from the sun, and the recycling of matter and nutrients within the system.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. (MS-LS2-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on defining the boundaries of the system.) (Boundary Statement: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop a model to describe phenomena (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence. Science disciplines share common rules of obtaining and evaluating empirical evidence.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem?
LS2:B Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems: Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Energy and Matter: The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.
Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World. The use of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time.

Prepared Graduates:

6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment.

Grade Level Expectation:

7. Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all of its populations.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. (MS-LS2-4) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.)
Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. (MS-LS2-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of ecosystem services could include water purification, nutrient recycling, and prevention of soil erosion. Examples of design solution constraints could include scientific, economic, and social considerations.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem and evaluate competing design solutions based on jointly developed and agreed-upon design criteria. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence. Science disciplines share common rules of obtaining and evaluating empirical evidence.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What happens to ecosystems when the environment changes?
LS2:C Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience: Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Stability and Change: Small changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part.
Connections to Nature of Science: Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.

Prepared Graduates:

7. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how genetic and environmental factors influence variation of organisms across generations.

Grade Level Expectation:

8. Heredity explains why offspring resemble, but are not identical to, their parents and is a unifying biological principle. Heredity refers to specific mechanisms by which characteristics or traits are passed from one generation to the next via genes.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism. (MS-LS3-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on conceptual understanding that changes in genetic material may result in making different proteins.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include specific changes at the molecular level, mechanisms for protein synthesis, or specific types of mutations.)
Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation. (MS-LS3-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using models such as Punnett squares, diagrams, and simulations to describe the cause - and - effect relationship of gene transmission from parent(s) to offspring and resulting genetic variation.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)
Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence. (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) (Professional: Information literacy)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the questions: How are the characteristics of one generation related to the previous generation? Why do individuals of the same species vary in how they look, function, and behave?
LS3:A Inheritance of Traits: Genes are located in the chromosomes of cells, with each chromosome pair containing two variants of each of many distinct genes. Each distinct gene chiefly controls the production of specific proteins, which in turn affects the traits of the individual. Changes (mutations) to genes can result in changes to proteins, which can affect the structures and functions of the organism and thereby change traits.
LS3:B Variation of Traits: In addition to variations that arise from sexual reproduction, genetic information can be altered because of mutations. Though rare, mutations may result in changes to the structure and function of proteins. Some changes are beneficial, others harmful, and some neutral to the organism.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural systems.
Structure and Function: Complex and microscopic structures and systems can be visualized, modeled, and used to describe how their function depends on the shapes, composition, and relationships among its parts, therefore complex natural structures/systems can be analyzed to determine how they function.
Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology: Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science, and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.
Connections to Nature of Science: Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not make the decisions that society takes.

Prepared Graduates:

8. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how natural selection drives biological evolution accounting for the unity and diversity of organisms.

Grade Level Expectation:

9. Fossils are mineral replacements, preserved remains, or traces of organisms that lived in the past.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past. (MS-LS4-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on finding patterns of changes in the level of complexity of anatomical structures in organisms and the chronological order of fossil appearance in the rock layers.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the names of individual species or geological eras in the fossil record.)
Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships. (MS-LS4-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on explanations of the evolutionary relationships among organisms in terms of similarity or differences of the gross appearance of anatomical structures.)
Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy. (MS-LS4-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on inferring general patterns of relatedness among embryos of different organisms by comparing the macroscopic appearance of diagrams or pictures.) (Boundary Statement: Comparisons are limited to gross appearance of anatomical structures in embryological development.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Analyzing data progresses to extending quantitative analysis to investigations, distinguishing between correlation and causation, and basic statistical techniques of data and error analysis and analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
Constructing explanations and designing solutions to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Civic/Interpersonal: Civic engagement)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What evidence shows that different species are related?
LS4:A Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity: The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. Comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

Prepared Graduates:

8. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how natural selection drives biological evolution accounting for the unity and diversity of organisms.

Grade Level Expectation:

10. Genetic variations among individuals in a population give some individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing in their environment.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment. (MS-LS4-4) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using simple probability statements and proportional reasoning to construct explanations.)
Gather and synthesize information about technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms. (MS-LS4-5) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on synthesizing information from reliable sources about the influence of humans on genetic outcomes in artificial selection (such as genetic modification, animal husbandry, gene therapy); and, on the impacts these technologies have on society as well as the technologies leading to these scientific discoveries.)
Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time. (MS-LS4-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of trends in changes to populations over time.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include Hardy-Weinberg calculations.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct an explanation that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables that describe phenomena. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)
Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence. (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) (Professional: Information and Communications Technologies)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What evidence shows that different species are related?
LS4:B Natural Selection: Natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. In artificial selection, humans have the capacity to influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding. One can choose desired parental traits determined by genes, which are then passed on to offspring.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause - and - effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability.
Connections to and Interdependence of Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science, and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.
Connections to Nature of Science: Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.

Prepared Graduates:

8. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how natural selection drives biological evolution accounting for the unity and diversity of organisms.

Grade Level Expectation:

11. Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time. (MS-LS4-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of trends in changes to populations over time.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include Hardy Weinberg calculations.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Identifying patterns in large data sets and using mathematical concepts to support explanations and arguments. Use mathematical representations to support scientific conclusions and design solutions. (Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How does genetic variation among organisms affect survival and reproduction?
LS4:C Adaptation: Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause - and - effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation

Prepared Graduates:

8. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how natural selection drives biological evolution accounting for the unity and diversity of organisms.

Grade Level Expectation:

12. Biodiversity is the wide range of existing life forms that have adapted to the variety of conditions on Earth, from terrestrial to marine ecosystems.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. (MS-LS2-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of ecosystem services could include water purification, nutrient recycling, and prevention of soil erosion. Examples of design solution constraints could include scientific, economic, and social considerations.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. Evaluate competing design solutions based on jointly developed and agreed-upon design criteria. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How does the environment influence populations of organisms over multiple generations?
LS4:D Biodiversity and Humans: Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on — or example, water purification and recycling.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect relationships. -Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
Energy and matter: Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes. Within a natural system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.
Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology: Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science, and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.

Science - 2026

Middle School, Standard 3. Earth and Space Science

| Read the Colorado Essential Skills | Expand Set of GLEs Below

Prepared Graduates:

9. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding the universe and Earth's place in it.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Motion is predictable in both solar systems and galaxies.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons. (MS-ESS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual.)
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system. (MS-ESS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds together the solar system and Milky Way galaxy and controls orbital motions within them. Examples of models can be physical [such as the analogy of distance along a football field or computer visualizations of elliptical orbits] or conceptual [such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of familiar objects such as students' school or state].) (Boundary Statement: Does not include Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion or the apparent retrograde motion of the planets as viewed from Earth.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Develop and Use Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What is the universe, and what goes on in stars?
ESS1:A The Universe and Its Stars: Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models. Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Patterns can be used to identify cause and-effect relationships.
Systems and system models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

Prepared Graduates:

9. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding the universe and Earth's place in it.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. The solar system contains many varied objects held together by gravity. Solar system models explain and predict eclipses, lunar phases, and seasons.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system. (MS-ESS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds together the solar system and Milky Way galaxy and controls orbital motions within them. Examples of models can be physical [such as the analogy of distance along a football field or computer visualizations of elliptical orbits] or conceptual [such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of familiar objects such as students’ school or state].) (Boundary Statement: Does not include Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion or the apparent retrograde motion of the planets as viewed from Earth.)
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system. (MS-ESS1-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among solar system objects. Examples of scale properties include the sizes of an object’s layers [such as crust and atmosphere], surface features [such as volcanoes], and orbital radius. Examples of data include statistical information, drawings and photographs, and models.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include recalling facts about properties of the planets and other solar system bodies.)
Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons. (MS-ESS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Develop and Use Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)
Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (Analyze and Interpret Data) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What are the predictable patterns caused by Earth’s movement in the solar system?
ESS1:B Earth and the Solar System: The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth’s spin axis is fixed in direction over the short-term but tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year. The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Patterns can be used to identify cause - and - effect relationships.
Scale: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small.
Modeling: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions.
Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.
Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

Prepared Graduates:

10. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how and why Earth is constantly changing.

Grade Level Expectation:

3. Rock strata and the fossil record can be used as evidence to organize the relative occurrence of major historical events in Earth’s history.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history. (MS-ESS1-4) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to establish relative ages of major events in Earth’s history. Examples of Earth’s major events could range from being very recent [such as the last Ice Age or the earliest fossils of homo sapiens] to very old [such as the formation of Earth or the earliest evidence of life]. Examples can include the formation of mountain chains and ocean basins, the evolution or extinction of particular living organisms, or significant volcanic eruptions.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include recalling the names of specific periods or epochs and events within them.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do people reconstruct and date events in Earth’s planetary history?
ESS1:C The History of Planet Earth: The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth’s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small.

Prepared Graduates:

10. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how and why Earth is constantly changing.

Grade Level Expectation:

4. Energy flows and matter cycles within and among Earth’s systems, including the sun and Earth’s interior as primary energy sources. Plate tectonics is one result of these processes.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. (MS-ESS2-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the processes of melting, crystallization, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation, which act together to form minerals and rocks through the cycling of Earth’s materials.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the identification and naming of minerals.)
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales. (MS-ESS2-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how processes change Earth’s surface at time and spatial scales that can be large [such as slow plate motions or the uplift of large mountain ranges] or small [such as rapid landslides or microscopic geochemical reactions], and how many geoscience processes [such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteor impacts] usually behave gradually but are punctuated by catastrophic events. Examples of geoscience processes include surface weathering and deposition by the movements of water, ice, and wind. Emphasis is on geoscience processes that shape local geographic features, where appropriate.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: initiative/Self-direction)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do Earth’s major systems interact?
ESS2:A Earth's Materials and Systems: All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Stability and change: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and processes at different scales, including the atomic scale.

Prepared Graduates:

10. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how and why Earth is constantly changing.

Grade Level Expectation:

5. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains movements of rocks at Earth’s surface and geological history.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions. (MS-ESS2-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of data include similarities of rock and fossil types on different continents, the shapes of the continents [including continental shelves], and the locations of ocean structures [such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches].) (Boundary Statement: Does not include paleomagnetic anomalies in oceanic and continental crust.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
Connections to the Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence. Science findings are frequently revised and/or reinterpreted based on new evidence.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: Why do the continents move, and what causes earthquakes and volcanoes?
ESS2:B Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale Systems and Interactions: Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make clear how Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships can provide information about natural systems.

Prepared Graduates:

10. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how and why Earth is constantly changing.

Grade Level Expectation:

6. Water cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere, and is propelled by sunlight and gravity. Density variations of sea water drive interconnected ocean currents. Water movement causes weathering and erosion, changing landscape features.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales. (MS-ESS2-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how processes change Earth’s surface at time and spatial scales that can be large [such as slow plate motions or the uplift of large mountain ranges] or small [such as rapid landslides or microscopic geochemical reactions], and how many geoscience processes [such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteor impacts] usually behave gradually but are punctuated by catastrophic events. Examples of geoscience processes include surface weathering and deposition by the movements of water, ice, and wind. Emphasis is on geoscience processes that shape local geographic features, where appropriate.)
Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity. (MS-ESS2-4) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle. Examples of models can be conceptual or physical.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include a quantitative understanding of the latent heats of vaporization and fusion.)
Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions. (MS-ESS2-5) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how air masses flow from regions of high pressure to low pressure, causing weather [defined by temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind] at a fixed location to change over time and how sudden changes in weather can result when different air masses collide. Emphasis is on how weather can be predicted within probabilistic ranges. Examples of data can be provided to students [such as weather maps, diagrams, and visualizations] or obtained through laboratory experiments [such as with condensation].) (Boundary Statement: Does not include recalling the names of cloud types or weather symbols used on weather maps of the reported diagrams from weather stations.)
Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates. (MS-ESS2-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and geographic land distribution. Emphasis of atmospheric circulation is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is constrained by the Coriolis effect and the outlines of continents. Examples of models can be diagrams, maps, and globes, or digital representations.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe nature operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (Constructing explanations and designing solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)
Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (Developing and using models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)
Nature of Science: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World. Science findings are frequently revised and/or reinterpreted based on new evidence.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do the properties and movements of water shape Earth’s surface and affect its systems?
ESS2:C The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes: The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future. Water’s movements — both on the land and underground — cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations. Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land. Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity. The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Scale Proportion and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small.
Energy and Matter: Within a natural or designed system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter.

Prepared Graduates:

10. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how and why Earth is constantly changing.

Grade Level Expectation:

7. Complex interactions determine local weather patterns and influence climate, including the role of the ocean.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions. (MS-ESS2-5) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how air masses flow from regions of high pressure to low pressure, causing weather [defined by temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind] at a fixed location to change over time and how sudden changes in weather can result when different air masses collide. Emphasis is on how weather can be predicted within probabilistic ranges. Examples of data can be provided to students [such as weather maps, diagrams, and visualizations] or obtained through laboratory experiments [such as with condensation].) (Boundary Statement: Does not include recalling the names of cloud types or weather symbols used on weather maps of the reported diagrams from weather stations.)
Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates. (MS-ESS2-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and geographic land distribution. Emphasis of atmospheric circulation is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is constrained by the Coriolis effect and the outlines of continents. Examples of models can be diagrams, maps, and globes, or digital representations.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. (Developing and Using Models) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)
Collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions or test design solutions under a range of conditions.

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: What regulates weather and climate?
ESS2:D Weather and Climate: The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.
Systems and System Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions — such as inputs, processes and outputs — and energy, matter, and information flows within systems.

Prepared Graduates:

11. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how human activities and the Earth's surface processes interact.

Grade Level Expectation:

8. Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for different resources, many of which are limited or not renewable. Resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes. (MS-ESS3-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how these resources are limited and typically non-renewable, and how their distributions are significantly changing as a result of removal by humans. Examples of uneven distributions of resources as a result of past processes include but are not limited to petroleum [locations of the burial of organic marine sediments and subsequent geologic traps], metal ores [locations of past volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with subduction zones], and soil locations of active weathering and/or deposition of rock.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do humans depend on Earth’s resources?
ESS3:A Natural Resources: Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.

Prepared Graduates:

11. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how human activities and the Earth's surface processes interact.

Grade Level Expectation:

9. Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region and understanding related geological forces.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects. (MS-ESS3-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how some natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and severe weather, are preceded by phenomena that allow for reliable predictions, but others, such as earthquakes, occur suddenly and with no notice, and thus are not yet predictable. Examples of natural hazards can be taken from interior processes, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, surface processes, such as mass wasting and tsunamis, or severe weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Examples of data can include the locations, magnitudes, and frequencies of the natural hazards, such as Colorado wildfire data. Examples of technologies can be global, such as satellite systems to monitor hurricanes or forest fires, or local, such as building basements in tornado-prone regions or reservoirs to mitigate droughts.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do natural hazards affect individuals and societies?
ESS3:B Natural Hazards: Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Patterns: Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World: The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time.

Prepared Graduates:

11. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how human activities and the Earth's surface processes interact.

Grade Level Expectation:

10. Human activities have altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging it, although changes to environments can have different impacts for different living things.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. (MS-ESS3-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of the design process include examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of human impacts can include water usage, such as the withdrawal of water from streams and aquifers or the construction of dams and levees; land usage, such as urban development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands; and pollution, such as of the air, water, or land.)
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how human consumption of natural resources impacts Earth's geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. Present pros and cons to the use or impact. (MS-ESS3-4) (Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence include grade-appropriate databases on human populations and the rates of consumption of food and natural resources [such as freshwater, mineral, and energy]. Examples of impacts can include changes to the appearance, composition, and structure of Earth’s systems as well as the rates at which they change. The consequences of increases in human populations and consumption of natural resources are described by science, but science does not make the decisions for the actions society takes.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Apply scientific principles to design an object, tool, process or system. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
Construct an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do humans change the planet?
ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems: Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth's geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Cause and Effect: Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation. Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems.
Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World: All human activity draws on natural resources and has both short and long-term consequences, positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the natural environment. The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time.
Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World: Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.

Prepared Graduates:

11. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how human activities and the Earth's surface processes interact.

Grade Level Expectation:

11. Human activities affect global warming. Decisions to reduce the impact of global warming depend on understanding climate science, engineering capabilities, and social dynamics.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

Ask questions and learn about the effects of all forms of energy use. Ask questions and gather evidence on the causes of changing global temperatures, including human factors and natural cycles. (MS-ESS3-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities [such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity, manufacturing and mining of materials used in renewable energy, and waste management] and natural processes [such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity]. Examples of evidence can include tables, graphs, and maps of global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on the major role that human activities play in causing the rise in global temperatures.)

Academic Contexts and Connections:

Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:

Ask questions to identify and clarify evidence of an argument (Asking Questions and Defining Problems) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

Elaboration on the GLE:

Students can answer the question: How do people model and predict the effects of human activities on Earth’s climate?
ESS3:D Global Climate Change: Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

Stability and Change: Stability might be disturbed either by sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time.

Need Help? Submit questions or requests for assistance to bruno_j@cde.state.co.us