Colorado Academic Standards Online
Use the options below to create customized views of the Colorado Academic Standards. For all standards resources, see the Office of Standards and Instructional Support.
Science - 2019
Fifth Grade, Standard 1. Physical Science
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
1. Matter exists as particles that are too small to be seen; measurements of a variety of observable properties can be used to identify particular materials.
Students Can:
- Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. (5-PS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence supporting a model could include adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water and evaporating salt water. Does not include the atomic-scale mechanism of evaporation and condensation or defining the unseen particles.)
- Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. (5-PS1-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of materials to be identified could include baking soda and other powders, metals, minerals and liquids. Examples of properties could include color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces and solubility; density is not intended as an identifiable property. Does not include density or distinguishing mass and weight.) (Boundary Statement: At this grade level, mass and weight are not distinguished, and no attempt is made to define the unseen particles or explain the atomic-scale mechanism of evaporation and condensation.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Use models to describe phenomena (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction). (a)
- Make observations and measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Personal: Personal responsibility). (b)
- Students can answer the question: How do particles combine to form the variety of matter one observes?
- PS1:A Structure and Properties of Matter: Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. (a)
- PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter: Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials. (b)
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
2. Chemical Reactions that occur when substances are mixed can be identified by the emergence of substances with different properties; the total mass remains the same.
Students Can:
- Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved. (5-PS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Examples of reactions or changes could include phase changes, dissolving and mixing that form new substances. Does not include distinguishing mass and weight.) (Boundary Statement: Mass and weight are not distinguished at this grade level.)
- Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances. (5-PS1-4)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Measure and graph quantities such as weight to address scientific and engineering questions and problems (Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving). (a)
- Make observations and measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon. (Planning and Carrying out Investigations) (b)
- Students can answer the questions: How do substances combine or change (react) to make new substances? How does one characterize and explain these reactions and make predictions about them?
- PS1:B Chemical Reactions: No matter what reaction or change in properties occurs, the total weight of the substances does not change. (a) (Boundary Statement: Mass and weight are not distinguished at this grade level). PS1: A Structure and Properties of Matter: The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish. (a)
- PS1:B When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. (b)
- Scale, Proportion and Quantity: Standard units are used to measure and describe physical quantities such as weight, time, temperature and volume. (a)
- Scientific Knowledge to Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems: Science assumes consistent patterns in natural systems. (b)
- Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships are routinely identified, tested and used to explain change. (b)
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
3. The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth's surface pulls that object toward the planet’s center.
Students Can:
- Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down. (5-PS2-1) (Clarification Statement: “Down” is a local description of the direction that points toward the center of the spherical Earth.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include mathematical representation of gravitational force).
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Support an argument with evidence, data or a model (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction).
- Students can answer the question: What underlying forces explain the variety of interactions observed?
- PS2:B Types of Interactions: The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth’s surface pulls that object toward the planet’s center.
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
4. The energy released from food was once energy from the sun.
Students Can:
- Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth and motion and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. (5-PS3-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams and flowcharts.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Use models to describe phenomena (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction).
- Students can answer the questions: How do food and fuel provide energy? If energy is conserved, why do people say it is produced or used?
- PS3:D Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life: The energy released from food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water).
Science - 2019
Fifth Grade, Standard 2. Life Science
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- 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.
1. Plants acquire their material from growth chiefly from air and water.
Students Can:
- Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. (5-LS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Support an argument with evidence, data or a model (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction).
- Students can answer the question: How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow?
- LS1:C Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms: Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.
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- 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.
2. Matter cycles between air and soil and among plants, animals and microbes as these organisms live and die.
Students Can:
- Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. (5-LS2-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that matter that is not food [air, water, decomposed materials in soil] is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include molecular explanations.)
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 the Nature of Science: Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena. Science explanations describe the mechanisms for natural events.
- Students can answer the questions: How do organisms interact with the living and nonliving environments to obtain matter and energy? How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem?
- LS2:A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plant parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem.
- LS2:B Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems: Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gases, and water, from the environment, and release waste matter (gas, liquid or solid) back into the environment.
Science - 2019
Fifth Grade, Standard 3. Earth and Space Science
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- 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.
1. Stars range greatly in size and distance from Earth, and this can explain their relative brightness.
Students Can:
- Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth. (5-ESS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Limited to relative distances, not sizes, of stars. Does not include other factors that affect apparent brightness [such as stellar masses, age and stage].)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Support an argument with evidence, data or a model (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Civic/Interpersonal: Collaboration/Teamwork).
- Students can answer the question: What is the universe, and what goes on in stars?
- ESS1:A The Universe and its Stars: The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.
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- 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.
2. Earth’s orbit and rotation and the orbit of the moon around earth cause observable patterns.
Students Can:
- Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. (5-ESS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include the position and motion of Earth with respect to the sun and selected stars that are visible only in particular months.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include causes of seasons.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Represent data in graphical displays (bar graphs, pictographs and/or pie charts) to reveal patterns that indicate relationships. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving).
- 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 orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon and stars at different times of the day, month and year.
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- 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.
3. Earth’s major systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth’s surface materials and processes.
Students Can:
- Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and/or atmosphere interact. (5-ESS2-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples could include the influence of the ocean on ecosystems, landform shape, and climate; the influence of the atmosphere on landforms and ecosystems through weather and climate; and the influence of mountain ranges on winds and clouds in the atmosphere. The geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere are each a system.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to the interactions of two systems at a time.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Develop a model using an example to describe a scientific principle. (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction).
- Students can answer the question: How do Earth’s major systems interact? How do the properties and movements of water shape Earth’s surface and affect its systems?
- ESS2:A Earth Materials and Systems: Earth’s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth’s surface materials and processes. The ocean supports a variety of ecosystems and organisms, shapes landforms and influences climate. Winds and clouds in the atmosphere interact with the landforms to determine patterns of weather.
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- 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.
4. Most of Earth’s water is in the ocean and much of Earth’s freshwater in glaciers or underground.
Students Can:
- Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of saltwater and freshwater in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth. (5-ESS2-2) (Boundary Statement: Limited to oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, ground water, and polar ice caps, and does not include the atmosphere.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Describe and graph quantities such as area and volume to address scientific questions (Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving).
- 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: Nearly all of Earth’s available water is in the ocean. Most fresh water is in glaciers or underground; only a tiny fraction is in streams, lakes, wetlands and the atmosphere.
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- 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.
5. Societal activities have had major effects on land, ocean, atmosphere and even outer space
Students Can:
- Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. (5-ESS3-1)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
- Students can answer the question: How do humans change the planet?
- ESS3:C Human Impacts on Earth Systems: Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.
Science - 2019
Middle School, Standard 1. Physical Science
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
1. The fact that matter is composed of atoms and molecules can be used to explain the properties of substances, diversity of materials, states of matter and phases changes.
Students Can:
- Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. (MS PS1-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples of simple molecules could include ammonia and methanol. Examples of extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds. Examples of molecular-level models could include drawings, 3-D ball and stick structures, or computer representations showing different molecules with different types of atoms.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include valence electrons and bonding energy, discussing the ionic nature of subunits of complex structures, or a complete description of all individual atoms in a complex molecule or extended structure.)
- Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. (MS-PS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride.) (Boundary statement: Limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability and odor.)
- Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society. (MS-PS1-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form the synthetic material. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods and alternative fuels.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to qualitative information.)
- Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. (MS-PS1-4) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on qualitative molecular-level models of solids, liquids and gases to show that adding or removing thermal energy increases or decreases kinetic energy of the particles until a change of state occurs. Examples of models could include drawing and diagrams. Examples of particles could include molecules or inert atoms. Examples of pure substances could include water, carbon dioxide and helium.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Develop a model to predict and/or describe phenomena. (Developing and using models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction) (a,d)
- Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (Analyzing and interpreting data) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (b)
- 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 support or not supported by evidence (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communication Information) (Professional: Information literacy) (c)
- Connection to Nature of Science: Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. (b)
- Students can answer the question: How do particles combine to form the variety of matter one observes?
- PS1:A Structure and Properties of Matter: Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating sub-units (e.g., crystals). (a) Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. (b,c) Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter. (d)
- Scale, Proportion and Quantity: Time, space and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too small or too large. (a)
- Patterns: Macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level structure. (b)
- Structure and Function: Structures can be designed to serve particular functions by taking into account properties of different materials, and how materials can be shaped and used. (c)
- Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems. (d)
- 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 engineering systems. (c)
- Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World: The uses of technology and any limitation on their use are driven by individual and 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. (c)
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- 1. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
2. Reacting substances rearrange to form different molecules, but the number of atoms is conserved. Some reactions release energy and others absorb energy.
Students Can:
- Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. (MS-PS1-2) (Clarification Statement: Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride.) (Boundary statement: Limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability and odor.)
- Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. (MS PS 1-5) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on law of conservation of matter and on physical models or drawings, including digital forms that represent atoms.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include the use of atomic masses, balancing symbolic equations or intermolecular forces.)
- Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes. (MS PS1-6) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the design, controlling the transfer of energy to the environment, and modification of a device using factors such as type and concentration of a substance. Examples of designs could involve chemical reactions such as dissolving ammonium chloride or calcium chloride.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to the criteria of amount, time and temperature of substance in testing the device.)
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) (a)
- Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (Developing and Using Models) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation) (b)
- Undertake a design project, engaging in the design cycle, to construct and/or implement a solution that meets specific design criteria and constraints. (Constructing Explanation and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Creativity/Innovation) (c)
- Connections to Nature of Science: Laws are regularities or mathematical descriptions of natural phenomena. (b)
- Students can answer the questions: How do substances combine or change (react) to make new substances? How does one characterize and explain these reactions and make predictions about them?
- PS1:B Chemical Reactions: Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (a,b) The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. (b) Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. (c)
- Patterns: Macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level structure. (a)
- Energy and Matter: Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes. (b) The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. (c)
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- 2. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding interactions between objects and within systems of objects.
3. Motion is described relative to a reference frame that must be shared with others and is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion.
Students Can:
- Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects. (MS-PS-2-1) (Clarification Statement: Examples of practical problems could include the impact of collisions between two cars, between a car and stationary objects, and between a meteor and a space vehicle.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to vertical or horizontal interactions in one dimension.)
- Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an objects motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. (MS-PS-2-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on balanced [Newton’s First Law] and unbalanced forces in a system, qualitative comparisons of forces, mass and changes in motion [Newton’s Second Law], frame of reference and specification of units.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to forces and changes in motion in one-dimension in an inertial reference frame and to change in one variable at a time. Assessment does not include the use of trigonometry.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Apply scientific ideas or principles to design an object, tool, process, or system. (Constructing Explanation and Designing Solutions) (Personal: Personal responsibility) (a)
- Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded and how many data are needed to support a claim. (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction) (b)
- Connections to Nature of Science: Science is knowledge based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. (b)
- Students can answer the question: How can one predict an object’s continued motion, changes in motion or stability?
- PS2:A Forces and Motion: For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law). (a) The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion. (b) All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily chosen units of size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared. (b)
- Systems and System Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions - such as inputs, processes and outputs - and energy and matter flows within systems. (a)
- Stability and Change: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and forces at different scales. (b)
- Connections to Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science: 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. (a)
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- 2. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding interactions between objects and within systems of objects.
4. Forces that act a distance (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) can be explained by force fields that extend through space and can be mapped by their effect on a test object.
Students Can:
- Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. (MS-PS2-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of devices that use electric and magnetic forces could include electromagnets, electric motors, or generators. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or the effect of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to questions that require quantitative answers is limited to proportional reasoning and algebraic thinking.)
- Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects. (MS-PS2-4) (Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence for arguments could include data generated from simulations or digital tools; and charts displaying mass, strength of interaction, distance from the Sun, and orbital periods of objects within the solar system.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include Newton’s Law of Gravitation or Kepler’s Laws.)
- Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact. (MS-PS2-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of this phenomenon could include the interactions of magnets, electrically charged strips of tape, and electrically-charged pith balls. Examples of investigations could include firsthand experiences or simulations.) (Boundary Statement: Assessment is limited to electric and magnetic fields, and limited to qualitative evidence for the existence of fields.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Ask questions that can be investigated within the scope of the classroom, outdoor environment, and museums and other public facilities with available resources and when appropriate, frame a hypothesis based on observations and scientific principles. (Asking Questions and Defining Problems) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (a)
- Construct and present oral and written arguments 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. (Engage in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving) (b)
- Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that can meet the goals of the investigation. (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Personal: initiative/Self-direction) (c)
- Connections to Nature of Science: Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. (b)
- Students can answer the question: What underlying forces explain the variety of interactions observed?
- PS2:B Types of Interactions: Electric and magnetic (electromagnetic) forces can be attractive or repulsive, and their sizes depend on the magnitudes of the charges, currents, or magnetic strengths involved and on the distances between the interacting objects. (a) Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass — e.g., Earth and the sun. (b) Forces that act at a distance (electric, magnetic, and gravitational) can be explained by fields that extend through space and can be mapped by their effect on a test object (a charged object, or a ball, respectively). (c)
- Cause and Effect: Cause - and - effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems. (a,c)
- Systems and Systems Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions--such as inputs, processes and outputs -- and energy and matter flows within systems. (b)
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- 3. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how energy is transferred and conserved.
5. Kinetic energy can be distinguished from the various forms of potential energy.
Students Can:
- Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and the speed of an object. (MS-PS3-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on descriptive relationships between kinetic energy and mass separately from kinetic energy and speed. Examples could include riding a bicycle at different speeds, rolling different sizes of rocks downhill, and getting hit by a wiffle ball versus a tennis ball.)
- Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system. (MS-PS-3-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on relative amounts of potential energy, not on calculations of potential energy. Examples of objects within systems interacting at varying distances could include: the Earth and either a roller coaster car at varying positions on a hill or objects at varying heights on shelves, changing the direction/orientation of a magnet, and a balloon with static electrical charge being brought closer to a classmate’s hair. Examples of models could include representations, diagrams, pictures, and written descriptions of systems.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to two objects and electric, magnetic, and gravitational interactions.)
- Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer. (MS-PS3-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of devices could include an insulated box, a solar cooker, and a Styrofoam cup.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.)
- Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample. (MS-PS3-4) (Clarification Statement: Examples of experiments could include comparing final water temperatures after different masses of ice melted in the same volume of water with the same initial temperature, the temperature change of samples of different materials with the same mass as they cool or heat in the environment, or the same material with different masses when a specific amount of energy is added.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.)
- Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object. (MS-PS3–5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of empirical evidence used in arguments could include an inventory or other representation of the energy before and after the transfer in the form of temperature changes or motion of object.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculations of energy.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to identify linear and nonlinear relationships. (Analyzing and Interpreting Data) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving) (a)
- Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (Developing and Using a Model) (b)
- Apply scientific ideas or principles to design, construct, and test a design of an object, tool, process or system. (Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (c)
- Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim. (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (d)
- Construct, use, and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving) (e)
- Connections to Nature of Science Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence: Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. (d,e)
- Students can answer the question: What is energy?
- PS3: A Definitions of Energy: Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. (a) A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. (b) Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationships between the temperature and total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (c,d,e)
- Scale, proportion and quantity: Proportional relationships (e.g., speed as the relation of distance traveled to time taken) among different types of quantities provide information about the magnitude of properties and processes. (a,d)
- Systems and System Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions - such as inputs, processes, and outputs - and energy and matter flows within systems. (b)
- Energy and Matter: Energy may take different forms (e.g., energy in fields, thermal energy, energy of motion). The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. (c,e)
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- 3. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how energy is transferred and conserved.
6. Energy changes to and from each type can be tracked through physical or chemical interactions. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states and amounts of matter.
Students Can:
- Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer. (MS PS3-3) (Clarification Statement: Examples of devices could include an insulated box, a solar cooker, and a Styrofoam cup.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.)
- Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample. (MS-PS3-4) (Clarification Statement: Examples of experiments could include comparing final water temperatures after different masses of ice melted in the same volume of water with the same initial temperature, the temperature change of samples of different materials with the same mass as they cool or heat in the environment, or the same material with different masses when a specific amount of energy is added.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.)
- Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object. (MS-PS3-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of empirical evidence used in arguments could include an inventory or other representation of the energy before and after the transfer in the form of temperature changes or motion of object.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include calculations of energy.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Apply scientific ideas or principles to design, construct, and test a design of an object, tool, process, or system. (Construct Explanations and Designing Solutions) (Civic/Interpersonal: Civic-Engagement) (a)
- Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim. (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (b)
- Construct, use, and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon. (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis) (c)
- Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. (b,c)
- Students can answer the questions: What is meant by conservation of energy? How is energy transferred between objects or systems?
- PS3:B Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer: When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time. (c) The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. (b) Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. (a)
- Energy and Matter: The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. Energy may take different forms (e.g., energy in fields, thermal energy, energy of motion). (a,c)
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Proportional relationships (e.g., speed as the ratio of distance traveled to time taken) among different types of quantities provide information about the magnitude of properties and processes. (b)
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- 3. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how energy is transferred and conserved.
7. When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that can cause energy to be transferred to and from the object.
Students Can:
- Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system. (MS-PS3-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on relative amounts of potential energy, not on calculations of potential energy. Examples of objects within systems interacting at varying distances could include: the Earth and either a roller coaster car at varying positions on a hill or objects at varying heights on shelves, changing the direction/orientation of a magnet, and a balloon with static electrical charge being brought closer to a classmate’s hair. Examples of models could include representations, diagrams, pictures, and written descriptions of systems.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to two objects and electric, magnetic, and gravitational interactions.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (Developing and Using Models) (Personal: Initiative/Self-direction)
- Students can answer the question: How are forces related to energy?
- PS3:C Relationship Between Energy and Forces: When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that can cause energy to be transferred to or from the object. For example, when energy is transferred to an Earth-object system as an object is raised, the gravitational field energy of the system increases. This energy is released as the object falls; the mechanism of this release is the gravitational force. Likewise, two magnetic and electrically charged objects interacting at a distance exert forces on each other that can transfer energy between the interacting objects.
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- 4. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how waves are used to transfer energy and information.
8. A simple wave model has a repeating pattern with specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude and mechanical waves need a medium through which they are transmitted. This model can explain many phenomena which include light and sound.
Students Can:
- Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in the wave. (MS PS4-1) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing waves with both qualitative and quantitative thinking.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include electromagnetic waves and is limited to standard repeating waves.)
- Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed or transmitted through various materials. (MS-PS4-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to qualitative applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Use mathematical representations to describe and/or support scientific conclusions and design solutions. (Use Mathematics and Computational Thinking) (Entrepreneurial: Critical thinking/Problem solving)
- Connections to Nature of Science: Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations.
- Students can answer the question: What are the characteristic properties and behaviors of waves?
- PS4:A Wave Properties: A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. A sound wave needs a medium through which it is transmitted. Geologists use seismic waves and their reflection at interfaces between layers to probe structures deep in the planet.
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- 4. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how waves are used to transfer energy and information.
9. A wave model of light is useful to explain how light interacts with objects through a variety of properties.
Students Can:
- Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed or transmitted through various materials. (MS-PS4-2) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.) (Boundary Statement: Limited to qualitative applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.)
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: Personal responsibility)
- Students can answer the question: How can one explain the varied effects that involve light?
- PS4:B Electromagnetic Radiation: When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object's material and the frequency (color) of the light. The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where the light path bends. Lenses and prisms are applications of this effect. A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color and the frequency dependent bending of light at a surface between media (prisms). However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like sound or water waves.
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- 4. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how waves are used to transfer energy and information.
10. Designed technologies can transmit digital information as wave pulses.
Students Can:
- Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals. (MS-PS4-3) (Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in Wi-Fi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.) (Boundary Statement: Does not include binary counting or the specific mechanism of any given device.)
Academic Contexts and Connections:
Colorado Essential Skills and Science and Engineering Practices:
- Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information in written text with that contained in media and visual displays to clarify claims and findings. (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) (Professional: Use information and communications technologies)
- Students can answer the question: How are instruments that transmit and detect waves used to extend human senses?
- PS4:C Information Technologies and Instrumentation: Appropriately designed technologies (e.g., radio, television, cell-phones, wired and wireless computer networks) make it possible to detect and interpret many types of signals that cannot be sensed directly. Designers of such devices must understand both the signal and its interactions with matter. Many modern communication devices use digitized signals (sent as wave pulses) as a more reliable way to encode and transmit information.
- Structure and Function: Structures can be designed to serve particular functions.
- Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Technologies extend the measurement, exploration, modeling and computational capacity of scientific investigations.
- Connections to Nature of Science: Advances in technology influence the progress of science and science has influenced advances in technology.
Science - 2019
Middle School, Standard 2. Life Science
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- 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.
1. All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive.
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)
- 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).
- 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.
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- 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.
2. Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring.
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)
- 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.
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- 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.
3. Sustaining life requires substantial energy and matter inputs.
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)
- 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.
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- 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.
4. Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
5. Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
9. Fossils are mineral replacements, preserved remains, or traces of organisms that lived in the past.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
10. Genetic variations among individuals in a population give some individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing in their environment.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
- 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
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
- 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 - 2019
Middle School, Standard 3. Earth and Space Science
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- 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.
1. Motion is predictable in both solar systems and galaxies.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
2. The solar system contains many varied objects held together by gravity. Solar system models explain and predict eclipses, lunar phases, and seasons.
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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
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- 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.
5. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains movements of rocks at Earth’s surface and geological history.
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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
7. Complex interactions determine local weather patterns and influence climate, including the role of the ocean.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
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- 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.
9. Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region and understanding related geological forces.
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. 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)
- 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.
- 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.
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- 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.
10. Human activities have altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging it, although changes to environments can have different impacts for different living things.
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 increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. (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)
- 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 unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
- 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.
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- 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.
11. Human activities affect global warming. Decisions to reduce the impact of global warming depend on understanding climate science, engineering capabilities, and social dynamics.
Students Can:
- Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. (MS-ESS3-5) (Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities [such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity] 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)
- 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.
Need Help? Submit questions or requests for assistance to bruno_j@cde.state.co.us