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).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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

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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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems 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.

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Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity) and human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural 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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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

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Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can identify the steps of the scientific method.
• I can record accurate measurements using the SI system.
• I can identify independent and dependent variables.

Reasoning Targets

• I can convert metric measurements to a smaller or larger unit.
• I can form a hypothesis using if, then, because.

Skills (Performance) Targets

• I can conduct a scientific investigation.
• I can interpret charts and graphs.
• I can create charts and graphs.

Product Targets

• I can design a controlled scientific investigation.

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Websites

Vocabulary

Performance Expectations

ESS1 helps students formulate an answer to questions such as:

• What is Earth’s place in the universe?
• What makes up our solar system?
• How can the motion of Earth explain seasons and eclipses?
• How do people figure out that the Earth and life on Earth have changed through time?

The ESS1 Disciplinary Core Idea is broken down into three sub-ideas: the universe and its stars, Earth and the solar system and the history of planet Earth . Students examine the Earth’s place in relation to the solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, and universe. There is a strong emphasis on a systems approach, using models of the solar system to explain astronomical and other observations of the cyclic patterns of eclipses, tides, and seasons. There is also a strong connection to engineering through the instruments and technologies that have allowed us to explore the objects in our solar system and obtain the data that support the theories that explain the formation and evolution of the universe . Students examine geoscience data in order to understand the processes and events in Earth’s history.
In the ESS1 performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in developing and using models, analyzing data,and constructing explanations and designing solutions; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas.

Calculation Method for DCI

Disciplinary Core Ideas are larger groups of related Performance Expectations. So the Disciplinary Core Idea Grade is a calculation of all the related Performance Expectations. So click on the Performance Expectation name below each Disciplinary Core Idea to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for each Disciplinary Core Idea's related Performance Expectations.

Clarification Statement: Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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.
ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System 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.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can define a day, month, and year according to the movements of the sun, moon, and earth.
  
• I can identify the phases of the moon.
• I can label a solar eclipse and lunar eclipse.
• I can identify the two primary causes for Earth’s seasons.
• I can define rotation and revolution.

Reasoning Targets

• I can predict the phase of the moon based on its location relative to the sun and the earth.
  
• I can explain why a solar eclipse does not occur every new moon.

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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).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe.
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. The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can describe the shape of orbits.
  
• I can describe the change in gravitational force as mass and distance change.

Reasoning Targets

• I can explain why planets revolve faster as they approach the sun. 

Skills (Performance) Targets

• I can relate a planet’s period of revolution to its distance from the sun.

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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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can identify the appropriate unit for measuring distances in space.
  
• I can list celestial objects in the correct order by size.

Reasoning Targets

• I can justify or defend my choice for the appropriate unit for measuring distances in space.

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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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can provide reasons for the divisions of geologic time.
  
• I can compare and contrast relative and absolute dating.

Reasoning Targets

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Skills (Performance) Targets

• I can use index fossils to determine the relative age of a rock layer.
  
• I can use the law of superposition to determine the relative age of a rock layer.

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Performance Expectations

ESS2 help students formulate an answer to questions such as:

• How do the materials in and on Earth’s crust change over time?
• How does the movement of tectonic plates impact the surface of Earth?
• How does water influence weather, circulate in the oceans, and shape Earth’s surface?
• What factors interact and influence weather?
• How have living organisms changed the Earth?
• How have Earth’s changing conditions impacted living organisms?

The ESS2 Disciplinary Core Idea is broken down into five sub - ideas: Earth materials and systems, plate tectonics and large - scale system interactions, the roles of water in Earth’s surface processes , weather and climate, and biogeology. Students understand how Earth’s geo-systems operate by modeling the flow of energy and cycling of matter within and among different systems. Students investigate the controlling properties of important materials and construct explanations based on the analysis of real geoscience data. Of special importance in both topics are the ways that geoscience processes provide resources needed by society but also cause natural hazards that present risks to society; both involve technological challenges, for the identification and development of resources. Students develop understanding of the factors that control weather. A systems approach is also important here, examining the feedbacks between systems as energy from the sun is transferred between systems and circulates though the ocean and atmosphere.
In the ESS2 performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations , analyzing and interpreting data , and constructing explanations ; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas.

Calculation Method for DCI

Disciplinary Core Ideas are larger groups of related Performance Expectations. So the Disciplinary Core Idea Grade is a calculation of all the related Performance Expectations. So click on the Performance Expectation name below each Disciplinary Core Idea to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for each Disciplinary Core Idea's related Performance Expectations.

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 (e.g. rock cycle)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can recognize the five characteristics that define a mineral (i.e. solid, inorganic, naturally occurring, crystalline structure, pure substance/definite chemical composition). (Minerals)
  
• I can describe the two major groups of minerals. (Minerals)
• I can identify the three types of rock and how they form. (Rocks)
• I can recognize the difference between weathering and erosion. (Rocks)

Reasoning Targets

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Skills (Performance) Targets

• I can identify the properties of a mineral. (Minerals)
  
• I can identify a mineral utilizing its properties. (Minerals)
• I can use texture and composition to classify igneous rocks. (Rocks)
• I can distinguish between foliated and nonfoliated metamorphic rocks. (Rocks)
• I can distinguish between clastic, chemical, and organic sedimentary rocks. (Rocks)

Product Targets

• I can diagram and explain the journey of rock as it moves through the rock cycle. (Rocks)

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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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems 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.
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes Water’s movements cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can contrast uniformitarianism and catastrophism.

Reasoning Targets

• I can explain how uniformitarianism and catastrophism led to the theory of actualism.

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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).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches (secondary).
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions 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

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can identify and describe the compositional and structural (physical) layers of the Earth.
  
• I can identify the three forces that cause tectonic plate movement (i.e. convection, slab pull, ridge push).
• I can identify the three types of plate boundaries and describe the plate movement associated with each.
• I can provide evidence that supports the theory of continental drift.

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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.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes 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.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can label the seven steps of the water cycle (i.e. evaporation, precipitation, condensation, runoff, percolation, infiltration, and transpiration).
  
• I can label the state of water throughout each step of the water cycle.
• I can accurately label a diagram of the three ways heat is transferred.

Reasoning Targets

• I can apply the three types of heat transfer to a real life scenario.
  
• I can apply the processes of the water cycle to a real life scenario.

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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 (e.g.; condensation).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes 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.
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

• I can identify the characteristics that define air masses.
  
• I can describe the interactions between a warm air mass and a cold air mass along a warm/cold font (include precipitation).
• I can describe the four factors necessary for cloud formation.

Reasoning Targets

• I can predict the weather conditions before and after a warm front and a cold front.

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