experiential education through exploration 
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Laboratory Safety The student will demonstrate the ability to use safe procedures when conducting an investigation.
Properties of Matter The student will demonstrate the ability to distinguish one substance from another based on observable and measurable properties, to compare the different phases of matter based on observable properties, to distinguish between chemical and physical changes based on observable properties, and to explain classification systems.
Weather and Climate The student will demonstrate the ability to explain how heat energy can be transferred through materials by conduction, convection, and radiation; to describe the composition, properties, and structure of the atmosphere; to describe the distribution and circulation of the world's water through oceans, glaciers, rivers, groundwater, and the atmosphere; to predict how ocean currents, earth's surface features, latitude, and the atmosphere affect climate; to analyze Earth data collected from space-based instruments and relate it to weather patterns; to describe and model large-scale and local weather systems; and to analyze and summarize data to identify trends and form a logical argument about a cause and effect relationship or sequence of events.
Solar System The student will demonstrate the ability to compare and classify celestial objects in our solar system according to size, composition, and surface features; to explain that the motion of most objects in the solar system is regular, predictable, and explains phenomena; to illustrate and explain the causes of the seasons and relative lengths of days and nights; and to explain the phenomena of tides as related to the concept of gravity. |
The Metric System The student will demonstrate the ability to use appropriate instruments and metric units when making measurements and collecting data as well as the ability to distinguish between mass and weight.
Scientific Method The student will demonstrate the ability to generate a testable hypothesis; to select appropriate scientific information from observations and research to form predictions and hypotheses; to recognize and develop a well-designed investigation using the scientific method; to collect, organize, and display verifiable data using appropriate instruments; analyze and summarize data to identify trends and form a logical argument about a cause and effect relationship; and to access and process information from readings and/or investigations.
Geologic Processes that Shape Planet Earth The student will demonstrate the ability to describe how temperature, pressure, and dissolved minerals cause the formation of rocks; to analyze the arrengement and size of crystals within minerals in order to describe the environmental conditions present during rock formation; tocompare how different parts of the world have varying amounts and types of natural resources and explain how the use of these resources determines environmental quality; to explain how Earth's crustal plates are influenced by activity in the mantle and core to produce major geological events; to explain that some changes in Earth's surface are due to slow processes and some changes are due to rapid processes; and to conclude that fossils and layers of sedimentary rock provide evidence of Earth's geologic history. |
