Earth Science Curriculum Overview / 2016-2017 /
Earth Science Curriculum Overview / 2016-2017



Standards-Referenced Grading Basics

Evidence shows the student can... / Topic Score
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 / 4.0
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 and Level 3 with partial success at Level 4 / 3.5
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 and Level 3 / 3.0
Demonstrate all Level 2 learning targets and some of the Level 3 learning targets / 2.5
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 but none of the learning targets from Level 3 / 2.0
Demonstrate some of the Level 2 learning targets and none of the Level 3 learning targets / 1.5
Demonstrate none of the learning targets from Level 2 or Level 3 / 1.0
Produce no evidence appropriate to the learning targets at any level / 0
*Students who demonstrate success at Level 3 learning targets but not Level 2 learning targets are the students for whom additional investigation and multiple opportunities are most vital.

The teacher designs instructional activities and assessments that grow and measure a student’s skills in the elements identified on our topic scales. Each scale features many such skills and knowledges, also called learning targets. These are noted on the scale below with letters (A, B, C) and occur at Levels 2 and 3 of the scale. In the grade book, a specific learning activity could be marked as being 3A, meaning that the task measured the A item at Level 3.

When the time comes to identify the Topic Score for a topic, the teacher looks at all of the pieces of the Body of Evidence for that topic. The table to the right describes what Topic Score a student receives based on what the Body of Evidence shows. The scores listed on this table are the only valid scores that may be entered into the Topic Score assignment in a grade book.

DMPS Grading Resources: grading.dmschools.org

Transitioning to the new Iowa Science Standards:

In order to ensure our current K-12 students are scientifically-literate, global citizens who are prepared for college and career success, We are in the process of transitioning to new science standards that reflect what students in grades K-12 should know and be able to do as a result of instruction. Recognizing science is not just a body of knowledge that reflects current understanding of the world; it is also a set of practices used to establish, extend, and refine that knowledge, Iowa’s Science Standards are written as a modified version of the Next Generation Science Standards and are designed to address six major conceptual shifts.

  1. The NGSS reflect how science is done in the real world by intertwining three dimensions - Scientific and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. Scroll to the bottom of each hyperlink to see the K-12 matrix for each practice and concept.
  2. The NGSS are student performance expectations.
  3. The NGSS build coherently from grades K through 12.
  4. The NGSS focus on deeper understanding of content and applications of content.
  5. The NGSS integrate science, technology, and engineering throughout grades K–12.
  6. The NGSS correlate to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics.

Teacher responsibilities for the 2016-17 school year.

Working within your current curriculum, engage in the following activities over the course of next year. This is your time to intentionally focus on the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices before we completely switch to the new standards.

  • Focus on deliberate, guided integration of science and engineering practicesinto lessons/units. It may be helpful to record which science and engineering practices are being used by students and modeled by teachers. Explicitly address all eight practices at some point throughout the year
  • Use prompts that encourage students to identify and use appropriate crosscutting concepts. It may be helpful to post the crosscutting concepts in the room to help focus conversations and connections. Explicitly address all seven crosscutting concepts throughout the year.
  • Field test lessons/unit and classroom assessments that are intentionally focused on building students’ learning toward each of the dimensions (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) of the new standards.
  • Begin to intentionally teach content that was not previously taught and begin to pare down content that is no longer included or no longer emphasized in the standards.
  • Begin evaluating instructional resources and begin modifying existing materials to more completely align with the standards.

Please contact Adam Puderbaugh at if you are interested in professional development opportunities around the new standards.

Unit / Content Standards / Content Topics / NGSS Performance Expectations / Rough Schedule
Astronomy
(Semester 1) / Understand and apply knowledge of the origin and evolution of the Universe. /
  • Structure and Elements of the Universe
/ HS-ESS1-2
HS-ESS1-3 / 6 weeks
  • Structure and Elements of the Solar System
/ HS-ESS1-1
HS-ESS1-4 / 6 weeks
History of the Earth
(Semester 1) / Understand and apply knowledge of the origin and evolution of the earth system. /
  • Geologic Time and the Evolution of Earth Systems
/ HS-ESS1-5
HS-ESS1-6
HS-ESS2-1 / 6 weeks
Dynamic Earth
(Semester 2) / Understand and apply knowledge of energy in the earth system.
Understand and apply knowledge of geochemical cycles. /
  • Cycles and Processes in the Earth System
/ HS-ESS2-3
HS-ESS2-5
HS-ESS2-7
HS-ESS2-6 / 7 weeks
Weather and Climate
(Semester 2) / Understand and apply knowledge of energy in the earth system. /
  • Weather patterns and systems
/ HS-ESS2-4
HS-ESS3-1
HS-ESS3-6 / 6weeks
  • Climate and impact on Earth systems
/ HS-ESS3-5
HS-ESS2-2
HS-ESS2-6 / 5 weeks
Skills Topics
(integrated yearlong but assessed in either semester 1 or 2 /
  • Scientific Investigative Skills
/ Look at Science and Engineering Practices and Connection boxes / Assess in either semester 1 or 2. Look for opportunities during the longer content units.
  • Scientific Tool Use and Measurement

  • Citing Evidence in Text in Support of or Refuting a Scientific Argument

  • Argumentative and Claim/ Evidence Writing

Unit: Astronomy
Topic / Knowledge:
Structure and Elements of the Universe / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on supporting evidence (Doppler Effect, Cosmic Background Radiation, and Light Spectra of Interstellar Gases in Stars)
  2. Explain the role of the elements in the formation of the universe
  3. Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life cycle of stars and the role of nuclear fusion in producing elements and releasing energy.
  4. Account for why scientists use various measurements(methods and units) in space

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Big Bang, galaxy, light year, magnitude, element, nuclear fusion, parallax, cosmic radiation, wavelength, energy, Doppler Effect, electromagnetic spectrum, H-R diagram
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe how Big Bang theory explains the origin of the universe
  2. Describe how elements come from the stars during their finite lifecycle
  3. Illustrate how the universe is organized
  4. Recall how astronomers gather information about the universe

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit: Astronomy
Topic / Knowledge:
Structure and Elements of the Solar System / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Use Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion and Newton’s laws of gravity to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system
  2. Classify bodies in the solar system
  3. Create an explanation based on evidence for the role of the Sun in the formation of our Solar System and its impact on other celestial bodies (space weather)

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. rotation, revolution, planet, satellite, orbit, terrestrial, Jovian, Kepler’s laws, elliptical, Newton’s law of universal gravitation
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe the formation and organization of our solar system
  2. Illustrate the predictable patterns of orbiting objects
  3. Recall that the sun is the source of energy and gravitational attraction for our solar system

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit: History of the Earth
Topic / Knowledge:
Geologic Time and the Evolution of the Earth System / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will
  1. Use the methods of dating and associated evidence to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history
  2. Create an explanation based on evidence for how the complex interactions of organic and inorganic processes contributed to the development of Earth surface and it’s atmosphere
  3. Create a model to demonstrate how the fossil record is used to determine geologic time intervals

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Mass extinction, index fossil, era, period, epoch, uniformitarianism, laws of superposition, law of cross-cutting relationships, organic, inorganic
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe the difference between relative and absolute dating
  2. Describe the role of organisms/organic processes in the development of essential Earth and atmospheric compositions
  3. Explain the role of inorganic processes in the development of Earth’s atmosphere
  4. Recall the fundamental structure of the geologic time scale

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Cycles and Processes in the Earth System
Topic / Scale / Knowledge:
Cycles and Processes in the Earth System / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust to support or refute the theory of plate tectonics and its role in changing the Earth’s surface
  2. Develop a model of the Earth’s compositional and structural layers to describe the role of thermal convection and the cycling of matter.
  3. Plan and conduct an investigation for how biogeochemical cycles (focus on rock and water cycle) impact the Earth and its materials

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. continental drift, plate tectonics, convection, density, earthquake, volcano, plate boundaries, weathering, erosion, cycle, mid-ocean ridge, trench, orogeny, convergent, divergent, transform
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe the supporting evidence for plate tectonics
  2. Recall the supporting evidence for the structure of the Earth’s interior
  3. Describe how various types of rocks are formed
  4. Diagram the movement of matter through the water and rock cycles

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit: Weather and Climate
Topic / Knowledge:
Weather Patterns and Systems / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Use a model to describe how the flow of energy from the sun influences weather patterns and interacts with the layers of the atmosphere
  2. Investigate how daily weather over time determines climate patterns in a given region
  3. Interpret weather data to create a weather forecast
  4. Evaluate how natural resources and the occurrence of natural disasters influence human activity
  5. Analyze the distribution and cause of global winds and their impact on local climates.

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. atmosphere, pressure, temperature, humidity, precipitation, weather, climate, conduction, convection, radiation, Coriolis Effect (force)
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe types of energy transfer
  2. Recall the difference between weather and climate
  3. Read surface station models
  4. Describe types and impacts of severe weather
  5. Illustrate global wind patterns

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit: Weather and Climate
Topic / Knowledge:
Climate and Impact on Earth Systems / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Evaluate the evidence for global climate change and the impact of human behaviors/actions
  2. Predict potential changes to climate zones as a result of global climate change.
  3. Create and explanation based on evidence for the role of the carbon cycle and its impact on global climate change
  4. Analyze evidence of feedback loops occurring as a result of changes to the Earth system.

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. greenhouse effect, climate, ozone, microclimate, carbon dioxide, feedback loops, system, carbon cycle
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe the impacts of the Greenhouse Effect
  2. Identify basic climate zones as a function of temperature and precipitation. (Tropical, Temperate, Polar, Desert, Rainforest, etc.)
  3. Identify the impact human activity has on the climate
  4. Describe factors that affect climate (elevation, latitude, topography, hydrosphere)

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit Scientific Inquiry and Process Skills
Topic / Knowledge:
Scientific Investigative Skills / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Design, conduct and evaluate the validity of a scientific experiment including:
identify the relationship between the independent and dependent variable in an experiment
formulate a testable hypothesis and demonstrate the logical connections between a hypothesis and the design of an experiment
collect accurate data
use evidence (data), apply logic, and construct an argument for their proposed explanations.
determine appropriate display of data (graph, chart, data table, etc.)
  1. Effectively communicate and support scientific conclusions

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. hypothesis, observation, inference, conclusion, graph, prediction, model, dependent variable, independent variable, control variable, experiment, reliability
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Design and conduct a scientific experiment including:
identify dependent and independent variables in an experiment
how to formulate a testable hypothesis
collect relevant data from an experiment
use data to support a conclusion
represent data graphically
  1. Support scientific conclusions with evidence

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Unit: Scientific Inquiry and Process Skills
Topic / Knowledge
Scientific Tool Use and Measurement / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Make a measurement and evaluate its accuracy and precision
  2. Convert units within and between systems
  3. Organize collected data in a systematic way for evaluation

2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. units, variable, accuracy, precision, metric system, English system
Basic knowledge such as:
  1. Describe appropriate tool to measure content specific quantities
  2. Convert measurement units within the metric system
  3. Collect data using a variety of tools.

1 / Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic / Knowledge:
Citing Evidence in Text in Support of or Refuting a Scientific Argument / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught.
3
Proficient / Students will:
  1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what a grade-appropriate text says explicitly
  2. Cite textual evidence to support inferences drawn from the text in defense of a scientific argument.
Clarification Statement: Teachers may decide to reinforce citation styles such as APA or MLA, but the goal is for students to be able to attribute their inferences/claims to explicit and inferred textual evidence
2 / Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Analysis, Cite, Explicit, Inference, Logical, Support, Refute, Text, Textural Evidence
Perform basic processes such as:
  1. Describe what a grade-appropriate text says explicitly
  2. Draw logical inferences from a grade appropriate text

Topic / Knowledge:
Argumentative and Claim/ Evidence Writing / 4 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught.
3
Proficient / Students demonstrate they have the ability to:
  1. Write grade-appropriate arguments to support claims in an analysis of scientific investigations or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
  2. Introduce precise claims, distinguish the claims from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence
  3. Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns
  4. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claims and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claims and counterclaims
  5. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of science
  6. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented

2 / Students will recognize or recall :
Specific vocabulary such as:
  1. alternate, argument, audience, claim, clarify, clause, cohesion, concluding statement, counterclaim, discipline,evidence, fair, formal style, objective tone, opposing, organization, phrase, precise, reasoning, relationship,relevant, strength, support, text, valid
Basic processes such as: