New Mexico Standards

The STANDARDS CORRELATION chart suggests which New Mexico Standards you can cover using PASSPORT TO THE UNIVERSE in your classroom. We hope you will discover additional standards you can use. These are the ones our Instructional Materials Development team felt most directly related to the activities contained in PASSPORT TO THE UNIVERSE.

For additional New Mexico Standards you can cover see the STANDARDS CORRELATION chart for the following PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE projects:

PASSPORT TO ANTARCTICA

PASSPORT TO THE RAINFOREST

PASSPORT TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM

PASSPORT TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE

LIVE FROM MARS 2001/2002

Grades K-4,   Grades 5-8,   Grades 9-12

K-4

Content Standard 1:

Students will understand science concepts of order and organization.

 

Students will

 

demonstrate knowledge and understanding that science is based on the assumption that the environment is understandable and predictable; and

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demonstrate an understanding of prediction and its uses.

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Content Standard 2:

Students will use evidence, models, and explanations to explore the physical world.

 

Students will

 

use evidence to understand interactions that allow prediction of changes in natural and artificial systems;

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describe different terms such as hypothesis, model, law, theory, principle, and paradigm; and

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recognize models as representations of real objects and events, and explain how the models work.

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Content Standard 3:

Students will use form and function to organize and understand the physical world.

 

Students will

 

describe form and function as complementary aspects of units of matter, objects, organisms, and systems.

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Content Standard 4:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

describe change and constancy as properties of objects and processes;

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describe energy and matter, and explain the processes that transform energy and matter;

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use simple devices to measure objects and change; and

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employ basic mathematics as a tool to quantify properties of objects and change.

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Content Standard 5:

Students will acquire the abilities to do scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

describe the scientific method including:

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identification of a problem;

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research literature review;

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development of an hypothesis or research question;

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design of experiment or research;

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use of cooperative teams composed of individuals with different kinds of expertise to conduct research;

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collection of data;

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evaluation of data in relation to the hypothesis;

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communication of the problem, the evidence, and conclusions; and

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describe and use simple equipment, tools, techniques, and a variety of information sources to gather data and extend the senses.

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Content Standard 6:

Students will understand the process of scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

describe the different methods used in the process of scientific investigation for:
•asking questions (formulating hypotheses);
•answering questions; and
•comparing the answer(s) to what scientists already know; and

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explain that scientists develop explanations using observations (evidence)and what they already know about the world (scientific knowledge);

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explain that scientists review and ask questions about the results of other scientists’ work;

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explain that scientists use different kinds of investigations depending upon the questions they are trying to answer;

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explain that instruments can provide more information than scientists can obtain using only their senses; and

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explain that scientists make the results of their investigations public in ways that allow others to replicate their findings.

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Content Standard 7:

Students will know and understand the properties of matter.

 

Students will

 

describe the observable properties of objects and materials; and

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explain that elements are the basic units of all matter.

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Content Standard 8:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

explain how the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background;

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explain that an object’s motion can be described by indicating the change in its position over time; and

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Content Standard 9:

Students will know and understand the properties of fields, forces, and motion.

 

Students will

 

describe the basic characteristics of light, heat, sound, and electro-magnetism, and explain that energy exists in many forms and can be transformed; and

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describe the process of chemical reactions and how time is a factor in chemical reactions.

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Content Standard 12:

Students will know and understand properties of Earth Science.

 

Students will

 

describe the physical and chemical properties of Earth’s materials and the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma);

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Content Standard 13:

Students will know and understand basic concepts of cosmology.

 

Students will

 

describe the patterns of movement of objects in the sky;

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describe the composition of the solar system including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets and Earth’s position in this system; and

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identify the types of instruments and vehicles used for space exploration.

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Content Standard 14:

Students will know and understand the differences between and the interactions of science and technology.

 

Students will

 

discriminate between natural objects and artificial objects;

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explain that science is one of many ways of posing solutions to questions about the natural world;

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describe the kinds of problems people have solved through scientific investigations; and

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identify the contributions of technology such as computers and telecommunication to scientific investigations.

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Content Standard 15:

Students will know and understand the impact between science and technology in society.

 

Students will

 

describe science as a social enterprise that includes a variety of work settings;

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describe the relationships between social issues and challenges as they relate to science;

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list some outcomes of scientific and technological investigations for society in terms of transportation, health, sanitation, and communication;

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describe the types of contributions made through science and technology;

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identify science questions and problems that have not been answered;

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describe science careers and reasons why people choose science as a career; and

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define ethics in science.

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Content Standard 16:

Students will know and understand the relationship between natural hazards and environmental risks for organisms.

 

Students will

 

identify environmental risks including natural hazards related to internal and external processes of Earth’s systems (weather, geochemical) and social hazards (occupational, recreational, and personal); describe methods to reduce environmental risks;

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identify factors that change environments rapidly and slowly; and

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describe factors such as drugs, disease, and environmental hazards that can have negative health consequences.

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5-8

Content Standard 1:

Students will understand science concepts of order and organization.

 

Students will

 

apply information about the predictability and organization of the universe and its subsystems; and

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apply prediction to scientific problems and events.

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Content Standard 2:

Students will use evidence, models, and explanations to explore the physical world.

 

Students will

 

identify and organize evidence needed to predict changes in natural and artificial systems;

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organize phenomena into hypotheses, models, laws, theories, principles, and paradigms; and

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design and develop models.

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Content Standard 3:

Students will use form and function to organize and understand the physical world.

 

Students will

 

explain function by referring to form and explain form by referring

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Content Standard 4:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

illustrate that constancy and change are properties of objects and processes;

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illustrate that energy and matter can be transformed and changed but the sum remains the same;

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use elementary scientific devices to measure objects and simple phenomena;

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employ mathematics to quantify properties of objects and phenomena; and

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relate the contributions of external and internal forces to change in the form and function of objects, organisms, and natural systems.

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Content Standard 5:

Students will acquire the abilities to do scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

use the scientific method within the classroom and school environment; and

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employ equipment, tools, a variety of techniques and information sources to gather, analyze, and interpret data.

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Content Standard 6:

Students will understand the process of scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

use different kinds of methods, including observation, experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models to answer a variety of scientific questions;

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use their own understanding of science to guide their scientific investigations;

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use criteria for sound scientific investigations to verify the truth of the results of their own and others' investigations;

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choose appropriate methods and analytic techniques for specific science problems and investigations;

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use technology and scientific methods to gather evidence to enhance the accuracy of their findings;

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describe the results of investigations with teachers, peers, parents, and others;

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explain that scientific investigations can result in new investigation; and

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ideas, objects, methods, techniques, and procedures for explain that in areas where there is not a great deal of experimental or observational evidence, it is typical for scientists to differ with one another about the theory, hypothesis, or evidence being investigated.

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Content Standard 7:

Students will know and understand the properties of matter.

 

Students will

 

identify the characteristic properties of elements and compounds such as density, boiling point, and solubility;

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explain that the characteristic properties of an element or compound are independent of the amount (size) of the sample; and

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discriminate between elements based on the characteristic ways in which they react with other elements to form compounds that are different substances with unique characteristic properties.

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Content Standard 8:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

explain that when an object is not being subjected to a force, the object will continue to move at a constant speed and in a straight line;

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describe quantitatively how an object’s position, speed, and direction explain motion; and

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compare and contrast gravity to other forces in the world and universe.

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Content Standard 9:

Students will know and understand the properties of fields, forces, and motion.

 

Students will

 

apply knowledge about energy and energy transformation to science problems;

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explain how chemical reactions can take place in time periods ranging from less than a second to millions of years; and

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explain how chemical reactions involve concentration, pressure, temperature, and catalysts.

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Content Standard 12:

Students will know and understand properties of Earth Science.

 

Students will

 

explain how Earth’s materials can be transformed from one state to another;

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Content Standard 13:

Students will know and understand basic concepts of cosmology.

 

Students will

 

model the predictable patterns of the sun and planets in the solar system;

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describe the elements of the universe including stars, galaxies, dust clouds, and nebulae;

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explain various scientific theories for the origin of the universe; and

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explain how instruments and vehicles are used for space exploration work.

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Content Standard 14:

Students will know and understand the differences between and the interactions of science and technology.

 

Students will

 

design and conduct experiments that distinguish between natural and artificial objects and materials;

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compare and contrast a variety of scientific and technological solutions to problems; and

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examine the role of technology, particularly computers and other electronical advances, in the advancement of science.

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Content Standard 15:

Students will know and understand the impact between science and technology in society.

 

Students will

 

illustrate the impact that work settings have on scientific investigations;

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demonstrate how the direction for scientific investigations is related to social issues and challenges;

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explain how the benefits of science and technology are enjoyed by some groups and not by other groups;

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compare and contrast the science contributions of people with diverse interests, talents, qualities, and motivations from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds;

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predict new areas of scientific inquiry based on previous research;

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analyze the impact of culture, gender, and other factors on an individual’s choice of science as a career; and

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differentiate between ethical and unethical scientific practices and research.

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Content Standard 16:

Students will know and understand the relationship between natural hazards and environmental risks for organisms.

 

Students will

 

analyze environmental risks for personal and social costs;

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determine options for reducing and eliminating environmental risks and for coping with natural catastrophic events;

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predict the human and financial cost of slow natural events such as drought and rapid natural events such as earthquakes; and

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develop models for prevention of substance abuse including tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and to reduce the associated environmental risks.

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9-12

Content Standard 1:

Students will understand science concepts of order and organization.

 

Students will

 

appraise, compare, and contrast information about the complexity, organization, and predictability of the universe; and

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evaluate information derived from predication methods to solve science problems.

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Content Standard 2:

Students will use evidence, models, and explanations to explore the physical world.

 

Students will

 

interpret evidence to understand changes in natural and artificial systems;

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evaluate specific hypotheses, models, laws, theories, principles, and paradigms as explanatory tools; and

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analyze models for limitations, strengths, and basic assumptions.

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Content Standard 3:

Students will use form and function to organize and understand the physical world.

 

Students will

 

compare and contrast form and function as complementary aspects of units of matter, objects, organisms, and systems

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Content Standard 4:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

discriminate between the effects of constancy and change as properties of objects and processes;

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quantify the transformation of energy and matter in a system;

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determine and use the appropriate type of device to measure objects in a given problem or situation;

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employ typical high school mathematics skills to explain a given problem or situation;

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evaluate the contribution of external and internal forces to change in the form and function of objects, organisms, and natural systems; and

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perform a critical scientific analysis of theories of biological origin based on direct observations, investigations, or historical data that accounts for the present form and function of objects, organisms, and natural systems.

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Content Standard 5:

Students will acquire the abilities to do scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

apply the scientific method in daily life both within and outside the school environment; and

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evaluate, design, and use the most appropriate equipment, tools, techniques, and information sources to improve scientific investigations and solutions

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Content Standard 6:

Students will understand the process of scientific inquiry.

 

Students will

 

develop causal functional questions to guide investigations;

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apply explanations to their data that abide by rules of evidence, can be questioned and modified, and are based on historical and current scientific knowledge;

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evaluate new knowledge and methods using professional standards and scientific criteria;

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use evidence to understand data and to develop consistent arguments to logically explain data;

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apply scientific knowledge, technological, computer, problem-solving, and other skills to design investigations and to collect data;

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explain and interpret the results of investigations to teachers, peers, parents, and others;

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explain that science distinguishes itself from other bodies of knowledge through the use of empirical standards, logical argument, and skepticism as scientists strive for certainty in proposed explanations; and

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explain that scientific ideas depend on experimental and observational confirmation, and that theories and ideas are refined or discarded as new evidence becomes available.

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Content Standard 7:

Students will know and understand the properties of matter.

 

Students will

 

compare and contrast elements and compounds based upon knowledge of the structure of matter as composed of atoms and the smaller particles that comprise atoms;

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explain how atoms interact with one another by transferring or sharing electrons that are farthest away from the nucleus; and

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predict and describe chemical reactions between elements and compounds based on knowledge of their characteristics.

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Content Standard 8:

Students will know and understand the properties of fields, forces, and motion.

 

Students will

 

apply knowledge of the constancy of energy in the universe and the forms that energy takes to real-life problems and situations;

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predict the motion of an object based on the net force applied to the object; and

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apply knowledge of gravity as a universal force that a specific mass exerts on any other mass to real-life problems and situations.

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Content Standard 9:

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of change, equilibrium, and measurement.

 

Students will

 

apply knowledge about energy and energy transformations to problems both within and outside the school environment;

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Content Standard 12:

Students will know and understand properties of Earth Science.

 

Students will

 

evaluate information about Earth materials, energy of the Earth’s systems, and geochemical cycles;

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model the interaction between the Earth’s internal and external energy sources indicating that these energy sources create heat;

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Content Standard 13:

Students will know and understand basic concepts of cosmology.

 

Students will

 

predict changes in the positions of objects in the sky based on knowledge of current position and patterns of movement;

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evaluate the hierarchy of structures in the universe from atoms to galaxies;

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debate the pros and cons of various scientific theories for the origin of the universe based on scientific evidence; and

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use findings from space exploration, astronomy, and physics to explain scientific astronomical theories.

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Content Standard 14:

Students will know and understand the differences between and the interactions of science and technology.

 

Students will

 

design and construct artificial or computer systems that simulate natural systems;

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evaluate the protection and restriction of technological knowledge through patents, and through financial, national, and special interest groups;

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evaluate research conducted by scientists and engineers in terms of adherence to accepted ethical standards; and

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assess the impact of computers and other technology tools on the advancement of scientific knowledge.

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Content Standard 15:

Students will know and understand the impact between science and technology in society.

 

Students will

 

analyze the contribution of context to scientific and technological investigations;

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evaluate the influence of science and technology on society;

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analyze the limitations of science and technology in the solution of human problems and social challenges;

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trace the changes in scientific perspectives over time based on earlier scientific discoveries and inventions;

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model changes in the direction of scientific inquiry based on all modifications of previous scientific research;

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appraise the development of new areas of scientific inquiry based on previous research as it impacts an individual’s choice of science as a career; and

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evaluate the contribution of ethical standards to scientific inquiry.

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Content Standard 16:

Students will know and understand the relationship between natural hazards and environmental risks for organisms.

 

Students will

 

predict the risks and benefits associated with natural and social hazards;

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evaluate human activities for the potential they have for increasing or decreasing environmental risks;

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develop models for tracking changes in social risk factors and natural hazards;

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develop cost-risk benefit analysis in the context of natural hazards and environmental issues (e.g., ozone depletion, carbon dioxide reduction, and global warming); and

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evaluate the impact of drug-abuse and injury prevention programs on health outcomes.

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