Science Department Standards
1. The student will be
able to understand that science is a dynamic process based on inquiry,
formulating questions, planning and conducting simple investigations, and
collecting and organizing data to communicate results.
2. The student will be
able to distinguish the relationship among structure and competition between
organisms, as well as describing matter as living and non-living.
3. The student will be
able to understand that matter interacts with its environment.
4. The student will be
able to explain and justify changes on the earth’s surface caused by
interactions of energy, force, and movement.
5. The student will be
able to understand, explain, and analyze the relationship between, science,
technology, economy, and society to make responsible decisions.
Standard
#1
The student will be able to understand
that science is a dynamic process based on inquiry, formulating questions,
planning and conducting simple investigations, and collecting and organizing
data to communicate results.
Benchmarks
Level Pre - Kindergarten
1.
Learns
to use the senses to make observations.
2.
Uses
senses to make observations.
3.
Makes
questions.
Level I Kindergarten - Second Grade
1.
Makes
and records observations.
2.
Makes
questions from observations.
3.
Makes
predictions from observations.
4.
Reaches
conclusions from testing predictions.
Level II Third - Fifth Grade
1.
Makes
observations and asks questions about objects, organisms and events in the
areas of earth, physical, space, and life sciences.
2.
Uses
senses to make observations about objects.
3.
Plans
and conducts a simple investigation by developing scientific methodology skills
in the areas of earth, physical, space, and life sciences.
4.
Recognizes
and employs various scientific equipment and tools.
5.
Collects,
computes, and interprets data from simple investigations in the areas of earth,
physical, space, and life sciences.
6.
Works
collaboratively to share, communicate, and analyze information.
Level III Sixth - Eighth Grade
1.
Describes
qualitative and quantitative observations and formulates questions about objects,
organisms, and events in the areas of earth, physical, space, and life
sciences.
2.
Plans
and conducts a simple investigation by developing scientific methodology skills
in the area of earth, physical, space, and life sciences.
3.
Recognizes
and employs various scientific equipment and tools.
4.
Collects,
computes, and interprets data from simple investigations in the areas of earth,
physical, space, and life sciences.
5.
Works
collaboratively to share, communicate, and analyze information.
Level IV Ninth - Twelfth Grade
1.
Identifies
and understands indirect methods of gathering data.
2.
Recognizes
the function and importance of measurement.
3.
Selects,
identifies, and properly uses scientific equipment.
4.
Selects
and uses appropriate safety equipment.
5.
Recognizes
hazards and appropriate safety symbols.
6.
Observes
standard safety procedures when doing laboratory work.
7.
Exhibits
responsible and appropriate conduct when doing laboratory work.
8.
Selects
and evaluates scientific information through written, technological, and expert
sources.
9.
Communicates
and summarizes scientific information and results through formal and informal
laboratory reports using technical writing.
10.
Selects
and uses scientific vocabulary, mathematics, and technology to communicate
information via oral, written, and visual means.
11.
Formulates
and revises personal theories and models using logic and evidence.
Standard
#2
The student will be able
to distinguish the relationship among structure and competition between
organisms, as well as describing matter as living and non-living.
Benchmarks
Level Pre - Kindergarten
1. Knows that living things and non-living
things are different.
2. Knows that living things go through a process
of change.
Level I Kindergarten - Second Grade
1. Lists and describes functions of plant parts.
2. Knows and uses the appropriate vocabulary to
describe plant structure.
3. Distinguishes the characteristics between
living and non-living.
4. States the needs of living things and their
importance.
5. Establishes a relationship between the
components of a system and the function of each of its parts.
6. Constructs a model of the solar system.
Level II Third - Fifth Grade
1. Distinguishes different systems and their
components in physical, space, earth, and the life sciences.
2. Establishes a relationship between the earth
and its features.
3. Identifies biological systems and the
characteristics of living organisms and their environments.
Level III Sixth - Eighth Grade
1. Distinguishes the properties and changes of
matter.
2. Measures motion and forces.
3. Describes the different types of energy
transfer.
4. Analyzes the structure and function in living
systems.
5. Explains reproduction and heredity.
6. Describes processes involved in metabolism
and the behavior of living things.
7. Recognizes the
relationships between populations and ecosystems.
8. Explains the structure
of the Earth and Solar system.
Level IV Ninth - Twelfth Grade
1. Analyzes and describes the relationship
between motion and force.
2. Discriminates interactions within systems
using the Laws of Conservation of Energy and Momentum.
3. Predicts and explains the interactions between
waves and matter.
4. Interprets the fundamental forces of nature
using the characteristics of gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces.
5. Measures and determines the relationship
between distance, time, velocity, and acceleration.
6. Describes the structure and properties of
matter.
7. Investigates and uses appropriate technology
to demonstrate that all cells have common features as well as differences that
determine function and that they are composed of common building blocks (e.g.
carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids).
8. Evaluates the
characteristics of living and non-living things.
9. Describes and explains the complex processes
involved in energy use in cell maintenance, growth, repair, and development.
10. Models the structure of
11. Analyzes and describes the phenomenon that
governs the inheritance of traits.
12. Predicts and models the interaction of biotic
and abiotic factors, which limit populations (e.g. natural
selection), and contribute to the change of a species over time (e.g. evolution).
13. Evaluates the characteristics of organisms as
part of different classification schemes.
14. Infers and discusses the degrees of species
divergence using local ecosystems.
15. Describes the structure of atoms by exploring
atomic structure, writing electron configuration and electron dot structures.
16. Uses the periodic table to relate, identify,
and predict physical and chemical properties of elements.
17. Describes the structure and properties of
matter by the types of bonding.
18. Understands that biological, chemical, and
physical properties of matter result from the ability of atoms to bond.
19. Understands and solves problems related to the
properties of gases.
20. Discriminates observable properties of acids,
bases and salts, solutions; and determines their pH and pOH.
21. Writes and name chemical formulas.
22. Describes chemical reactions by writing
balanced equations and identifying the type of chemical reaction.
23. Understands that conservation of atoms in
chemical reactions leads to the principle of conservation of matter and the
ability to calculate the mass of products and reactants.
24. Performs and solves mass-mass and gas stoichiometry problems and calculations.
Standard
#3
The
student will be able to understand that matter interacts with its environment.
Benchmarks
Level Pre - Kindergarten
1. Uses vocabulary to describe observable
properties (e.g. color, shape, size) of objects.
2. Groups and categorizes objects based on
observable characteristics.
3. Knows that the physical properties of things
can change.
4. Identifies that different objects are made up
of many types of materials.
Level I Kindergarten - Second Grade
1. Discriminates that different objects are made
up of many types of materials (e.g. cloth, paper, etc.).
2. Demonstrates what factors can change the
properties of matter (e.g. heating, freezing, cutting, dissolving, bending).
3. Differentiates objects based on observable
properties (e.g. color, size, shape, weight).
Level II Third - Fifth Grade
1. Discriminates that different objects are made
up of many types of materials (e.g. cloth, paper, etc.).
2. Examines position, motion, and interactions
of objects.
3. Recognizes different kinds of forces and
their interaction with matter.
4. Knows how to quantify the effects of
different types of forces on matter.
5. Classifies matter according to its physical
and chemical properties.
Level III Sixth - Eighth Grade
1. Describes and investigates characteristic
properties, such as boiling points, melting points, solubility, and simple
chemical changes of pure substances and uses those properties to distinguish
and separate one substance from another.
2. Demonstrates that a mixture of substances
often can be separated into original substances using one or more of the
characteristic properties.
3. Describes that substances react chemically in
characteristic ways with other substances to form new substances (e.g. compounds)
with different properties.
4. Understands that elements combine in a
multitude of ways to produce compounds, which account for the living and
non-living substances that we encounter.
Level IV Ninth - Twelfth Grade
1. Describes the motion of atoms and molecules
to explain the properties of solids, liquids, gases, and solutions.
1.
Describes
the factors that affect the dissolving process as a result of random molecular
motion.
2.
Measures
and describes temperature and heat flow in terms of the motion of molecules or
atoms.
3.
Performs
and solves molarity and molality
problems, and problems dealing with colligative
properties.
4.
Describes
how energy is exchanged or transformed in all chemical reactions and physical
changes of matter.
5.
Interprets
the relationship among frequency and wavelength, and use it to calculate wave
velocity.
6.
Compare
electromagnetic waves by frequency and wavelength.
7.
Illustrates
the chemical processes involved in cellular respiration and photosynthesis.
Standard
#4
The
student will be able to explain and justify changes on the earth’s surface
caused by interactions of energy, force, and movement.
Benchmarks
Level Pre - Kindergarten
1.
Describes
the effect of forces in nature (e.g. wind, gravity).
2.
Identifies
different ways in which objects can be moved in space; explains push, pull and
sink.
Level I Kindergarten - Second Grade
1.
Recognizes
vocabulary that describes the properties of Earth materials.
2.
Explains
objects in the sky.
3.
Explains
changes in the earth and sky.
Level II Third - Fifth Grade
1.
Examines
the structure of the earth system.
2.
Infers
the position of the Earth in the solar system.
3.
Analyzes
evidence of fossils of plants and animals that lived long ago.
4.
Utilizes
vocabulary of rock and mineral combinations.
5.
Analyzes
the composition and properties of soil.
Level III Sixth - Eighth Grade
1.
Translates
qualitative and quantitative descriptions of moving objects and begins to
describe the forces acting on the objects.
2.
Distinguishes
experiences in which friction is a phenomenon and becomes familiar with the
idea that energy is an important property of substances and that most change
involves energy transfer.
3.
Determines
the motion of an object and describes its position, direction of motion, and
speed.
4.
Represents
the measurement of motion via graph.
Level IV Ninth - Twelfth Grade
1.
Explains
the effect of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) on the ozone and evaluates possible
alternatives to CFCs.
2.
Describes
the need for and methods of energy conservation.
3.
Classifies
the effects of nature’s forces on the Earth’s surface as well as physical or
chemical changes.
4.
Describes
and relates the changes to the Earth’s surface due to chemical reactions that
take years for their effects to be noticeable.
5.
Evaluates
the use of nuclear fission and fusion to produce energy for human use.
6.
Evaluates
the impact of human interactions on the environment.
7.
Evaluates
the common and distinct features of the Earth that determine different
biological communities (e.g. biomes).
8.
Describes
the movement of materials in each ecosystem (e.g. cycles).
Standard
#5
The
student will be able to understand, explain, and analyze the relationship
between, science, technology, economy, and society to make responsible
decisions.
Benchmarks
Level Pre - Kindergarten
1.
Uses
tools such as e-mail and the telephone that help humans do work and solve
problems.
2.
Recognizes
that some things are natural and others are human made.
3.
Recognizes
different materials such as glass and plastic; as well as their uses.
Level I Kindergarten - Second Grade
1.
Possesses
the ability to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans.
2.
Explains
how science and technology help us understand the world we live in.
3.
Describes
how science and technology benefit human activities.
4.
Relates
professions involved in science and technology.
Level II Third - Fifth Grade
1.
Evaluates
the positive and negative aspects technology has on science.
2.
Analyzes
the application of technology in science.
Level III Sixth - Eighth Grade
1. Explains the interdisciplinary connections of
science to social, economic, and political issues to include examples of
2. Describes the development of scientific thought and
principles contributed by diverse cultures and significant individuals.
3. Explains how scientific knowledge changes due to an
evolution of acquired knowledge.
4. Gives examples of scientific discoveries and
describes the interrelationship between technological advances and scientific
understanding.
5. Analyzes and illustrates the historical impact of
scientific and technological advances.
Level IV Ninth - Twelfth Grade
1. Explains the interdisciplinary connections of
science to social, economic, and political issues to include examples of
2. Describes the development of scientific thought and
principles contributed by diverse cultures and significant individuals.
3. Explains how scientific knowledge changes due to an
evolution of acquired knowledge.
4. Gives examples of scientific discoveries and
describes the interrelationship between technological advances and scientific
understanding.
5. Analyzes and illustrates the historical impact of
scientific and technological advances.