2.1 Earth and Space Science
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Structure of the Earth System:
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere: The student will
identify the structural characteristics of the Earth and
explain structural changes in terms of the forces which
cause them.
Academic Expectations: 2.2
Patterns of Change, 2.3 Systems,
2.4 Scale and Models, 2.5 Constancy,
and 2.6 Change Over Time
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State Core
Content
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Sample
Demonstrators, Skills, and Activities
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The Earth is Layered. The lithosphere is the
thin crust of the Earth. Lithospheric plates move
slowly in response to movements in the mantle.
There is a dense core at the center of the Earth.
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- Compare the layers of the earth to a similar model
and explain the similarities.
- Simulate taking a core sample on a model to
compare to actual core samples of the earth.
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SC-M-2.1.2
Landforms are a result of a combination of
constructive and destructive forces. Constructive
forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption,
and deposition of sediment, while destructive forces
include weathering and erosion.
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- Explain the impact constructive and destructive
forces have on the creation of land forms.
- Model constructive and destructive forces using
clay and stream tables. Identify local
examples of constructive and destructive forces.
- Predict economic consequences of an earthquake on
rural versus urban areas.
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SC-M-2.1.3
Materials found in the lithosphere and mantle are
changed in a continuous process called the rock cycle
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- Diagram the rock cycle. Make inferences from
illustrations about the processes of the rock cycle.
- Collect local samples of rocks and classify them
in multiple forms (i.e. chemical, physical, etc.)
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SC-M-2.1.4
Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposed
organic material from dead plants, animals, fungi,
protists, and bacteria. Soils are often found in
layers, with each having a different chemical
composition and texture.
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- Explain factors that influence soil texture,
fertility and resistance to erosion.
- Explain the economic impact of the soil
composition on the horse industry in Central
Kentucky.
- Collect and analyze soil samples from different
localities and describe its composition.
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SC-M-2.1.5
Water, which covers the majority of the Earth’s
surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and
atmosphere in what is known as the water cycle. Water
dissolves minerals and gases and may carry them to the
oceans.
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- Describe and diagram the water cycle. Make
inferences from illustrations about the processes of
the water cycle.
- Create an illustrated story describing the life of
a water molecule as it moves through the water
cycle.
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SC-M-2.1.6
A relatively thin blanket of air called the
atmosphere surrounds Earth. The atmosphere is a
mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that
include water vapor. The atmosphere has different
properties at different elevations.
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- Classify the layers comprising our atmosphere
based on each layer’s properties, such as,
density, temperature, gas content, and electrical
charge.
- Develop a chart that compares oxygen content at
different elevations using community resources.
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SC-M-2.1.7
Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence
local weather. Oceans have a major effect on climate,
because water in the oceans holds a large amount of
heat.
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- Discriminate among factors that influences the
Earth’s climate, such as, changes in the
composition of the atmosphere, changes in ocean
temperatures, geological shifts like a meteor
impact, the advances of glaciers, or a series
of volcanic eruptions.
- Discuss climate changes during an El Nino or La
Nina period of weather.
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Content Area: Earth Science
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Level: Middle School
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Subtopic: Structure of the Earth System:
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere: The student will
identify the structural characteristics of the Earth and
explain structural changes in terms of the forces which
cause them.
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Core Content: SC-M-2.1.1, SC-M-2.2.1
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Features such as wings, teeth, shells, and feathers help
explain where an organism lived and how those structures
helped the organism survive. The fossil of a polar bear
has been found in the desert.
- List at least three features that would tell the type of
environment in which the bear lived.
- From your choices, describe the environment.
- Infer what has happened to the area where the fossil was
found.
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SCORE
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DESCRIPTION
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4
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- Provides 3 features
- describes the environment (2 characteristics)
- bears adaptation to environment
- environment has changed and explains why (plate
movement and/or climatic changes)
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3
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- Provides 3 features
- just describes environment
- identifies that environment has changed and
explains why.
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2
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- Provides 3 features
- describes environment
- identify the environment has changes
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1
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- 2 features
- describes environment
- identifies environment has changed
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0
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Content Area: Earth Science
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Level: Middle School
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Subtopic: Structure of the Earth System:
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere: The student will
identify the structural characteristics of the Earth and
explain structural changes in terms of the forces which
cause them.
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Core Content: SC-M-2.1.2
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Soil erosion can cause problems during the building of
roads and homes, farming crops, and gardening plants.
- Select one of the above and explain how soils erosion
effects it.
- Propose a solution to prevent soil erosion for your
selection.
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SCORE
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DESCRIPTION
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4
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- Selects locality and explains how affected (at
least 3).
- Addresses destructive forces.
- Characteristics of surface.
- Identifies solutions and provides explanation.
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3
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- Selects locality and explains (2).
- Gives solution and explains.
- Written response demonstrates an understanding of
most
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2
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- Selects locality and explains (1)
- Gives solution
- Written response demonstrates an understanding of
2 or more major parts of the science unit concepts,
and accurately uses a few vocabulary specific to the
unit.
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1
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- Written response demonstrates an understanding of
one of the concepts and uses little or none of the
vocabulary specific to the units.
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0
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- Written response demonstrates no understanding of
the concepts
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Content Area: Earth Science
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Level: Middle School
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Subtopic: Structure of the Earth System:
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere: The student will
identify the structural characteristics of the Earth and
explain structural changes in terms of the forces which
cause them.
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Core Content: SC-M-2.1.7
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Your class is participating in a weather forecasting
project. As part of the project, the U.S. weather Bureau
has provided the two maps shown above, representing weather
conditions for yesterday and today.
- Based on the information in the two maps, what is your
forecast of tomorrow’s weather for Louisville?
- Explain your answer
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SCORE
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DESCRIPTION
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4
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- Addresses general movement of weather patterns
from West to East in the US.
- Interprets weather map using 3 symbols.
- Forecasts weather for tomorrow in Louisville and
gives explanation.
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3
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- Addresses general movement of weather patterns
from West to East in the US.
- Interprets weather map using 2 symbols.
- Forecasts weather for tomorrow in Louisville and
gives explanation
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2
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- Addresses general movement of weather patterns
from West to East in the US.
- Interprets weather map using 2 symbols.
- Forecasts weather for tomorrow in Louisville.
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1
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- Addresses general movement of weather patterns
from West to East in the US.
- Interprets weather map using 1 symbols.
- Forecasts weather for tomorrow in Louisville.
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0
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- Written response demonstrates no understanding of
the concepts
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2.2 Earth and Space Science
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Earth’s History: The student will
use an understanding of present Earth processes to
explain changes in Earth's systems that take place over
time.
Academic Expectations: 2.2
Patterns of Change, 2.3 Systems,
2.4 Scale and Models, 2.5 Constancy,
and 2.6 Change Over Time
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State Core
Content
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Sample
Demonstrators, Skills, and Activities
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SC-M-2.2.1
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- Compare past and present Earth processes
- Evaluate the effects of occasional catastrophic
events on different land masses and/or geographic
areas
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SC-M-2.2.2
Fossils provide important evidence of how
environmental conditions and life have changed.
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- Use fossil evidence to demonstrate changes in life
and environment
- Describe how fossil evidence can be used to
scientifically determine the approximate age of the
earth.
- Identify at least one theory of extinction and
give evidence to support it of how the Dinosaurs
became extinct.
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Content Area: Earth Science
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Level: Middle School
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Subtopic: Earth’s History: The student will
use an understanding of present Earth processes to
explain changes in Earth's systems that take place over
time.
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Core Content: SC-M-2.2.1
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The water level in many Kentucky rivers continually
changes. As a result, many rivers in Kentucky have been
channeled and dammed to control unpredictable water levels.
- Describe two environmental changes that could occur from
the damming of the river and support your answer with
observations that support your choices.
- Describe one long-term effect that could result from one
of the environmental changes.
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SCORE
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DESCRIPTION
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4
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- Both parts of the question are completely
answered.
- Environmental changes chosen are supported with
observations consistent with their choice.
- A complete description of a long term effect is
given.
- Answers indicate that student can show a
cause-effect relationship.
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3
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- Both parts of the question are answered, but
supporting detail for one or both may me
missing or inaccurate.
- Student does not connect observations to
cause-effect relationships.
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2
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- One part of question is answered.
- Supporting detail is included in the answer, but
is inaccurate or incorrect.
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1
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- One or both parts of question are answered, but
answers are incorrect or inaccurate.
- Student does not give supporting detail or detail
is incorrect.
- No cause-effect relationship demonstrated in the
answer.
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0
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- Answer is inappropriate, irrelevant, or
blank.
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2.3 Earth and Space Science
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Earth in the Solar System: The
student will describe the structure of the solar system
and explain the motion, forces, and events that are
interrelated.
Academic Expectations: 2.2
Patterns of Change, 2.3 Systems,
2.4 Scale and Models, 2.5 Constancy,
and 2.6 Change Over Time
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State Core
Content
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Sample
Demonstrators, Skills, and Activities
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SC-M-2.3.1
Earth is the third planet from the Sun in a system
that includes the moon, the Sun, eight other planets and
their moons, and smaller objects such as asteroids and
comets. The Sun, an average star, is the central
and largest body in the solar system.
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- Construct a scale model of the solar system,
showing the correct order and relationships of the
planets to each other and the sun.
- Use Internet resources to collect information
about the components of the solar system and present
that information in an appropriate format.
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SC-M-2.3.2
Most objects in the solar system are in regular and
predictable motion. Those motions explain such
phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the moon, and
eclipses.
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- Use models to demonstrate the motion of the earth
and moon in their orbits around the sun and show how
eclipses of the Moon and Sun are caused.
- Sequence drawings of the Moon’s phases.
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SC-M-2.3.3
Gravity is the force that keeps the planets in orbit
around the Sun and governs the rest of the motion in the
solar system. The gravitational pull of the Sun
and moon on Earth’s oceans is the major cause of
tides.
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- Construct a model to investigate the action of
forces in a rotating or revolving system.
- Construct a model to simulate the effect of
gravitational forces on Earth’s oceans.
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SC-M-2.3.4
The Sun is the major source of energy for
Earth. The water cycle, winds, ocean currents, and
growth of plants are affected by the Sun’s
energy. Seasons result from variations in the
amount of the Sun’s energy hitting Earth’s surface.
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- Draw a diagram of the earth’s axial tilt and use
it to describe the variations of light intensity
that cause the change of seasons
- Design an experiment to compare the temperature
change caused in a closed system by light energy
hitting at a 90º angle with light energy hitting at
a more acute angle.
- Analyze and evaluate the changes in state of water
samples within a closed system.
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Content Area: Earth Science
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Level: Middle School
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Subtopic: Earth in the Solar System: The
student will describe the structure of the solar system
and explain the motion, forces, and events that are
interrelated.
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Core Content: SC-M-2.3.1
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As the moon orbits the Earth, the same side of the moon
faces Earth at all times. Describe the changes that
would happen if the Earth orbited the sun so that the same
side of Earth faced the sun at all times.
- List at least three changes to the earth.
- Describe the conditions at two different locations on
the Earth.
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SCORE
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DESCRIPTION
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4
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- Response lists at least three changes in phenomena
such as: day/night, seasons, crop growing,
animal life cycles, weather, etc.
- Student draws logical connection between phenomena
and sun-earth relationship.
- Response applies description of changes to at
least two different locations.
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3
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- Response lists at least two changes in
phenomena.
- Student draws logical connection between phenomena
and sun/earth relationship. Response applies
description to at least one location.
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2
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- Response lists at least two changes in
phenomena.
- Student does not draw logical connections between
phenomena and the sun-earth relationship.
- Response applies partial description to at least
one location.
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1
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- Response lists one or two changes in phenomena
that are not related to sun-earth
relationship.
- Response applies partial description to only one
location, or is not present.
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0
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- Written response shows no understanding of the
concept.
- Answer is irrelevant or blank.
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