Science Content Standards for California public schools - week 2

Here is a list of the standards that have been introduced during last week's (week 2) activities:

Grade 6 - Focus on Earth Sciences

1.    Plate tectonics accounts for important features of Earth’’s surface and major geologic events. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a.    Students know evidence of plate tectonics is derived from the fit of the continents; the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges; and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.

b.    Students know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core.

d.    Students know that earthquakes are sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults and that volcanoes and fissures are locations where magma reaches the surface.

e.    Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.

f.    Students know how to explain major features of California geology (including mountains, faults, volcanoes) in terms of plate tectonics.

Grade 7 - Earth and Life History

4.    Evidence from rocks allows us to understand the evolution of life on Earth. As a basis for understanding this concept:

c.    Students know that the rock cycle includes the formation of new sediment and rocks and that rocks are often found in layers, with the oldest generally on the bottom.

d.    Students know that evidence from geologic layers and radioactive dating indicates Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old and that life on this planet has existed for more than 3 billion years.

e.    Students know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.