Download Adlai E. Stevenson High School Course Description

Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Course Description
Division:
Science
Course Number:
SCI671
Course Title:
Earth Science Honors
Content Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Describe how scientists measure earthquakes, identify their locations, and assess the damage caused.
Describe how the processes of weathering, erosion, and mass wasting shape the features of the Earth.
Describe the Earth’s grid system for identifying locations on the earth’s surface using the concepts of latitude, longitude,
and time zones.
Describe the geologic time scale.
Describe the structure of the Earth and the Theory of Plate Tectonics and discuss how tectonics leads to the building of
Earth’s surface features.
Identify the qualities of minerals, their uses, and processes of formation.
Identify the qualities of the three major rock groups, their uses, and processes of formation.
Use topographic maps to describe the physical features of the Earth’s surface.
College Readiness Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental results
Interpretation of Data
Scientific Investigation
Social-Emotional Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Develop their Self-Management skills.
Content Learning Targets
Describe how scientists measure earthquakes, identify their locations, and assess the damage
caused.
A.
B.
Compare and contrast an earthquake’s magnitude and intensity scales. Describe how different materials within the
Earth respond to seismic waves.
Describe Earth's interior structure and composition.
C.
Describe how an earthquake epicenter is located.
D.
Describe how the Richter Magnitude scale works and how to use it to estimate an earthquake magnitude scale.
E.
Describe the cause of earthquakes.
F.
Describe the worldwide distribution of earthquake epicenters.
G.
Discuss the status of earthquake prediction.
H.
Explain how the magnitude of an earthquake is determined.
I.
Identify common seismic waves on a simple seismogram.
J.
List the other destructive forces that can be triggered by an earthquake.
K.
List the types of seismic waves and describe their propagation.
Page 1 of 5
Division:
Science
Course Number:
SCI671
Course Title:
Earth Science Honors
L.
Locate the epicenter of an earthquake using seismic information provided from three seismostations.
M.
Recognize various plate boundaries using earthquake distributions.
N.
Use P and S waves to define the different layers (crust, mantle, lithosphere, asthenosphere, etc.) within the Earth.
Describe how the processes of weathering, erosion, and mass wasting shape the features of the
Earth.
A.
Describe the controls of mass wasting.
B.
Describe the processes of weathering, erosion, and mass wasting.
C.
Discuss soil composition, texture, structure, formation, and classification.
D.
Explain the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering.
E.
List and describe the various types of mass wasting.
Describe the Earth’s grid system for identifying locations on the earth’s surface using the
concepts of latitude, longitude, and time zones.
A.
Briefly discuss Earth’s internal structure.
B.
Define latitude and longitude.
C.
Describe civil time zones and be able to determine local times using the time zone rules.
D.
Describe Earth's "spheres.”
E.
F.
Describe great circles and be able to find great circles on a globe. Find the shortest travel route on the Earth’s
surface using a globe.
Describe the nature of scientific inquiry.
G.
Discuss Earth system science and Earth as a system.
H.
Distinguish solar time from civil time and be able to use solar time to find locations on the Earth’s surface.
I.
Explain the mobile nature of the geosphere.
J.
List the principal divisions and features of Earth’s surface.
K.
List the sciences traditionally included in Earth science.
L.
Measure distance on the Earth’s surface given specific latitudes and longitudes.
M.
Summarize some of the relationships between people and the natural environment.
N.
Summarize the early Evolution of Earth.
O.
Use the Metric System.
P.
View aerial photographs using a stereoscope.
Describe the geologic time scale.
A.
Apply the techniques of radiometric dating to determine the numerical age of a rock or a mineral.
B.
C.
Describe and use each of the 6 laws and principles to determine the relative ages or the sequence of geologic
events.
Describe fossils, fossilization, and the uses of fossils.
D.
Describe the doctrine of uniformitarianism.
Page 2 of 5
Division:
Science
Course Number:
SCI671
Course Title:
Earth Science Honors
E.
F.
Describe the geologic time scale and list in proper order some of the major events that have taken place on Earth
since its formation.
Describe the geologic time scale.
G.
Discuss unconformities.
H.
Explain correlation of rock layers.
I.
Explain radioactivity and radiometric dating.
J.
Explain the difference between numerical and relative dating.
K.
List the laws and principles used in relative dating.
Describe the structure of the Earth and the Theory of Plate Tectonics and discuss how tectonics
leads to the building of Earth’s surface features.
A.
Briefly discuss the evidence used by Alfred Wegener to support his theory of continental drift.
B.
Briefly explain the theory of plate tectonics.
C.
D.
Compare and contrast the distribution and geologic characteristics of tectonic plate boundaries, including divergent,
convergent, and transform boundaries.
Describe how the continents were arranged in the past.
E.
Discuss mantle convection and the various mechanisms proposed to explain plate motion.
F.
Discuss the evidence used to test the plate tectonics model, including ocean drilling and hot spots.
Identify the qualities of minerals, their uses, and processes of formation.
A.
Describe the basic structure of an atom and explain how atoms combine.
B.
Describe the physical properties of minerals and how they can be used for mineral identification.
C.
Distinguish among mineral resources, reserves, and ores.
D.
Explain isotopes and radioactive decay.
E.
Explain the difference between a mineral and a rock.
F.
Identify a few of the most common minerals.
G.
List the basic compositions and structures of the silicate minerals.
H.
List the economic use of some nonsilicate minerals.
I.
List the most important elements that compose Earth's continental crust.
J.
Name minerals using a mineral identification key.
K.
Recognize and describe the common physical properties of minerals.
L.
Understand the economic usefulness of certain minerals.
Identify the qualities of the three major rock groups, their uses, and processes of formation.
A.
Briefly explain Bowen’s reaction series and how it relates to magmatic differentiation.
B.
Briefly explain crystallization of magma.
C.
Classify igneous rocks and identify an igneous rock based on its texture and composition.
D.
Define metamorphic foliation. Recognize foliation and distinguish metamorphic foliation from sedimentary layering
using hand specimens.
Page 3 of 5
Division:
Science
Course Number:
SCI671
Course Title:
Earth Science Honors
E.
F.
G.
Describe sedimentary environments and use textures, structures, and composition of sedimentary rocks to describe
the environment in which they formed.
Describe the agents of metamorphism.
H.
Describe the process of formation of detrital and chemical sedimentary rocks and be able to distinguish a detrital
sedimentary rock from a chemical sedimentary rock.
Diagram and discuss the rock cycle.
I.
Discuss metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources.
J.
Discuss the origin of materials that accumulate as sediment.
K.
Distinguish between the three types of rocks and analyze selected rocks to name them.
L.
Explain the difference between detrital and chemical sedimentary rocks.
M.
Explain the origin of an igneous rock based on its texture.
N.
Identify common detrital and chemical/biological sedimentary rocks.
O.
Identify common metamorphic rocks.
P.
List the common features of sedimentary rocks.
Q.
List the criteria used to classify igneous rocks.
R.
List the criteria used to classify metamorphic rocks.
S.
List the criteria used to classify sedimentary rocks.
T.
List the geologic processes involved in the formation of each rock group.
U.
List the names, textures, and environments of formation for the most common igneous rocks.
V.
List the names, textures, and environments of formation for the most common metamorphic rocks.
W.
List the names, textures, and environments of formation for the most common sedimentary rocks.
X.
Recognize three common igneous rock textures: aphanitic, phaneritic, porphYRitic.
Use topographic maps to describe the physical features of the Earth’s surface.
A.
B.
Convert among fractional, verbal, and graphic scales. Determine the scale of a map and use it to measure distance
on a map.
Draw contour lines and construct a topographic profile map.
C.
Familiarize yourself with map essentials in order to understand and read a map.
D.
Locate a parcel of land using the U.S. Public Survey System and give its area in square miles and acres.
E.
Recognize various grid Systems on a topographic map and be able to use them to locate places and features on a
topographic map.
Understand the magnetic declination of a map and familiarize yourself with various symbols used on a map.
F.
G.
Use contour line rules and to determine elevation, relief, slope, and various landscapes (hills, depressions, rivers,
etc.)
College Readiness target
Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental results
A.
B.
14a. Select (or create) a simple hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by a data presentation or a
model
14b. Select (or create) a simple hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by two or more data
presentations or models
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Division:
Science
Course Number:
SCI671
Course Title:
Earth Science Honors
C.
D.
14d. Select (or create) a complex hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by a data presentation or
model
15a. Identify key issues or assumptions in a model
E.
17a. Use new information to make a prediction based on a model
Interpretation of Data
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
1a. Select a single piece of data (numerical or nonnumerical) from a simple data presentation (e.g., a table or graph
with two or three variables; a food web diagram)
1b. Select two or more pieces of data from a simple data presentation
1c. Select data from a complex data presentation (e.g., a table or graph with more than three variables; a phase
diagram)
3a. Determine how the value of one variable changes as the value of another variable changes in a simple data
presentation
3b. Determine how the value of one variable changes as the value of another variable changes in a complex data
presentation
4a. Compare or combine data from a simple data presentation (e.g., order or sum data from a table)
H.
4b. Compare or combine data from two or more simple data presentations (e.g., categorize data from a table using a
scale from another table)
4c. Compare or combine data from a complex data presentation
I.
4d. Compare or combine data from a simple data presentation with data from a complex data presentation
J.
5a. Translate information into a table, graph, or diagram
K.
6a. Interpolate between data points in a table or graph
L.
7a. Identify and/or use a simple (e.g., linear) mathematical relationship between data
M.
7b. Identify and/or use a complex (e.g., nonlinear) mathematical relationship between data
N.
8a. Analyze given information when presented with new, simple information
Scientific Investigation
A.
12c. Determine the hypothesis for an experiment
B.
9a. Understand (or use) the methods and tools used in a simple experiment
Social Emotional learning Targets
Develop their Self-Management skills.
A.
g. I follow rules of the school.
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