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EARTH SCIENCE CURRICULUM
GRADES 11
TEACHER: DR ABDUL R. CONTEH
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Introduction to Earth Science
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Explain what is involved in the study of Earth Science
2. List and define the various branches of Earth Science
3. Classify activities into Geology, Astronomy, Meteorology, or Oceanography
The Scientific Method
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Identify the common steps of scientific methods
2. Compare and contrast types of data
3. Describe differences between hypothesis, theory and a scientific law
4. Define variables and distinguish between dependent and independent variables
Performance Standards addressed: S5a, S5d, S5f,
The Origin of Earth
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define Hypothesis
2. List facts explained by a hypothesis of the origin of the Solar System
3. Describe the origin of the solar system according to the Protoplanet hypothesis
4. Carry out critical thinking by Interpreting information in a graph
Performance Standards addressed: S3c, S7d, S5f, S5a
Earth’s Shape and Size
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Describe the shape of the Earth
2. List evidences that Earth is nearly spherical
3. Define Oblate Spheroid and explain the effect of Earth’s shape on the weight of an
object
4. Describe and use Eratosthenes’s method of measuring Earth’s circumference
5. Compare Earth’s polar and equatorial dimensions and discuss the amount of land
and water area on Earth’s surface
6. Define density and calculate the density of an object given its mass and volume
Performance Standards addressed: S3c, S5f, S7d
The Solar System
Objectives: SWBAT
1. List the members of the solar system and identify those that can be seen with the
unaided eye
2. Describe the difference between a geocentric and a heliocentric solar system
3. Summarize the work of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler
4. Identify the importance of Galileo’s contribution to astronomy
5. Briefly describe Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
6. Describe the methods of grouping planets and give examples of planets in each
group
7. Distinguish between jovian planets and terrestrial planets
Performance Standards addressed: S3c, S5f, S7d
Planetary Satellites
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define satellites, identify two planets that have no satellites, and describe the
satellites of Mars
2. Describe the appearance of a comet, its orbit, behavior, composition, and identify
some comets
3. Describe the sizes, shapes, and orbits of asteroids and discuss their possible origin
4. Distinguish between meteoroid, meteor and meteorite
5. Explain why meteorites craters are rare on Earth
Standards addressed:
Earth’s Rotation and Revolution
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define rotation and discuss the evidences for and effects of Earth’s rotation
2. Describe Earth’s axis of rotation and explain its rate of rotation and speed of
rotation
3. Describe the nature of solar time and explain the basis for Earth’s standard and
daylight time systems
4. Determine the time and day in various locations in the world
5. Locate the international dateline and describe the changes that occur there
6. Describe Earth’s revolution and discuss its effects
7. Discuss the effects of Earth’s axial tilt and revolution on the daylight period and
temperature at different latitudes.
Performance Standards addressed:
The Moon’s Motions and Phases
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Describe aspects of the moon’s orbit and explain why the sun and moon appear to
be about the same size in the sky
2. Identify and describe the different kinds of eclipses and explain why each occur
3. List the evidences that relate tides to the moon and explain how the moon causes
high and low tides
Performance Standards addressed:
Atomic Structure of Matter
Objectives: SWBAT
1 Explain the properties of matter in terms of the particle model
2 Define element and atom, and describe the structure of an atom
3 Determine the number of protons and neutrons in an atom from its atomic number
and mass number
4 Define isotope
Distinguish between elements, compounds and mixtures
Performance Standards addressed:
Chemical composition and structure of Minerals
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Identify a substance as a mineral or non-mineral based on its structure and origin
2. Identify the most common elements in Earth’s minerals
3. Discuss the origin of mineral crystals and give examples
4. Relate a mineral’s atomic arrangement to its crystal shape, hardness, cleavage and
density
Performance Standards addressed:
Identifying Minerals
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Name some rock-forming minerals and identify the group to which most belong
2. Discuss the usefulness of color and crystal shape in mineral identification
3. Describe and give examples of mineral luster, streak, cleavage, fracture, and
hardness
4. Define specific gravity, explain how it is determined, and calculate specific gravity
given the necessary data
5. Describe other tests for specific mineral identification
Performance Standards addressed:
Types of Rocks and their Formation
Objectives: SWBAT
1. List the main types of rock and explain their formation
2. Discuss the differences between plutonic and volcanic igneous rocks
3. Define rock texture and list some factors that control the texture of an igneous rock
4. Describe the major processes by which sedimentary rocks are formed and give
examples of rocks formed by each process
5. Explain the origin of fossils
6. Explain the difference between dynamic and thermal metamorphism
7. Name and describe some metamorphic rocks and identify the rock from which each
is formed
8. Describe the rock cycle.
Performance Standards addressed:
Earthquakes
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define earthquake, list problems caused by earthquakes, and discuss several causes
of earthquakes
2. Define focus and epicenter and identify the significance of the depth of the focus
3. Name and describe the kinds of waves produced by earthquakes
4. Describe how a seismograph works
5. Explain how to locate an earthquake epicenter
6. Identify the scales used to describe earthquake magnitude
Performance Standards addressed:
Plate Techtonics
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define plate tectonics and describe the relative motions of several plates
2. Describe the theory of continental drift and list some evidences that support this
theory
3. Discuss the relationship between earthquakes, volcanoes and plate boundaries
4. Describe sliding plate boundaries and collision plate boundaries giving examples of
each
5. Define subduction, identify and give examples of subduction boundaries, and list
features that occur at each.
Performance Standards addressed:
Resources and our Environment I
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Compare renewable and nonrenewable resources
2. Describe factors that affect the usability of land and soil
3. Identify sources of water pollution
4. Identify the ores and uses of various metals
5. Identify various nonmetal resources and their uses
6. Describe the origin, occurrence and uses of various fossil fuels
7. Describe how uranium is used to generate electricity
Performance Standards addressed:
Resources and the Environment II
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Identify and describe properties of renewable energy sources
2. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various alternative energy sources
3. Discuss the causes and effects of acid rain and toxic wastes
4. Identify environmental concerns associated with the use of nuclear reactors
5. Describe several measures that can be taken to conserve nonrenewable resources
6. Interpret information from various sources
Performance Standards addressed:
Weathering, Soil Degradation and Soil Conservation
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Explain why and how weathering occurs
2. Distinguish between weathering and erosion, and name several agents of erosion
3. Distinguish between mechanical and chemical weathering and identify processes
by which each occurs
4. Identify some factors that control the rate at which a rock weathers
5. Relate weathering to soil formation
6. Describe some forms of soil degradation
7. List and describe some methods of soil conservation
Performance Standards addressed:
Using Maps in Earth Studies
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Define map projection and describe the different map projections
2. Define longitude and latitude and explain how they are used to locate points on
Earth
3. Identify map scales and distinguish between a small-scale map and a large-scale
map
4. Describe how contour lines show the elevations, shape, and slope of the land
5. Identify the meanings of some symbols and colors used on topographic maps
Performance Standards addressed:
Reading a Topographic Map
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Use a topographic map to read distances and elevations and calculate the average
slope of an area from such maps
2. Identify landforms and estimate steepness from contour lines
3. Draw a profile from a contour map
4. Evaluate distance using a map scale
Performance Standards addressed:
Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Describe the composition and temperature structure of the atmosphere
2. Discuss the ozone layer, its importance, and its possible reduction by CFCs
3. Differentiate among the methods of heat transfer
4. Discuss the greenhouse effect and the potential dangers from increasing amounts of
greenhouse gases
5. Explain why the temperature in the troposphere decreases with height
6. Identify and explain the occurrence of the warmest and coldest hours and months
7. Compare the heating and cooling of land and water
Performance Standards addressed:
Air Temperature, Evaporation and Condensation
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Explain how temperature is measured and relate Celsius and Fahrenheit scales
2. Specify the changes in state involved in evaporation and condensation and explain
why evaporation is a cooling process
3. Define relative humidity and show how it is measured
4. Demonstrate how cooling produces condensation and list some of the ways in
which air becomes cooler
5. Describe how dew, frost, and fog form
Performance Standards addressed:
Clouds and Precipitation
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Summarize the main types of clouds
2. Describe the conditions under which clouds with vertical development form
3. Describe the conditions under which layer clouds form
4. Describe the process by which precipitation grows in warm and freezing clouds
5. Identify the various types of precipitation, describe how they form, and explain
how they are measured.
6. Define acid rain, explain how it forms and list some of its effects.
Performance Standards addressed:
Air Pressure and Winds
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Discuss air pressure, describe how it is measured, compare the different units used
to measure air pressure
2. Define high, low, and pressure gradient
3. Show how heating causes low pressure and note the wind blows from high to low
pressure
4. Summarize the causes of land and sea breezes and mountain and valley winds
5. Describe how winds are named and measured and show how they are depicted on
weather maps.
Performance Standards addressed:
Air Masses and Fronts
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Explain how air masses form and list the types of air masses
2. Describe the weather and sky conditions that accompany each type of air mass
3. Define front and describe the shape of a front
4. Discuss the kinds of fronts and explain their origin and structure
5. Trace the formation of a typical mid-latitude cyclone
6. List the sequence of clouds and weather associated with both warm and cold fronts
7. Summarize the typical winds and weather in a high
Performance Standards addressed:
Storms and Weather Forecasts
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Compare the types of thunderstorms and show how and where they form
2. Describe tornadoes and severe thunderstorms and list the conditions that produce
them
3. Describe hurricanes and their life cycle
4. Show how the Weather Service tracks hurricanes
5. Describe how weather maps are made
6. Recognize weather map symbols and interpret weather patterns based on data on
weather maps.
Performance Standards addressed:
The Geological Timetable
Objectives: SWBAT
1. Explain the difference between relative time and absolute time
2. List the eras of the geologic timetable and discuss the basis by which they are
defined
Performance Standards addressed: