"As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, students will develop an understanding of energy in the earth system, geochemical cycles, the formation and organization of the earth system, and the organization and development of the universe."

Indicator 1. The geologic time scale and how it relates to the history of the earth.

Resources: Models, samples

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 2. Rock sequences, fossils, and radioactive decay and how they are used to estimate the time rocks were formed.

Resources: Samples, charts

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 3. Earth changes as short term (during a human’s lifetime), such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and as long term (over a geological time scale), such as mountain building and plate movements.

Resources: Charts, graphs

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 4. The dramatic changes in the earth’s atmosphere (i.e. introduction of O2) which were affected by the emergence of life on earth.scale), such as mountain building and plate movements.

Resources: Reference books, technology

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 5. The rock cycle describes the formation of rocks.

Resources: Samples, models, charts

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 1. Organization of the universe. EXAMPLE: The sun is an ordinary star. It appears that many stars have planets orbiting them. Our galaxy (The Milky Way) contains about 100 billion stars. Galaxies are a level of organization of the universe. There are at least 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Galaxies are organized into large superclusters with large voids between them.

Resources: Reference materials

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 2. Expansion of the universe from a hot dense early state. EXAMPLE: By studying the light emitted from distant galaxies, it has been found that galaxies are moving apart from one another. Cosmological understanding including the Big Bang Theory is based on this expansion.

Resources: Reference materials

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 3. Organization and development of stars, solar systems, and planets. EXAMPLE: Nebula from which stars and planets form, are mostly hydrogen and helium. Heavier elements were, and continue to be, made by the nuclear fusion reactions in stars. The sun is a second generation star, which along with its planets was formed billions of years after the Big Bang.

Resources: Reference materials

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

Indicator 4. General methods of the exploration of our solar system and space as well as the importance of such exploration.

Resources: Reference materials

Assessments: Large and small group discussion

"As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students will develop an understanding of the cell, molecular basis of heredity, biological evolution, interdependence of organisms, matter, energy, and organization in living systems, and the behavior of organisms."

Indicator 6. Mutations occur in DNA at very low rates. EXAMPLES: Some changes make no difference to the organism or to future generations. Phenotypic changes can be harmful; some mutations enable organisms to survive changes in their environment.Only mutations in the germ cells are passed on to offspring and therefore can bring about beneficial or harmful changes in future generations.

Resources: Textbook, video

Assessments: Test

*Understand: "Understand" does not mandate "belief." While students may be required to understand some concepts that researchers use to conduct research and solve practical problems, they may accept or reject the scientific concepts presented. This applies particularly where students' and/or parents' beliefs may be at odds with current scientific theories or concepts. See Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, National Academy of Sciences, 1998, page 59.

Indicator 1. That the theory of evolution is both the history of descent, with modification of different lineages of organisms from common ancestors, and the ongoing adaptation of organisms to environmental challenges and changes (modified from Futuyma, et al., 1999).

Resources: Video

Assessments: Class Discussion

Indicator 2. That biologists use evolution theory to explain the earth’s present day biodiversity—the number, variety and variability of organisms. EXAMPLE: Patterns of diversification and extinction of organisms are documented in the fossil record. The fossil record provides evidence of simple, bacteria-like life as far back as 3.8+ billion years ago. Natural selection, and other processes, can cause populations to change from one generation to the next. A single population can separate into two or more independent populations. Over time, these populations can also become very different from each other. If the isolation continues, the genetic separation may become irreversible. This process is called speciation. Populations, and entire lineages, can go extinct. One effect of extinction is to increase the apparent differences between populations. As intermediate populations go extinct, the surviving lineages can become more distinct from one another.

Resources: Textbook, video

Assessments: Class Discussion

Indicator 3. That biologists recognize that the primary mechanisms of evolution are natural selection and genetic drift. EXAMPLE: Natural selection includes the following concepts: 1) heritable variation exists in every species; 2) some heritable traits are more advantageous to reproduction and/or survival than are others; 3) there is a finite supply of resources required for life; not all progeny survive; 4) individuals with advantageous traits generally survive to reproduce; 5) the advantageous heritable traits increase in the population through time.

Resources: Textbook

Assessments: Class Discussion

Indicator 4. The sources and value of variation. EXAMPLES: Variation of organisms within and among species increases the likelihood that some members will survive under changed environmental conditions. New heritable traits primarily result from new combinations of genes and secondarily from mutations or changes in the reproductive cells; changes in other cells of a sexual organism are not passed to the next generation.

Resources: Textbook

Assessments: Class Discussion

Indicator 4. That evolution is a broad, unifying theoretical framework in biology. EXAMPLES: Evolution provides the context in which to ask research questions and yields valuable insights, especially in agriculture and medicine. The common ancestry of living things allows them to be classified into a hierarchy of groups; these classifications or family trees follow rules of nomenclature; scientific names have unique definitions and value. Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record that correlates with geochemical (e.g., radioisotope) dating results. The distribution of fossil and modern organisms is related to geological and ecological changes (i.e. plate tectonics, migration).

Resources: Textbook

Assessments: Class Discussion