Search the California Content Standards

Title: 1-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. [Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include that the sun and moon appear to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; and stars other than our sun are visible at night but not during the day.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of star patterns is limited to stars being seen at night and not during the day.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and predicted.

Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns in the natural world in order to answer scientific questions.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence. Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems Science assumes natural events happen today as they happened in the past. Many events are repeated.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.1.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in first grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: 3.PS2.A; 5.PS2.B; 5-ESS1.B

Title: 5-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth. [Clarification Statement: Absolute brightness of stars is the result of a variety factors. Relative distance from Earth is one factor that affects apparent brightness and is the one selected to be addressed by the performance expectation.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to relative distances, not sizes, of stars. Assessment does not include other factors that affect apparent brightness (such as stellar masses, age, stage).]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.

Science & Engineering Practices: Engaging in Argument from Evidence Support an argument with evidence, data, or a model.

Crosscutting Concepts: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.5.1.a-d: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RI.5.7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. RI.5.8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). RI.5.9: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. W.5.1.a–d: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.4: Model with mathematics. 5.NBT.2: Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fifth grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: MS.ESS1.A; MS.ESS1.B

Title: MS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models. ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth’s spin axis is fixed in direction over the short-term but tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop and use a model to describe phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Patterns can be used to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy SL.8.5: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. 6.RP.1: Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. 7.RP.2.a-d: Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: MS.PS2.A; MS.PS2.B Articulation across grade-bands: 3.PS2.A; 5.PS2.B; 5.ESS1.B; HS.PS2.A; HS.PS2.B; HS.ESS1.B

Title: MS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds together the solar system and Milky Way galaxy and controls orbital motions within them. Examples of models can be physical (such as the analogy of distance along a football field or computer visualizations of elliptical orbits) or conceptual (such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of familiar objects such as students’ school or state).] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion or the apparent retrograde motion of the planets as viewed from Earth.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe. ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop and use a model to describe phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions. Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy SL.8.5: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. 6.RP.1: Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. 7.RP.2.a-d: Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities. 6.EE.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. 7.EE.4.a-d: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: MS.PS2.A; MS.PS2.B; Articulation across grade-bands: 3.PS2.A; 5.PS2.B; 5.ESS1.A; 5.ESS1.B; HS.PS2.A; HS.PS2.B; HS.ESS1.A; HS.ESS1.B

Title: HS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy that eventually reaches Earth in the form of radiation. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the energy transfer mechanisms that allow energy from nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to reach Earth. Examples of evidence for the model include observations of the masses and lifetimes of other stars, as well as the ways that the sun’s radiation varies due to sudden solar flares (“space weather”), the 11-year sunspot cycle, and non-cyclic variations over centuries.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the atomic and sub-atomic processes involved with the sun’s nuclear fusion.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars The star called the sun is changing and will burn out over a lifespan of approximately 10 billion years. PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes Nuclear Fusion processes in the center of the sun release the energy that ultimately reaches Earth as radiation. (secondary to HS-ESS1-1)

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system.

Crosscutting Concepts: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity The significance of a phenomenon is dependent on the scale, proportion, and quantity at which it occurs.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RST.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.4: Model with mathematics. N-Q.1-3: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems. A-SSE.1.a-b: Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context. A-CED.2: Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales. A-CED.4: Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations. HSN-Q.A.2: Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive modeling. HSN-Q.A.3: Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS1.C; HS.PS3.A Articulation across grade-bands: MS.PS1.A; MS.PS4.B; MS.ESS1.A; MS.ESS2.A; MS.ESS2.D

Title: HS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the astronomical evidence of the red shift of light from galaxies as an indication that the universe is currently expanding, the cosmic microwave background as the remnant radiation from the Big Bang, and the observed composition of ordinary matter of the universe, primarily found in stars and interstellar gases (from the spectra of electromagnetic radiation from stars), which matches that predicted by the Big Bang theory (3/4 hydrogen and 1/4 helium).]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars The study of stars’ light spectra and brightness is used to identify compositional elements of stars, their movements, and their distances from Earth. The Big Bang theory is supported by observations of distant galaxies receding from our own, of the measured composition of stars and non-stellar gases, and of the maps of spectra of the primordial radiation (cosmic microwave background) that still fills the universe. Other than the hydrogen and helium formed at the time of the Big Bang, nuclear fusion within stars produces all atomic nuclei lighter than and including iron, and the process releases electromagnetic energy. Heavier elements are produced when certain massive stars achieve a supernova stage and explode. PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation Atoms of each element emit and absorb characteristic frequencies of light. These characteristics allow identification of the presence of an element, even in microscopic quantities. (secondary to HS-ESS1-2)

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Construct an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Connections to Nature of Science: Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena A scientific theory is a substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment and the science community validates each theory before it is accepted. If new evidence is discovered that the theory does not accommodate, the theory is generally modified in light of this new evidence.

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter Energy cannot be created or destroyed–only moved between one place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between systems. Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology Science and engineering complement each other in the cycle known as research and development (R&D). Many R&D projects may involve scientists, engineers, and others with wide ranges of expertise. Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems Scientific knowledge is based on the assumption that natural laws operate today as they did in the past and they will continue to do so in the future. Science assumes the universe is a vast single system in which basic laws are consistent.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RST.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. WHST.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. WHST.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. N-Q.1-3: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems. A-SSE.1.a-b: Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context. A-CED.2: Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales. A-CED.4: Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS1.A; HS.PS1.C; HS.PS3.A; HS.PS3.B; HS.PS4.A Articulation across grade-bands: MS.PS1.A; MS.PS4.B; MS.ESS1.A

Title: HS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the way nucleosynthesis, and therefore the different elements created, varies as a function of the mass of a star and the stage of its lifetime.] [Assessment Boundary: Details of the many different nucleosynthesis pathways for stars of differing masses are not assessed.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars The study of stars’ light spectra and brightness is used to identify compositional elements of stars, their movements, and their distances from Earth. Other than the hydrogen and helium formed at the time of the Big Bang, nuclear fusion within stars produces all atomic nuclei lighter than and including iron, and the process releases electromagnetic energy. Heavier elements are produced when certain massive stars achieve a supernova stage and explode.

Science & Engineering Practices: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information Communicate scientific ideas (e.g., about phenomena and/or the process of development and the design and performance of a proposed process or system) in multiple formats (including orally, graphically, textually, and mathematically).

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter In nuclear processes, atoms are not conserved, but the total number of protons plus neutrons is conserved.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy WHST.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. WHST.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. SL.11-12.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS1.A; HS.PS1.C Articulation across grade-bands: MS.PS1.A; MS.ESS1.A

Title: HS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges (a result of plate spreading) and the ages of North American continental crust decreasing with distance away from a central ancient core of the continental plate (a result of past plate interactions).]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth Continental rocks, which can be older than 4 billion years, are generally much older than the rocks of the ocean floor, which are less than 200 million years old. ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains the past and current movements of the rocks at Earth’s surface and provides a framework for understanding its geologic history. (ESS2.B Grade 8 GBE) (secondary to HS-ESS1-5) PS1.C: Nuclear Processes Spontaneous radioactive decays follow a characteristic exponential decay law. Nuclear lifetimes allow radiometric dating to be used to determine the ages of rocks and other materials. (secondary to HS-ESS1-5)

Science & Engineering Practices: Engaging in Argument from Evidence Evaluate evidence behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to determine the merits of arguments.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Empirical evidence is needed to identify patterns.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RST.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. RST.11-12.8: Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information. WHST.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. WHST.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. N-Q.1-3: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS3.B; HS.ESS2.A Articulation across grade-bands: MS.ESS1.C; MS.ESS2.A; MS.ESS2.B

Title: HS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe

Performance Expectation: Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using available evidence within the solar system to reconstruct the early history of Earth, which formed along with the rest of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Examples of evidence include the absolute ages of ancient materials (obtained by radiometric dating of meteorites, moon rocks, and Earth’s oldest minerals), the sizes and compositions of solar system objects, and the impact cratering record of planetary surfaces.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth Although active geologic processes, such as plate tectonics and erosion, have destroyed or altered most of the very early rock record on Earth, other objects in the solar system, such as lunar rocks, asteroids, and meteorites, have changed little over billions of years. Studying these objects can provide information about Earth’s formation and early history. PS1.C: Nuclear Processes Spontaneous radioactive decays follow a characteristic exponential decay law. Nuclear lifetimes allow radiometric dating to be used to determine the ages of rocks and other materials. (secondary to HS-ESS1-6)

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Apply scientific reasoning to link evidence to the claims to assess the extent to which the reasoning and data support the explanation or conclusion. Connections to Nature of Science: Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena A scientific theory is a substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment and the science community validates each theory before it is accepted. If new evidence is discovered that the theory does not accommodate, the theory is generally modified in light of this new evidence. Models, mechanisms, and explanations collectively serve as tools in the development of a scientific theory.

Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and Change Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RST.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. RST.11-12.8: Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information. WHST.9-12.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. N-Q.1-3: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems. F-IF.5: Relate the domain of a function to its graph and, where applicable, to the quantitative relationship it describes. S-ID.6.a-c: Represent data on two quantitative variables on a scatter plot, and describe how those variables are related.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS2.A; HS.PS2.B Articulation across grade-bands: MS.PS2.B; MS.ESS1.B; MS.ESS1.C; MS.ESS2.A; MS.ESS2.B

Title: HS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions

Performance Expectation: Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on simple qualitative models, such as pictures or diagrams, and on the scale of energy released in nuclear processes relative to other kinds of transformations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative calculation of energy released. Assessment is limited to alpha, beta, and gamma radioactive decays.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
PS1.C: Nuclear Processes Nuclear processes, including fusion, fission, and radioactive decays of unstable nuclei, involve release or absorption of energy. The total number of neutrons plus protons does not change in any nuclear process.

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system.

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter In nuclear processes, atoms are not conserved, but the total number of protons plus neutrons is conserved.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. N-Q.1-3: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.PS3.A; HS.PS3.B; HS.PS3.C; HS.PS3.D; HS.ESS1.A; HS.ESS1.C Articulation across grade-bands: MS.PS1.A; MS.PS1.B; MS.ESS2.A