Search the California Content Standards

Title: K-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

Performance Expectation: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of human impact on the land could include cutting trees to produce paper and using resources to produce bottles. Examples of solutions could include reusing paper and recycling cans and bottles.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems Things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, water, air, and other living things. ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people. (secondary to K-ESS3-3)

Science & Engineering Practices: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information Communicate solutions with others in oral and/or written forms using models and/or drawings that provide detail about scientific ideas.

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect Events have causes that generate observable patterns.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle I The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services. Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.K.2: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in kindergarten: K.ETS1.A Articulation across grade-levels: 2.ETS1.B; 4.ESS3.A; 5.ESS3.C

Title: 4-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

Performance Expectation: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of solutions could include designing an earthquake resistant building and improving monitoring of volcanic activity.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
ESS3.B: Natural Hazards A variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions). Humans cannot eliminate the hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts. (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea can also be found in 3.WC.) ETS1.B: Designing Solutions to Engineering Problems Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions. (secondary to 4-ESS3-2)

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change. Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Influence of Science, Engineering and Technology on Society and the Natural World Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits, to decrease known risks, and to meet societal demands.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle I The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RI.4.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.4: Model with mathematics. 4.OA.1: Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fourth grade: 4.ETS1.C Articulation across grade-levels: K.ETS1.A; 2.ETS1.B; 2.ETS1.C; MS.ESS2.A; MS.ESS3.B; MS.ETS1.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: 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-LS4 HS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Performance Expectation: Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.* [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on testing solutions for a proposed problem related to threatened or endangered species, or to genetic variation of organisms for multiple species.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS4.C: Adaptation Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline–and sometimes the extinction–of some species. LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by HS-LS2-7.) ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (secondary to HS-LS4-6) Both physical models and computers can be used in various ways to aid in the Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science process. Computers are useful for a variety of purposes, such as running simulations to test different ways of solving a problem or to see which one is most efficient or economical; and in making a persuasive presentation to a client about how a given design will meet his or her needs. (secondary to HS-LS4-6)

Science & Engineering Practices: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking Create or revise a simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system.

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle I The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services. Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy WHST.9-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. WHST.9-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.ESS2.D; HS.ESS2.E; HS.ESS3.A; HS.ESS3.C; HS.ESS3.D Articulation across grade-bands: MS.LS2.C; MS.ESS3.C