Key Idea 1: The Earth and celestial phenomena can be described by principles of relative motion and perspective.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.1: Explain complex phenomena, such as tides, variations in day length, solar insolation, apparent motion of the planets, and annual traverse of the constellations.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1a: Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion.

• These motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, seasons, phases of the moon, eclipses, and tides.

• Gravity influences the motions of celestial objects. The force of gravity between two objects in the universe depends on their masses and the distance between them.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1b: Nine planets move around the Sun in nearly circular orbits.

• The orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun located at one of the foci.

• Earth is orbited by one moon and many artificial satellites.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1c: Earth's coordinate system of latitude and longitude, with the equator and prime meridian as reference lines, is based upon Earth's rotation and our observation of the Sun and stars.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1d: Earth rotates on an imaginary axis at a rate of 15 degrees per hour. To people on Earth, this turning of the planet makes it seem as though the Sun, the moon, and the stars are moving around Earth once a day. Rotation provides a basis for our system of local time; meridians of longitude are the basis for time zones.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1e: The Foucault pendulum and the Coriolis effect provide evidence of Earth's rotation.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1e: The Foucault pendulum and the Coriolis effect provide evidence of Earth's rotation.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1f: Earth's changing position with regard to the Sun and the moon has noticeable effects.

• Earth revolves around the Sun with its rotational axis tilted at 23.5 degrees to a line perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, with the North Pole aligned with Polaris.

• During Earth's one-year period of revolution, the tilt of its axis results in changes in the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays at a given latitude; these changes cause variation in the heating of the surface. This produces seasonal variation in weather.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1g: Seasonal changes in the apparent positions of constellations provide evidence of Earth's revolution.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1h: The Sun's apparent path through the sky varies with latitude and season.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.1i: Approximately 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered by a relatively thin layer of water, which responds to the gravitational attraction of the moon and the Sun with a daily cycle of high and low tides.

Key Idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.1: Use the concepts of density and heat energy to explain observations of weather patterns, seasonal changes, and the movements of Earth's plates.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1a: Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both of which create heat.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.2: Explain how incoming solar radiation, ocean currents, and land masses affect weather and climate.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2a: Insolation (solar radiation) heats Earth’s surface and atmosphere unequally due to variations in:

• The intensity caused by differences in atmospheric transparency and angle of incidence which vary with time of day, latitude, and season

• Duration, which varies with seasons and latitude.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2c: A location’s climate is influenced by ocean currents, prevailing winds, vegetative cover, elevation, and mountain ranges.latitude, proximity to large bodies of water,

KEY IDEA 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.2: Hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.3: Work towards reconciling competing explanations; clarify points of agreement and disagreement

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.1: Devise ways of making observations to test proposed explanations

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.3: Develop and present proposals including formal hypotheses to test explanations; i.e., predict what should be observed under specific conditions if the explanation is true.

KEY IDEA 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into natural phenomena.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.1: Use various methods of representing and organizing observations (e.g. diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.3: Assess correspondence between the predicted result contained in the hypothesis and actual result, and reach a conclusion as to whether the explanation on which the prediction was based is supported

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text. 

Reading: Craft and Structure

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.

Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently

Writing: Range of Writing

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.