State Goals:

11. Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.

12. Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.

13.  Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts

Learning Standards:

Learning Benchmarks;

11A

11B

Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry.

Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of technological design.

11.11.01

11.11.02

11.11.03

11.11.04

11.11.05

11.11.06

11.11.07

11.11.08

Understand and follow procedures relating to scientific investigations, including understanding the design and procedures used to test a hypothesis, organizing and analyzing data accurately and precisely, producing and interpreting data tables and graphs, performing appropriate calculations, applying basic statistical methods to the data, identifying appropriate conclusions, making predictions, and evaluating competing models.

Distinguish among the following: observing, drawing a conclusion based on observation, forming a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, organizing data, comparing data.

Identify possible sources of error in an experiment.

Distinguish and define the following components of typical experiments: constants, variables, experimental group, control group.

Identify a technological design problem inherent in a given product.

Out of different lists of criteria, select the list of criteria outlining a successful design solution to a given problem.

Given test results on different models, choose the model which best solves the design problem.

Given a description of a test to be performed on a model, select from a list of options what are the possible sources of error in conducting the test.

12C

12D

Know and apply concepts that describe properties of matter and energy and the interactions between them.

Know and apply concepts that describe force and motion and the principles that explain them.

12.11.45

12.11.46

12.11.64

12.11.65

12.11.66

12.11.67

12.11.68

12.11.69

12.11.70

12.11.71

12.11.72

12.11.73

12.11.74

12.11.75

12.11.76

12.11.77

12.11.78

12.11.79

12.11.80

12.11.81

12.11.84

12.11.88

12.11.90

12.11.91

12.11.92

12.11.93

Understand that the nucleus of the atom is much smaller than the whole atom yet contains most of its mass. Understand isotopes.

Understand that the transuranium elements were not discovered in nature but synthesized through the use of nuclear accelerators.

Understand that energy is “the ability to do work,” or “the ability to change matter.” Understand that energy is defined by the way it is measured and quantified. Understand the difference between potential and kinetic energy.

Understand that a magnetic field is generated around an electrical current and that the motion of a conducting wire through a magnetic field generates a current through it. Understand that is some substances, such as metals, electrons flow easily, whereas in insulating materials such as glass they can hardly flow at all. Semiconducting materials have intermediate behavior. At very low temperatures, some materials offer no resistance to the flow of electrons and become superconductors.

Understand that an electrically neutral object has particles within it that are charged, but their charges balance each other out.

Know the first two laws of thermodynamics: (1) Energy is conserved (neither created nor destroyed) and (2) Heat flows naturally from a hot object to a cold object; heat will not flow spontaneously from a cold object to a hot object. Understand that another statement of the Second Law is that no device is possible whose sole effect is to transform a given amount of heat completely into work.

Recount the concept of entropy and know that entropy in the universe, considered as a whole, always increases.

Indicate that the speed of light differs in some material from its speed in a vacuum is given by the index of refraction for that material, n, where n is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the material. Also know that light follows the path of least time through various materials and that this is not the same as the shortest distance.

Understand the reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, and frame of reference properties of waves.

Understand that sound causes molecules of a medium to vibrate back and forth. This series of compressions and rarefactions produces waves.

Understand how sound travels through different mediums.

Understand amplitude, frequency, wavelength, intensity, and quality. Know that intensity is measured in decibels.

Understand that the magnitude of a force F is defined as F=ma. Know how to perform such calculations. Understand that whenever one object exerts force on another, a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction is exerted on the first object. Understand that when two objects exert forces on each other, momentum is conserved.

Understand that objects change their velocity only when a net force is applied (the law of inertia). Students will be able to distinguish between inertial mass and gravitational mass.

Understand simple machines and how they provide mechanical advantage. For example, know that a lever is like a balance and that to balance it requires the weights (or forces) applied on each end to be in the inverse ratio to that of their distances from the fulcrum. Thus the mechanical advantage increases with greater distance from the fulcrum.

Understand the principles of air pressure and fluid dynamics. Understand Archimedes’ Principle and Bernoulli’s Principle. Understand that air pressure decreases as altitude increases. Understand that pressure in a liquid increases as the depth increases. Understand how a hydraulic lift confers mechanical advantage.

Understand the Universal Law of Gravitation: that gravitation is a force that every mass exerts on another mass. The strength of the gravitational attractive force between two masses is proportional to the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them (inverse square law).

Understand the types of motion such as linear, circular, parabolic, and periodic. Explain and predict motions in inertial and accelerated frames of reference.

Understand that the electrical force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects. Opposite charges attract, like charges repel. The strength of the force is proportional to the charges, and, like gravity, it is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charged bodies.

Understand that between any two charged particles, the electrical force is vastly greater than the gravitational force. Most observable forces such as those exerted by a coiled spring or friction may be traced to electrical forces acting between atoms and molecules.

Understand that scientists believe that the sun, the earth, and the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago.

Understand why earthquakes occur and how scales are used to measure their intensity and magnitude, specifically the Richter and Mercalli scales.

Understand that energy enters the systems of Earth chiefly as solar radiation and eventually escapes again as heat.

Understand that incoming solar radiation is either reflected or absorbed.

Understand that non-uniform heating of the earth results in circulation patterns in the atmosphere and oceans that globally distribute heat (in the form of winds and ocean currents).

Understand the connection between the earth’s rotation and the circular motion of ocean currents and air pressure centers.

13A

13B

Know and apply the accepted practices of science

Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society.

13.11.01

13.11.02

13.11.03

13.11.04

13.11.05

13.11.06

13.11.07

13.11.08

13.11.09

Understand basic rules of safety in conducting scientific experiments in a laboratory or in the field.

Understand why experimental replication is essential to scientific claims.

Understand how scientific knowledge, explanations, and technological designs may change with new information.

Understand that scientists must be responsible about how they conduct their experiments.

Determine the degree of accuracy in measurements. Identify possible sources of error in measurement.

Analyze scientific breakthroughs in terms of societal and technological effects.

Analyze examples of resource use, technology use or conservation program and make recommendations for improvements.

Analyze careers and occupations that are affected by knowledge of science.

Select appropriate scientific instruments and technological devices to perform tests, measure, and collect data.