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Atmospheric Phenomena and Temperature Control

and National Science Education Standards

See the referenced section of the NRC Science Education standards document for more details
Content Standards Grades 9-12    
Science as Inquiry    
  • Abilities to do scientific inquiry
  • Understandings about scientific inquiry
    • Identify science questions 
    • Use technology and math to improve investigations and

      • communication  
    • Formulate and revise explanations and models using logical

      • evidence    
    • Communicate and defend a scientific argument 
    Physical Science    
    • Solids, liquids, and gases differ in the distances and angles 

      • between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that   
      binds them together. In solids the structure is nearly rigid; in   
      liquids molecules or atoms move around each other but do   
      not move apart; and in gases molecules or atoms move almost   
      independently of each other and are mostly far apart.   
    • Chemical reactions occur all around us, for example in health 

      • care, cooking, cosmetics, and automobiles.  Complex chemical   
      reactions involving carbon-based molecules take place   
      constantly in every cell in our bodies.  
    • Waves, including sound and seismic waves, waves on water,

      • and light waves, have energy and can transfer energy when they  
      interact with matter 
    Energy in the Earth System  
    • Heating of earth's surface and atmosphere by the sun drives 

      • convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing   
      winds and ocean currents. 
    • Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the 

      • sun at and near the earth's surface. This energy transfer is  
      influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and   
      the earth's rotation, and static conditions such as the   
      position of mountain ranges and oceans. 
    Earth and Space Science    
    • The earth is a system containing essentially a fixed amount of 

      • each stable chemical atom or element. Each element can exist  
      in several different chemical reservoirs. Each element on earth   
      moves among reservoirs in the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere,  
      and organisms as part of geochemical cycles.   
    • Evidence for one-celled forms of life--the bacteria--extends back 

      • more than 3.5 billion years. The evolution of life caused dramatic   
      changes in the composition of the earth's atmosphere, which did   
      not originally contain oxygen. 
    Science and Technology    
  • Abilities of technological design
  • Understanding about science and technology
    • Identify a problem or design an opportunity 
    • Implement a proposed solution 
    • Evaluate the solution and its consequences 
    • Communicate the problem, process, and solution 
    Science in Personal and Social Perspectives    
    • Personal and community health 
    • Environmental quality 
    • Natural and human induced hazards 
    • Science and technology in local, national, and global 

      • challenges 
       
       
       
       
       
    		 Content Standards Grades 5-8    
    Science as Inquiry    
  • Abilities to do scientific inquiry
  • Understandings about scientific inquiry
    • Identify science questions 
    • Use technology and math to improve investigations and communication 
    • Formulate and revise explanations and models using logical evidence 
    • Communicate and defend a scientific argument 
    Physical Science    
    • Heat moves in predictable ways, flowing from warmer objects to cooler ones, until both reach the same temperature. 
    • Light interacts with matter by transmission (including refraction), absorption, or scattering (including reflection). To see an object, light from that object--emitted by or scattered from it--must enter the eye. 
    • The Sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth's surface. The sun loses energy by emitting light. A tiny fraction of that light reaches the earth, transferring energy from the sun to the earth. 
    Earth and Space Science    
    • The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. 
    • The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. 
    • Clouds, formed by condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate. 
    • Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. 
    Earth in the Solar System    
    • The Sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the Earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. 
    • Seasons result from variations in the amount of the Sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the Earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day. 
    Science and Technology    
  • Abilities of technological design
  • Understanding about science and technology
    • Identify a problem or design an opportunity 
    • Implement a proposed solution 
    • Evaluate the solution and its consequences 
    • Communicate the problem, process, and solution 
    Science in Personal and Social Perspectives    
    • Personal and community health 
    • Environmental quality 
    • Natural and human induced hazards 
    • Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges 
      
     
     
     
     
     

      
       
     
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