read to enjoy, to complete a task, to gather information, to be informed, to solve problems, to answer questions, to analyze, to interpret, and to evaluate;

ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;

read sources such as literature, diaries, journals, textbooks, maps, newspapers, letters, speeches, memoranda, electronic texts, and technical documents; and

apply scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;

understand and interpret visual representations.

The student formulates and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:

use appropriate safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards;

respond actively to texts in both aesthetic and critical ways;

use appropriate tools such as meter sticks, metric rulers, pipettes, graduated cylinders, standard laboratory glassware, balances, timing devices, pH meters or probes, various data collecting probes, thermometers, calculators, computers, internet access, turbidity testing devices, hand magnifiers, work and disposable gloves, compasses, first aid kits, binoculars, field guides, water quality test kits or probes, soil test kits or probes, 30 meter tape measures, tarps, shovels, trowels, screens, buckets, rock and mineral samples equipment, air quality testing devices, cameras, flow meters, Global Positioning System (GPS) units, Geographic Information System (GIS) software, computer models, densiometers, spectrophotometers, stereomicroscopes, compound microscopes, clinometers, field journals, various prepared slides, hand lenses, hot plates, Petri dishes, sampling nets, waders, leveling grade rods (Jason sticks), protractors, inclination and height distance calculators, samples of biological specimens or structures, core sampling equipment, and kick nets;

respond to text through discussion, journal writing, performance, and visual representation; and

collect quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative data as evidence;

organize quantitative and qualitative data using probeware, spreadsheets, lab notebooks or journals, models, diagrams, graphs paper, computers, or cellphone applications;

support responses by using prior knowledge and experience and/or citing textual evidence which may consist of a direct quotation, paraphrase, or specific synopsis.

develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems; and

The student reads critically to evaluate texts in order to determine the credibility of sources. The student is expected to:

distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.

evaluate the credibility of informational sources and their relevance for assigned and self-selected topics;

Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

evaluate how a writer's motivation, stance, or position may affect text credibility, structure, or tone;

identify advantages and limitations of models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials;

analyze aspects of text, such as patterns of organization and choice of language, for persuasive effect;

recognize modes of reasoning, such as induction and deduction; and

analyze data by identifying significant statistical features, patterns, sources of error, and limitations;

recognize logical and illogical arguments in text.

use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative relationships in data; and

The student reads to increase knowledge of own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. The student is expected to:

evaluate experimental and engineering designs.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:

compare text events with personal and other readers' experiences; and

develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories;

recognize and discuss literary themes and connections that cross cultures.

communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats; and

engage respectfully in scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to:

analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations and solutions by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;

relate the impact of past and current research on scientific thought and society, including research methodology, cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to the content; and

Understanding the communication process. The student demonstrates a knowledge of communication. The student is expected to:

research and explore resources such as museums, planetariums, observatories, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field in order to investigate STEM careers.

Science concepts. The student knows the relationships of biotic and abiotic factors within habitats, ecosystems, and biomes. The student is expected to:

recognize and explain the importance of communication in social, academic, civic, and professional roles;

identify native plants and animals within a local ecosystem and compare their roles to those of plants and animals in other biomes, including aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra;

identify the related components of the communication process;

identify standards of making communication choices considering appropriateness for self, listener, occasion, and task;

explain the cycling of water, phosphorus, carbon, silicon, and nitrogen through ecosystems, including sinks, and the human interactions that alter these cycles using tools such as models;

identify characteristics of oral language and analyze standards for using oral language appropriately;

evaluate the effects of fluctuations in abiotic factors on local ecosystems and local biomes;

identify the importance of using appropriate nonverbal communication;

measure the concentration of dissolved substances such as dissolved oxygen, chlorides, and nitrates and describe their impacts on an ecosystem;

identify and explain the components of listening process;

use models to predict how the introduction of an invasive species may alter the food chain and affect existing populations in an ecosystem;