A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
describe how metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks form and change through geologic processes in the rock cycle.
EARTH.7.A
describe the development of multiple radiometric dating methods and analyze their precision, reliability, and limitations in calculating the ages of igneous rocks from Earth, the Moon, and meteorites;
EARTH.7.E
describe how evidence of biozones and faunal succession in rock layers reveal information about the environment at the time those rocks were deposited and the dynamic nature of the Earth; and
Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content
Recurring themes and concepts provide a connective structure for scientific ideas across disciplines. The connection(s) below show some ways that teachers can help students understand how the content they are learning fits into the broader understanding of science. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made but highlight some that are appropriate for this grade level.
Relationship between structure and function
A structure is an organized arrangement of particles, parts, or elements in a substance, body, or entity. A function is the purpose or reason for something to exist in a system. The function of a structure depends on the shapes of and relationships among its essential parts.
The porous structure of some rocks allows resources to be stored (function) within them.