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.”
investigate and describe how wind and water move soil and rock particles across the Earth's surface such as wind blowing sand into dunes on a beach or a river carrying rocks as it flows;
model and identify how changes to Earth's surface by wind, water, or ice result in the formation of landforms, including deltas, canyons, and sand dunes.
S.7.10.A
describe the evidence that supports that Earth has changed over time, including fossil evidence, plate tectonics, and superposition; and
AQUA.11.D
describe how erosion and deposition in river systems lead to formation of geologic features.
EARTH.9.A
interpret Earth surface features using a variety of methods such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, and topographic and geologic maps using appropriate technologies;
EARTH.9.C
model the processes of mass wasting, erosion, and deposition by water, wind, ice, glaciation, gravity, and volcanism in constantly reshaping Earth's surface; and
EARTH.12.A
evaluate the impact on humans of natural changes in Earth's systems such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions;
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.
Patterns
Patterns are regular sequences that can be found throughout nature.
There are patterns among fossils of plant and animal species in rocks of similar age found on different continents. These patterns are evidence that the continents were once joined. Patterns in layers of rock provide evidence of relative age.
Cause-and-effect relationships
Cause-and-effect relationships are relationships between two or more variables or phenomena whereby one variable or event leads to a predictable response. Events have causes—sometimes simple, sometimes multi-faceted.
The movement of continents by plate tectonics (cause) led to fossils of the same organisms being found in similarly aged rocks on separate continents (effect). Rock layers are laid down, one on top of the other (cause), resulting in the oldest rock being located at the bottom of undisrupted layers (effect).
Scale, proportion, and quantity in systems
It is important to consider how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance. Scale refers to the size of an object in relation to another object or its environment. Proportion is the ratio of one quantity to another. Quantity is a count of a set of objects or a measurement of a substance.
The rate at which plate movement occurs is small and hard to detect due to the size of the plates in relation to the observer (scale).
Stability and change
Stability describes a system that does not change at the observed scale. In a stable system, a small disturbance will die out and the system will return to a stable state. Change in the system can come from modifying a factor or condition.
The position of continents can seem stable; however, their positions are constantly changing over time.
Cross-curricular Connections
The cross-curricular connections are designed to help educators make content connections between the science TEKS and math, English language arts and reading, social studies, and technology applications. The standards below illustrate alignment between grade level content areas which may help educators develop cross-curricular lessons. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made.
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English Language Arts and Reading
ELAR.7.5.F make inferences and use evidence to support understanding
ELAR.7.5.H synthesize information to create new understanding
ELAR.7.6.C use text evidence to support an appropriate response