S.8.11.B | TEKS Guide

SCIENCE.8.11.B — Vertical Alignment

Vertical alignment shows student expectations in the same subject area at different grade levels that are related to or build upon one another.

Previous grade

S.4.10.C

differentiate between weather and climate.

S.8.10.A

describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather and climate;

S.8.11.A

use scientific evidence to describe how natural events, including volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release and absorption of greenhouse gases influence climate;

S.8.11.B

use scientific evidence to describe how human activities, including the release of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and urbanization, can influence climate; and

IPC.8.D

construct and communicate an evidence-based explanation of the environmental impact of the end-products of chemical reactions such as those that may result in degradation of water, soil, air quality, and global climate change.

EARTH.11.A

analyze how energy transfer through Milankovitch cycles, albedo, and differences in atmospheric and surface absorption are mechanisms of climate;

EARTH.11.C

model how greenhouse gases trap thermal energy near Earth's surface;

ENVIR.9.D

describe how temperature inversions have short-term and long-term effects, including El Nio and La Nia oscillations, ice cap and glacial melting, and changes in ocean surface temperatures; and

ENVIR.9.E

analyze the impact of natural global climate change on ice caps, glaciers, ocean currents, and surface temperatures.

EARTH.11.G

describe how changing surface-ocean conditions, including El Nio-Southern Oscillation, affect global weather and climate patterns.

ENVIR.10.E

distinguish between the causes and effects of global warming and ozone depletion, including the causes, the chemicals involved, the atmospheric layer, the environmental effects, the human health effects, and the relevant wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum (IR and UV).

Next grade

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.

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.

Human activities may cause changes to abiotic factors in the environment, leading to changes in a region's climate. For example, deforestation (cause) changes the availability of plants that absorb carbon dioxide, which may increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (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.

Various natural events can impact the proportion of gasses in the atmosphere and the quantity of heat energy that those gasses can absorb.

Model the interdependence and parts of a system

A system is a whole made of parts that work together. It has components and boundaries. It can interact with or be part of other systems.

The climate is a system which is impacted by the interactions between the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and human activities that affect them.

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.

Climate is a stable pattern of weather in a region over a long period, but it can be disrupted by human activities (change).

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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Math

English Language Arts and Reading

Science.8.11.B

SCIENCE.8.11.B — Vertical Alignment

Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content

Cross-curricular Connections