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.”
Vertical alignment shows student expectations in the same subject area at different grade levels that are related to or build upon one another.
describe how natural changes to the environment such as floods and droughts cause some organisms to thrive and others to perish or move to new locations; and
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.
When an ecosystem is diverse (cause), the food web can sustain disruptions and return to stability (effect).
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 relationships among organisms (parts) in an ecosystem can be modeled using a food web. A more biodiverse ecosystem will be more stable and sustainable.
Matter and energy are conserved, changing forms but maintaining quantities. Energy flows within a system or between systems through transfers and transformations. Matter is cycled within systems through physical and chemical processes.
A food web models how energy flows between and among the organisms in an ecosystem. Increased biodiversity causes the ecosystem to be more sustainable, which also stabilizes the flow of energy through the environment.
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.
A biodiverse ecosystem will be more sustainable because there will be multiple pathways in the food web through which energy flows and matter is cycled.
Math.8.4.B graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the line that models the relationship
SS.8.10.B compare places and regions of the United States in terms of physical and human characteristics
ELAR.8.5.D create mental images to deepen understanding
ELAR.8.5.E make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society
ELAR.8.5.F make inferences and use evidence to support understanding