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.
classify objects by observable physical properties, including, shape, color, and texture, and attributes such as larger and smaller and heavier and lighter;
classify matter by observable physical properties, including texture, flexibility, and relative temperature, and identify whether a material is a solid or liquid;
measure, test, and record physical properties of matter, including temperature, mass, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float in water;
describe and classify samples of matter as solids, liquids, and gases and demonstrate that solids have a definite shape and that liquids and gases take the shape of their container;
identify and record observable physical properties of objects, including shape, color, texture, and material, and generate ways to classify objects.
classify and describe matter using observable physical properties, including temperature, mass, magnetism, relative density (the ability to sink or float in water), and physical state (solid, liquid, gas);
Breakouts are the component parts that make up a student expectation. A breakout shows a distinct concept a student should know or a distinct skill that a student should be able to demonstrate.
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 attraction of water molecules to each other (cause) determines the shape of a water droplet (effect), and the attraction of water molecules to their container causes water to stick to surfaces.
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 structure of a water molecule creates the attraction between molecules, allowing the characteristic behaviors of water—cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension (functions).
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 behavior of pure water is predictable (stable); however, when a substance is added to the water, its cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension can change.