MS-ESS1-4 - Performance Expectation
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.
Middle School · Next Generation Science Standards · NGSS Lead States 2013
Standard Unwrapping
AI-generated as a starting point — sign in to edit.Vocabulary
scientific explanationevidencerock stratageologic time scaleEarthhistory
Skills
- construct (a scientific explanation) #dok3
- analyze (evidence from rock strata) #dok2
- interpret (the geologic time scale) #dok2
- describe (Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history using the geologic time scale) #dok2
- use (evidence to support explanations) #dok2
Learning Targets
- I can identify rock strata and recognize how they provide evidence of Earth's past. #dok1
- I can interpret the divisions on a geologic time scale. #dok2
- I can analyze rock strata to obtain evidence for major events in Earth's history. #dok2
- I can describe how the geologic time scale organizes events in Earth's 4.6-billion-year history. #dok2
- I can construct a scientific explanation that uses evidence from rock strata to show how scientists organize Earth's history. #dok3
- I can support a claim about Earth's history using relevant data and reasoning from geologic evidence. #dok3
Big Ideas
- The geologic time scale is a tool that organizes Earth's long and complex history based on data from rock layers and fossils.
- Evidence from rock strata allows scientists to explain and reconstruct the sequence of major events in Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.
Essential Questions
- How do scientists use rock strata to learn about Earth's past?
- What information does the geologic time scale provide about Earth's history?
- How does evidence from rock strata help explain the sequence of events in Earth's history?
- Why is organizing Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history important for understanding our planet?
- What challenges do scientists face when interpreting evidence from rock layers?