Earth Systems Science

Ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations.

Apply scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.

Use appropriate safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards.

Use appropriate tools such as a drawing compass, magnetic compass, bar magnets, topographical and geological maps, satellite imagery and other remote sensing data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), hand lenses, and fossil and rock sample kits.

Collect quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative data as evidence.

Organize quantitative and qualitative data using scatter plots, line graphs, bar graphs, charts, data tables, digital tools, diagrams, scientific drawings, and student-prepared models.

Develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems.

Distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.

Identify advantages and limitations of models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials.

Analyze data by identifying significant statistical features, patterns, sources of error, and limitations.

Use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative relationships in data.

Evaluate experimental and engineering designs.

Develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

Communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats.

Engage respectfully in scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence.

Analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations and solutions by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student.

Relate the impact of past and current research on scientific thought and society, including research methodology, cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to the content.

Research and explore resources such as museums, planetariums, observatories, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field in order to investigate STEM careers.

Analyze how gravitational condensation of solar nebular gas and dust can lead to the accretion of planetesimals and protoplanets.

Identify comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and planets in the solar system and describe how they affect the Earth and Earth's systems.

Explore the historical and current hypotheses for the origin of the Moon, including the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized planetesimal.

Describe how impact accretion, gravitational compression, radioactive decay, and cooling differentiated proto-Earth into layers.

Evaluate the roles of volcanic outgassing and water-bearing comets in developing Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Evaluate the evidence for changes to the chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere prior to the introduction of oxygen.

Evaluate scientific hypotheses for the origin of life through abiotic chemical processes.

Describe how the production of oxygen by photosynthesis affected the development of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

Describe the development of multiple radiometric dating methods and analyze their precision, reliability, and limitations in calculating the ages of igneous rocks from Earth, the Moon, and meteorites.

Apply relative dating methods, principles of stratigraphy, and index fossils to determine the chronological order of rock layers.

Construct a model of the geological time scale using relative and absolute dating methods to represent Earth's approximate 4.6-billion-year history.

Explain how sedimentation, fossilization, and speciation affect the degree of completeness of the fossil record.

Describe how evidence of biozones and faunal succession in rock layers reveal information about the environment at the time those rocks were deposited and the dynamic nature of the Earth.

Analyze data from rock and fossil succession to evaluate the evidence for and significance of mass extinctions, major climatic changes, and tectonic events.

Evaluate heat transfer through Earth's systems by convection and conduction and include its role in plate tectonics and volcanism.

Develop a model of the physical, mechanical, and chemical composition of Earth's layers using evidence from Earth's magnetic field, the composition of meteorites, and seismic waves.

Investigate how new conceptual interpretations of data and innovative geophysical technologies led to the current theory of plate tectonics.

Describe how heat and rock composition affect density within Earth's interior and how density influences the development and motion of Earth's tectonic plates.

Explain how plate tectonics accounts for geologic processes, including sea floor spreading and subduction, and features, including ocean ridges, rift valleys, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges, hot spots, and hydrothermal vents.

Calculate the motion history of tectonic plates using equations relating rate, time, and distance to predict future motions, locations, and resulting geologic features.

Distinguish the location, type, and relative motion of convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries using evidence from the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes.

Evaluate the role of plate tectonics with respect to long-term global changes in Earth's subsystems such as continental buildup, glaciation, sea level fluctuations, mass extinctions, and climate change.

Interpret Earth surface features using a variety of methods such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, and topographic and geologic maps using appropriate technologies.

Investigate and model how surface water and ground water change the lithosphere through chemical and physical weathering and how they serve as valuable natural resources.

Model the processes of mass wasting, erosion, and deposition by water, wind, ice, glaciation, gravity, and volcanism in constantly reshaping Earth's surface.

Evaluate how weather and human activity affect the location, quality, and supply of available freshwater resources.

Describe how the composition and structure of the oceans leads to thermohaline circulation and its periodicity.

Model and explain how changes to the composition, structure, and circulation of deep oceans affect thermohaline circulation using data on energy flow, ocean basin structure, and changes in polar ice caps and glaciers.

Analyze how global surface ocean circulation is the result of wind, tides, the Coriolis effect, water density differences, and the shape of the ocean basins.

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

Describe how Earth's atmosphere is chemically and thermally stratified and how solar radiation interacts with the layers to cause the ozone layer, the jet stream, Hadley and Ferrel cells, and other atmospheric phenomena.

Model how greenhouse gases trap thermal energy near Earth's surface.

Evaluate how the combination of multiple feedback loops alter global climate.

Investigate and analyze evidence for climate changes over Earth's history using paleoclimate data, historical records, and measured greenhouse gas levels.

Explain how the transfer of thermal energy among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere influences weather.

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

Evaluate the impact on humans of natural changes in Earth's systems such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

Analyze the impact on humans of naturally occurring extreme weather events such as flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms.

Analyze the natural and anthropogenic factors that affect the severity and frequency of extreme weather events and the hazards associated with these events.

Analyze recent global ocean temperature data to predict the consequences of changing ocean temperature on evaporation, sea level, algal growth, coral bleaching, and biodiversity.

Predict how human use of Texas's naturally occurring resources such as fossil fuels, minerals, soil, solar energy, and wind energy directly and indirectly changes the cycling of matter and energy through Earth's systems.

Explain the cycling of carbon through different forms among Earth's systems and how biological processes have caused major changes to the carbon cycle in those systems over Earth's history.

Analyze the policies related to resources from discovery to disposal, including economics, health, technological advances, resource type, concentration and location, waste disposal and recycling, mitigation efforts, and environmental impacts.

Explore global and Texas-based careers that involve the exploration, extraction, production, use, disposal, regulation, and protection of Earth's resources.