In this first year introductory Earth and Space Science course, students will explore the formation of the Earth and its systems, how humans interact with these systems, and how stars and star systems form and function. The standards allow students to apply the following science and engineering practices: developing and using models; analyzing and interpreting data; using mathematics; engaging in argument from evidence; obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. This course will also incorporate WIDA standards tied closely with content, in order to fully support the EL students as they begin their journey to English fluency. This course will give students a strong foundation for understanding and communicating science and will prepare newly arrived students for their future courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Unit

Timeframe

Big Ideas (Statements or Essential Questions)

Major Learning Experiences from Unit 

Earth's Changing Surface: Plate Tectonics, Earth's Origin, and Structure

Sep - Nov


  • What is science, and how does scientific knowledge differ from other forms of knowledge? (Ongoing)

  • Why does Earth's surface look the way it does? How did it look in the deep past?

  • When and why was the theory of plate tectonics first proposed? What is the evidence supporting the theory?

  • What are the layers of the Earth, and how do we know?

- Nature walk for vocab acquisition

- Walking + mapping activity (Paine Estate conservation land)

- Magnetic seafloor spreading lab

- Tectonic Plate Lab (past, present, future)

- Earthquake simulation

-"My Home Land" project

- Modified Density Lab

Frozen in Time: Earth's Systems and Cycles

Nov - Jan

  • What is a cycle? What are some of Earth's cycles?

  • How do we know things about the past? What kind of information is stored in rocks, ice cores, etc.?

  • How old is the Earth, and how do we know?

  • What is a positive feedback loop? What effect does losing ice coverage have on climate?

  • What is El Niño? How do ocean currents affect local and global climate?

  • Compare and contrast the effects of various cycles on climate (short term volcanic vs long term Milankovich, for example)

- Ice Core Pringles Can Project

- Convection Cycles lab

- Rock Cycle Lab

- Classroom Fishtank

- Radiometric Data Lab (Age of the Earth)

- Ice-albedo feedback lab

- Ocean currents lab

Human Planet: Our Impact on the Earth

Jan-March

  • Where do people settle, and why? What makes people and civilizations leave an area?

  • Why do people dam rivers? What are some benefits of dams? What are some negative impacts of dams?

  • What is a carbon footprint? Who came up with this term? What does it mean to consider the source?

  • Is our current civilization sustainable? What is Earth Overshoot Day?

  • Do scientists debate? What makes a debate fair or unfair?

  • How much has the Earth warmed? What is the evidence that human activity is causing this warming?

  • What impacts is climate change already causing? What impacts could occur in the future?

- Greenhouse Gas Lab, 

- Classroom Grow Rack

- Calculating Carbon Footprint Lab

- LiDAR in Guatemala activity

- Charles River Dams Debate

- Climate change mapping project

To the Stars: Our Place in the Universe

March-May

  • How old is the Sun? How did the Sun form? Will the Sun die?

  • Where do elements come from? Why are some elements more common than others?

  • How old is the universe? How did the universe form? How do we know?

  • Why do objects orbit each other? What factors affect orbits?

- Solar Eclipse Project


- Universe Simulator: Derive Kepler's Laws


- Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Project


- Stellar Classification/Lifecycle Project

Final Project: Worlds Beyond (DIY Exoplanet Search)

May-June

  • What other worlds are out there, and how can we find them?

DIY Exoplanet Search (PBL-aligned "citizen science" project facilitated by Harvard-Smithsonian)