Standards & Benchmarks for Rocks

Legend: F=Focus in Lesson O=Ongoing Development E=Early Development

AAAS BENCHMARKS			LESSONS												SBA
			0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	1	2	3
1, The Nature of Science
	A, The Scientific World View (Introduction)		F
		When a science investigation is done the way it was done before, we expect to get a very similar result.							E
	B, Scientific Inquiry (Introduction)		F
		People can often learn about things around them by just observing those things carefully, but sometimes they can learn more by doing something to the things and noting what happens.	F				O	O	O					O
		Tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers, or balances often give more information about things than can be obtained by just observing things without their help.			O			O	O		O				F	O
		Describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others.	E		O		O	O	O					F		F	F
		When people give different descriptions of the same thing, it is usually a good idea to make some fresh observations instead of just arguing about who is right.							O							E
	C, The Scientific Enterprise (Introduction)		F
		In doing science, it is often helpful to work with a team and to share findings with others. All team members should reach their own individual conclusions, however, about what the findings mean.	O	O	O	O		O	O	O							O
2, The Nature of Mathematics
	A, Patterns and Relationships
		Circles, squares, triangles, and other shapes can be found in things in nature and in things that people build.				O
3, The Nature of Technology
	A, Technology and Science
		Tools are used to do things better or more easily and to do some things that could not otherwise be done at all. In technology, tools are used to observe, measure, and make things.			O			O	O						F	O
	C, Issues in Technology
		When a group of people wants to build something or try something new, they should try to figure out ahead of time how it might affect other people.								E
4, The Physical Setting
	B, The Earth
		Some events in nature have a repeating pattern. The weather changes some from day to day, but things such as temperature and rain (or snow) tend to be high, low, or medium in the same months every year.				E
	C, Processes that Shape the Earth
		Chunks of rock come in many sizes and shapes, from boulders to grains of sand and even smaller.		E	E	O								O
		Change is something that happens to many things.				F					O	F	F
		Waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape the earth's land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas, sometimes in seasonal layers. (3-5)				E
		Rock is composed of different combinations of minerals. Smaller rocks come from the breakage and weathering of bedrock and larger rocks. (3-5)					F	O	O	O				O
	D, The Structure of Matter
		Objects can be described in terms of the materials they are made of (clay, cloth, paper, etc.) and their physical properties (color, size, shape, weight, texture, flexibility, etc.).			F	O	O	F	F					F		F	F
		Things can be done to materials to change some of their properties, but not all materials respond the same way to what is done to them.								E
		Heating and cooling cause changes in the properties of materials. Many kinds sof changes occur faster under hotter conditions. (3-5)				E								E
		Materials may be composed of parts that are too small to be seen without magnification. (3-5)					E
		When a new material is made by combining two or more materials, it has properties that are different from the original materials. For that reason, a lot of different materials can be made from a small number of basic kinds of materials. (3-5)				E	E			E				O
5, The Living Environment
	E, Flow of Matter and Energy
		Many materials can be recycled and used again, sometimes in different forms.								E
	F, Evolution of Life
		Some kinds of organisms that once lived on earth have completely disappeared, although they were something like others that are alive today.									E	E	E
6, The Human Organism
	D, Learning
		People use their senses to find out about their surroundings and themselves. Different senses give different information. Sometimes a person can get different information about the same thing by moving closer to it or further away from it.														F
		People can learn from each other by telling and listening, showing and watching, and imitating what others do.	O	O										O	O	O	O
8, The Designed World
	B, Materials and Manufacturing
		Some kinds of materials are better than others for making any particular thing. Materials that are better in some ways (such as stronger or cheaper) may be worse in other ways (heavier or harder to cut).								E
		Naturally occurring materials such as wood, clay, cotton, and animal skins may be processed or combined with other materials to change their properties. (3-5)								E
9, The Mathematical World
	C, Shapes
		Shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles can be used to describe many things that can be seen.
	D, Uncertainty
		Some things are more likely to happen that others. Some events can be predicted well and some cannot. Sometimes people aren't sure what will happen because they don't know everything that might be having an effect.	O										O
		Often a person can find out about a group of things by studying just a few of them.		O
	E, Reasoning
		People are more likely to believe your ideas if you can give good reasons for them.	O	F
11, Common Themes
	B, Models
		A model of something is different from the real thing but can be used to learn something about the real thing.										O	F
	C, Constancy and Change
		Some changes are so slow or so fast that they are hard to see.				E						O	O
	D, Scale
		Things in nature and things people make have very different sizes, weights, ages, and speeds.		O	O						O			O
12, Habits of Mind
	Habits of Mind
	A, Values and Attitudes (Introduction)		F
		Raise questions about the world around them and be willing to seek answers to some of them by making careful observations and trying things out.	F
	C, Manipulation and Observation
		Use hammers, screwdrivers, clamps, rulers, scissors, and hand lenses, and operate ordinary audio equipment.			O	O	O	O	O					O	O	O
	D, Communication Skills
		Describe and compare things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion.			F	O	O	F	O					F		F
		Draw pictures that correctly portray at least some features of the thing being described.			O									F		O
	E, Critical-Response Skills
		Ask "How do you know?" in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when others ask them the same question.		F					E

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Legend: F=Focus in Lesson O=Ongoing Development E=Early Development

NSE STANDARDS			LESSONS												SBA
			0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	1	2	3
A, Science as Inquiry
	Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
		Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.	F	F
		Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses.	O		O			F	F						O	O
		Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.	F						O
		Communicate investigations and explanations.	F											O			O
	Understandings about scientific inquiry
		Scientific investigations involve asking and answering a question and comparing the answer with what scientists already know about the world.	F
		Scientists use different kinds of investigations depending on the questions they are trying to answer. Types of investigations include describing objects, events, and organisms; classifying them; and doing a fair test (experimenting)	O		O
		Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermometers, and rulers, provide more information than scientists obtain using only their senses.			O			O	O						F	O
		Scientists develop explanations using observations (evidence) and what they already know about the world (scientific knowledge). Good explanations are based on evidence from investigations.		F					O
		Scientists review and ask questions about the results of other scientists' work.		F
B, Physical Science
	Properties of objects and materials
		Objects have many observable properties, including size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other substances. Those properties can be measured using tools, such as rulers, balances, and thermometers.			F	O		F	O				F	F		F	F
		Objects are made of one or more materials such as paper, wood, and metal. Objects can be described by the properties of the materials from which they are made, and those properties can be used to separate or sort a group of objects or materials.			F	F	F			O							F
		Materials can exist in different states - solid, liquid, and gas. (* This line and the line below are a split standard.)				E
		Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.
D, Earth and Space Science
	Properties of earth materials
		Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere. The varied materials have different physical and chemical properties, which make them useful in different ways, for example, as building materials, as sources of fuel, or for growing the plants we use as food. Earth materials provide many of the resources that humans use.				E				F
		Fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time.									F	F	F
	Changes in the earth and sky
		The surface of the earth changes. Some changes are due to slow processes, such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.				F
E, Science and Technology
	Understanding about science and technology
		People have always had questions about their world. Science is one way of answering questions and explaining the natural world.	F
		Scientists and engineers often work in teams with different individuals doing different things that contribute to the results. This understanding focuses primarily on teams working together and secondarily, on the combination of scientist and engineer teams.	O
		Tools help scientists make better observations, measurements, and equipment for investigations. They help scientists see, measure, and do things that they could not otherwise see, measure, and do.			O				O						F
	Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans
		Some objects occur in nature; others have been designed and made by people to solve human problems and enhance the quality of life.		E
		Objects can be categorized into two groups, natural and designed.		E		E
F, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
	Types of resources
		Resources are things that we get from the living and nonliving environment to meet the needs and wants of a population.								F
		Some resources are basic materials, such as air, water, and soil; some are produced from basic resources, such as food, fuel, and building materials; and some resources are nonmaterial, such as quiet places, beauty, security, and safety.								F
		The supply of many resources is limited. If used, resources can be extended through recycling and decreased use.								E
G, History and Nature of Science
	Science as a human endeavor
		Although men and women using scientific inquiry have learned much about the objects, events, and phenomena in nature, much remains to be understood. Science will never be finished.	E
		Many people choose science as a career and devote their entire lives to studying it. Many people derive great pleasure from doing science.	E