Kentucky State Standards for Science:

SC-P-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-P-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that objects are made of one or more materials and investigating the properties of those materials helps in sorting and describing them. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-1.

SC-P-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers and balances can give more information about objects than can be obtained by just making observations. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-2.

SC-P-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that 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. 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-3.

SC-P-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that water can be a liquid, solid, or gas and can go back and forth from one form to another. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-4.

SC-P-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in 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. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-5.

SC-P-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (e.g., pushing, pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things move in many different ways (e.g., fast and slow, back and forth, straight, zig zag, etc.). 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-1.

SC-P-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-3.

SC-P-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces (pushes or pulls) can cause objects to start moving, go faster, slow down, or change the direction they are going. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-2.

SC-P-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that vibration is a type of motion that is responsible for making sound. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-4.

SC-P-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that magnetism is a force that can make some things move without touching them. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-5.

SC-P-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that discovering patterns through investigation/observation allows predictions, based on that evidence, to be made about future events. 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-6.

SC-P-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people use a variety of earth materials for different purposes because of their different properties. All products that people use somehow come from the Earth. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-1.

SC-P-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some events in nature have a repeating pattern. Weather changes from day to day, but things such as temperature or precipitation tend to be similar (high, medium or low) in the same months every year. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-2.

SC-P-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun, moon and stars appear to move slowly across the sky at different speeds and we can see patterns in their movement with careful observation. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-3.

SC-P-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun can only be seen in the daytime. The moon can sometimes be seen during the day and sometimes be seen at night and its shape changes in a predictable pattern. 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-4.

SC-P-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observable interactions of the sun, moon and the Earth can be used to identify the apparent pattern of their movement. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-5.

SC-P-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand raising questions about the Earth and the Universe and seeking answers to some of them (by careful observation and/or investigation) is what science is all about. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-6.

SC-P-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most living things need water, food and air, while nonliving things can continue to exist without any requirements. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-1.

SC-P-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that plants and animals have features that help them live in different environments. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-2.

SC-P-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some animals are alike in the way they look and in the things they do, and others are very different from one another. 53
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-3.

SC-P-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the offspring all living things are very much like their parents, but not exactly alike. 109
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-4.

SC-P-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms may not be able to survive if some of their parts are missing. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-5.

SC-P-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.6)

SC-P-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that fossils found in Earth materials indicate that organisms and environmental conditions may have been different in the past. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-1.

SC-P-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that living things are found almost everywhere on our planet, but organisms living in one place may be different from those found somewhere else. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-2.

SC-P-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some changes are so slow or so fast that they are hard to see. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-3.

SC-P-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things change in some ways and stay the same in some ways. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-4.

SC-P-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy makes things move, grow or work. Everything that changes uses energy to make those changes happen. Sometimes evidence of these changes can be seen, but not always. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-1.

SC-P-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that almost all kinds of food that animals eat can be traced back to plants. Food chains/webs are useful models of these relationships. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-2.

SC-P-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun warms the air, land and water, and lights the Earth. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-3.

SC-P-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light can be observed to determine how it travels and how it interacts with different materials (e.g. reflects, is absorbed, passes through). 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-4.

SC-P-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity can only flow when it has a closed path (circuit) to follow. Closed electric circuits can produce light and sound. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-5.

SC-P-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the world has many different environments. Distinct environments support the lives of different types of organisms. 30
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-1.

SC-P-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. 37
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-2.

SC-P-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-P-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that objects are made of one or more materials and investigating the properties of those materials helps in sorting and describing them. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-1.

SC-P-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers and balances can give more information about objects than can be obtained by just making observations. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-2.

SC-P-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that 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. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-3.

SC-P-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that water can be a liquid, solid, or gas and can go back and forth from one form to another. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-4.

SC-P-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in 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. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-5.

SC-P-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (e.g., pushing, pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things move in many different ways (e.g., fast and slow, back and forth, straight, zig zag, etc.). 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-1.

SC-P-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-3.

SC-P-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces (pushes or pulls) can cause objects to start moving, go faster, slow down, or change the direction they are going. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-2.

SC-P-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that vibration is a type of motion that is responsible for making sound. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-4.

SC-P-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that magnetism is a force that can make some things move without touching them. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-5.

SC-P-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that discovering patterns through investigation/observation allows predictions, based on that evidence, to be made about future events. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-6.

SC-P-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people use a variety of earth materials for different purposes because of their different properties. All products that people use somehow come from the Earth. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-1.

SC-P-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some events in nature have a repeating pattern. Weather changes from day to day, but things such as temperature or precipitation tend to be similar (high, medium or low) in the same months every year. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-2.

SC-P-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun, moon and stars appear to move slowly across the sky at different speeds and we can see patterns in their movement with careful observation. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-3.

SC-P-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun can only be seen in the daytime. The moon can sometimes be seen during the day and sometimes be seen at night and its shape changes in a predictable pattern. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-4.

SC-P-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observable interactions of the sun, moon and the Earth can be used to identify the apparent pattern of their movement. 22
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-5.

SC-P-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand raising questions about the Earth and the Universe and seeking answers to some of them (by careful observation and/or investigation) is what science is all about.

SC-P-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most living things need water, food and air, while nonliving things can continue to exist without any requirements. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-1.

SC-P-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that plants and animals have features that help them live in different environments. 23
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-2.

SC-P-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some animals are alike in the way they look and in the things they do, and others are very different from one another. 88
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-3.

SC-P-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the offspring all living things are very much like their parents, but not exactly alike. 144
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-4.

SC-P-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms may not be able to survive if some of their parts are missing. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-5.

SC-P-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.6)

SC-P-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that fossils found in Earth materials indicate that organisms and environmental conditions may have been different in the past. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-1.

SC-P-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that living things are found almost everywhere on our planet, but organisms living in one place may be different from those found somewhere else. 19
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-2.

SC-P-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some changes are so slow or so fast that they are hard to see. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-3.

SC-P-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things change in some ways and stay the same in some ways. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-4.

SC-P-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy makes things move, grow or work. Everything that changes uses energy to make those changes happen. Sometimes evidence of these changes can be seen, but not always. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-1.

SC-P-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that almost all kinds of food that animals eat can be traced back to plants. Food chains/webs are useful models of these relationships. 12
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-2.

SC-P-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun warms the air, land and water, and lights the Earth. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-3.

SC-P-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light can be observed to determine how it travels and how it interacts with different materials (e.g. reflects, is absorbed, passes through). 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-4.

SC-P-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity can only flow when it has a closed path (circuit) to follow. Closed electric circuits can produce light and sound. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-5.

SC-P-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the world has many different environments. Distinct environments support the lives of different types of organisms. 48
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-1.

SC-P-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. 58
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-2.

SC-P-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-P-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that objects are made of one or more materials and investigating the properties of those materials helps in sorting and describing them. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-1.

SC-P-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers and balances can give more information about objects than can be obtained by just making observations. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-2.

SC-P-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that 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. 24
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-3.

SC-P-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that water can be a liquid, solid, or gas and can go back and forth from one form to another. 27
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-4.

SC-P-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in 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. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-5.

SC-P-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (e.g., pushing, pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things move in many different ways (e.g., fast and slow, back and forth, straight, zig zag, etc.). 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-1.

SC-P-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-3.

SC-P-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces (pushes or pulls) can cause objects to start moving, go faster, slow down, or change the direction they are going. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-2.

SC-P-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that vibration is a type of motion that is responsible for making sound. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-4.

SC-P-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that magnetism is a force that can make some things move without touching them. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-5.

SC-P-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that discovering patterns through investigation/observation allows predictions, based on that evidence, to be made about future events. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-6.

SC-P-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people use a variety of earth materials for different purposes because of their different properties. All products that people use somehow come from the Earth. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-1.

SC-P-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some events in nature have a repeating pattern. Weather changes from day to day, but things such as temperature or precipitation tend to be similar (high, medium or low) in the same months every year. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-2.

SC-P-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun, moon and stars appear to move slowly across the sky at different speeds and we can see patterns in their movement with careful observation. 21
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-3.

SC-P-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun can only be seen in the daytime. The moon can sometimes be seen during the day and sometimes be seen at night and its shape changes in a predictable pattern. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-4.

SC-P-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observable interactions of the sun, moon and the Earth can be used to identify the apparent pattern of their movement. 23
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-5.

SC-P-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand raising questions about the Earth and the Universe and seeking answers to some of them (by careful observation and/or investigation) is what science is all about. 23
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-6.

SC-P-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most living things need water, food and air, while nonliving things can continue to exist without any requirements. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-1.

SC-P-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that plants and animals have features that help them live in different environments. 25
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-2.

SC-P-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some animals are alike in the way they look and in the things they do, and others are very different from one another. 127
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-3.

SC-P-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the offspring all living things are very much like their parents, but not exactly alike. 177
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-4.

SC-P-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms may not be able to survive if some of their parts are missing. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-5.

SC-P-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.6)

SC-P-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that fossils found in Earth materials indicate that organisms and environmental conditions may have been different in the past. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-1.

SC-P-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that living things are found almost everywhere on our planet, but organisms living in one place may be different from those found somewhere else. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-2.

SC-P-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some changes are so slow or so fast that they are hard to see. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-3.

SC-P-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things change in some ways and stay the same in some ways. 19
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-4.

SC-P-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy makes things move, grow or work. Everything that changes uses energy to make those changes happen. Sometimes evidence of these changes can be seen, but not always. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-1.

SC-P-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that almost all kinds of food that animals eat can be traced back to plants. Food chains/webs are useful models of these relationships. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-2.

SC-P-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun warms the air, land and water, and lights the Earth. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-3.

SC-P-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light can be observed to determine how it travels and how it interacts with different materials (e.g. reflects, is absorbed, passes through). 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-4.

SC-P-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity can only flow when it has a closed path (circuit) to follow. Closed electric circuits can produce light and sound. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-5.

SC-P-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the world has many different environments. Distinct environments support the lives of different types of organisms. 62
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-1.

SC-P-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. 84
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-2.

SC-P-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-P-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that objects are made of one or more materials and investigating the properties of those materials helps in sorting and describing them. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-1.

SC-P-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers and balances can give more information about objects than can be obtained by just making observations.

SC-P-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that 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. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-3.

SC-P-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that water can be a liquid, solid, or gas and can go back and forth from one form to another. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-4.

SC-P-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in 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. 23
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-STM-U-5.

SC-P-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (e.g., pushing, pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things move in many different ways (e.g., fast and slow, back and forth, straight, zig zag, etc.). 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-1.

SC-P-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-3.

SC-P-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces (pushes or pulls) can cause objects to start moving, go faster, slow down, or change the direction they are going. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-2.

SC-P-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that vibration is a type of motion that is responsible for making sound. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-4.

SC-P-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that magnetism is a force that can make some things move without touching them. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-5.

SC-P-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that discovering patterns through investigation/observation allows predictions, based on that evidence, to be made about future events. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-MF-U-6.

SC-P-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people use a variety of earth materials for different purposes because of their different properties. All products that people use somehow come from the Earth. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-1.

SC-P-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some events in nature have a repeating pattern. Weather changes from day to day, but things such as temperature or precipitation tend to be similar (high, medium or low) in the same months every year. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-2.

SC-P-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun, moon and stars appear to move slowly across the sky at different speeds and we can see patterns in their movement with careful observation. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-3.

SC-P-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun can only be seen in the daytime. The moon can sometimes be seen during the day and sometimes be seen at night and its shape changes in a predictable pattern. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-4.

SC-P-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observable interactions of the sun, moon and the Earth can be used to identify the apparent pattern of their movement. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-5.

SC-P-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand raising questions about the Earth and the Universe and seeking answers to some of them (by careful observation and/or investigation) is what science is all about. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-EU-U-6.

SC-P-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-P-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most living things need water, food and air, while nonliving things can continue to exist without any requirements. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-1.

SC-P-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that plants and animals have features that help them live in different environments. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-2.

SC-P-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some animals are alike in the way they look and in the things they do, and others are very different from one another. 120
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-3.

SC-P-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the offspring all living things are very much like their parents, but not exactly alike. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-4.

SC-P-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms may not be able to survive if some of their parts are missing. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-UD-U-5.

SC-P-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.6)

SC-P-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that fossils found in Earth materials indicate that organisms and environmental conditions may have been different in the past. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-1.

SC-P-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that living things are found almost everywhere on our planet, but organisms living in one place may be different from those found somewhere else. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-2.

SC-P-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some changes are so slow or so fast that they are hard to see. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-3.

SC-P-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things change in some ways and stay the same in some ways. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-BC-U-4.

SC-P-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy makes things move, grow or work. Everything that changes uses energy to make those changes happen. Sometimes evidence of these changes can be seen, but not always. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-1.

SC-P-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that almost all kinds of food that animals eat can be traced back to plants. Food chains/webs are useful models of these relationships. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-2.

SC-P-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the sun warms the air, land and water, and lights the Earth. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-3.

SC-P-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light can be observed to determine how it travels and how it interacts with different materials (e.g. reflects, is absorbed, passes through). 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-4.

SC-P-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity can only flow when it has a closed path (circuit) to follow. Closed electric circuits can produce light and sound. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-ET-U-5.

SC-P-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-P-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the world has many different environments. Distinct environments support the lives of different types of organisms. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-1.

SC-P-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-P-I-U-2.

SC-4-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-4-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that 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. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-STM-U-1.

SC-4-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when a new material is made by combining two or more materials the new material often has properties that are different from the original materials. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-STM-U-2.

SC-4-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that properties of materials may change if the materials become hotter or colder. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-STM-U-3.

SC-4-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that if water is turned into ice and then the ice is allowed to melt, the amount of water is the same as it was before freezing. When liquid water 'disappears' it is not really gone, it has turned into a gas (vapor). 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-STM-U-4.

SC-4-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists pay more attention to claims about how something works when the claims are backed up with evidence that can be confirmed. 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-STM-U-5.

SC-4-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (e.g., pushing, pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-4-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an object's motion can be described as its change in position over time and can be represented in a variety of ways. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-MF-U-1.

SC-4-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces (pushes and pulls) cause changes in the direction or speed of something moving; the greater the force on an object, the greater its change in motion. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-MF-U-2.

SC-4-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that sound is produced by the vibration of matter, and the rate of vibration affects the pitch of the sound. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-MF-U-3.

SC-4-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things vary greatly in their motion. Some things move so fast they cannot be seen, while others are so slow that we cannot see that they are moving at all. Technology enables people to observe these fast or slow movements. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-MF-U-4.

SC-4-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that recording and representing information about the motion of objects in a variety of ways makes that data useful in supporting explanations, even long after it was originally collected. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-MF-U-5.

SC-4-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-4-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that classifying Earth materials according to their properties allows decisions to be made about their usefulness for various purposes. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-EU-U-1.

SC-4-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that weather data can be organized and represented in ways that reveal patterns needed for making predictions about the future, but the weather is so complex that it cannot always be predicted beyond being more or less likely to occur. 12
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-EU-U-2.

SC-4-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the surface of the Earth is always changing through both fast and slow processes. These changes may be steady, repetitive or irregular. Careful analysis of data from past events allows the prediction of expected consequences when similar events happen again. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-EU-U-3.

SC-4-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a variety of models of the sun, earth, moon system are needed to explain the observed patterns of their relative motions, since people are not able to see from the outside how this system is constructed. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-EU-U-4.

SC-4-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a model of something can never be exactly like the real thing, but can be used to learn something about the real thing. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-EU-U-5.

SC-4-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-4-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that things in the environment are classified as living, nonliving and once living. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-1.

SC-4-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that characteristics of living things can be used to sort them into various groups: the characteristics chosen to establish the grouping depend on the reason for the grouping. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-2.

SC-4-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms have different structures that are used for different functions. Observations of the structures of a certain organism can be used to predict how that organism functions or where it might live. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-3.

SC-4-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that offspring resemble their parents because the parents have a reliable way to transfer information to the next generation. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-4.

SC-4-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some likenesses between parents and offspring are inherited (e.g. eye color) and some likenesses are learned (e.g. speech patterns in people). 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-5.

SC-4-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all living things are produced from other living things. They grow and then eventually die. Before they die most living things create offspring, allowing their kind to continue. 97
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-UD-U-6.

SC-4-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.7)

SC-4-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the structures and characteristics of fossils provide information about the nature of an organism, the environmental conditions where/when it lived and how it is related to organisms still alive today. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-BC-U-1.

SC-4-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists ask many questions about the world around them, but not all of their questions can be investigated in a scientific way. Part of the job of a scientist is to focus only on questions that can be scientifically tested. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-BC-U-2.

SC-4-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists pay more attention to claims when they are supported with evidence that can be confirmed through scientific investigation. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-BC-U-3.

SC-4-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5)

SC-4-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that ecosystems are defined by the relationships that occur within them. These relationships can be determined through observation of the organisms and their environment. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-1.

SC-4-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light and heat from the sun are essential to sustaining most life on earth. Plants change energy from the sun's light into energy that is used as food by the plant. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-2.

SC-4-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electrical energy can be used for a variety of purposes. Many electrical systems share some common features, including a source of energy, a closed conducting path and a device that performs a function by utilizing that energy. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-3.

SC-4-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light interacts with different kinds of matter in different ways and those interactions can be predicted based on the type of matter involved. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-4.

SC-4-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat is a form of energy that results when another form of energy is transformed. Heat flows through different materials at different rates, and it naturally flows from warmer areas to cooler ones. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-5.

SC-4-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that seeing how a model works after changes are made to it may suggest how the real thing would work if the same thing were done to it. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-ET-U-6.

SC-4-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5)

SC-4-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all living things depend on their environment and other organisms within it for their survival. Certain patterns of behavior or physical features may help an organism survive in some environments yet perish in others. 47
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-I-U-1.

SC-4-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that environmental relationships extend beyond food (e.g. shelter, seed transport).

SC-4-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people impact their environment in both beneficial and harmful ways. Some of these impacts can be predicted, while others cannot. 37
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-I-U-3.

SC-4-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that beneficial and harmful are relative terms: any single action can be both beneficial and harmful to different organisms in an ecosystem. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-4-I-U-4.

SC-5-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students will be studying properties of matter and physical changes of matter at the macro level through direct observations, forming the foundation for subsequent learning. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4)

SC-5-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a substance has its own set of properties which allows it to be distinguished from other substances. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-STM-U-1.

SC-5-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the physical properties of a substance do not change regardless of how much or how little of the substance there is. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-STM-U-2.

SC-5-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many kinds of changes in the properties of substances occur faster when the temperature is higher. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-STM-U-3.

SC-5-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when individual substances are combined, the total weight is equal to the sum of the individual weights. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-STM-U-4.

SC-5-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that results of investigations are seldom exactly the same, but if the results vary widely, then it is necessary to figure out why they differ. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-STM-U-5.

SC-5-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe, and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (pushing and pulling) that affect motion. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-5-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that predictions and/or inferences about the direction or speed of an object can be made by interpreting graphs, charts or descriptions of the objects motion. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-MF-U-1.

SC-5-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the more mass an object has, the less effect a given force will have. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-MF-U-2.

SC-5-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces are pushes and pulls that may be invisible (e.g., gravity, magnetism) or visible (e.g., friction, collisions). 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-MF-U-3.

SC-5-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some comparisons may not be 'fair' because some conditions (e.g. mass, force, speed, friction) might not be the same. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-MF-U-4.

SC-5-EU. Big Idea: Grade: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the heart of elementary students' initial understanding of the Earth's place in the universe is direct observation of the Earth-sun-moon system. Students can derive important conceptual understandings about the system as they describe interactions resulting in shadows, moon phases, and day and night. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5)

SC-5-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the earth's water supply has existed since the formation of the planet and is constantly cycled from the ocean to the atmosphere, allowing the same water to be endlessly reused without the creation of new water. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-1.

SC-5-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that water is a powerful solvent that dissolves earth materials, allowing them to impact the ocean system as water is cycled into it. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-2.

SC-5-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the earth is surrounded by a blanket of air called the atmosphere that is essential to life because of some of the gasses it contains. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-3.

SC-5-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that air is free to move from place to place all across the planet and this movement causes global weather patterns. Observing air movements helps scientists explain both global and local weather patterns. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-4.

SC-5-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observations, models and diagrams of the solar system illustrate the position and relationship of the earth, sun, and moon within the larger system of planets and other celestial bodies. Even though they are all parts of the same system, a comparison of their properties reveals great differences among celestial bodies. 22
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-5.

SC-5-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology extends the ability of people to understand the universe. Most tools of today are different than those of the past, but may also be modifications of much older tools. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-EU-U-6.

SC-5-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-5-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being able to meet their needs. 21
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-UD-U-1.

SC-5-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms are composed of a variety of sub-systems that have essential functions. Organisms function with a minimum of superfluous parts because their structures are precisely suited to their essential functions. 17
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-UD-U-2.

SC-5-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that microscopes make it possible to see that living things are made mostly of cells. Some organism's cells vary greatly in appearance and perform very different roles in the organism. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-UD-U-3.

SC-5-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. Elementary students build a foundational knowledge of change by observing slow and fast changes caused by nature in their own environment, noting changes that humans and other organisms cause in their environment, and observing fossils found in or near their environment. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.8)

SC-5-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the gradual changes in organisms that have occurred over time are only accurately represented using a geologic time scale dating back to the formation of the earth. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-BC-U-1.

SC-5-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that sometimes differences in organisms give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing. Over many generations these adaptations have led to a wide variety of types of organisms. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-BC-U-2.

SC-5-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that successful organisms must be able to maintain the basic functions of life in response to normal environmental fluctuations (e.g. day/night, seasonal temperature changes, precipitation). However, an organism that has an advantage in a specific environment may not be able to survive if the environment changes too drastically. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-BC-U-3.

SC-5-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments. The question being investigated determines the form of the investigation used. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-BC-U-4.

SC-5-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6)

SC-5-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy can have many different forms and be contained in many different substances. Evidence of energy transfer may be observed in a wide variety of systems. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-1.

SC-5-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy from the sun flows through space to reach the earth. Solar energy provides the driving force for many of the changes that happen on the Earth's surface. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-2.

SC-5-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electrical circuits transfer energy and can produce heat, light, sound, and magnetic effects. They can be used for different purposes by rearranging their components. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-3.

SC-5-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that light interacts with matter in predictable ways that can be discovered through investigations. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-4.

SC-5-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in a closed system, warm objects will cool and cool objects will warm until they are all the same temperature. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-5.

SC-5-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that if the results of an investigation are unexpected, it is good to make new observations. If those observations continue to be unexpected, different ideas should be considered to explain the results. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-ET-U-6.

SC-5-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. Elementary learners need to become acquainted with ecosystems that are easily observable to them by beginning to study the habitats of many types of local organisms. Students begin to investigate the survival needs of different organisms and how the environment affects optimum conditions for survival. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6)

SC-5-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that within every ecosystem are populations of organisms that serve specific functions. Changes to any population may affect the other populations in that ecosystem. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-I-U-1.

SC-5-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all of the populations that interact with each other in an ecosystem form a specific community, but there may be multiple communities within the same ecosystem. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-5-I-U-2.

SC-5-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that matter and energy flow along multiple paths within a community. Complex models depicting this interdependence make these relationships easier to visualize and comprehend.

SC-6-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. During the middle years, physical and chemical changes in matter are observed, and students begin to relate these changes to the smaller constituents of matter - namely, atoms and molecules. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-6-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all matter is composed of parts that are too small to be seen without magnification. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-STM-U-1.

SC-6-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that no matter how substances within a closed system interact with one another, or how they combine or break apart, the total weight of the system remains the same. 27
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-STM-U-2.

SC-6-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that chemical changes result in the formation of a substance that has different properties than the original substance. 26
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-STM-U-3.

SC-6-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all substances that are mixed together will chemically combine. Because of this, physical properties can be used to separate mixtures. 27
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-STM-U-4.

SC-6-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that new ideas in science sometimes spring from unexpected findings, and they usually lead to new investigations. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-STM-U-5.

SC-6-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-6-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that friction is a force that turns the energy of motion into heat, causing moving objects to eventually slow or stop unless additional force (energy) is added. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-MF-U-1.

SC-6-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when any force acts on an object, the change in speed or direction depends on the size and direction of the force. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-MF-U-2.

SC-6-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that mechanical systems must be designed to take forces such as friction into account. Friction and/or the heat produced by it can have significant effects on the system. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-MF-U-3.

SC-6-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the middle level, students investigate how these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. In middle school, students begin to look beyond what can be directly observed as they explore the Earth-sun-moon system, as well as the rest of our solar system, employing the concept of scale within their models. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5)

SC-6-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that regular and predictable movements of the sun, moon and Earth are responsible for many observed phenomena on Earth, (e.g. day/night, year, moon phases, eclipses). The regular patterns of these phenomena can be predicted using data or models. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-EU-U-1.

SC-6-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the total amount of material that makes the solid Earth is relatively constant (excluding impacts), even though rocks and minerals often change properties through a variety of processes that transform them (rock cycle). 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-EU-U-2.

SC-6-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's surface is not uniform due to a number of constructive and destructive forces that constantly reshape it. The past effects of these processes can be inferred, and the data these inferences are based upon can also be used to predict future changes. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-EU-U-3.

SC-6-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that complex systems like the Earth or solar system are difficult to comprehend or explain without depending on averages and ranges of data. Technology is essential for helping to collect and analyze this data. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-EU-U-4.

SC-6-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. In middle school, students begin to compare, contrast, and classify the microscopic features of organisms - the cells, as well as investigate reproduction as the essential process to the continuation of all species. Expected patterns of genetic traits are predicted. Distinctions are made between learned behaviors and inherited traits. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5)

SC-6-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that cells are the fundamental units that perform the basic functions needed to sustain life. Some organisms contain only a single cell, while others may have many millions of specialized cells grouped together in cooperative systems with specific functions (tissues and/or organs). 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-1.

SC-6-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that every cell within an organism contains all of the information needed to completely replicate that organism, regardless of the function that cell performs. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-2.

SC-6-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that although plants and animals exhibit a great variety in body structures that contribute to their survival and reproduction, the basic way that individual cells function is similar in all living organisms. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-3.

SC-6-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the behavior of an organism can be influenced by both heredity and experiences. The relative influence of these factors can be inferred by careful observation/data collection over a period of time. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-4.

SC-6-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the great diversity of life is a result of many factors, both internal and external to organisms. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-5.

SC-6-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that even the most different of organisms are fundamentally more alike than different. Their seemingly great differences conceal the great similarities apparent at the cellular level. 12
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-6.

SC-6-UD-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that classification systems do not exist in nature, but are created by scientists to describe the vast diversity of organisms, frame research questions and suggest relationships among living things. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-UD-U-7.

SC-6-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the middle school level, students study relationships among populations and ecosystems that contribute to the success or demise of a specific population or species. Students construct basic explanations that can account for the great diversity among organisms. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-6-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that small differences between parents and offspring result in future generations that are very different from their ancestors. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-BC-U-1.

SC-6-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that sensing and controlling internal processes in response to the external environment are essential for an organism's survival, regardless of how simple or complex it is. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-BC-U-2.

SC-6-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists vary widely in what they study and how they do their work. While there is no fixed set of steps they follow, the basic process of science involves collecting relevant evidence, logical reasoning and the use of imaginative thinking in constructing explanations for what they observe. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-BC-U-3.

SC-6-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-6-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-ET-U-1.

SC-6-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that several Earth systems and processes occur primarily because of the constant influx of solar energy. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-ET-U-2.

SC-6-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that seasons are a result of the interaction of the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to its orbital path.

SC-6-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy, in the form of sunlight, is transformed by a chemical reaction in plant cells (photosynthesis) to form essential nutrients for the plant to live and grow. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-ET-U-4.

SC-6-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that inside a closed system, the temperature increases or decreases as heat energy is added or removed. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-ET-U-5.

SC-6-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth is a complex system of energy transformations, materials and processes. Understanding the whole requires first understanding individual subsystems and their interactions. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-ET-U-6.

SC-6-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. In middle school, students should be guided from specific examples of the interdependency of organisms to a more systematic view of the interactions that take place among organisms and their surroundings. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity, and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-6-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will be understand that ecosystems are more than just the organisms they contain: geography, weather, climate and geologic factors also influence the interactions within an ecosystem. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-I-U-1.

SC-6-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that communities do not exist in isolation, but are globally interconnected by a number of Earth systems (e.g. ocean, atmosphere, lithosphere). 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-I-U-2.

SC-6-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that science can sometimes be used to inform ethical decisions by identifying the likely consequences of an action, but cannot be used to establish if taking that action would be right or wrong. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-6-I-U-3.

SC-7-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. During the middle years, physical and chemical changes in matter are observed, and students begin to relate these changes to the smaller constituents of matter - namely, atoms and molecules. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-7-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that equal volumes of different substances usually have different weights. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-STM-U-1.

SC-7-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that there are only 92 naturally occurring elements and all matter is made of some combination of them (compounds). 12
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-STM-U-2.

SC-7-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements, as well as compounds, can be classified according to their similar properties, including how they react with each other and how they may be used. The patterns, which allow classification, can be used to infer or understand real life applications for those substances. 12
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-STM-U-3.

SC-7-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many factors influence reaction rates, such as temperature, acidity and concentration. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-STM-U-4.

SC-7-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that investigations are conducted for different reasons, including to explore new phenomena, to check on previous results, to test how well a theory predicts, and to compare different theories. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-STM-U-5.

SC-7-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-7-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an object remains at rest or maintains a constant speed and direction of motion unless an unbalanced force acts on it (inertia). 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-MF-U-1.

SC-7-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forces acting against each other can be balanced, canceling each other out and having no net effect. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-MF-U-2.

SC-7-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravity is an attractive force created by mass. All objects are attracted to each other by gravity, but this attraction is easy to see only when at least one of the objects has a large mass. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-MF-U-3.

SC-7-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-MF-U-4.

SC-7-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the middle level, students investigate how these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. In middle school, students begin to look beyond what can be directly observed as they explore the Earth-sun-moon system, as well as the rest of our solar system, employing the concept of scale within their models. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-7-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that regular and predictable movement is not limited to our solar system. New technologies, coupled with an understanding of the laws of motion, allow for the discovery of celestial bodies that cannot be directly observed. 19
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-1.

SC-7-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that our solar system is part of a larger collection of millions of stars (Milky Way Galaxy), any of which may be the center of its own system of orbiting planets. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-2.

SC-7-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravitational interactions within the Earth, sun and moon system impact phenomena and organisms on the surface of the Earth. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-3.

SC-7-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that models of the interior of the Earth have been constructed primarily from inferences based on limited data obtained during earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. These models are useful, but are open to revision or rejection as new information is obtained. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-4.

SC-7-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's layers vary widely in their properties, and interactions between them can manifest themselves in ways that impact both the Earth and its organisms. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-5.

SC-7-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that while some changes to the Earth occur without warning, many changes to the surface or atmosphere can be predicted from available data/evidence. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-EU-U-6.

SC-7-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. In middle school, students begin to compare, contrast, and classify the microscopic features of organisms - the cells, as well as investigate reproduction as the essential process to the continuation of all species. Expected patterns of genetic traits are predicted. Distinctions are made between learned behaviors and inherited traits. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-7-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that specialized structures called genes are located in the chromosomes of each living cell. These structures have the task of passing on characteristics that make offspring resemble their parents (heredity). 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-1.

SC-7-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that inherited traits of an offspring come directly from the genes of the parent, while learned traits are acquired after birth through interactions with the offspring's surroundings 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-2.

SC-7-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that asexual reproduction involves only the passing on of one parent's genes, resulting in offspring with genes identical to those of the parent. Sexual reproduction requires the combination of genes from male and female sex cells, creating offspring with a blend of traits. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-3.

SC-7-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that sexual reproduction creates variations among offspring, gradually contributing to a wide variety of life. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-4.

SC-7-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the observable differences among humans are minor compared to their internal similarity, as evidenced by the ability of people from all over the world to physically mix through reproduction, blood transfusions and organ transplants. 18
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-5.

SC-7-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that research involving living things requires ethical considerations not required when investigating non-living things. Human subjects must be fully informed about potential risks and freely consent to any involvement. Because animals cannot make their own choices, special care must be taken in using them in scientific research. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-UD-U-6.

SC-7-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the middle school level, students study relationships among populations and ecosystems that contribute to the success or demise of a specific population or species. Students construct basic explanations that can account for the great diversity among organisms. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-7-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that over time, some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive without the other. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-BC-U-1.

SC-7-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most of the species that have lived on Earth no longer exist. A species will become extinct when changes in environmental conditions (either gradual or rapid) are greater than its ability to adapt 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-BC-U-2.

SC-7-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that fossils provide evidence of how biological change over time accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-BC-U-3.

SC-7-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that results of scientific investigations are seldom exactly the same, but if the differences are large it is important to try to figure out why. Keeping careful records is important to help investigate what might have caused the differences. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-BC-U-4.

SC-7-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-7-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that most of the energy that powers the Earth's systems comes from the sun. Energy from inside the Earth, however, is responsible for some important phenomena (volcanism, plate tectonics). 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-ET-U-1.

SC-7-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the amount of energy in a closed system remains the same, so that the energy lost by a hot object equals the energy gained by a cold one.

SC-7-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all energy must have a source and may change forms or be transferred in a wide variety of ways, including via waves. 32
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-ET-U-3.

SC-7-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that thermal energy and motion are inseparable when viewed at the molecular level. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-ET-U-4.

SC-7-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the role various organisms play within an ecosystem can be determined by observing the flow of energy between them. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-ET-U-5.

SC-7-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that systems tend to change until they become stable and remain that way unless conditions change. 32
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-ET-U-6.

SC-7-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. In middle school, students should be guided from specific examples of the interdependency of organisms to a more systematic view of the interactions that take place among organisms and their surroundings. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity, and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-7-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that species may become extinct even if environmental conditions remain constant. Competition between species for limited resources can result in extinction. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-I-U-1.

SC-7-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes within an ecosystem may be caused by the interactions of many factors, both biotic and abiotic. Seemingly small changes can have significant consequences as their effects ripple through a community. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-I-U-2.

SC-7-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all actions/decisions have the possibility of a desirable outcome. Sometimes a compromise requires accepting one unwanted outcome to avoid a different unwanted outcome. 20
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-7-I-U-3.

SC-8-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. During the middle years, physical and chemical changes in matter are observed, and students begin to relate these changes to the smaller constituents of matter - namely, atoms and molecules. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-8-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all matter is made of tiny moving particles called atoms, which are far too small to see directly through a microscope. The atoms of any element are alike but are different from atoms of other elements. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-1.

SC-8-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that because atomic structure is not directly observable, models (physical and conceptual) are used to facilitate understanding. What kind of model to use and how complex it should be depends on its purpose. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-2.

SC-8-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements do not break down during chemical reactions (e.g., heating, exposure to electric currents, reaction with acids). 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-3.

SC-8-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the idea of atoms explains the conservation of matter: If the number of atoms stays the same no matter how they are rearranged, then their total mass stays the same. The atoms that are present today are the same atoms that have always existed. 19
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-4.

SC-8-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that there are groups of elements that have similar properties, including highly reactive metals, less-reactive metals, highly reactive nonmetals (such as chlorine, fluorine and oxygen) and some almost completely non-reactive gases (such as helium and neon). Some elements don't fit into any of the categories; among them are carbon and hydrogen, essential elements of living matter. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-5.

SC-8-STM-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that over a long time, matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. As in all material systems, the total amount of matter remains constant, even though its form and location change. 14
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-STM-U-6.

SC-8-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-8-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that Isaac Newton developed a set of rules that can be used to describe and predict virtually all observed motion on Earth and in the universe. These Laws of Motion demonstrate that the rules governing the Earth are the same as those controlling the rest of the observed universe. 8
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-MF-U-1.

SC-8-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that preconceived expectations can influence what people actually observe, preventing them from detecting other results. In order to maintain objectivity, different investigators should investigate the same question independently. For example, Newton's Laws are widely accepted because they have been verified by so many different observers. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-MF-U-2.

SC-8-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. At the middle level, students investigate how these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. In middle school, students begin to look beyond what can be directly observed as they explore the Earth-sun-moon system, as well as the rest of our solar system, employing the concept of scale within their models. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-8-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth is almost unimaginably old when viewed on a human time scale, and some processes that shape it are happening so slowly they cannot be easily detected in a lifetime. The accepted age of our Earth and solar system (4.6 billion years) is based on a wide variety of data collected by a number of different methods. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-EU-U-1.

SC-9-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat flow and movement of molten rock within the interior of the Earth results in crustal changes such as earthquakes, volcanoes and continental drift. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-9-EU-U-2.

SC-8-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a model cannot represent a full-scale phenomenon with complete accuracy, even if it only addresses very few attributes of the original. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-EU-U-3.

SC-8-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. In middle school, students begin to compare, contrast, and classify the microscopic features of organisms - the cells, as well as investigate reproduction as the essential process to the continuation of all species. Expected patterns of genetic traits are predicted. Distinctions are made between learned behaviors and inherited traits. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-8-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all cells contain specialized parts that are structured to efficiently perform the cell's essential functions. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-UD-U-1.

SC-8-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that complex organisms can exist because their genes contain the information needed to create and reproduce cells with specialized functions. 11
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-UD-U-2.

SC-8-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms have nervous systems that allow them to react to changes in their surroundings and within themselves. Some of their reactions (e.g. pain response) are determined genetically while others (e.g. pushing a button to obtain food) are learned. 10
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-UD-U-3.

SC-8-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that patterns (e.g. reproductive method, number of body segments, type of skeleton) are helpful in classifying organisms based on how they are related. Science considers details of internal and external structures to be more important than behavior or general appearance. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-UD-U-4.

SC-8-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technological advances have made it possible for humans to alter the natural world. Ethical considerations and the probability of unintended consequences make it essential that the potential risks and rewards of any scientific endeavor be carefully considered before proceeding. 16
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-UD-U-5.

SC-8-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the middle school level, students study relationships among populations and ecosystems that contribute to the success or demise of a specific population or species. Students construct basic explanations that can account for the great diversity among organisms. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-8-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that thousands of layers of sedimentary rock provide evidence for the long history of the Earth and the long history of changing life forms whose remains are found in the rocks. More recently deposited rock layers contain fossils that more closely resemble existing species. 1
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-BC-U-1.

SC-8-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that observations of the fossil record provide evidence that helps to explain why externally diverse organisms are so similar at the molecular level. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-BC-U-2.

SC-8-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists cannot always control experimental conditions to obtain evidence. When that is not possible, they try to observe as wide a range of natural occurrences as possible to be able to identify patterns. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-BC-U-3.

SC-8-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-8-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy can be transferred in many ways, but it can neither be created nor destroyed. 22
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-1.

SC-8-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a steady supply of energy is essential for our society, but every source of energy has potential problems as well as benefits. Not all forms of energy are practical to use given our current state of technology. 22
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-2.

SC-8-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that solar energy influences global climate in a number of direct and indirect ways. Patterns of global climate can be determined through analysis of climatic data. 43
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-3.

SC-8-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that although many forms of energy exist, they can all be classified as either kinetic energy, potential energy, or energy contained within a field. 21
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-4.

SC-8-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the interaction of waves with matter provides the vehicle for a number of important types of energy transfer. 21
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-5.

SC-8-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes that occur to any one component of an ecosystem may influence the entire system, since all of the components are interrelated. The relationships that exist can be determined by observing the flow of energy. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-6.

SC-8-ET-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many systems contain feedback mechanisms that serve to keep changes within specified limits. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-ET-U-7.

SC-8-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems. In middle school, students should be guided from specific examples of the interdependency of organisms to a more systematic view of the interactions that take place among organisms and their surroundings. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity, and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-8-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. Balanced patterns of cooperation and competition may generate ecosystems that are relatively stable for hundreds or thousands of years. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-I-U-1.

SC-8-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the matter in an ecosystem is constantly transferred between and among organisms and the physical environment. While the form and location is continuously changing, the total amount of matter in the system remains constant. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-I-U-2.

SC-8-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that it is important to consider what population will benefit and what population (not necessarily the same one) will bear the cost when deciding among alternative courses of action. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-I-U-3.

SC-8-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that sometimes decisions have unintended consequences no matter how thoughtfully they were made, and may actually create new problems and needs. 43
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Science State Standard SC-8-I-U-4.

KY.PS. Program of Studies 2006

H-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the configuration of atoms in a molecule determines the molecule's properties. Shapes are particularly important in how molecules interact with others.

SC-H-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an enormous variety of biological, chemical and physical phenomena can be explained by changes in the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules.

SC-H-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when elements are listed in order by their number of protons, the same sequence of properties appears over and over again in the list. The structure of the periodic table reflects this sequence of properties, which is caused by the repeating pattern of outermost electrons.

SC-H-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all atoms of an element are truly identical. Some may vary in their number of neutrons (isotopes) or electrons (ions). These variations result in properties which are different than the more common forms of that element

SC-H-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes of state occur when enough energy is added to or removed from the atoms/molecules of a substance to change their average energy of vibration. Most solids expand as they are heated, and if sufficient energy is added the atoms/molecules lose their rigid structure and become free to move past each other as a liquid. In gases the energy of vibration is enough that individual atoms/molecules are free to move independently.

SC-H-STM-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements are able to form an almost limitless variety of chemical compounds by the sharing or exchange of their electrons. The rate at which these combinations occur is influenced by a number of variables. The compounds produced may vary tremendously in their physical and chemical properties.

SC-H-STM-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that chemical reactions have a variety of essential real-world applications, such as oxidation and various metabolic processes.

SC-H-STM-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a system may stay the same because nothing is happening or because things are happening but exactly counterbalance one another.

SC-H-STM-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that accurate record-keeping, openness and replication are essential for maintaining credibility with other scientists and society.

SC-H-STM-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify samples of matter from everyday life as being elements, compounds, or mixtures

SC-H-STM-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the kinetic molecular theory of matter

SC-H-STM-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will construct and/or interpret diagrams that illustrate ionic and covalent bonding

SC-H-STM-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent

SC-H-STM-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and test variables that affect reaction rates

SC-H-STM-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use evidence/data from chemical reactions to predict the effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area and catalysts)

SC-H-STM-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the relationships among temperature, particle number, pressure and volume in the Universal Gas Law

SC-H-STM-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the organizational structure (design) and communicate the usefulness of the Periodic Table to determine potential combinations of elements

SC-H-STM-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, boiling/melting points) of compounds

SC-H-STM-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the chemical behavior of an element, including bonding, to its location on the periodic table

SC-H-STM-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the structure of water to its function as the universal solvent

SC-H-STM-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct experiments to determine the conductivity of various materials

SC-H-STM-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and/or interpret graphs and equations to depict and analyze patterns of change

SC-H-STM-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life applications of a variety of chemical reactions (e.g., acids and bases, oxidation, rusting, tarnishing) and communicate findings/present evidence in an authentic form (transactive writing, public speaking, multimedia presentations)

SC-H-STM-S-15. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate investigable questions and conduct experiments or non-experimental research to address them, using evidence to defend conclusions

SC-H-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-H-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that representing and describing motion in a variety of ways provides data that can be used to construct explanations and make predictions about real-life phenomena.

SC-H-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that the model is the only 'true' model or the only one that would work.

SC-H-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, for there is no motionless frame from which to judge all motion.

SC-H-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the strength of the gravitational force between objects is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.

SC-H-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity and magnetism are two inseparable aspects of the same force (electromagnetism). Moving electrical charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnetic fields produce electrical forces. Electrical current is due to the motion of charge and has a specific direction.

SC-H-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electromagnetic forces acting within and between atoms are vastly stronger than the gravitational forces acting between the atoms. At the atomic level, electric forces between oppositely charged electrons and protons hold atoms and molecules together and thus are involved in all chemical reactions. On a larger scale, these forces hold solid and liquid materials together and act between objects when they are in contact - as in sticking or sliding friction.

SC-H-MF-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together are much stronger than the electromagnetic force. That is why such great amounts of energy are released from the nuclear reactions in the sun and other stars.

SC-H-MF-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct investigations involving the motion of objects and report the results in a variety of ways

SC-H-MF-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravitation. Experimentally test inertia and gravitational acceleration

SC-H-MF-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will experimentally test conservation of momentum. Use tables, charts and graphs in making arguments and claims in oral and written presentations

SC-H-MF-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and analyze graphs, ensuring that they do not misrepresent results by using inappropriate scales or by failing to specify the axes clearly

SC-H-MF-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will develop investigable questions that guide explorations of the interrelationship between electricity and magnetism

SC-H-MF-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges to predict the behavior of charged objects

SC-H-MS-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create conceptual and mathematical models of motion and test them against real-life phenomena

SC-H-MF-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain why the strength of the nuclear force is responsible for the great energy release involved in nuclear reactions

SC-H-MF-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict which forces would be predominant in a given system and explain

SC-H-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. At the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravity played an essential role in the formation of the universe and is one of the fundamental forces that controls the function of the universe and the systems within it.

SC-H-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that current estimates of the ages of the Earth (4.6 billion years) and the universe (10+ billion years) are based on a variety of measurement techniques that have unique strengths and limitations. The same evidence that establishes the extreme age of the universe also indicates its vastness.

SC-H-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that stars have cycles of birth and death, and the lives of large stars end in explosions that provide the elements to create new stars and planets. All living things on Earth are also formed from this recycled matter.

SC-H-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the speed of light is dwarfed by the vastness of the universe, resulting in the human view of the sky being essentially a 'look back in time' as we view light that was emitted long in the past and has been traveling across the cosmos to reach Earth.

SC-H-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the shape and location of the continents have been gradually changing for millions of years because density differences inside the mantle result in convection currents. These changes, as well as more rapid ones (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis) can impact living organisms.

SC-H-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying evidence from many sources to form a scientific account of the universe.

SC-H-EU-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists rely on increasingly sophisticated methods of measurement in order to investigate a variety of phenomena that were previously immeasurable.

SC-H-EU-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism are highly regarded in science, and are incorporated into the way science is carried out.

SC-H-EU-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare methods used to measure the ages of geologic features

SC-H-EU-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will research the historical rise in acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics and the geological/biological consequences of plate movement

SC-H-EU-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the nebular theory of formation of the solar system

SC-H-EU-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the Big Bang theory of formation of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of gravity in the formation and function of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate, describe and document patterns of interaction of matter and gravity

SC-H-EU-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the life cycle of stars and the products/consequences of their deaths

SC-H-EU-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain how technological solutions permit the study of phenomena too faint, small, distant or slow to be directly measured

SC-H-EU-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will employ scientific notation to communicate and compare astronomical phenomena

SC-H-EU-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life implications of current findings in Earth/space research and communicate findings in an authentic form, exemplifying the traits of curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism

SC-H-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. Different parts of the instructions are used in different types of cells.

SC-H-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that within every cell are specialized parts for the transport of materials, energy transfer, protein building, waste disposal, information feedback and even movement. In addition, most cells in multi-cellular organisms perform specialized functions that others do not.

SC-H-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that DNA, composed of 4 nucleic acids, serves as the blueprint for the production of a variety of proteins. These dynamic and complicated proteins facilitate practically every function/process that occurs within the cell.

SC-H-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules. The sorting and recombination of genes through sexual reproduction results in a great variety of gene combinations that can be used to make predictions about the potential traits of offspring.

SC-H-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce offspring with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, while some may reduce the ability of the offspring to survive.

SC-H-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the degree of kinship between organisms or species can be estimated from the similarity of their DNA sequences, which often closely matches their classification based on anatomical similarities.

SC-H-UD-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-H-UD-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the parts within a cell responsible for particular processes and create analogous models for those processes

SC-H-UD-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify a variety of specialized cell types and describe how these differentiated cells contribute to the function of an individual organism as a whole

SC-H-UD-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of genes/chromosomes in the passing of information from one generation to another (heredity)

SC-H-UD-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will graphically represent (e.g., pedigrees, punnet squares) and predict the outcomes of a variety of genetic combinations

SC-H-UD-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the roles of genetic mutation and variability in contributing to the survival of offspring

SC-H-UD-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the structure of DNA and explain its role in protein synthesis, cell replication and reproduction

SC-H-UD-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe and classify a variety of chemical reactions required for cell functions

SC-H-UD-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the processes by which cells maintain their internal environments within acceptable limits

SC-H-UD-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare internal, external and metabolic characteristics of organisms in order to classify them into groups using taxonomic nomenclature to describe and justify these classifications

SC-H-UD-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare the structures and functions of viruses to cells and describe the role of viruses in causing a variety of diseases or conditions (e.g., AIDS, common cold, smallpox, warts)

SC-H-UD-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and investigate areas of current research/innovation in biological science. Make inferences/predictions of the effects of this research on society and/or the environment and support or defend these predictions with scientific data

SC-H-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the high school level, students evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on Earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity, and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-H-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the survival of any given species is not assured. There are a variety of factors (e.g. reproductive success, mutation, availability of resources, competition) that may determine if a species flourishes, declines, or eventually becomes extinct.

SC-H-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly different species through a process of natural selection. All living things share a common genetic heritage.

SC-H-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some organisms have greater adaptive capabilities than others, giving them a greater chance of survival under changing environmental conditions. These adaptations may be patterns of behavior as well as physical characteristics.

SC-H-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the endangerment/ and/or extinction of a species cannot be slowed or prevented without sufficient data to model the interactions of the factors involved.

SC-H-BC-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in science the term theory is reserved to describe only those ideas that have been well tested through scientific investigation. Scientific theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, the range of observations they explain, how well they explain observations and their usefulness in predicting new findings. Scientific theories usually grow slowly through contributions from many investigators.

SC-H-BC-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify evidence of change in species using fossils, DNA sequences, anatomical similarities, physiological similarities and embryology

SC-H-BC-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of natural selection in speciation, adaptation, diversity and phylogeny

SC-H-BC-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare variations, tolerances and adaptations (behavioral and physiological) of plants and animals in different biomes

SC-H-BC-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate possible solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species and predict the impact of a variety of change

SC-H-BC-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict the likelihood of survival for a variety of existing species based upon predicted changes in environmental conditions (e.g., global warming, continental drift) and propose methods to prevent the extinction of species with insufficient ability to adapt

SC-H-BC-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will distinguish between a scientific law, theory, hypothesis and unsupported supposition/claim

SC-H-BC-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the historical development and revision of a variety of accepted scientific laws, theories and claims

SC-H-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and Earth systems. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that transformations that occur within the nuclei of atoms release vastly greater energy than those that involve only electrons, and result in the emission of radiation and/or transformation of elements.

SC-H-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that while the total amount of energy in the universe is constant, the amount that is available for useful transformations is always decreasing. Systems within the universe will cease to function once the energy differential becomes zero.

SC-H-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that waves, including electromagnetic radiation, are an important form of energy transfer. Waves are governed by rules that can be investigated and used to predict/explain their behavior.

SC-H-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many elements and compounds are involved in continuous cyclic processes where they are stored by and/or flow between organisms and the environment. These processes require a continuous supply of energy to occur.

SC-H-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that radiant energy from the sun is stored in a chemical form in plants as a result of photosynthesis. This energy transformation allows plants to use simple molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water, to assemble the complex molecules needed to increase their mass.

SC-H-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy stored in food is released by a series of internal chemical reactions that reorganize the molecules into a form useable by the organism.

SC-H-ET-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a variety of carbon compounds are essential to the processes that occur in all organisms.

SC-H-ET-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat is a manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms or molecules within a substance. Interactions between or among atoms or molecules naturally move toward states of higher disorder.

SC-H-ET-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many different sources of energy are used for a variety of purposes, including powering machines designed to do useful work. Regardless of function or energy source, the useful energy output of any machine is always less than the total energy input.

SC-H-ET-U-10. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all Earth systems/processes require either an internal or external source of energy to function. Changes to any component, or to the quantity or type of energy input, may influence all components of the system.

SC-H-ET-U-11. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that weather and climate are the direct or indirect result of transfer of solar energy, and changes in one part of the system may influence all of the others. The complexity of the system and the number of variables involved requires very complex mathematical models in order to make accurate predictions.

SC-H-ET-U-12. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technological problems often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to conduct their research more effectively or to conduct new lines of research. The availability of new technology often sparks scientific advances.

SC-H-ET-U-13. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology affects society because it solves practical problems and serves human needs. Science affects society by stimulating thought or satisfying curiosity, or by influencing views of the world, or by providing knowledge necessary for new technological advances.

SC-H-ET-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify and describe nuclear reactions and their products

SC-H-ET-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the forces inside the nucleus and evaluate the risk/benefits of nuclear energy

SC-H-ET-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the law of conservation of energy and explore heat flow in real-life phenomena

SC-H-ET-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate waves, the rules describing wave behavior and energy transfer via waves in real life phenomena (e.g., nuclear medicine, industrial applications)

SC-H-ET-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the flow of matter and energy between organisms and the environment and model the cyclic nature of this process

SC-H-ET-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the metabolic process of photosynthesis and describe the molecules it assembles to store solar energy

SC-H-ET-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the metabolic processes that allow energy stored in food to be made available to the organism

SC-H-ET-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the composition and function of the carbon compounds involved in metabolism

SC-H-ET-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the concept of entropy to molecular interactions and to interactions within the universe

SC-H-ET-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze a variety of energy sources, their potential uses and their relative costs/benefits

SC-H-ET-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the relationship of energy input vs. useful energy output in mechanical systems

SC-H-ET-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will model and explain the relationships and energy flow existing in various Earth systems

SC-H-ET-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use weather data to model the complex interactions responsible for weather and climate

SC-H-ET-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe how science and technology interact. Research and investigate the impact of technology on society and how technological advances have driven scientific research

SC-H-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human beings are part of the Earth's ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

SC-H-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that unique among organisms, humans have the capability to impact other species on a global scale both directly (e.g. selective breeding, genetic engineering, foreign species introductions) and indirectly (e.g. habitat crowding, pollution, climate change).

SC-H-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the appearance of new species always impacts the environment. In some cases this impact can have global and profound significance (e.g. when ancient bacteria transformed the atmosphere to an oxygen-rich environment).

SC-H-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that every ecosystem contains natural checks and balances, both biotic and abiotic, that serve to limit the size and range of the populations contained within it.

SC-H-I-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity have brought new risks as well as improvements to human existence. People control technology and are ultimately responsible for its effects.

SC-H-I-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that science/technology occasionally provides the means to do questionable things. Decisions about doing these things require exercising a sense of responsibility. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.

SC-H-I-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the critical assumptions behind any line of reasoning must be made explicit, so that the validity of the position being taken can be judged.

SC-H-I-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore ways to eradicate or lessen environmental problems caused by human interaction (e.g., examine programs for habitat restoration or wildlife protection, automotive/industrial emissions standards)

SC-H-I-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate changes in ecosystems and propose potential solutions to problems by documenting and communicating solutions to others through multi-media presentations

SC-H-I-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and describe the effects of events (e.g., fires, hurricanes, deforestation, mining, population growth and municipal development) on environments from a variety of perspectives. Use data to propose ways of lessening impacts perceived as negative

SC-H-I-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will examine existing models of global population growth and the factors affecting population change (e.g., geography, diseases, natural events, birth/death rates). Propose and defend solutions to identified problems of population change

SC-H-I-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze examples of environmental changes resulting from the introduction, removal, or reintroductions of indigenous or non-indigenous species to an ecosystem. Use information to predict future impacts of similar changes in other ecosystems

SC-H-I-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and synthesize research, for questions about, theories and related technologies that have advanced our understanding of interdependence

SC-H-I-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the causes, consequences and possible solutions to persistent, contemporary and emerging global issues relating to environmental quality

SC-H-I-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate controversial scientific proposals (e.g., human cloning, genetic modification of crops, nuclear waste storage), use scientific evidence/data to support or defend a position and debate the ethical merits of implementing the proposed actions

KY.AE. Academic Expectation

AE.1. Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

1.1. Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.

1.2. Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.

1.3. Students make sense of the various things they observe.

1.4. Students make sense of the various messages to which they listen.

1.5-1.9. Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate, reason, and solve problems.

1.10. Students organize information through development and use of classification rules and systems.

1.11. Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.12. Students speak using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.13. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with the visual arts.

1.14. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.

1.15. Students make sense of and communicate ideas with movement.

1.16. Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

AE.2. Students shall develop their abilities to apply core concepts and principles from mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the humanities, social studies, practical living studies, and vocational studies to what they will encounter throughout their lives.

2.1. Science: Students understand scientific ways of thinking and working and use those methods to solve real-life problems.

2.2. Science: Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as cycles and trends to understand past and present events and predict possible future events.

2.3. Science: Students identify and analyze systems and the ways their components work together or affect each other.

2.4. Science: Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other characteristics that might be observed.

2.5. Science: Students understand that under certain conditions nature tends to remain the same or move toward a balance.

2.6. Science: Students understand how living and nonliving things change over time and the factors that influence the changes.

KY.CC. Core Content for Assessment v.4.1

SC-HS-1.1. Structure and Transformation of Matter: By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter.

SC-HS-1.1.1. Physical Science: Students will classify or make generalizations about elements from data of observed patterns in atomic structure and/or position on the periodic table.

SC-HS-1.1.2. Physical Science: Students will understand that the atom's nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons that are much more massive than electrons. When an element has atoms that differ in the number of neutrons, these atoms are called different isotopes of the element.

SC-HS-1.1.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that solids, liquids, and gases differ in the distances between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that binds them together. In solids, the structure is nearly rigid; in liquids, molecules or atoms move around each other but do not move apart; and in gases, molecules or atoms move almost independently of each other and are relatively far apart. The behavior of gases and the relationship of the variables influencing them can be described and predicted.

SC-HS-1.1.4. Physical Science: Students will understand that in conducting materials, electrons flow easily; whereas, in insulating materials, they can hardly flow at all. Semiconducting materials have intermediate behavior. At low temperatures, some materials become superconductors and offer no resistance to the flow of electrons.

SC-HS-1.1.5. Physical Science: Students will explain the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, conductivity, boiling/melting points) of compounds.

SC-HS-1.1.6. Physical Science: Students will identify variables that affect reaction rates; predict effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area, and catalysts) based on evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.1.7. Physical Science: Students will construct diagrams to illustrate ionic or covalent bonding; predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent (polar, nonpolar) and represent the products formed with simple chemical formulas.

SC-HS-1.1.8. Physical Science: Students will explain the importance of chemical reactions in a real-world context; justify conclusions using evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.2. Motion and Forces: At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.1. Physical Science: Students will select or construct accurate and appropriate representations for motion (visual, graphical, and mathematical); defend conclusions/explanations about the motion of objects and real-life phenomena from evidence/data.

SC-HS-1.2.2. Physical Science: Students will explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism; propose solutions to real life problems involving electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that the electric force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects. Opposite charges attract while like charges repel.

SC-HS-2.3. The Earth and the Universe: The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Finally, at the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of earth changes. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe.

SC-HS-2.3.1. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain phenomena (falling objects, planetary motion, satellite motion) related to gravity; describe the factors that affect gravitational force.

SC-HS-2.3.2. Earth/Space Science: Students will describe the current scientific theory of the formation of the universe (Big Bang) and its evidence; explain the role of gravity in the formation of the universe and its components.

SC-HS-2.3.3. Earth/Space Science: Students will identify the origin of heavy elements found in stars and planets.

SC-HS-2.3.4. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that stars have life cycles of birth through death that are analogous to those of living organisms. During their lifetimes, stars generate energy from nuclear fusion reactions that create successively heavier chemical elements.

SC-HS-2.3.5. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that the Sun, Earth, and the rest of the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a nebular cloud of gas and dust.

SC-HS-2.3.6. Earth/Space Science: Students will compare the limitations/benefits of various techniques (radioactive dating, observing rock sequences, and comparing fossils) for estimating geological time; justify deductions about age of geologic features.

SC-HS-2.3.7. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain real-life phenomena caused by the convection of the Earth's mantle; predict the consequences of this motion on humans and other living things on the planet.

SC-HS-2.3.8. Earth/Space Science: Students will predict consequences of both rapid (volcanoes, earthquakes) and slow (mountain building, plate movement) earth processes from evidence/data and justify reasoning.

SC-HS-3.4. Unity and Diversity: At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate DNA and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life.

SC-HS-3.4.1. Biological Science: Students will explain the role of DNA in protein synthesis.

SC-HS-3.4.2. Biological Science: Students will understand that most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of the cell.

SC-HS-3.4.3. Biological Science: Students will describe cell regulation (enzyme function, diffusion, osmosis, homeostasis); predict consequences of internal/external environmental change on cell function/regulation.

SC-HS-3.4.4. Biological Science: Students will understand that plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms (e.g., Euglena) use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy-rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital link between the Sun and energy needs of living systems.

SC-HS-3.4.5. Biological Science: Students will explain the relationship between sexual reproduction (meiosis) and the transmission of genetic information; draw conclusions/make predictions based on hereditary evidence/data (pedigrees, punnet squares).

SC-HS-3.4.6. Biological Science: Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-HS-3.4.7. Biological Science: Students will classify organisms into groups based on similarities; infer relationships based on internal and external structures and chemical processes.

SC-HS-3.4.8. Biological Science: Students will understand that multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior. Nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific molecules. Specialized cells in sense organs detect light, sound, and specific chemicals enabling animals to monitor what is going on in the world around them.

SC-HS-3.5. Biological Change: The only thing certain is that everything changes. The stage is set for high school students to evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years (Science for All Americans, p. 67).

SC-HS-3.5.1. Biological Science: Students will predict the impact on species of changes to 1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, or (4) natural selection; propose solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species.

SC-HS-3.5.2. Biological Science: Students will predict the success of patterns of adaptive behaviors based on evidence/data; justify explanations of organism survival based on scientific understandings of behavior.

SC-HS-4.6. Energy Transformations: The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and earth systems.

SC-HS-4.6.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the relationships and connections between matter, energy, living systems, and the physical environment; give examples of conservation of matter and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict wave behavior and energy transfer; apply knowledge of waves to real life phenomena/investigations.

SC-HS-4.6.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays, result when a charged object is accelerated.

SC-HS-4.6.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the components and reservoirs involved in biogeochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen); explain the movement of matter and energy in biogeochemical cycles and related phenomena.

SC-HS-4.6.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe and explain the role of carbon-containing molecules and chemical reactions in energy transfer in living systems.

SC-HS-4.6.6. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that heat is the manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms.

SC-HS-4.6.7. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain real world applications of energy using information/data; evaluate explanations of mechanical systems using current scientific knowledge about energy.

SC-HS-4.6.8. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the connections between the functioning of the Earth system and its sources of energy (internal and external); predict the consequences of changes to any component of the Earth system.

SC-HS-4.6.9. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the cause and effect relationship between global climate and weather patterns and energy transfer (cloud cover, location of mountain ranges, oceans); predict the consequences of changes to the global climate and weather patterns.

SC-HS-4.6.10. Unifying Concepts: Students will identify the components and mechanisms of energy stored and released from food molecules (photosynthesis and respiration); apply information to real-world situations.

SC-HS-4.6.11. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the difference between alpha and beta decay, fission, and fusion; identify the relationship between nuclear reactions and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.12. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the forces that would make it fly apart.

SC-HS-4.7. Interdependence: At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention (adapted from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 1993).

SC-HS-4.7.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will analyze relationships and interactions among organisms in ecosystems; predict the effects on other organisms of changes to one or more components of the ecosystem.

SC-HS-4.7.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will evaluate proposed solutions from multiple perspectives to environmental problems caused by human interaction; justify positions using evidence/data.

SC-HS-4.7.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes to any component (atmosphere, solid Earth, oceans, living things) of the Earth System; propose justifiable solutions to global problems.

SC-HS 4.7.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that evidence for one-celled forms of life, the bacteria, extends back more than 3.5 billion years. The changes in life over time caused dramatic changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, which did not originally contain oxygen.

SC-HS-4.7.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes in resources to a population; select or defend solutions to real-world problems of population control.

KY.PS. Program of Studies 2006

H-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the configuration of atoms in a molecule determines the molecule's properties. Shapes are particularly important in how molecules interact with others.

SC-H-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an enormous variety of biological, chemical and physical phenomena can be explained by changes in the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules.

SC-H-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when elements are listed in order by their number of protons, the same sequence of properties appears over and over again in the list. The structure of the periodic table reflects this sequence of properties, which is caused by the repeating pattern of outermost electrons.

SC-H-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all atoms of an element are truly identical. Some may vary in their number of neutrons (isotopes) or electrons (ions). These variations result in properties which are different than the more common forms of that element

SC-H-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes of state occur when enough energy is added to or removed from the atoms/molecules of a substance to change their average energy of vibration. Most solids expand as they are heated, and if sufficient energy is added the atoms/molecules lose their rigid structure and become free to move past each other as a liquid. In gases the energy of vibration is enough that individual atoms/molecules are free to move independently.

SC-H-STM-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements are able to form an almost limitless variety of chemical compounds by the sharing or exchange of their electrons. The rate at which these combinations occur is influenced by a number of variables. The compounds produced may vary tremendously in their physical and chemical properties.

SC-H-STM-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that chemical reactions have a variety of essential real-world applications, such as oxidation and various metabolic processes.

SC-H-STM-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a system may stay the same because nothing is happening or because things are happening but exactly counterbalance one another.

SC-H-STM-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that accurate record-keeping, openness and replication are essential for maintaining credibility with other scientists and society.

SC-H-STM-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify samples of matter from everyday life as being elements, compounds, or mixtures

SC-H-STM-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the kinetic molecular theory of matter

SC-H-STM-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will construct and/or interpret diagrams that illustrate ionic and covalent bonding

SC-H-STM-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent

SC-H-STM-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and test variables that affect reaction rates

SC-H-STM-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use evidence/data from chemical reactions to predict the effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area and catalysts)

SC-H-STM-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the relationships among temperature, particle number, pressure and volume in the Universal Gas Law

SC-H-STM-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the organizational structure (design) and communicate the usefulness of the Periodic Table to determine potential combinations of elements

SC-H-STM-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, boiling/melting points) of compounds

SC-H-STM-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the chemical behavior of an element, including bonding, to its location on the periodic table

SC-H-STM-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the structure of water to its function as the universal solvent

SC-H-STM-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct experiments to determine the conductivity of various materials

SC-H-STM-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and/or interpret graphs and equations to depict and analyze patterns of change

SC-H-STM-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life applications of a variety of chemical reactions (e.g., acids and bases, oxidation, rusting, tarnishing) and communicate findings/present evidence in an authentic form (transactive writing, public speaking, multimedia presentations)

SC-H-STM-S-15. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate investigable questions and conduct experiments or non-experimental research to address them, using evidence to defend conclusions

SC-H-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-H-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that representing and describing motion in a variety of ways provides data that can be used to construct explanations and make predictions about real-life phenomena.

SC-H-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that the model is the only 'true' model or the only one that would work.

SC-H-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, for there is no motionless frame from which to judge all motion.

SC-H-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the strength of the gravitational force between objects is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.

SC-H-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity and magnetism are two inseparable aspects of the same force (electromagnetism). Moving electrical charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnetic fields produce electrical forces. Electrical current is due to the motion of charge and has a specific direction.

SC-H-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electromagnetic forces acting within and between atoms are vastly stronger than the gravitational forces acting between the atoms. At the atomic level, electric forces between oppositely charged electrons and protons hold atoms and molecules together and thus are involved in all chemical reactions. On a larger scale, these forces hold solid and liquid materials together and act between objects when they are in contact - as in sticking or sliding friction.

SC-H-MF-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together are much stronger than the electromagnetic force. That is why such great amounts of energy are released from the nuclear reactions in the sun and other stars.

SC-H-MF-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct investigations involving the motion of objects and report the results in a variety of ways

SC-H-MF-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravitation. Experimentally test inertia and gravitational acceleration

SC-H-MF-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will experimentally test conservation of momentum. Use tables, charts and graphs in making arguments and claims in oral and written presentations

SC-H-MF-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and analyze graphs, ensuring that they do not misrepresent results by using inappropriate scales or by failing to specify the axes clearly

SC-H-MF-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will develop investigable questions that guide explorations of the interrelationship between electricity and magnetism

SC-H-MF-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges to predict the behavior of charged objects

SC-H-MS-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create conceptual and mathematical models of motion and test them against real-life phenomena

SC-H-MF-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain why the strength of the nuclear force is responsible for the great energy release involved in nuclear reactions

SC-H-MF-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict which forces would be predominant in a given system and explain

SC-H-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. At the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravity played an essential role in the formation of the universe and is one of the fundamental forces that controls the function of the universe and the systems within it.

SC-H-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that current estimates of the ages of the Earth (4.6 billion years) and the universe (10+ billion years) are based on a variety of measurement techniques that have unique strengths and limitations. The same evidence that establishes the extreme age of the universe also indicates its vastness.

SC-H-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that stars have cycles of birth and death, and the lives of large stars end in explosions that provide the elements to create new stars and planets. All living things on Earth are also formed from this recycled matter.

SC-H-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the speed of light is dwarfed by the vastness of the universe, resulting in the human view of the sky being essentially a 'look back in time' as we view light that was emitted long in the past and has been traveling across the cosmos to reach Earth.

SC-H-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the shape and location of the continents have been gradually changing for millions of years because density differences inside the mantle result in convection currents. These changes, as well as more rapid ones (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis) can impact living organisms.

SC-H-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying evidence from many sources to form a scientific account of the universe.

SC-H-EU-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists rely on increasingly sophisticated methods of measurement in order to investigate a variety of phenomena that were previously immeasurable.

SC-H-EU-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism are highly regarded in science, and are incorporated into the way science is carried out.

SC-H-EU-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare methods used to measure the ages of geologic features

SC-H-EU-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will research the historical rise in acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics and the geological/biological consequences of plate movement

SC-H-EU-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the nebular theory of formation of the solar system

SC-H-EU-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the Big Bang theory of formation of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of gravity in the formation and function of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate, describe and document patterns of interaction of matter and gravity

SC-H-EU-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the life cycle of stars and the products/consequences of their deaths

SC-H-EU-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain how technological solutions permit the study of phenomena too faint, small, distant or slow to be directly measured

SC-H-EU-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will employ scientific notation to communicate and compare astronomical phenomena

SC-H-EU-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life implications of current findings in Earth/space research and communicate findings in an authentic form, exemplifying the traits of curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism

SC-H-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. Different parts of the instructions are used in different types of cells.

SC-H-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that within every cell are specialized parts for the transport of materials, energy transfer, protein building, waste disposal, information feedback and even movement. In addition, most cells in multi-cellular organisms perform specialized functions that others do not.

SC-H-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that DNA, composed of 4 nucleic acids, serves as the blueprint for the production of a variety of proteins. These dynamic and complicated proteins facilitate practically every function/process that occurs within the cell.

SC-H-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules. The sorting and recombination of genes through sexual reproduction results in a great variety of gene combinations that can be used to make predictions about the potential traits of offspring.

SC-H-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce offspring with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, while some may reduce the ability of the offspring to survive.

SC-H-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the degree of kinship between organisms or species can be estimated from the similarity of their DNA sequences, which often closely matches their classification based on anatomical similarities.

SC-H-UD-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-H-UD-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the parts within a cell responsible for particular processes and create analogous models for those processes

SC-H-UD-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify a variety of specialized cell types and describe how these differentiated cells contribute to the function of an individual organism as a whole

SC-H-UD-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of genes/chromosomes in the passing of information from one generation to another (heredity)

SC-H-UD-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will graphically represent (e.g., pedigrees, punnet squares) and predict the outcomes of a variety of genetic combinations

SC-H-UD-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the roles of genetic mutation and variability in contributing to the survival of offspring

SC-H-UD-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the structure of DNA and explain its role in protein synthesis, cell replication and reproduction

SC-H-UD-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe and classify a variety of chemical reactions required for cell functions

SC-H-UD-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the processes by which cells maintain their internal environments within acceptable limits

SC-H-UD-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare internal, external and metabolic characteristics of organisms in order to classify them into groups using taxonomic nomenclature to describe and justify these classifications

SC-H-UD-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare the structures and functions of viruses to cells and describe the role of viruses in causing a variety of diseases or conditions (e.g., AIDS, common cold, smallpox, warts)

SC-H-UD-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and investigate areas of current research/innovation in biological science. Make inferences/predictions of the effects of this research on society and/or the environment and support or defend these predictions with scientific data

SC-H-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the high school level, students evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on Earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity, and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-H-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the survival of any given species is not assured. There are a variety of factors (e.g. reproductive success, mutation, availability of resources, competition) that may determine if a species flourishes, declines, or eventually becomes extinct.

SC-H-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly different species through a process of natural selection. All living things share a common genetic heritage.

SC-H-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some organisms have greater adaptive capabilities than others, giving them a greater chance of survival under changing environmental conditions. These adaptations may be patterns of behavior as well as physical characteristics.

SC-H-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the endangerment/ and/or extinction of a species cannot be slowed or prevented without sufficient data to model the interactions of the factors involved.

SC-H-BC-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in science the term theory is reserved to describe only those ideas that have been well tested through scientific investigation. Scientific theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, the range of observations they explain, how well they explain observations and their usefulness in predicting new findings. Scientific theories usually grow slowly through contributions from many investigators.

SC-H-BC-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify evidence of change in species using fossils, DNA sequences, anatomical similarities, physiological similarities and embryology

SC-H-BC-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of natural selection in speciation, adaptation, diversity and phylogeny

SC-H-BC-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare variations, tolerances and adaptations (behavioral and physiological) of plants and animals in different biomes

SC-H-BC-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate possible solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species and predict the impact of a variety of change

SC-H-BC-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict the likelihood of survival for a variety of existing species based upon predicted changes in environmental conditions (e.g., global warming, continental drift) and propose methods to prevent the extinction of species with insufficient ability to adapt

SC-H-BC-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will distinguish between a scientific law, theory, hypothesis and unsupported supposition/claim

SC-H-BC-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the historical development and revision of a variety of accepted scientific laws, theories and claims

SC-H-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and Earth systems. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that transformations that occur within the nuclei of atoms release vastly greater energy than those that involve only electrons, and result in the emission of radiation and/or transformation of elements.

SC-H-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that while the total amount of energy in the universe is constant, the amount that is available for useful transformations is always decreasing. Systems within the universe will cease to function once the energy differential becomes zero.

SC-H-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that waves, including electromagnetic radiation, are an important form of energy transfer. Waves are governed by rules that can be investigated and used to predict/explain their behavior.

SC-H-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many elements and compounds are involved in continuous cyclic processes where they are stored by and/or flow between organisms and the environment. These processes require a continuous supply of energy to occur.

SC-H-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that radiant energy from the sun is stored in a chemical form in plants as a result of photosynthesis. This energy transformation allows plants to use simple molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water, to assemble the complex molecules needed to increase their mass.

SC-H-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy stored in food is released by a series of internal chemical reactions that reorganize the molecules into a form useable by the organism.

SC-H-ET-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a variety of carbon compounds are essential to the processes that occur in all organisms.

SC-H-ET-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat is a manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms or molecules within a substance. Interactions between or among atoms or molecules naturally move toward states of higher disorder.

SC-H-ET-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many different sources of energy are used for a variety of purposes, including powering machines designed to do useful work. Regardless of function or energy source, the useful energy output of any machine is always less than the total energy input.

SC-H-ET-U-10. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all Earth systems/processes require either an internal or external source of energy to function. Changes to any component, or to the quantity or type of energy input, may influence all components of the system.

SC-H-ET-U-11. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that weather and climate are the direct or indirect result of transfer of solar energy, and changes in one part of the system may influence all of the others. The complexity of the system and the number of variables involved requires very complex mathematical models in order to make accurate predictions.

SC-H-ET-U-12. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technological problems often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to conduct their research more effectively or to conduct new lines of research. The availability of new technology often sparks scientific advances.

SC-H-ET-U-13. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology affects society because it solves practical problems and serves human needs. Science affects society by stimulating thought or satisfying curiosity, or by influencing views of the world, or by providing knowledge necessary for new technological advances.

SC-H-ET-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify and describe nuclear reactions and their products

SC-H-ET-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the forces inside the nucleus and evaluate the risk/benefits of nuclear energy

SC-H-ET-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the law of conservation of energy and explore heat flow in real-life phenomena

SC-H-ET-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate waves, the rules describing wave behavior and energy transfer via waves in real life phenomena (e.g., nuclear medicine, industrial applications)

SC-H-ET-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the flow of matter and energy between organisms and the environment and model the cyclic nature of this process

SC-H-ET-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the metabolic process of photosynthesis and describe the molecules it assembles to store solar energy

SC-H-ET-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the metabolic processes that allow energy stored in food to be made available to the organism

SC-H-ET-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the composition and function of the carbon compounds involved in metabolism

SC-H-ET-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the concept of entropy to molecular interactions and to interactions within the universe

SC-H-ET-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze a variety of energy sources, their potential uses and their relative costs/benefits

SC-H-ET-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the relationship of energy input vs. useful energy output in mechanical systems

SC-H-ET-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will model and explain the relationships and energy flow existing in various Earth systems

SC-H-ET-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use weather data to model the complex interactions responsible for weather and climate

SC-H-ET-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe how science and technology interact. Research and investigate the impact of technology on society and how technological advances have driven scientific research

SC-H-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human beings are part of the Earth's ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

SC-H-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that unique among organisms, humans have the capability to impact other species on a global scale both directly (e.g. selective breeding, genetic engineering, foreign species introductions) and indirectly (e.g. habitat crowding, pollution, climate change).

SC-H-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the appearance of new species always impacts the environment. In some cases this impact can have global and profound significance (e.g. when ancient bacteria transformed the atmosphere to an oxygen-rich environment).

SC-H-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that every ecosystem contains natural checks and balances, both biotic and abiotic, that serve to limit the size and range of the populations contained within it.

SC-H-I-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity have brought new risks as well as improvements to human existence. People control technology and are ultimately responsible for its effects.

SC-H-I-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that science/technology occasionally provides the means to do questionable things. Decisions about doing these things require exercising a sense of responsibility. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.

SC-H-I-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the critical assumptions behind any line of reasoning must be made explicit, so that the validity of the position being taken can be judged.

SC-H-I-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore ways to eradicate or lessen environmental problems caused by human interaction (e.g., examine programs for habitat restoration or wildlife protection, automotive/industrial emissions standards)

SC-H-I-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate changes in ecosystems and propose potential solutions to problems by documenting and communicating solutions to others through multi-media presentations

SC-H-I-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and describe the effects of events (e.g., fires, hurricanes, deforestation, mining, population growth and municipal development) on environments from a variety of perspectives. Use data to propose ways of lessening impacts perceived as negative

SC-H-I-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will examine existing models of global population growth and the factors affecting population change (e.g., geography, diseases, natural events, birth/death rates). Propose and defend solutions to identified problems of population change

SC-H-I-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze examples of environmental changes resulting from the introduction, removal, or reintroductions of indigenous or non-indigenous species to an ecosystem. Use information to predict future impacts of similar changes in other ecosystems

SC-H-I-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and synthesize research, for questions about, theories and related technologies that have advanced our understanding of interdependence

SC-H-I-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the causes, consequences and possible solutions to persistent, contemporary and emerging global issues relating to environmental quality

SC-H-I-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate controversial scientific proposals (e.g., human cloning, genetic modification of crops, nuclear waste storage), use scientific evidence/data to support or defend a position and debate the ethical merits of implementing the proposed actions

KY.AE. Academic Expectation

AE.1. Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

1.1. Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.

1.2. Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.

1.3. Students make sense of the various things they observe.

1.4. Students make sense of the various messages to which they listen.

1.5-1.9. Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate, reason, and solve problems.

1.10. Students organize information through development and use of classification rules and systems.

1.11. Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.12. Students speak using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.13. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with the visual arts.

1.14. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.

1.15. Students make sense of and communicate ideas with movement.

1.16. Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

AE.2. Students shall develop their abilities to apply core concepts and principles from mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the humanities, social studies, practical living studies, and vocational studies to what they will encounter throughout their lives.

2.1. Science: Students understand scientific ways of thinking and working and use those methods to solve real-life problems.

2.2. Science: Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as cycles and trends to understand past and present events and predict possible future events.

2.3. Science: Students identify and analyze systems and the ways their components work together or affect each other.

2.4. Science: Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other characteristics that might be observed.

2.5. Science: Students understand that under certain conditions nature tends to remain the same or move toward a balance.

2.6. Science: Students understand how living and nonliving things change over time and the factors that influence the changes.

KY.CC. Core Content for Assessment v.4.1

SC-HS-1.1. Structure and Transformation of Matter: By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter.

SC-HS-1.1.1. Physical Science: Students will classify or make generalizations about elements from data of observed patterns in atomic structure and/or position on the periodic table.

SC-HS-1.1.2. Physical Science: Students will understand that the atom's nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons that are much more massive than electrons. When an element has atoms that differ in the number of neutrons, these atoms are called different isotopes of the element.

SC-HS-1.1.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that solids, liquids, and gases differ in the distances between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that binds them together. In solids, the structure is nearly rigid; in liquids, molecules or atoms move around each other but do not move apart; and in gases, molecules or atoms move almost independently of each other and are relatively far apart. The behavior of gases and the relationship of the variables influencing them can be described and predicted.

SC-HS-1.1.4. Physical Science: Students will understand that in conducting materials, electrons flow easily; whereas, in insulating materials, they can hardly flow at all. Semiconducting materials have intermediate behavior. At low temperatures, some materials become superconductors and offer no resistance to the flow of electrons.

SC-HS-1.1.5. Physical Science: Students will explain the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, conductivity, boiling/melting points) of compounds.

SC-HS-1.1.6. Physical Science: Students will identify variables that affect reaction rates; predict effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area, and catalysts) based on evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.1.7. Physical Science: Students will construct diagrams to illustrate ionic or covalent bonding; predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent (polar, nonpolar) and represent the products formed with simple chemical formulas.

SC-HS-1.1.8. Physical Science: Students will explain the importance of chemical reactions in a real-world context; justify conclusions using evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.2. Motion and Forces: At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.1. Physical Science: Students will select or construct accurate and appropriate representations for motion (visual, graphical, and mathematical); defend conclusions/explanations about the motion of objects and real-life phenomena from evidence/data.

SC-HS-1.2.2. Physical Science: Students will explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism; propose solutions to real life problems involving electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that the electric force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects. Opposite charges attract while like charges repel.

SC-HS-2.3. The Earth and the Universe: The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Finally, at the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of earth changes. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe.

SC-HS-2.3.1. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain phenomena (falling objects, planetary motion, satellite motion) related to gravity; describe the factors that affect gravitational force.

SC-HS-2.3.2. Earth/Space Science: Students will describe the current scientific theory of the formation of the universe (Big Bang) and its evidence; explain the role of gravity in the formation of the universe and its components.

SC-HS-2.3.3. Earth/Space Science: Students will identify the origin of heavy elements found in stars and planets.

SC-HS-2.3.4. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that stars have life cycles of birth through death that are analogous to those of living organisms. During their lifetimes, stars generate energy from nuclear fusion reactions that create successively heavier chemical elements.

SC-HS-2.3.5. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that the Sun, Earth, and the rest of the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a nebular cloud of gas and dust.

SC-HS-2.3.6. Earth/Space Science: Students will compare the limitations/benefits of various techniques (radioactive dating, observing rock sequences, and comparing fossils) for estimating geological time; justify deductions about age of geologic features.

SC-HS-2.3.7. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain real-life phenomena caused by the convection of the Earth's mantle; predict the consequences of this motion on humans and other living things on the planet.

SC-HS-2.3.8. Earth/Space Science: Students will predict consequences of both rapid (volcanoes, earthquakes) and slow (mountain building, plate movement) earth processes from evidence/data and justify reasoning.

SC-HS-3.4. Unity and Diversity: At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate DNA and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life.

SC-HS-3.4.1. Biological Science: Students will explain the role of DNA in protein synthesis.

SC-HS-3.4.2. Biological Science: Students will understand that most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of the cell.

SC-HS-3.4.3. Biological Science: Students will describe cell regulation (enzyme function, diffusion, osmosis, homeostasis); predict consequences of internal/external environmental change on cell function/regulation.

SC-HS-3.4.4. Biological Science: Students will understand that plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms (e.g., Euglena) use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy-rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital link between the Sun and energy needs of living systems.

SC-HS-3.4.5. Biological Science: Students will explain the relationship between sexual reproduction (meiosis) and the transmission of genetic information; draw conclusions/make predictions based on hereditary evidence/data (pedigrees, punnet squares).

SC-HS-3.4.6. Biological Science: Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-HS-3.4.7. Biological Science: Students will classify organisms into groups based on similarities; infer relationships based on internal and external structures and chemical processes.

SC-HS-3.4.8. Biological Science: Students will understand that multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior. Nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific molecules. Specialized cells in sense organs detect light, sound, and specific chemicals enabling animals to monitor what is going on in the world around them.

SC-HS-3.5. Biological Change: The only thing certain is that everything changes. The stage is set for high school students to evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years (Science for All Americans, p. 67).

SC-HS-3.5.1. Biological Science: Students will predict the impact on species of changes to 1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, or (4) natural selection; propose solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species.

SC-HS-3.5.2. Biological Science: Students will predict the success of patterns of adaptive behaviors based on evidence/data; justify explanations of organism survival based on scientific understandings of behavior.

SC-HS-4.6. Energy Transformations: The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and earth systems.

SC-HS-4.6.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the relationships and connections between matter, energy, living systems, and the physical environment; give examples of conservation of matter and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict wave behavior and energy transfer; apply knowledge of waves to real life phenomena/investigations.

SC-HS-4.6.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays, result when a charged object is accelerated.

SC-HS-4.6.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the components and reservoirs involved in biogeochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen); explain the movement of matter and energy in biogeochemical cycles and related phenomena.

SC-HS-4.6.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe and explain the role of carbon-containing molecules and chemical reactions in energy transfer in living systems.

SC-HS-4.6.6. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that heat is the manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms.

SC-HS-4.6.7. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain real world applications of energy using information/data; evaluate explanations of mechanical systems using current scientific knowledge about energy.

SC-HS-4.6.8. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the connections between the functioning of the Earth system and its sources of energy (internal and external); predict the consequences of changes to any component of the Earth system.

SC-HS-4.6.9. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the cause and effect relationship between global climate and weather patterns and energy transfer (cloud cover, location of mountain ranges, oceans); predict the consequences of changes to the global climate and weather patterns.

SC-HS-4.6.10. Unifying Concepts: Students will identify the components and mechanisms of energy stored and released from food molecules (photosynthesis and respiration); apply information to real-world situations.

SC-HS-4.6.11. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the difference between alpha and beta decay, fission, and fusion; identify the relationship between nuclear reactions and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.12. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the forces that would make it fly apart.

SC-HS-4.7. Interdependence: At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention (adapted from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 1993).

SC-HS-4.7.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will analyze relationships and interactions among organisms in ecosystems; predict the effects on other organisms of changes to one or more components of the ecosystem.

SC-HS-4.7.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will evaluate proposed solutions from multiple perspectives to environmental problems caused by human interaction; justify positions using evidence/data.

SC-HS-4.7.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes to any component (atmosphere, solid Earth, oceans, living things) of the Earth System; propose justifiable solutions to global problems.

SC-HS 4.7.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that evidence for one-celled forms of life, the bacteria, extends back more than 3.5 billion years. The changes in life over time caused dramatic changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, which did not originally contain oxygen.

SC-HS-4.7.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes in resources to a population; select or defend solutions to real-world problems of population control.

KY.PS. Program of Studies 2006

H-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the configuration of atoms in a molecule determines the molecule's properties. Shapes are particularly important in how molecules interact with others.

SC-H-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an enormous variety of biological, chemical and physical phenomena can be explained by changes in the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules.

SC-H-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when elements are listed in order by their number of protons, the same sequence of properties appears over and over again in the list. The structure of the periodic table reflects this sequence of properties, which is caused by the repeating pattern of outermost electrons.

SC-H-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all atoms of an element are truly identical. Some may vary in their number of neutrons (isotopes) or electrons (ions). These variations result in properties which are different than the more common forms of that element

SC-H-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes of state occur when enough energy is added to or removed from the atoms/molecules of a substance to change their average energy of vibration. Most solids expand as they are heated, and if sufficient energy is added the atoms/molecules lose their rigid structure and become free to move past each other as a liquid. In gases the energy of vibration is enough that individual atoms/molecules are free to move independently.

SC-H-STM-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements are able to form an almost limitless variety of chemical compounds by the sharing or exchange of their electrons. The rate at which these combinations occur is influenced by a number of variables. The compounds produced may vary tremendously in their physical and chemical properties.

SC-H-STM-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that chemical reactions have a variety of essential real-world applications, such as oxidation and various metabolic processes.

SC-H-STM-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a system may stay the same because nothing is happening or because things are happening but exactly counterbalance one another.

SC-H-STM-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that accurate record-keeping, openness and replication are essential for maintaining credibility with other scientists and society.

SC-H-STM-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify samples of matter from everyday life as being elements, compounds, or mixtures

SC-H-STM-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the kinetic molecular theory of matter

SC-H-STM-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will construct and/or interpret diagrams that illustrate ionic and covalent bonding

SC-H-STM-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent

SC-H-STM-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and test variables that affect reaction rates

SC-H-STM-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use evidence/data from chemical reactions to predict the effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area and catalysts)

SC-H-STM-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the relationships among temperature, particle number, pressure and volume in the Universal Gas Law

SC-H-STM-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the organizational structure (design) and communicate the usefulness of the Periodic Table to determine potential combinations of elements

SC-H-STM-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, boiling/melting points) of compounds

SC-H-STM-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the chemical behavior of an element, including bonding, to its location on the periodic table

SC-H-STM-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the structure of water to its function as the universal solvent

SC-H-STM-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct experiments to determine the conductivity of various materials

SC-H-STM-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and/or interpret graphs and equations to depict and analyze patterns of change

SC-H-STM-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life applications of a variety of chemical reactions (e.g., acids and bases, oxidation, rusting, tarnishing) and communicate findings/present evidence in an authentic form (transactive writing, public speaking, multimedia presentations)

SC-H-STM-S-15. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate investigable questions and conduct experiments or non-experimental research to address them, using evidence to defend conclusions

SC-H-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-H-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that representing and describing motion in a variety of ways provides data that can be used to construct explanations and make predictions about real-life phenomena.

SC-H-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that the model is the only 'true' model or the only one that would work.

SC-H-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, for there is no motionless frame from which to judge all motion.

SC-H-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the strength of the gravitational force between objects is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.

SC-H-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity and magnetism are two inseparable aspects of the same force (electromagnetism). Moving electrical charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnetic fields produce electrical forces. Electrical current is due to the motion of charge and has a specific direction.

SC-H-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electromagnetic forces acting within and between atoms are vastly stronger than the gravitational forces acting between the atoms. At the atomic level, electric forces between oppositely charged electrons and protons hold atoms and molecules together and thus are involved in all chemical reactions. On a larger scale, these forces hold solid and liquid materials together and act between objects when they are in contact - as in sticking or sliding friction.

SC-H-MF-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together are much stronger than the electromagnetic force. That is why such great amounts of energy are released from the nuclear reactions in the sun and other stars.

SC-H-MF-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct investigations involving the motion of objects and report the results in a variety of ways

SC-H-MF-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravitation. Experimentally test inertia and gravitational acceleration

SC-H-MF-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will experimentally test conservation of momentum. Use tables, charts and graphs in making arguments and claims in oral and written presentations

SC-H-MF-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and analyze graphs, ensuring that they do not misrepresent results by using inappropriate scales or by failing to specify the axes clearly

SC-H-MF-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will develop investigable questions that guide explorations of the interrelationship between electricity and magnetism

SC-H-MF-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges to predict the behavior of charged objects

SC-H-MS-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create conceptual and mathematical models of motion and test them against real-life phenomena

SC-H-MF-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain why the strength of the nuclear force is responsible for the great energy release involved in nuclear reactions

SC-H-MF-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict which forces would be predominant in a given system and explain

SC-H-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. At the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravity played an essential role in the formation of the universe and is one of the fundamental forces that controls the function of the universe and the systems within it.

SC-H-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that current estimates of the ages of the Earth (4.6 billion years) and the universe (10+ billion years) are based on a variety of measurement techniques that have unique strengths and limitations. The same evidence that establishes the extreme age of the universe also indicates its vastness.

SC-H-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that stars have cycles of birth and death, and the lives of large stars end in explosions that provide the elements to create new stars and planets. All living things on Earth are also formed from this recycled matter.

SC-H-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the speed of light is dwarfed by the vastness of the universe, resulting in the human view of the sky being essentially a 'look back in time' as we view light that was emitted long in the past and has been traveling across the cosmos to reach Earth.

SC-H-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the shape and location of the continents have been gradually changing for millions of years because density differences inside the mantle result in convection currents. These changes, as well as more rapid ones (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis) can impact living organisms.

SC-H-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying evidence from many sources to form a scientific account of the universe.

SC-H-EU-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists rely on increasingly sophisticated methods of measurement in order to investigate a variety of phenomena that were previously immeasurable.

SC-H-EU-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism are highly regarded in science, and are incorporated into the way science is carried out.

SC-H-EU-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare methods used to measure the ages of geologic features

SC-H-EU-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will research the historical rise in acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics and the geological/biological consequences of plate movement

SC-H-EU-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the nebular theory of formation of the solar system

SC-H-EU-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the Big Bang theory of formation of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of gravity in the formation and function of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate, describe and document patterns of interaction of matter and gravity

SC-H-EU-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the life cycle of stars and the products/consequences of their deaths

SC-H-EU-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain how technological solutions permit the study of phenomena too faint, small, distant or slow to be directly measured

SC-H-EU-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will employ scientific notation to communicate and compare astronomical phenomena

SC-H-EU-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life implications of current findings in Earth/space research and communicate findings in an authentic form, exemplifying the traits of curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism

SC-H-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. Different parts of the instructions are used in different types of cells.

SC-H-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that within every cell are specialized parts for the transport of materials, energy transfer, protein building, waste disposal, information feedback and even movement. In addition, most cells in multi-cellular organisms perform specialized functions that others do not.

SC-H-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that DNA, composed of 4 nucleic acids, serves as the blueprint for the production of a variety of proteins. These dynamic and complicated proteins facilitate practically every function/process that occurs within the cell.

SC-H-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules. The sorting and recombination of genes through sexual reproduction results in a great variety of gene combinations that can be used to make predictions about the potential traits of offspring.

SC-H-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce offspring with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, while some may reduce the ability of the offspring to survive.

SC-H-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the degree of kinship between organisms or species can be estimated from the similarity of their DNA sequences, which often closely matches their classification based on anatomical similarities.

SC-H-UD-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-H-UD-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the parts within a cell responsible for particular processes and create analogous models for those processes

SC-H-UD-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify a variety of specialized cell types and describe how these differentiated cells contribute to the function of an individual organism as a whole

SC-H-UD-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of genes/chromosomes in the passing of information from one generation to another (heredity)

SC-H-UD-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will graphically represent (e.g., pedigrees, punnet squares) and predict the outcomes of a variety of genetic combinations

SC-H-UD-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the roles of genetic mutation and variability in contributing to the survival of offspring

SC-H-UD-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the structure of DNA and explain its role in protein synthesis, cell replication and reproduction

SC-H-UD-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe and classify a variety of chemical reactions required for cell functions

SC-H-UD-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the processes by which cells maintain their internal environments within acceptable limits

SC-H-UD-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare internal, external and metabolic characteristics of organisms in order to classify them into groups using taxonomic nomenclature to describe and justify these classifications

SC-H-UD-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare the structures and functions of viruses to cells and describe the role of viruses in causing a variety of diseases or conditions (e.g., AIDS, common cold, smallpox, warts)

SC-H-UD-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and investigate areas of current research/innovation in biological science. Make inferences/predictions of the effects of this research on society and/or the environment and support or defend these predictions with scientific data

SC-H-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the high school level, students evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on Earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity, and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-H-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the survival of any given species is not assured. There are a variety of factors (e.g. reproductive success, mutation, availability of resources, competition) that may determine if a species flourishes, declines, or eventually becomes extinct.

SC-H-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly different species through a process of natural selection. All living things share a common genetic heritage.

SC-H-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some organisms have greater adaptive capabilities than others, giving them a greater chance of survival under changing environmental conditions. These adaptations may be patterns of behavior as well as physical characteristics.

SC-H-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the endangerment/ and/or extinction of a species cannot be slowed or prevented without sufficient data to model the interactions of the factors involved.

SC-H-BC-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in science the term theory is reserved to describe only those ideas that have been well tested through scientific investigation. Scientific theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, the range of observations they explain, how well they explain observations and their usefulness in predicting new findings. Scientific theories usually grow slowly through contributions from many investigators.

SC-H-BC-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify evidence of change in species using fossils, DNA sequences, anatomical similarities, physiological similarities and embryology

SC-H-BC-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of natural selection in speciation, adaptation, diversity and phylogeny

SC-H-BC-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare variations, tolerances and adaptations (behavioral and physiological) of plants and animals in different biomes

SC-H-BC-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate possible solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species and predict the impact of a variety of change

SC-H-BC-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict the likelihood of survival for a variety of existing species based upon predicted changes in environmental conditions (e.g., global warming, continental drift) and propose methods to prevent the extinction of species with insufficient ability to adapt

SC-H-BC-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will distinguish between a scientific law, theory, hypothesis and unsupported supposition/claim

SC-H-BC-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the historical development and revision of a variety of accepted scientific laws, theories and claims

SC-H-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and Earth systems. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that transformations that occur within the nuclei of atoms release vastly greater energy than those that involve only electrons, and result in the emission of radiation and/or transformation of elements.

SC-H-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that while the total amount of energy in the universe is constant, the amount that is available for useful transformations is always decreasing. Systems within the universe will cease to function once the energy differential becomes zero.

SC-H-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that waves, including electromagnetic radiation, are an important form of energy transfer. Waves are governed by rules that can be investigated and used to predict/explain their behavior.

SC-H-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many elements and compounds are involved in continuous cyclic processes where they are stored by and/or flow between organisms and the environment. These processes require a continuous supply of energy to occur.

SC-H-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that radiant energy from the sun is stored in a chemical form in plants as a result of photosynthesis. This energy transformation allows plants to use simple molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water, to assemble the complex molecules needed to increase their mass.

SC-H-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy stored in food is released by a series of internal chemical reactions that reorganize the molecules into a form useable by the organism.

SC-H-ET-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a variety of carbon compounds are essential to the processes that occur in all organisms.

SC-H-ET-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat is a manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms or molecules within a substance. Interactions between or among atoms or molecules naturally move toward states of higher disorder.

SC-H-ET-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many different sources of energy are used for a variety of purposes, including powering machines designed to do useful work. Regardless of function or energy source, the useful energy output of any machine is always less than the total energy input.

SC-H-ET-U-10. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all Earth systems/processes require either an internal or external source of energy to function. Changes to any component, or to the quantity or type of energy input, may influence all components of the system.

SC-H-ET-U-11. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that weather and climate are the direct or indirect result of transfer of solar energy, and changes in one part of the system may influence all of the others. The complexity of the system and the number of variables involved requires very complex mathematical models in order to make accurate predictions.

SC-H-ET-U-12. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technological problems often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to conduct their research more effectively or to conduct new lines of research. The availability of new technology often sparks scientific advances.

SC-H-ET-U-13. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology affects society because it solves practical problems and serves human needs. Science affects society by stimulating thought or satisfying curiosity, or by influencing views of the world, or by providing knowledge necessary for new technological advances.

SC-H-ET-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify and describe nuclear reactions and their products

SC-H-ET-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the forces inside the nucleus and evaluate the risk/benefits of nuclear energy

SC-H-ET-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the law of conservation of energy and explore heat flow in real-life phenomena

SC-H-ET-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate waves, the rules describing wave behavior and energy transfer via waves in real life phenomena (e.g., nuclear medicine, industrial applications)

SC-H-ET-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the flow of matter and energy between organisms and the environment and model the cyclic nature of this process

SC-H-ET-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the metabolic process of photosynthesis and describe the molecules it assembles to store solar energy

SC-H-ET-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the metabolic processes that allow energy stored in food to be made available to the organism

SC-H-ET-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the composition and function of the carbon compounds involved in metabolism

SC-H-ET-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the concept of entropy to molecular interactions and to interactions within the universe

SC-H-ET-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze a variety of energy sources, their potential uses and their relative costs/benefits

SC-H-ET-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the relationship of energy input vs. useful energy output in mechanical systems

SC-H-ET-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will model and explain the relationships and energy flow existing in various Earth systems

SC-H-ET-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use weather data to model the complex interactions responsible for weather and climate

SC-H-ET-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe how science and technology interact. Research and investigate the impact of technology on society and how technological advances have driven scientific research

SC-H-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human beings are part of the Earth's ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

SC-H-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that unique among organisms, humans have the capability to impact other species on a global scale both directly (e.g. selective breeding, genetic engineering, foreign species introductions) and indirectly (e.g. habitat crowding, pollution, climate change).

SC-H-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the appearance of new species always impacts the environment. In some cases this impact can have global and profound significance (e.g. when ancient bacteria transformed the atmosphere to an oxygen-rich environment).

SC-H-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that every ecosystem contains natural checks and balances, both biotic and abiotic, that serve to limit the size and range of the populations contained within it.

SC-H-I-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity have brought new risks as well as improvements to human existence. People control technology and are ultimately responsible for its effects.

SC-H-I-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that science/technology occasionally provides the means to do questionable things. Decisions about doing these things require exercising a sense of responsibility. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.

SC-H-I-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the critical assumptions behind any line of reasoning must be made explicit, so that the validity of the position being taken can be judged.

SC-H-I-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore ways to eradicate or lessen environmental problems caused by human interaction (e.g., examine programs for habitat restoration or wildlife protection, automotive/industrial emissions standards)

SC-H-I-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate changes in ecosystems and propose potential solutions to problems by documenting and communicating solutions to others through multi-media presentations

SC-H-I-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and describe the effects of events (e.g., fires, hurricanes, deforestation, mining, population growth and municipal development) on environments from a variety of perspectives. Use data to propose ways of lessening impacts perceived as negative

SC-H-I-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will examine existing models of global population growth and the factors affecting population change (e.g., geography, diseases, natural events, birth/death rates). Propose and defend solutions to identified problems of population change

SC-H-I-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze examples of environmental changes resulting from the introduction, removal, or reintroductions of indigenous or non-indigenous species to an ecosystem. Use information to predict future impacts of similar changes in other ecosystems

SC-H-I-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and synthesize research, for questions about, theories and related technologies that have advanced our understanding of interdependence

SC-H-I-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the causes, consequences and possible solutions to persistent, contemporary and emerging global issues relating to environmental quality

SC-H-I-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate controversial scientific proposals (e.g., human cloning, genetic modification of crops, nuclear waste storage), use scientific evidence/data to support or defend a position and debate the ethical merits of implementing the proposed actions

KY.AE. Academic Expectation

AE.1. Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

1.1. Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.

1.2. Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.

1.3. Students make sense of the various things they observe.

1.4. Students make sense of the various messages to which they listen.

1.5-1.9. Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate, reason, and solve problems.

1.10. Students organize information through development and use of classification rules and systems.

1.11. Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.12. Students speak using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.13. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with the visual arts.

1.14. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.

1.15. Students make sense of and communicate ideas with movement.

1.16. Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

AE.2. Students shall develop their abilities to apply core concepts and principles from mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the humanities, social studies, practical living studies, and vocational studies to what they will encounter throughout their lives.

2.1. Science: Students understand scientific ways of thinking and working and use those methods to solve real-life problems.

2.2. Science: Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as cycles and trends to understand past and present events and predict possible future events.

2.3. Science: Students identify and analyze systems and the ways their components work together or affect each other.

2.4. Science: Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other characteristics that might be observed.

2.5. Science: Students understand that under certain conditions nature tends to remain the same or move toward a balance.

2.6. Science: Students understand how living and nonliving things change over time and the factors that influence the changes.

KY.CC. Core Content for Assessment v.4.1

SC-HS-1.1. Structure and Transformation of Matter: By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter.

SC-HS-1.1.1. Physical Science: Students will classify or make generalizations about elements from data of observed patterns in atomic structure and/or position on the periodic table.

SC-HS-1.1.2. Physical Science: Students will understand that the atom's nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons that are much more massive than electrons. When an element has atoms that differ in the number of neutrons, these atoms are called different isotopes of the element.

SC-HS-1.1.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that solids, liquids, and gases differ in the distances between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that binds them together. In solids, the structure is nearly rigid; in liquids, molecules or atoms move around each other but do not move apart; and in gases, molecules or atoms move almost independently of each other and are relatively far apart. The behavior of gases and the relationship of the variables influencing them can be described and predicted.

SC-HS-1.1.4. Physical Science: Students will understand that in conducting materials, electrons flow easily; whereas, in insulating materials, they can hardly flow at all. Semiconducting materials have intermediate behavior. At low temperatures, some materials become superconductors and offer no resistance to the flow of electrons.

SC-HS-1.1.5. Physical Science: Students will explain the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, conductivity, boiling/melting points) of compounds.

SC-HS-1.1.6. Physical Science: Students will identify variables that affect reaction rates; predict effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area, and catalysts) based on evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.1.7. Physical Science: Students will construct diagrams to illustrate ionic or covalent bonding; predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent (polar, nonpolar) and represent the products formed with simple chemical formulas.

SC-HS-1.1.8. Physical Science: Students will explain the importance of chemical reactions in a real-world context; justify conclusions using evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.2. Motion and Forces: At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.1. Physical Science: Students will select or construct accurate and appropriate representations for motion (visual, graphical, and mathematical); defend conclusions/explanations about the motion of objects and real-life phenomena from evidence/data.

SC-HS-1.2.2. Physical Science: Students will explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism; propose solutions to real life problems involving electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that the electric force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects. Opposite charges attract while like charges repel.

SC-HS-2.3. The Earth and the Universe: The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Finally, at the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of earth changes. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe.

SC-HS-2.3.1. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain phenomena (falling objects, planetary motion, satellite motion) related to gravity; describe the factors that affect gravitational force.

SC-HS-2.3.2. Earth/Space Science: Students will describe the current scientific theory of the formation of the universe (Big Bang) and its evidence; explain the role of gravity in the formation of the universe and its components.

SC-HS-2.3.3. Earth/Space Science: Students will identify the origin of heavy elements found in stars and planets.

SC-HS-2.3.4. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that stars have life cycles of birth through death that are analogous to those of living organisms. During their lifetimes, stars generate energy from nuclear fusion reactions that create successively heavier chemical elements.

SC-HS-2.3.5. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that the Sun, Earth, and the rest of the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a nebular cloud of gas and dust.

SC-HS-2.3.6. Earth/Space Science: Students will compare the limitations/benefits of various techniques (radioactive dating, observing rock sequences, and comparing fossils) for estimating geological time; justify deductions about age of geologic features.

SC-HS-2.3.7. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain real-life phenomena caused by the convection of the Earth's mantle; predict the consequences of this motion on humans and other living things on the planet.

SC-HS-2.3.8. Earth/Space Science: Students will predict consequences of both rapid (volcanoes, earthquakes) and slow (mountain building, plate movement) earth processes from evidence/data and justify reasoning.

SC-HS-3.4. Unity and Diversity: At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate DNA and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life.

SC-HS-3.4.1. Biological Science: Students will explain the role of DNA in protein synthesis.

SC-HS-3.4.2. Biological Science: Students will understand that most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of the cell.

SC-HS-3.4.3. Biological Science: Students will describe cell regulation (enzyme function, diffusion, osmosis, homeostasis); predict consequences of internal/external environmental change on cell function/regulation.

SC-HS-3.4.4. Biological Science: Students will understand that plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms (e.g., Euglena) use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy-rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital link between the Sun and energy needs of living systems.

SC-HS-3.4.5. Biological Science: Students will explain the relationship between sexual reproduction (meiosis) and the transmission of genetic information; draw conclusions/make predictions based on hereditary evidence/data (pedigrees, punnet squares).

SC-HS-3.4.6. Biological Science: Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-HS-3.4.7. Biological Science: Students will classify organisms into groups based on similarities; infer relationships based on internal and external structures and chemical processes.

SC-HS-3.4.8. Biological Science: Students will understand that multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior. Nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific molecules. Specialized cells in sense organs detect light, sound, and specific chemicals enabling animals to monitor what is going on in the world around them.

SC-HS-3.5. Biological Change: The only thing certain is that everything changes. The stage is set for high school students to evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years (Science for All Americans, p. 67).

SC-HS-3.5.1. Biological Science: Students will predict the impact on species of changes to 1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, or (4) natural selection; propose solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species.

SC-HS-3.5.2. Biological Science: Students will predict the success of patterns of adaptive behaviors based on evidence/data; justify explanations of organism survival based on scientific understandings of behavior.

SC-HS-4.6. Energy Transformations: The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and earth systems.

SC-HS-4.6.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the relationships and connections between matter, energy, living systems, and the physical environment; give examples of conservation of matter and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict wave behavior and energy transfer; apply knowledge of waves to real life phenomena/investigations.

SC-HS-4.6.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays, result when a charged object is accelerated.

SC-HS-4.6.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the components and reservoirs involved in biogeochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen); explain the movement of matter and energy in biogeochemical cycles and related phenomena.

SC-HS-4.6.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe and explain the role of carbon-containing molecules and chemical reactions in energy transfer in living systems.

SC-HS-4.6.6. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that heat is the manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms.

SC-HS-4.6.7. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain real world applications of energy using information/data; evaluate explanations of mechanical systems using current scientific knowledge about energy.

SC-HS-4.6.8. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the connections between the functioning of the Earth system and its sources of energy (internal and external); predict the consequences of changes to any component of the Earth system.

SC-HS-4.6.9. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the cause and effect relationship between global climate and weather patterns and energy transfer (cloud cover, location of mountain ranges, oceans); predict the consequences of changes to the global climate and weather patterns.

SC-HS-4.6.10. Unifying Concepts: Students will identify the components and mechanisms of energy stored and released from food molecules (photosynthesis and respiration); apply information to real-world situations.

SC-HS-4.6.11. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the difference between alpha and beta decay, fission, and fusion; identify the relationship between nuclear reactions and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.12. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the forces that would make it fly apart.

SC-HS-4.7. Interdependence: At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention (adapted from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 1993).

SC-HS-4.7.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will analyze relationships and interactions among organisms in ecosystems; predict the effects on other organisms of changes to one or more components of the ecosystem.

SC-HS-4.7.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will evaluate proposed solutions from multiple perspectives to environmental problems caused by human interaction; justify positions using evidence/data.

SC-HS-4.7.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes to any component (atmosphere, solid Earth, oceans, living things) of the Earth System; propose justifiable solutions to global problems.

SC-HS 4.7.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that evidence for one-celled forms of life, the bacteria, extends back more than 3.5 billion years. The changes in life over time caused dramatic changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, which did not originally contain oxygen.

SC-HS-4.7.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes in resources to a population; select or defend solutions to real-world problems of population control.

KY.PS. Program of Studies 2006

H-STM. Big Idea: Structure and Transformation of Matter (Physical Science) - A basic understanding of matter is essential to the conceptual development of other big ideas in science. By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-STM-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the configuration of atoms in a molecule determines the molecule's properties. Shapes are particularly important in how molecules interact with others.

SC-H-STM-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that an enormous variety of biological, chemical and physical phenomena can be explained by changes in the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules.

SC-H-STM-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that when elements are listed in order by their number of protons, the same sequence of properties appears over and over again in the list. The structure of the periodic table reflects this sequence of properties, which is caused by the repeating pattern of outermost electrons.

SC-H-STM-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that not all atoms of an element are truly identical. Some may vary in their number of neutrons (isotopes) or electrons (ions). These variations result in properties which are different than the more common forms of that element

SC-H-STM-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that changes of state occur when enough energy is added to or removed from the atoms/molecules of a substance to change their average energy of vibration. Most solids expand as they are heated, and if sufficient energy is added the atoms/molecules lose their rigid structure and become free to move past each other as a liquid. In gases the energy of vibration is enough that individual atoms/molecules are free to move independently.

SC-H-STM-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that elements are able to form an almost limitless variety of chemical compounds by the sharing or exchange of their electrons. The rate at which these combinations occur is influenced by a number of variables. The compounds produced may vary tremendously in their physical and chemical properties.

SC-H-STM-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that chemical reactions have a variety of essential real-world applications, such as oxidation and various metabolic processes.

SC-H-STM-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a system may stay the same because nothing is happening or because things are happening but exactly counterbalance one another.

SC-H-STM-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that accurate record-keeping, openness and replication are essential for maintaining credibility with other scientists and society.

SC-H-STM-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify samples of matter from everyday life as being elements, compounds, or mixtures

SC-H-STM-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the kinetic molecular theory of matter

SC-H-STM-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will construct and/or interpret diagrams that illustrate ionic and covalent bonding

SC-H-STM-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent

SC-H-STM-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and test variables that affect reaction rates

SC-H-STM-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use evidence/data from chemical reactions to predict the effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area and catalysts)

SC-H-STM-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the relationships among temperature, particle number, pressure and volume in the Universal Gas Law

SC-H-STM-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the organizational structure (design) and communicate the usefulness of the Periodic Table to determine potential combinations of elements

SC-H-STM-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, boiling/melting points) of compounds

SC-H-STM-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the chemical behavior of an element, including bonding, to its location on the periodic table

SC-H-STM-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will relate the structure of water to its function as the universal solvent

SC-H-STM-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct experiments to determine the conductivity of various materials

SC-H-STM-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and/or interpret graphs and equations to depict and analyze patterns of change

SC-H-STM-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life applications of a variety of chemical reactions (e.g., acids and bases, oxidation, rusting, tarnishing) and communicate findings/present evidence in an authentic form (transactive writing, public speaking, multimedia presentations)

SC-H-STM-S-15. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate investigable questions and conduct experiments or non-experimental research to address them, using evidence to defend conclusions

SC-H-MF. Big Idea: Motion and Forces (Physical Science) - Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets, or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

SC-H-MF-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that representing and describing motion in a variety of ways provides data that can be used to construct explanations and make predictions about real-life phenomena.

SC-H-MF-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that the model is the only 'true' model or the only one that would work.

SC-H-MF-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, for there is no motionless frame from which to judge all motion.

SC-H-MF-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the strength of the gravitational force between objects is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.

SC-H-MF-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electricity and magnetism are two inseparable aspects of the same force (electromagnetism). Moving electrical charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnetic fields produce electrical forces. Electrical current is due to the motion of charge and has a specific direction.

SC-H-MF-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that electromagnetic forces acting within and between atoms are vastly stronger than the gravitational forces acting between the atoms. At the atomic level, electric forces between oppositely charged electrons and protons hold atoms and molecules together and thus are involved in all chemical reactions. On a larger scale, these forces hold solid and liquid materials together and act between objects when they are in contact - as in sticking or sliding friction.

SC-H-MF-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together are much stronger than the electromagnetic force. That is why such great amounts of energy are released from the nuclear reactions in the sun and other stars.

SC-H-MF-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will design and conduct investigations involving the motion of objects and report the results in a variety of ways

SC-H-MF-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravitation. Experimentally test inertia and gravitational acceleration

SC-H-MF-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will experimentally test conservation of momentum. Use tables, charts and graphs in making arguments and claims in oral and written presentations

SC-H-MF-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create and analyze graphs, ensuring that they do not misrepresent results by using inappropriate scales or by failing to specify the axes clearly

SC-H-MF-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will develop investigable questions that guide explorations of the interrelationship between electricity and magnetism

SC-H-MF-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges to predict the behavior of charged objects

SC-H-MS-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will create conceptual and mathematical models of motion and test them against real-life phenomena

SC-H-MF-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain why the strength of the nuclear force is responsible for the great energy release involved in nuclear reactions

SC-H-MF-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict which forces would be predominant in a given system and explain

SC-H-EU. Big Idea: The Earth and the Universe (Earth/Space Science) - The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on Earth in many ways. At the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of Earth changes. The use of models and observance of patterns to explain common phenomena is essential to building a conceptual foundation and supporting ideas with evidence at all levels. Patterns play an important role as students seek to develop a conceptual understanding of gravity in their world and in the universe. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-EU-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that gravity played an essential role in the formation of the universe and is one of the fundamental forces that controls the function of the universe and the systems within it.

SC-H-EU-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that current estimates of the ages of the Earth (4.6 billion years) and the universe (10+ billion years) are based on a variety of measurement techniques that have unique strengths and limitations. The same evidence that establishes the extreme age of the universe also indicates its vastness.

SC-H-EU-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that stars have cycles of birth and death, and the lives of large stars end in explosions that provide the elements to create new stars and planets. All living things on Earth are also formed from this recycled matter.

SC-H-EU-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the speed of light is dwarfed by the vastness of the universe, resulting in the human view of the sky being essentially a 'look back in time' as we view light that was emitted long in the past and has been traveling across the cosmos to reach Earth.

SC-H-EU-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the shape and location of the continents have been gradually changing for millions of years because density differences inside the mantle result in convection currents. These changes, as well as more rapid ones (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis) can impact living organisms.

SC-H-EU-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying evidence from many sources to form a scientific account of the universe.

SC-H-EU-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that scientists rely on increasingly sophisticated methods of measurement in order to investigate a variety of phenomena that were previously immeasurable.

SC-H-EU-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism are highly regarded in science, and are incorporated into the way science is carried out.

SC-H-EU-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare methods used to measure the ages of geologic features

SC-H-EU-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will research the historical rise in acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics and the geological/biological consequences of plate movement

SC-H-EU-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the nebular theory of formation of the solar system

SC-H-EU-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the supporting evidence for the Big Bang theory of formation of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of gravity in the formation and function of the universe

SC-H-EU-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate, describe and document patterns of interaction of matter and gravity

SC-H-EU-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the life cycle of stars and the products/consequences of their deaths

SC-H-EU-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain how technological solutions permit the study of phenomena too faint, small, distant or slow to be directly measured

SC-H-EU-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will employ scientific notation to communicate and compare astronomical phenomena

SC-H-EU-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore real-life implications of current findings in Earth/space research and communicate findings in an authentic form, exemplifying the traits of curiosity, honesty, openness and skepticism

SC-H-UD. Big Idea: Unity and Diversity (Biological Science) - All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-UD-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. Different parts of the instructions are used in different types of cells.

SC-H-UD-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that within every cell are specialized parts for the transport of materials, energy transfer, protein building, waste disposal, information feedback and even movement. In addition, most cells in multi-cellular organisms perform specialized functions that others do not.

SC-H-UD-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that DNA, composed of 4 nucleic acids, serves as the blueprint for the production of a variety of proteins. These dynamic and complicated proteins facilitate practically every function/process that occurs within the cell.

SC-H-UD-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules. The sorting and recombination of genes through sexual reproduction results in a great variety of gene combinations that can be used to make predictions about the potential traits of offspring.

SC-H-UD-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce offspring with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, while some may reduce the ability of the offspring to survive.

SC-H-UD-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the degree of kinship between organisms or species can be estimated from the similarity of their DNA sequences, which often closely matches their classification based on anatomical similarities.

SC-H-UD-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-H-UD-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze the parts within a cell responsible for particular processes and create analogous models for those processes

SC-H-UD-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify a variety of specialized cell types and describe how these differentiated cells contribute to the function of an individual organism as a whole

SC-H-UD-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the role of genes/chromosomes in the passing of information from one generation to another (heredity)

SC-H-UD-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will graphically represent (e.g., pedigrees, punnet squares) and predict the outcomes of a variety of genetic combinations

SC-H-UD-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the roles of genetic mutation and variability in contributing to the survival of offspring

SC-H-UD-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the structure of DNA and explain its role in protein synthesis, cell replication and reproduction

SC-H-UD-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe and classify a variety of chemical reactions required for cell functions

SC-H-UD-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the processes by which cells maintain their internal environments within acceptable limits

SC-H-UD-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare internal, external and metabolic characteristics of organisms in order to classify them into groups using taxonomic nomenclature to describe and justify these classifications

SC-H-UD-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare the structures and functions of viruses to cells and describe the role of viruses in causing a variety of diseases or conditions (e.g., AIDS, common cold, smallpox, warts)

SC-H-UD-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify and investigate areas of current research/innovation in biological science. Make inferences/predictions of the effects of this research on society and/or the environment and support or defend these predictions with scientific data

SC-H-BC. Big Idea: Biological Change (Biological Science) - The only thing certain is that everything changes. At the high school level, students evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on Earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity, and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)

SC-H-BC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the survival of any given species is not assured. There are a variety of factors (e.g. reproductive success, mutation, availability of resources, competition) that may determine if a species flourishes, declines, or eventually becomes extinct.

SC-H-BC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the Earth's present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly different species through a process of natural selection. All living things share a common genetic heritage.

SC-H-BC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that some organisms have greater adaptive capabilities than others, giving them a greater chance of survival under changing environmental conditions. These adaptations may be patterns of behavior as well as physical characteristics.

SC-H-BC-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the endangerment/ and/or extinction of a species cannot be slowed or prevented without sufficient data to model the interactions of the factors involved.

SC-H-BC-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that in science the term theory is reserved to describe only those ideas that have been well tested through scientific investigation. Scientific theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, the range of observations they explain, how well they explain observations and their usefulness in predicting new findings. Scientific theories usually grow slowly through contributions from many investigators.

SC-H-BC-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will identify evidence of change in species using fossils, DNA sequences, anatomical similarities, physiological similarities and embryology

SC-H-BC-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the role of natural selection in speciation, adaptation, diversity and phylogeny

SC-H-BC-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will compare variations, tolerances and adaptations (behavioral and physiological) of plants and animals in different biomes

SC-H-BC-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will generate possible solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species and predict the impact of a variety of change

SC-H-BC-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will predict the likelihood of survival for a variety of existing species based upon predicted changes in environmental conditions (e.g., global warming, continental drift) and propose methods to prevent the extinction of species with insufficient ability to adapt

SC-H-BC-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will distinguish between a scientific law, theory, hypothesis and unsupported supposition/claim

SC-H-BC-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the historical development and revision of a variety of accepted scientific laws, theories and claims

SC-H-ET. Big Idea: Energy Transformations (Unifying Concepts) - Energy transformations are inherent in almost every system in the universe - from tangible examples at the elementary level, such as heat production in simple Earth and physical systems to more abstract ideas beginning at middle school, such as those transformations involved in the growth, dying and decay of living systems. The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and Earth systems. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

SC-H-ET-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that transformations that occur within the nuclei of atoms release vastly greater energy than those that involve only electrons, and result in the emission of radiation and/or transformation of elements.

SC-H-ET-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that while the total amount of energy in the universe is constant, the amount that is available for useful transformations is always decreasing. Systems within the universe will cease to function once the energy differential becomes zero.

SC-H-ET-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that waves, including electromagnetic radiation, are an important form of energy transfer. Waves are governed by rules that can be investigated and used to predict/explain their behavior.

SC-H-ET-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many elements and compounds are involved in continuous cyclic processes where they are stored by and/or flow between organisms and the environment. These processes require a continuous supply of energy to occur.

SC-H-ET-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that radiant energy from the sun is stored in a chemical form in plants as a result of photosynthesis. This energy transformation allows plants to use simple molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water, to assemble the complex molecules needed to increase their mass.

SC-H-ET-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that energy stored in food is released by a series of internal chemical reactions that reorganize the molecules into a form useable by the organism.

SC-H-ET-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that a variety of carbon compounds are essential to the processes that occur in all organisms.

SC-H-ET-U-8. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that heat is a manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms or molecules within a substance. Interactions between or among atoms or molecules naturally move toward states of higher disorder.

SC-H-ET-U-9. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that many different sources of energy are used for a variety of purposes, including powering machines designed to do useful work. Regardless of function or energy source, the useful energy output of any machine is always less than the total energy input.

SC-H-ET-U-10. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that all Earth systems/processes require either an internal or external source of energy to function. Changes to any component, or to the quantity or type of energy input, may influence all components of the system.

SC-H-ET-U-11. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that weather and climate are the direct or indirect result of transfer of solar energy, and changes in one part of the system may influence all of the others. The complexity of the system and the number of variables involved requires very complex mathematical models in order to make accurate predictions.

SC-H-ET-U-12. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technological problems often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to conduct their research more effectively or to conduct new lines of research. The availability of new technology often sparks scientific advances.

SC-H-ET-U-13. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that technology affects society because it solves practical problems and serves human needs. Science affects society by stimulating thought or satisfying curiosity, or by influencing views of the world, or by providing knowledge necessary for new technological advances.

SC-H-ET-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will classify and describe nuclear reactions and their products

SC-H-ET-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the forces inside the nucleus and evaluate the risk/benefits of nuclear energy

SC-H-ET-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the law of conservation of energy and explore heat flow in real-life phenomena

SC-H-ET-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate waves, the rules describing wave behavior and energy transfer via waves in real life phenomena (e.g., nuclear medicine, industrial applications)

SC-H-ET-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the flow of matter and energy between organisms and the environment and model the cyclic nature of this process

SC-H-ET-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explain the metabolic process of photosynthesis and describe the molecules it assembles to store solar energy

SC-H-ET-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe the metabolic processes that allow energy stored in food to be made available to the organism

SC-H-ET-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the composition and function of the carbon compounds involved in metabolism

SC-H-ET-S-9. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will apply the concept of entropy to molecular interactions and to interactions within the universe

SC-H-ET-S-10. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze a variety of energy sources, their potential uses and their relative costs/benefits

SC-H-ET-S-11. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate the relationship of energy input vs. useful energy output in mechanical systems

SC-H-ET-S-12. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will model and explain the relationships and energy flow existing in various Earth systems

SC-H-ET-S-13. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will use weather data to model the complex interactions responsible for weather and climate

SC-H-ET-S-14. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will describe how science and technology interact. Research and investigate the impact of technology on society and how technological advances have driven scientific research

SC-H-I. Big Idea: Interdependence (Unifying Concepts) - It is not difficult for students to grasp the general notion that species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. But their awareness must be supported by knowledge of the kinds of relationships that exist among organisms, the kinds of physical conditions that organisms must cope with, the kinds of environments created by the interaction of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings, and the complexity of such systems At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention. (Academic Expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)

SC-H-I-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human beings are part of the Earth's ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

SC-H-I-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that unique among organisms, humans have the capability to impact other species on a global scale both directly (e.g. selective breeding, genetic engineering, foreign species introductions) and indirectly (e.g. habitat crowding, pollution, climate change).

SC-H-I-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the appearance of new species always impacts the environment. In some cases this impact can have global and profound significance (e.g. when ancient bacteria transformed the atmosphere to an oxygen-rich environment).

SC-H-I-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that every ecosystem contains natural checks and balances, both biotic and abiotic, that serve to limit the size and range of the populations contained within it.

SC-H-I-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that human creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity have brought new risks as well as improvements to human existence. People control technology and are ultimately responsible for its effects.

SC-H-I-U-6. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that science/technology occasionally provides the means to do questionable things. Decisions about doing these things require exercising a sense of responsibility. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.

SC-H-I-U-7. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the critical assumptions behind any line of reasoning must be made explicit, so that the validity of the position being taken can be judged.

SC-H-I-S-1. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore ways to eradicate or lessen environmental problems caused by human interaction (e.g., examine programs for habitat restoration or wildlife protection, automotive/industrial emissions standards)

SC-H-I-S-2. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate changes in ecosystems and propose potential solutions to problems by documenting and communicating solutions to others through multi-media presentations

SC-H-I-S-3. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and describe the effects of events (e.g., fires, hurricanes, deforestation, mining, population growth and municipal development) on environments from a variety of perspectives. Use data to propose ways of lessening impacts perceived as negative

SC-H-I-S-4. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will examine existing models of global population growth and the factors affecting population change (e.g., geography, diseases, natural events, birth/death rates). Propose and defend solutions to identified problems of population change

SC-H-I-S-5. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze examples of environmental changes resulting from the introduction, removal, or reintroductions of indigenous or non-indigenous species to an ecosystem. Use information to predict future impacts of similar changes in other ecosystems

SC-H-I-S-6. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will analyze and synthesize research, for questions about, theories and related technologies that have advanced our understanding of interdependence

SC-H-I-S-7. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will explore the causes, consequences and possible solutions to persistent, contemporary and emerging global issues relating to environmental quality

SC-H-I-S-8. Program of Studies: Skills and Concepts - Students will investigate controversial scientific proposals (e.g., human cloning, genetic modification of crops, nuclear waste storage), use scientific evidence/data to support or defend a position and debate the ethical merits of implementing the proposed actions

KY.AE. Academic Expectation

AE.1. Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

1.1. Students use reference tools such as dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, and computer reference programs and research tools such as interviews and surveys to find the information they need to meet specific demands, explore interests, or solve specific problems.

1.2. Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.

1.3. Students make sense of the various things they observe.

1.4. Students make sense of the various messages to which they listen.

1.5-1.9. Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate, reason, and solve problems.

1.10. Students organize information through development and use of classification rules and systems.

1.11. Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.12. Students speak using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.

1.13. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with the visual arts.

1.14. Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.

1.15. Students make sense of and communicate ideas with movement.

1.16. Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

AE.2. Students shall develop their abilities to apply core concepts and principles from mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the humanities, social studies, practical living studies, and vocational studies to what they will encounter throughout their lives.

2.1. Science: Students understand scientific ways of thinking and working and use those methods to solve real-life problems.

2.2. Science: Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as cycles and trends to understand past and present events and predict possible future events.

2.3. Science: Students identify and analyze systems and the ways their components work together or affect each other.

2.4. Science: Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other characteristics that might be observed.

2.5. Science: Students understand that under certain conditions nature tends to remain the same or move toward a balance.

2.6. Science: Students understand how living and nonliving things change over time and the factors that influence the changes.

KY.CC. Core Content for Assessment v.4.1

SC-HS-1.1. Structure and Transformation of Matter: By high school, students will be dealing with evidence from both direct and indirect observations (microscopic level and smaller) to consider theories related to change and conservation of matter. The use of models (and an understanding of their scales and limitations) is an effective means of learning about the structure of matter. Looking for patterns in properties is also critical to comparing and explaining differences in matter.

SC-HS-1.1.1. Physical Science: Students will classify or make generalizations about elements from data of observed patterns in atomic structure and/or position on the periodic table.

SC-HS-1.1.2. Physical Science: Students will understand that the atom's nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons that are much more massive than electrons. When an element has atoms that differ in the number of neutrons, these atoms are called different isotopes of the element.

SC-HS-1.1.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that solids, liquids, and gases differ in the distances between molecules or atoms and therefore the energy that binds them together. In solids, the structure is nearly rigid; in liquids, molecules or atoms move around each other but do not move apart; and in gases, molecules or atoms move almost independently of each other and are relatively far apart. The behavior of gases and the relationship of the variables influencing them can be described and predicted.

SC-HS-1.1.4. Physical Science: Students will understand that in conducting materials, electrons flow easily; whereas, in insulating materials, they can hardly flow at all. Semiconducting materials have intermediate behavior. At low temperatures, some materials become superconductors and offer no resistance to the flow of electrons.

SC-HS-1.1.5. Physical Science: Students will explain the role of intermolecular or intramolecular interactions on the physical properties (solubility, density, polarity, conductivity, boiling/melting points) of compounds.

SC-HS-1.1.6. Physical Science: Students will identify variables that affect reaction rates; predict effects of changes in variables (concentration, temperature, properties of reactants, surface area, and catalysts) based on evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.1.7. Physical Science: Students will construct diagrams to illustrate ionic or covalent bonding; predict compound formation and bond type as either ionic or covalent (polar, nonpolar) and represent the products formed with simple chemical formulas.

SC-HS-1.1.8. Physical Science: Students will explain the importance of chemical reactions in a real-world context; justify conclusions using evidence/data from chemical reactions.

SC-HS-1.2. Motion and Forces: At the middle level, qualitative descriptions of the relationship between forces and motion will provide the foundation for quantitative applications of Newton's Laws. These ideas are more fully developed at the high school level along with the use of models to support evidence of motion in abstract or invisible phenomena such as electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.1. Physical Science: Students will select or construct accurate and appropriate representations for motion (visual, graphical, and mathematical); defend conclusions/explanations about the motion of objects and real-life phenomena from evidence/data.

SC-HS-1.2.2. Physical Science: Students will explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism; propose solutions to real life problems involving electromagnetism.

SC-HS-1.2.3. Physical Science: Students will understand that the electric force is a universal force that exists between any two charged objects. Opposite charges attract while like charges repel.

SC-HS-2.3. The Earth and the Universe: The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Finally, at the high school level, most of the emphasis is on why these changes occur. An understanding of systems and their interacting components will enable students to evaluate supporting theories of earth changes. High school is the time to bring all of the ideas together to look at the universe as a whole. Students will use evidence to evaluate and analyze theories related to the origin of the universe and all components of the universe.

SC-HS-2.3.1. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain phenomena (falling objects, planetary motion, satellite motion) related to gravity; describe the factors that affect gravitational force.

SC-HS-2.3.2. Earth/Space Science: Students will describe the current scientific theory of the formation of the universe (Big Bang) and its evidence; explain the role of gravity in the formation of the universe and its components.

SC-HS-2.3.3. Earth/Space Science: Students will identify the origin of heavy elements found in stars and planets.

SC-HS-2.3.4. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that stars have life cycles of birth through death that are analogous to those of living organisms. During their lifetimes, stars generate energy from nuclear fusion reactions that create successively heavier chemical elements.

SC-HS-2.3.5. Earth/Space Science: Students will understand that the Sun, Earth, and the rest of the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a nebular cloud of gas and dust.

SC-HS-2.3.6. Earth/Space Science: Students will compare the limitations/benefits of various techniques (radioactive dating, observing rock sequences, and comparing fossils) for estimating geological time; justify deductions about age of geologic features.

SC-HS-2.3.7. Earth/Space Science: Students will explain real-life phenomena caused by the convection of the Earth's mantle; predict the consequences of this motion on humans and other living things on the planet.

SC-HS-2.3.8. Earth/Space Science: Students will predict consequences of both rapid (volcanoes, earthquakes) and slow (mountain building, plate movement) earth processes from evidence/data and justify reasoning.

SC-HS-3.4. Unity and Diversity: At the high school level, an in-depth study of the specialization and chemical changes occurring at the cellular level builds upon the foundational ideas developed earlier to investigate DNA and effects of alterations in DNA for an individual organism as well as for a species. Emphasis at every level should be placed upon the understanding that while every living thing is composed of similar small constituents that combine in predictable ways, it is the subtle variations within these small building blocks that account for both the likenesses and differences in form and function that create the diversity of life.

SC-HS-3.4.1. Biological Science: Students will explain the role of DNA in protein synthesis.

SC-HS-3.4.2. Biological Science: Students will understand that most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of the cell.

SC-HS-3.4.3. Biological Science: Students will describe cell regulation (enzyme function, diffusion, osmosis, homeostasis); predict consequences of internal/external environmental change on cell function/regulation.

SC-HS-3.4.4. Biological Science: Students will understand that plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms (e.g., Euglena) use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy-rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a vital link between the Sun and energy needs of living systems.

SC-HS-3.4.5. Biological Science: Students will explain the relationship between sexual reproduction (meiosis) and the transmission of genetic information; draw conclusions/make predictions based on hereditary evidence/data (pedigrees, punnet squares).

SC-HS-3.4.6. Biological Science: Students will understand that in all organisms and viruses, the instructions for specifying the characteristics are carried in nucleic acids. The chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids determine how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated.

SC-HS-3.4.7. Biological Science: Students will classify organisms into groups based on similarities; infer relationships based on internal and external structures and chemical processes.

SC-HS-3.4.8. Biological Science: Students will understand that multicellular animals have nervous systems that generate behavior. Nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific molecules. Specialized cells in sense organs detect light, sound, and specific chemicals enabling animals to monitor what is going on in the world around them.

SC-HS-3.5. Biological Change: The only thing certain is that everything changes. The stage is set for high school students to evaluate the role natural selection plays in the diversity of species. Modern ideas of evolution provide a scientific explanation for three main sets of observable facts about life on earth: the enormous number of different life forms we see about us, the systematic similarities in anatomy and molecular chemistry we see within that diversity and the sequence of changes in fossils found in successive layers of rock that have been formed over more than a billion years (Science for All Americans, p. 67).

SC-HS-3.5.1. Biological Science: Students will predict the impact on species of changes to 1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, or (4) natural selection; propose solutions to real-world problems of endangered and extinct species.

SC-HS-3.5.2. Biological Science: Students will predict the success of patterns of adaptive behaviors based on evidence/data; justify explanations of organism survival based on scientific understandings of behavior.

SC-HS-4.6. Energy Transformations: The use of models to illustrate the often invisible and abstract notions of energy transfer will aid in conceptualization, especially as students move from the macroscopic level of observation and evidence (primarily elementary school) to the microscopic interactions at the atomic level (middle and high school levels). Students in high school expand their understanding of constancy through the study of a variety of phenomena. Conceptual understanding and application of the laws of thermodynamics connect ideas about matter with energy transformations within all living, physical and earth systems.

SC-HS-4.6.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the relationships and connections between matter, energy, living systems, and the physical environment; give examples of conservation of matter and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict wave behavior and energy transfer; apply knowledge of waves to real life phenomena/investigations.

SC-HS-4.6.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays, result when a charged object is accelerated.

SC-HS-4.6.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the components and reservoirs involved in biogeochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen); explain the movement of matter and energy in biogeochemical cycles and related phenomena.

SC-HS-4.6.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe and explain the role of carbon-containing molecules and chemical reactions in energy transfer in living systems.

SC-HS-4.6.6. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that heat is the manifestation of the random motion and vibrations of atoms.

SC-HS-4.6.7. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain real world applications of energy using information/data; evaluate explanations of mechanical systems using current scientific knowledge about energy.

SC-HS-4.6.8. Unifying Concepts: Students will describe the connections between the functioning of the Earth system and its sources of energy (internal and external); predict the consequences of changes to any component of the Earth system.

SC-HS-4.6.9. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the cause and effect relationship between global climate and weather patterns and energy transfer (cloud cover, location of mountain ranges, oceans); predict the consequences of changes to the global climate and weather patterns.

SC-HS-4.6.10. Unifying Concepts: Students will identify the components and mechanisms of energy stored and released from food molecules (photosynthesis and respiration); apply information to real-world situations.

SC-HS-4.6.11. Unifying Concepts: Students will explain the difference between alpha and beta decay, fission, and fusion; identify the relationship between nuclear reactions and energy.

SC-HS-4.6.12. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that the forces that hold the nucleus together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the forces that would make it fly apart.

SC-HS-4.7. Interdependence: At the high school level, the concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students growing understanding of systems in general will reinforce the concept of ecosystems. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, productivity and the effect of human intervention (adapted from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 1993).

SC-HS-4.7.1. Unifying Concepts: Students will analyze relationships and interactions among organisms in ecosystems; predict the effects on other organisms of changes to one or more components of the ecosystem.

SC-HS-4.7.2. Unifying Concepts: Students will evaluate proposed solutions from multiple perspectives to environmental problems caused by human interaction; justify positions using evidence/data.

SC-HS-4.7.3. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes to any component (atmosphere, solid Earth, oceans, living things) of the Earth System; propose justifiable solutions to global problems.

SC-HS 4.7.4. Unifying Concepts: Students will understand that evidence for one-celled forms of life, the bacteria, extends back more than 3.5 billion years. The changes in life over time caused dramatic changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, which did not originally contain oxygen.

SC-HS-4.7.5. Unifying Concepts: Students will predict the consequences of changes in resources to a population; select or defend solutions to real-world problems of population control.