Standard Area - MST:
Math, Science & Technology
- Standard - MST4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
- Key Idea Code - MST4.PS:
- Key Idea - MST4.PS2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.
- Academic Level - MST4.I.PS2:
- Performance Indicator - MST4.I.PS2B: Students describe volcano and earthquake patterns, the rock cycle, and weather and climate changes.
- Major Understandings - 2.2a : The interior of Earth is hot. Heat flow and movement of material within Earth
cause sections of Earth's crust to move. This may result in earthquakes, volcanic
eruption, and the creation of mountains and ocean basins.
- Major Understandings - 2.2b : Analysis of earthquake wave data (vibrational disturbances) leads to the conclusion that there are layers within Earth. These layers - the crust, mantle, outer core, and
inner core - have distinct properties.
- Major Understandings - 2.2c : Folded, tilted, faulted, and displaced rock layers suggest past crustal movement.
- Major Understandings - 2.2d : Continents fitting together like puzzle parts and fossil correlations provided initial
evidence that continents were once together.
- Major Understandings - 2.2e : The Theory of Plate Tectonics explains how the "solid" lithosphere consists of a
series of plates that "float" on the partially molten section of the mantle. Convection
cells within the mantle may be the driving force for the movement of the plates.
- Major Understandings - 2.2f : Plates may collide, move apart, or slide past one another. Most volcanic activity
and mountain building occur at the boundaries of these plates, often resulting in earthquakes.
- Major Understandings - 2.2g : Rocks are classified according to their method of formation. The three classes of
rocks are sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. Most rocks show characteristics that
give clues to their formation conditions.
- Major Understandings - 2.2h : The rock cycle model shows how types of rock or rock material may be transformed from one type of rock to another.
- Major Understandings - 2.2i : Weather describes the conditions of the atmosphere at a given location for a short
period of time.
- Major Understandings - 2.2j : Climate is the characteristic weather that prevails from season to season and year
to year.
- Major Understandings - 2.2k : The uneven heating of Earth's surface is the cause of weather.
- Major Understandings - 2.2l : Air masses form when air remains nearly stationary over a large section of Earth's
surface and takes on the conditions of temperature and humidity from that location.
Weather conditions at a location are determined primarily by temperature, humidity,
and pressure of air masses over that location.
- Major Understandings - 2.2m : Most local weather condition changes are caused by movement of air masses.
- Major Understandings - 2.2n : The movement of air masses is determined by prevailing winds and upper air currents.
- Major Understandings - 2.2o : Fronts are boundaries between air masses. Precipitation is likely to occur at these
boundaries.
- Major Understandings - 2.2p : High-pressure systems generally bring fair weather. Low-pressure systems usually
bring cloudy, unstable conditions. The general movement of highs and lows is from
west to east across the United States.
- Major Understandings - 2.2q : Hazardous weather conditions include thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice
storms, and blizzards. Humans can prepare for and respond to these conditions if given
sufficient warning.
- Major Understandings - 2.2r : Substances enter the atmosphere naturally and from human activity. Some of these
substances include dust from volcanic eruptions and greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, methane, and water vapor. These substances can affect weather, climate, and living things.
