| January 2008 | ||
| PK-3 | Acrobat 119k | Ms Word 238k |
| 3-8 | Acrobat 202k | Ms Word 378k |
| View Glossary - Highlighted Assessment Limits | ||
Standard 1.0 Skills and Processes
Topic
A. Constructing Knowledge
Indicator
- 1. Gather and question data from many different forms of scientific investigations which include reviewing appropriate print resources, observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.
Objectives
- Support investigative findings with data found in books, articles, and databases, and identify the sources used and expect others to do the same.
- Select and use appropriate tools hand lens or microscope (magnifiers), centimeter ruler (length), spring scale (weight), balance (mass), Celsius thermometer (temperature), graduated cylinder (liquid volume), and stopwatch (elapsed time) to augment observations of objects, events, and processes.
- Explain that comparisons of data might not be fair because some conditions are not kept the same.
- Recognize that the results of scientific investigations are seldom exactly the same, and when the differences are large, it is important to try to figure out why.
- Identify possible reasons for differences in results from investigations including unexpected differences in the methods used or in the circumstances in which the investigation is carried out, and sometimes just because of uncertainties in observations.
- Judge whether measurements and computations of quantities are reasonable in a familiar context by comparing them to typical values when measured to the nearest:
- Millimeter - length
- Square centimeter - area
- Milliliter - volume
- Newton - weight
- Gram - mass
- Second - time
- Degree C - temperature
Topic
B. Applying Evidence and Reasoning
Indicator
- 1. Seek better reasons for believing something than "Everybody knows that..." or "I just know" and discount such reasons when given by others.
Objectives
- Develop explanations using knowledge possessed and evidence from observations, reliable print resources, and investigations.
- Offer reasons for their findings and consider reasons suggested by others.
- Review different explanations for the same set of observations and make more observations to resolve the differences.
- Keep a notebook that describes observations made, carefully distinguishes actual observations from ideas and speculations about what was observed, and is understandable weeks or months later.
Topic
C. Communicating Scientific Information
Indicator
- 1. Recognize that clear communication is an essential part of doing science because it enables scientists to inform others about their work, expose their ideas to criticism by other scientists, and stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world.
Objectives
- Avoid choosing and reporting only the data that show what is expected by the person doing the choosing.
- Submit work to the critique of others which involves discussing findings, posing questions, and challenging statements to clarify ideas.
- Construct and share reasonable explanations for questions asked.
- Recognize that doing science involves many different kinds of work and engages men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
Topic
D. Technology
Indicator
Objectives
- Choose appropriate common materials for making simple mechanical constructions and repairing things.
- Realize that there is no perfect design and that usually some features have to be sacrificed to get others, for example, designs that are best in one respect (safety or ease of use) may be inferior in other ways (cost or appearance).
- Identify factors that must be considered in any technological design-cost, safety, environmental impact, and what will happen if the solution fails.
Indicator
- 2. Investigate a variety of mechanical systems and analyze the relationship among the parts.
Objectives
- Realize that in something that consists of many parts, the parts usually influence one another.
- Explain that something may not work as well (or at all) if a part of it is missing, broken, worn out, mismatched, or misconnected.
Indicator
- 3. Examine and modify models and discuss their limitations.
Objectives
- Explain that models, such as geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, and stories can be used to represent objects, events, and processes in the real world, although such representations can never be exact in every detail.
- Realize that one way to make sense of something is to think how it is like something more familiar.
Standard 2.0 Earth/Space Science
Topic
A. Materials and Processes That Shape A Planet
Indicator
- 2. Cite and describe the processes that cause rapid or slow changes in Earth's surface.
Objectives
- Identify and describe events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and flooding which change surface features rapidly.
- Recognize that the natural force of gravity causes changes in the Earth's surface features as it pulls things towards Earth, as in mud and rock slides, avalanches, etc.
- Cite examples that demonstrate how the natural agents of wind, water, and ice produce snow changes on the Earth's surface such as carving out deep canyons and building up sand dunes.
Indicator
- 3. Explain how rock is formed from combinations of different minerals and that smaller rocks come from the breakage and weathering of bedrock (solid rock underlying soil components) and larger rocks; soil is made partly from weathered rock, partly from plant remains-and also contains many living organisms.
Objectives
- Identify and compare the properties of rocks that are composed of a single mineral with those of other rocks made of several minerals using their physical properties.
- Describe ways that the following processes contribute to changes always occurring to the Earth's surface.
- Weathering
- Erosion
- Depositition
Topic
D. Astronomy
Indicator
Objectives
- Recognize that like all planets and stars, the Earth is spherical in shape.
- Identify the properties of the planet Earth that make it possible for the survival of life as we know it.
- Temperature
- Location
- Presence of an atmosphere
- Presence of water (solid, liquid, and gas)
- Identify and describe physical properties of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Topic
E. Interactions of Hydrosphere and Atmosphere
Indicator
- 1. Recognize and describe that the amount of water on Earth continues to stay the same even though it may change from one form to another.
Objectives
- Describe how water on Earth changes.
- Describe the processes that maintain a continuous water cycle.
Standard 3.0 Life Science
Topic
A. Diversity of Life
Indicator
- 1. Explain the idea that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Objectives
- Identify and describe features and behaviors of some of the plants and animals living in a familiar environment and explain ways that these organisms are well suited to their environment.
- Based on information about the features and behaviors of animals and plants from very different environments describe reasons that they might not survive if their environment changed or if they were moved from one environment to another.
- State reasons why certain animals such as whales, salmon, could not survive in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Research the kind of environment needed by the Maryland blue crab, the Black-eyed Susan (Maryland's state flower), or another Maryland native organism.
- Explain that the survival of individual organisms and entire populations can be affected by sudden (flood, Tsunami) or slow (global warming, air pollution) changes in the environment.
Topic
B. Cells
Indicator
- 1. Provide evidence from observations and investigations to support the idea that some organisms consist of a single cell.
Objectives
- Cite evidence from data gathered that supports the idea that most single celled organisms have needs similar to those of multicellular organisms.
Indicator
- 2. Investigate and provide evidence that living things are made mostly of cells that can be seen and studied only through a microscope.
Objectives
Objectives
- Provide examples that justify the statement "Most animals' food can be traced back to plants."
Standard 4.0 Chemistry
Topic
B. Conservation of Matter
Indicator
Objectives
- Use magnifying instruments to investigate samples of matter, such as a leaf, sugar cube, color photograph, and granite to describe the minute parts from which they are made.
- Use evidence from investigations with a variety of materials, such as water to describe how matter can change from one form to another without the loss of any mass.
Topic
C. States of Matter
Indicator
- 1. Provide evidence from investigations to identify the processes that can be used to change materials from one state of matter to another.
Objectives
- Observe and describe the changes heating and cooling cause to the different states in which water exists.
- Based on data explain the importance of water's ability to exist in all three states within the temperatures normally found on Earth.
- Analyze data from observations to support the idea that when materials change from one state to another the amount of material stays the same.
Topic
D. Physical and Chemical Changes
Indicator
- 1. Provide evidence to illustrate that when a new material is made by combining two or more materials, its properties are different from the original materials.
Objectives
- Investigate and describe what happens to the properties of materials when several materials are combined to make a mixture, such as table salt and pepper; various kinds of nuts, chocolate pieces, and coconut; sugar dissolved in milk
- Based on observations from investigations and video technology, describe what happens to the observable properties of materials when several materials are combined to make a new material, such as baking soda combined with vinegar
- Share data gathered and construct a reasonable explanation of the results.
Standard 5.0 Physics
Topic
A. Mechanics
Objectives
- Observe, describe, and compare types of motion.
- Uniform motion as equal distances traveled in equal times, such as escalators, conveyor belts.
- Variable motion as different distances traveled in equal times, such as an accelerating car, falling objects.
- Periodic motion as motion that repeats itself, such as a child on a swing, a person on a pogo stick.
- Use measurements to describe the distance traveled as the change in position.
Indicator
Objectives
Objectives
- Identify ways of storing energy (potential) in an object.
- Raising an object above the ground
- Putting it on the end of a compressed or extended spring or rubber band
Topic
D. Wave Interactions
Indicator
- 3. Provide evidence to show that light travels in a straight line until it is reflected or refracted.
Objectives
- Based on observations trace the path of a ray of light before and after it is reflected (bounces) off a plane mirror.
Indicator
- 4. Recognize and describe how light interacts with different materials.
Standard 6.0 Environmental Science
Topic
A. Natural Resources and Human Needs
Indicator
- 1. Recognize and explain how renewable and nonrenewable natural resources are used by humans in Maryland to meet basic needs.
Objectives
- Identify and compare Maryland's renewable resources and nonrenewable resources.
- Describe how humans use renewable natural resources, such as plants, soil, water, animals.
- Describe how humans use nonrenewable natural resources, such as oil, coal, natural gas, minerals, including metals
Topic
B. Environmental Issues
Indicator
- 1. Recognize and explain that decisions influencing the use of natural resources may have benefits, drawbacks, unexpected consequences, and tradeoffs.
Objectives
- Identify and describe personal and community behaviors that waste natural resources and/or cause environmental harm and those behaviors that maintain or improve the environment.
- Identify and describe that individuals and groups assess and manage risk to the environment differently.
Indicator
- 2. Recognize and describe that consequences may occur when Earth's natural resources are used.
Objectives
- Explain how human activities may have positive consequences on the natural environment.
- Recycling centers
- Native plantings
- Good farming practice
- Explain how human activities may have a negative consequence on the natural environment.
- Identify and describe that an environmental issue affects individual people and groups of people differently.
Note: Highlighting identifies assessment limits. All highlighted Indicators will be tested on the Grades 5 and 8 MSA. The highlighted Objectives under each highlighted Indicator identify the limit to which MSA items can be written. Although all content standards are tested on MSA, not all Indicators and Objectives are tested. Objectives that are not highlighted will not be tested on MSA, however are an integral part of Instruction.
January 2008
