9th Grade Environmental Science Curriculum – Level 2
Introduction to Science and the Earth
Big
Ideas
Concepts
Standards
Science is the study of
the natural world. It has
multiple branches.
1) Science has multiple
branches including earth
science and ecology.
These disciplines are
interconnected.
3.1.10A, B, C,
D, E
2) The Scientific method
is a logical process of
problem solving and is
essential to sound
experimental design.
3) Hypothesis, theories,
and scientific laws are
part of scientific
discovery and scientific
writing.
4) The Big Bang is a
theory supported by the
red shift and background
radiation.
5) The earth moves as a
planetary body.
6) Eratosthenes made
the first measurements
and calculations of the
earth’s circumference.
3.2 .10A, B,
C, D,
Competencies
1) Define and relate the
various branches of science
and their associated terms.
2) List the steps of the
scientific method in logical
sequence using examples
from class and of your own.
2) Recognize properly
designed versus poorly
designed experiments.
Essential Questions
How are earth science and
ecology connected?
How do math, physics,
chemistry, biology, ecology
and earth science link
together?
What is the difference
between a control and a
variable?
3) Explain the concepts of
hypotheses, theories, and
scientific laws with examples
including the Gaia hypothesis
and the Big Bang theory.
What are the components of
sound experimental design?
4) Explain the Big Bang
theory and its relationship to
red shift, background
radiation, and the Doppler
Effect.
Why is the Big Bang a
theory and by what evidence
is it supported?
6) Describe the terms and
processes associated with the
earth’s movements.
8) Measure the circumference
of the earth by re-creating
Eratosthenes’ method.
What is the Gaia
hypothesis?
How does the earth’s
rotation compare to its
revolution? What are time
zones and daylight savings
time?
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
Duration
(in days)
Science, physics,
chemistry, biology, ecology,
earth science, astronomy,
meteorology,
oceanography, geology,
geosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere, biosphere,
ecosystem, pollution,
biodegradable, scientific
method, observation,
control, variable,
hypothesis, conclusion,
theory, scientific law, Gaia,
Big Bang, Doppler effect,
red shift, wavelength,
spectroscope, bright-line
spectrum, revolution, ,
solstice, equinox, time
zones, precession,
International date line,
daylight savings time.
Modern Earth
Science –
Holt,
Rinehart and
Winston
pgs.1-39.
12-15
Ecosystems and Population Ecology
Big
Ideas
Ecology is the study of
how living things
interact with their
surroundings.
Populations of
organisms change due
to changes in habitat.
Concepts
1) Environments consist
of living and non-living
components.
Standards
4.6.10.A
Competencies
1) List biotic and abiotic
components of various natural
environments.
2) Ecosystems are
place where living things
interact with their
surroundings and
occurs at various levels,
such as biomes in the
biosphere.
2) Identify and link the terms
ecosystem, biome, and
biosphere.
3) Biomes are areas of
life determined by
climate and soil type.
4) Identify and recognize
population sampling methods
and the types of census used.
4) Plot and mark-returnrecapture are methods
for sampling
populations.
5) Populations are kept
in check by various
limiting factors.
6) Populations change
due to limiting factors or
lack of and may reach
carrying capacity.
7) Deciduous forests
have several vertical
stratifications that add to
biodiversity.
8) Forest communities
can be assessed
through scientific
sampling and analysis.
3) List the various unique
abiotic characteristics of the
seven terrestrial biomes.
5) List and describe limiting
factors using examples, and
explain how they could affect
an organism’s population.
6) Give examples of how and
why an organism’s population
has changed.
7) Understand the concept of
carrying capacity and
population graphs.
8) Know the order and
properties of the four layers of
a mature deciduous forest.
9) List various common forest
species for the field study and
be able to do an onsite plot
Essential Questions
What is the relationship
between biotic, organic,
abioitic, and inorganic
things?
What are the seven basic
terrestrial biomes and what
are their characteristics?
Under what circumstances
would you use the various
types of census methods?
What are some advantages
and disadvantages of the
various census methods?
What causes populations to
increase or decrease?
What are some factors that
keep populations from
reaching carrying capacity?
What happens when
populations exceed carrying
capacity?
What are the four basic
layers of a forest and how
do they change in terms of
abiotic factors?
How do you create a forest
plot census study?
How do you identify
common tree species?
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
Biotic, abiotic, organic,
inorganic, ecology,
ecosystem, biosphere,
biome, environment,
permafrost, humus,
deciduous, coniferous, true
census, sample census, mr-r method, transect,
population, population
density, limiting factor,
carrying capacity, birth rate,
death rate, immigration,
emigration, migration,
habitat, community, edge,
fragmentation, simple
leaves, compound leaves,
alternate and opposite
branching, serrated edges
lobed leaf margins
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs 112.
Duration
(in days)
10 - 15
9) Humans affect habitat
requirements of
organisms and thus
affect their population.
census of a forest community.
10) Explain and give
examples of various
communities and habitats. Be
able to describe how
populations of certain species
have changed due to human
influence such as edge effect.
How have human activities
changed the populations of
deer, grouse, and bluebirds
over the last 100 years?
11) Identify common tree
species in the area.
Community Ecology
Big
Ideas
Communities are sets of
interacting populations.
Organisms occupy
various niches.
Energy flow through an
ecosystem is linear.
Matter is recycled in
ecosystems.
Succession is the
natural change in
ecosystems.
Concepts
1) Feeding niches are
interconnected forming
food webs.
2) Energy flow in an
ecosystem is linear
starting with the sun and
ending up as heat.
3) Biomass forms a
Pyramid in a food chain
since it is lost as you
move up through trophic
levels.
4) Respiration,
photosynthesis, and
combustion are the
three basic processes of
the carbon/oxygen
cycle.
5) Water cycles through
various processes on
the planet.
4.6.10.B, C
Competencies
Essential Questions
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
1) Create a food web using all
the possible niches involved
and recognize a feeding niche
from a chain.
What are the names of all
the feeding niches in a food
web?
Niche, food chain, food
web, trophic level,
producer, consumer,
primary productivity,
herbivore, omnivore,
carnivore, predator, prey,
scavenger, decomposer,
parasite, host,
photosynthesis, respiration,
combustion,
decomposition, succession,
pioneer stage, climax
stage, submergent,
emergent, marsh, swamp,
bog, carnivorous plants,
biodiversity, keystone
species
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs
13 – 43.
2) Explain all the possible
paths of energy in an
ecosystem.
3) Diagram and explain the
concept of a biomass and
number pyramid.
4) Draw and define the
processes involved in the
carbon/oxygen cycle.
5) Draw and define the
processes involved in the
hydrological cycle.
6) Explain the concept of
succession with examples.
Describe the biotic and abiotic
What happens to energy as
it moves through a food
web?
What is the role of a
decomposer in a food web?
What is the 10% rule in
regards to the biomass
pyramid?
How does the number
pyramid relate to the
biomass pyramid?
What are the processes of
the carbon/oxygen cycle
and how can humans make
it unbalanced?
What are the processes of
Duration
(in days)
15 - 20
6) Nitrogen is cycled
through organic and
inorganic forms by
bacteria and is an
essential nutrient in the
food web.
characteristics of each stage
in the succession of a forest.
Give examples of
disturbances that can change
the rate of succession.
7) Analyze a food web in
terms of biodiversity and the
presence of keystone species.
7) Succession is the
natural change in an
ecosystem over time,
resulting in biotic and
abiotic changes altering
communities.
Disturbances affect the
process. Examples
include forests, ponds,
and bogs.
the hydrological cycle?
What are the stages of and
characteristics of forest
succession?
What are the unique abiotic
and biotic characteristics of
bogs?
8) Ecosystem diversity
is linked to stability and
may rely on keystone
species.
Ecological/Environmental Issues and Management
Big
Ideas
Forests can be
managed sustainably
both environmentally
and economically.
Invasive species are a
major threat to native
ecosystem stability.
Endangered species are
prone to extinction from
various threats and are
protected by federal
law.
Concepts
1) Humans have
significant effects on
natural ecosystems.
2) Old-growth forest
ecosystems are highly
diverse and have
interconnecting
communities.
3) Forests can be
managed for wildlife
diversity avoiding
techniques that create
habitat fragmentation
and monocultures.
.
Standards
4.3.10C
4.7.10A, B, C
4.9.10A
Competencies
1) List the important facts of
Pennsylvania forest history.
2) Explain the relationship of
various old-growth organisms to
the forest. Explain the concept of
multiple use.
3) Explain how to manage forests
for wildlife and biodiversity.
Describe the practices that should
be avoided.
4) Describe the various harvesting
methods and management factors
involve in sustainable harvesting.
Essential
Questions
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
How have Pennsylvania
forests changes in the
last 200 years?
Old-growth, secondary
forests, tannic acid,
symbiotic relationships,
multiple use, federal
forests, national parks,
forest openings, forest
mosaic, snags, cull trees,
nurse logs, habitat
fragmentation,
monocultures, forage,
browse, mast, cavity
nesters, excavators, clear
cutting, seed-tree logging,
selection cutting, diameter
limit cutting, shade tolerant,
shade intolerant,
introduced, invasive,
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs
44 – 88.
How do old-growth
organisms rely on each
other creating stable
diverse ecosystems?
What should a forest
contain in order to
maximize wildlife
diversity?
How can habitat
fragmentation be
Duration
(in days)
25 - 30
4) Forest can be
sustainably harvested
through various
techniques.
5) Introduced species
are common and often
disruptive components
of our environment.
6) Invasive species are
introduces by various
methods and negatively
impact natives species
and the economy in
various ways.
7) Invasive species
have certain
characteristics that
make them invasive.
There are various ways
to control invasive
species.
8) The Endangered
Species Act is a law
protecting certain
species in danger of
extinction.
9) Habitat loss,
exploitation, and
invasive species are the
major threats to
endangered species.
10. Tropical rainforests
are threatened by
various interest groups
and are not sustainable
when mismanaged.
5) Give examples of introduced
species.
6) Discuss the impacts of various
invasive species. Explain how
each was introduced, why it is a
problem, and what is being done
about it.
7) Explain why invasive species
are invasive, and the various
types of control methods.
avoided?
How does clear cutting
compare to seed-tree
logging and selection
cutting?
What should be
considered before an
area is logged for
timber?
8) Define the ESA. Who does it
involve, what does it do, and what
are its criticisms?
What are some common
introduced species and
how did they get there?
9) Explain the causes of
endangerment and give
examples.
What are the impacts
from invasive species
and what are some
common examples?
10) Explain the threats to tropical
rainforests and why they are not
sustainable.
What characterizes
invasive species and
how are they controlled?
How does the ESA
protect species and
what issues surround
this law?
What are the threats to
endangered species?
Why are rainforests at
risk and why are they
important to the planet?
vectors, biological,
chemical, mechanical, and
cultural controls, ESA,
extinct, endangered,
threatened, candidate
Energy Use and Resources
Big
Ideas
Energy cannot be
created or destroyed but
change from a high to
low quality. These laws
affect energy usage.
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable major
sources for energy in
the U.S. They have
substantial impacts on
the environment.
Alternative energy
comes from a variety of
sources and has the
potential to replace
fossil fuels.
Concepts
1) Energy can change
form but cannot be
created or destroyed.
2) Energy moves toward
entropy in all systems.
3) Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources
that form in the earth
over millions of years.
They are the primary
use of energy in the
U.S. and their use has
detrimental impacts on
the environment.
4) Hydroelectric, wind,
solar, geothermal, tidal,
bio-fuels, and hydrogen
fuel are renewable
energy sources.
5) A variety of energy
source can be
converted into the
generation of electricity.
6) Alternative energies
have a variety of
benefits and limitations
that affect their use.
7) Nuclear fission is a
nonrenewable major
energy source in the
U.S. with multiple pros
and cons.
Standards
3.4.10.B
4.3.10.A
4.8.10.A, B, C,
D
4.2.10.A, B, c,
D
4.9.10.A
Competencies
1) Define and give examples of
various forms of energy.
2) Define the laws of energy.
3) Compare the process in which
fossil fuels formed. Compare the
usage, cost, abundance, potential
energy, and pollution impacts of
coal oil and natural gas.
4) Explain how each of the
renewable energies works as well
as its benefits and limitations as
an energy source.
5))Explain the basic mechanism
of how an energy source can be
used for electricity pg. 449 - 450
6) Categorize alternative energies
based on their renewability,
reliability, and impact to the
environment.
7) Explain the basic process of
nuclear fission and fusion as well
as the concerns and impacts
associated with fission.
Essential
Questions
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
What is potential and
kinetic energy and how
can energy change
forms?
Energy, potential, kinetic,
entropy, gravitational,
chemical, elastic,
carbonization, coal, oil,
petroleum, gas, peat,
lignite, bituminous,
anthracite, Clean Air Act,
acid mine drainage, Mining
Control and Reclamation
Act, subsidence,
hydrocarbons,
hydroelectric, head, flow,
wind, solar, passive, active,
photovoltaics. Flat-plate
collectors, parabolic
lighting, geothermal,
ethanol, biofuels, hydrogen
fuel, nuclear fission, Threemile island, Chernobyl,
nuclear fusion
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs
432 - 472
What are the laws of
energy and how do they
affect energy usage?
How did fossil fuels
form?
How does coal mining
affect the environment?
How do coal, oil, and
natural gas compare to
one another in how they
are used?
What are the
environmental impacts
of petroleum on the
environment?
What are the options for
renewable energy?
What are the benefits
and limitations of
alternative energies?
What are the concerns
with nuclear energy?
Duration
(in days)
15 - 20
Geology and Geological History
Big
Ideas
Concepts
Minerals are
compounds with distinct
characteristics, whereas
rocks are mixtures of
minerals.
1) Mineral are nonrenewable resources
with specific chemical
and physical properties.
Rocks are classified by
formation and organized
in three main groups.
The earth is estimate to
be 4.6 billion years old
based on fossils and
rock layers. Geological
time is divided into units
based on fossils and
rock layers.
Plate Tectonics is the
leading theory
explaining primary
geological features
processes on the planet.
2) Minerals can be
identified by specific
observable tests.
3) Rock changes due to
various processes that
create a cycle.
4) Igneous rocks form
from cooling
magma/lava and are
grouped based on how
they cool and their
mineral content.
5) Igneous rocks form
from various intrusive
and extrusive features.
6) Sedimentary rocks
are grouped by how
they form and the type
of sediment they are
composed of.
7) Various identifiable
sedimentary features
exist in the earth.
8) Metamorphic rocks
form from heat and
pressure and are
classified as foliated or
non-foliated rocks.
Standards
3.5.10.A, B
4.8.10.A, B
Competencies
1) List characteristics and facts
associated with minerals
2) Identify minerals based on their
characteristics, including unusual
properties.
3) Draw the rock cycle with all its
stages and processes.
4) Group igneous rocks based on
their formation and mineral content
using examples of each grouping.
5) Define igneous intrusions and
extrusions.
6) Group sedimentary rocks based
on their formation and sediment
using examples.
Essential
Questions
1) What is a mineral?
2) What characteristics
are used to identify
minerals?
3) What are the
processes involved in
the rock cycle?
4) What are two major
grouping of igneous
rocks and how do
mineral content
determine igneous rock
families?
5) What are the eight
basic igneous intrusions
and extrusions?
7) Describe sedimentary features.
8) Group metamorphic rocks
based on their formation and
description. Know the examples of
each grouping.
9) Explain the concepts of
Isostasy, Continental Drift, and
Sea Floor Spreading
(Paleomagnetism) in regards to
what they reveal about the Earth.
10) List the major divisions of
geological time including
significant facts from each era and
period.
6) What are clastic and
non-clastic sedimentary
rocks?
7) What are examples of
sedimentary features?
8) What is the difference
between contact and
regional metamorphism
and foliated and nonfoliated rocks?
9) What is the Theory of
Continental Drift?
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
Duration
(in days)
Mineral, silicate, nonsilicate, halide, native
element, sulfide, sulfate,
carbonate, color, luster,
streak, cleavage, fracture,
Moh’s scale, radioactivity,
double refraction,
magnetism, fluorescence,
phosfluorescence, Rocks,
igneous, sedimentary,
metamorphic, sediment,
lava, magma, weathering,
clastic, non-clasic,
precipitate, evaporate,
calcite, quartz, intrusive,
extrusive, intrusions,
extrusions batholiths,
laccolith, stock, sill, dike,
fossil, geode, concretion,
stratification, ripple marks,
mud cracks, era, period,
epoch, Isostasy, continental
drift, Pangaea, sea floor
spreading,
paleomagnetism, rift valley,
volcanoes, earthquakes,
converging, diverging and
transform plate boundaries,
relative dating, law of
superposition
Modern Earth
Science –
Holt,
Rinehart and
Winston
Pgs. 157 –
191, 345 –
359, 365 –
367, 67 - 92
15 - 20
9) Early ideas and
finding led to the theory
of Plate tectonics.
11) Define Plate Tectonics.
Describe and diagram all the ways
that tectonic plates move along
boundaries and what causes this
motion. Explain how volcanoes,
earthquakes, mountain, and sea
floor features are related to this
process.
10) Geological time is
divided due to rock and
fossil records.
11) Plate Tectonics is
the theory that explain
the movement of
continents and many
geological features and
occurrences.
10) What marks the
major divisions in
geological time?
11) How does Plate
Tectonics explain the
oceanic features, the
movement of continents,
mountains, volcanoes,
and rift valleys.
Soils and Land Use
Big
Ideas
Soil is formed through
weathering and
decomposition.
Soil properties affect
land use.
Soil is a natural
resource that is being
lost through erosion and
can be control by
conservation methods.
Human population is
determined by available
land use and irrigation.
Plant nutrients found in
soil are essential to
productivity.
Concepts
1) Rocks weather into
soil by physical and
chemical means at
various rates.
2) Soil is made through
decomposition and
weathering and is
comprised of mineral,
humus, air, and water
pore space.
3) Mature soils develop
distinct horizons due to
decomposition,
leaching, accumulation,
and weathering.
4) Soil can be residual
or transported in nature.
5) Soil is an important
Standards
3.5.10.A
4.2.10.A, B, C
4.4.10.A, B, c
4.3.10.A, B
4.9.10.A
Competencies
1) Define various types of
weathering from a description or
situation. Describe the factors
that affect their rate.
2) Name and describe the
components of soil. Describe the
qualities of each of the three
texture particles.
3) Name and describe the four
basic soil horizons as well as the
processes that occur in each.
4) Describe the difference
between transported and residual
soil. Define the various types of
transported soil.
5) List key facts, terms, and
occurrences in our country’s
history of erosion.
Essential
Questions
What are the various
types of physical
weathering?
What are the various
types of chemical
weathering?
What is soil comprised
of and how does it
form?
What is soil texture and
soil structure?
How do soil horizons
form and what are the
characteristics of each
horizon?
How do soils pick up
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
Weathering, abrasion, ice
wedging, organic activity,
oxidation, carbonization,
hydrolysis, plant acid, acid
precipitation, topography,
surface area, soil, texture,
structure, humus, sand,
silt, clay, infiltration,
percolation, soil horizons,
decomposition, leaching,
accumulation, bedrock,
transported, residual, loam,
aggregates, alluvial,
colluvial, Aeolian, glacial
till, plow, monocultures,
topsoil, subsoil, parent
material, dust bowl, SCS,
NRCS, soil survey, rill,
gulley, sheet, mass
erosion, silt fences,
contour farming, cover
crops, windbreaks,
Modern Earth
Science –
Holt, Rinehart
and Winston
pgs. 219 - 237
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs.
198 - 248
Duration
(in days)
10 – 15
natural resource and
has been lost by erosion
for land
mismanagement.
6). Various conservation
techniques can be used
to minimize the loss of
topsoil from erosion.
7) Nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium,
are essential
components of soil in
regards to plant
productivity.
8) There are pros and
cons to synthetic and
organic fertilizers.
6) Recognize types of erosion
through description and apply
appropriate soil conservation
techniques to various erosion
situations.
7) Define urban sprawl and list its
environmental and economic
effects.
8) Explain ways in which
overpopulated countries use
agriculture and irrigation
techniques.
9) Explain the three type of
human population pyramids..
10) Determine and recognize the
various components of the major
nutrients in soil as well as the
effects of pH.
11) Read N-P-K values and
choose an organic and synthetic
fertilizer as well as the various
substances that either raise or
lower pH.
12) Explain the advantages and
disadvantages of synthetic and
organic fertilizers.
properties of the
bedrock they weather
from?
How are soils
transported?
How do poor farming
practices lead to
erosion and what was
the significance of the
Dust Bowl?
What are the types of
erosion and what
techniques can be used
to control it?
What causes urban
sprawl to occur and
what are the impacts?
How do overpopulated
countries deal with land
use issues?
What is population
momentum and
population pyramid?
What do nitrogen,
phosphorus, and
potassium provide for
plants?
How do you read N-P-K
values and how to you
adjust your soil with
fertilizers?
stripcropping, diversion
terraces, grassed
waterways, salinization,
aquifer, recharge rate,
population momentum,
fertility rate, population
pyramids, green revolution,
N-P-K, organic fertilizer,
synthetic fertilizer, pH,
ground limestone
Water Quality and Aquatic Environments
Big
Ideas
Concepts
Standards
Pesticides affect the
environment and
human health.
1) Pesticide usage has
had damaging
environmental effects.
Integrated pest
management is the
modern approach to
pest management.
2) Integrated pest
management involves a
variety of techniques of
controlling pests with
less impact on the
environment.
4.1.10.A, B, C,
D, E
4.3.10.A, B, C
4.5.10.A, B, C
4.9.10.A
3.5.10.D
Water quality is
determined by various
biological, physical, and
chemical parameters.
Pollution can be
categorized as either
point or non-point in
nature.
Aquatic environments
transition biologically
and physically in a
watershed.
Wetlands are important
ecosystems to humans
and the environment.
3) Biological, chemical,
and physical factors in
an aquatic environment
can be measured to
determine the health of
that environment.
4) Water pollution can
be viewed in two
categories: point source
and non-point source.
5) Watersheds are the
natural drainage area of
a region. Streams
transition physically,
chemically, and
biologically.
6) Wetland are
characterized by
standing water,
saturated soils, and
hydrophytic vegetation.
In addition to wildlife
habitat, wetlands
provide a host of
ecological functions and
services.
Competencies
1) Describe the history of
pesticides and the effects of
chlorinated hydrocarbons on the
environment.
2) Explain the various techniques
of integrated pest management.
3) Explain the major physical and
chemical factors that affect water.
Recognize which values aquatic
organisms would prefer based
and which values would be
considered polluted.
4) Describe the major sources of
water pollution, their effects on
the aquatic systems, and if they
are considered point or non-point
sources.
5) Explain the concepts of
watersheds and stream order.
Compare the various transitions
of aquatic environments by
comparing their physical and
biological characteristics.
6) List the characteristics and
types of wetland environments.
Describe the functions and values
of wetlands.
Essential
Questions
What were the early
forms of pesticides?
What are chlorinated
hydrocarbons?
What was the
significance of the book
“Silent Spring”?
What are examples of
integrated pest
management?
What chemical and
physical parameters
determine the health of
a stream?
What are examples of
point and non-point
pollution?
How does watershed
management affect
everyone?
What is a wetland?
What functions and
values do wetlands
provide?
Vocabulary
Textbook
Pages
Pesticide, herbicide,
insecticides, chlorinated
hydrocarbons, DDT,
persistence, resistance,
bioaccumulation, Rachael
Carson, tolerance levels,
MCL, IPM, pesticides,
D.O., pH, hardness,
nitrates, phosphates,
limestone streams, riparian
buffers, point source
pollution, non-point source
pollution, AMD, Acid
precipitation, thermal
pollution, headwater, cold
water, warm water,
estuary, brackish,
watershed, stream order,
wetland, hydrophytic,
exceptional value wetland
Environmental
Science –
Person pgs.
249 - 330
Duration
(in days)
15 -20
days
Meteorology
Big
Ideas
Meteorology is the
study of the
atmosphere.
Solar energy is affected
by the atmosphere and
the surface of the earth,
creating temperature
and pressure
differences.
Convection of air is
wind and is the driving
force behind global
wind cells, local
breezes, and the jet
stream.
Concepts
1) The atmosphere is
comprised mostly of
nitrogen and oxygen
and is divided into
layers based on
changes in temperature.
2) Air pressure is the
ratio of air molecule to
area and varies
throughout the
atmosphere.
3) The ozone layer
shields life from
ultraviolet radiation but
is thinning from manmade chemical such as
CFCs.
4) The electromagnetic
spectrum various with
intensity in energy due
to the wavelength of
each type of energy.
5) Light and heat in the
atmosphere are
absorbed or reflect by
the ground and
atmosphere.
6) The greenhouse
effect is a natural
process responsible for
the heating of the
planet.
7) Global climate
change may be
Standards
3.5.10.C
4.3.10.A, B
4.8.10.C
Competencies
1) List all the components of the
atmosphere and describe the
various layers of the atmosphere
including why they change and
their various characteristics.
2) Explain the concept of air
pressure and how it is measured.
3) Explain the significance of the
ozone layer. Explain the problems
with the ozone and the solutions.
Essential
Questions
What gases comprise
the atmosphere?
What are the four layers
of the atmosphere and
what are the
characteristics of each?
What is the equation for
air pressure and what
factors affect it?
4) Order the electromagnetic
spectrum and explain how and
why each form of energy is
different.
What is destroying the
ozone layer and what
are the effects of its
destruction?
5) Explain the effects of radiation,
scattering, reflection, and
absorption of heat and light in the
atmosphere.
What is the order of the
electromagnetic
spectrum from long to
short wavelengths?
6) Explain the greenhouse effect
in terms of energy and
wavelengths.
Why is the sky blue?
7) Explain the possible
environmental consequences of
global climate change.
8) List factors that cause variation
of temperature on the planet.
9) Define and diagram conduction
and convection and how
convection relates to global and
local winds.
10) Explain how the Coriolis
What is the greenhouse
effect?
What are the possible
consequences of global
climate change?
What factors affect
variation in temperature
across the planet?
How does a convection
cycle work and how
does it relate to global
Vocabulary
Meteorology, atmosphere,
weather, air pressure,
barometer, aneroid,
mercurial, troposphere,
tropopause, stratosphere,
ozone, CFCs, Montreal
Protocol, mesosphere,
thermosphere, ionosphere,
exosphere, radiation,
adsorption, reflection,
scattering, electromagnetic
spectrum, albedo,
greenhouse effect,
conduction, convection,
high pressure, low
pressure, Hadley cells,
Coriolis effect, trade winds,
prevailing westerlies, polar
easterlies, doldrums, horse
latitudes, jet stream, land
breeze, sea breeze,
mountain breeze, valley
breeze, specific dew point,
dew, frost, condensation,
sublimation, hair
hygrometer, sling
psychrometer,
condensation nuclei,
convective cooling,
advective cooling, forceful
lifting, temperature change,
fog, cumulus, stratus,
cirrus, nimbostratus,
stratocumulus, cirrostratus,
cirrocumulus, contrails,
cumulonimbus,
cirrostratus, altostratus,
altocumulus
Textbook
Pages
Duration
(in days)
Environmental 25 - 35
Science –
Person pgs
90 – 96.
Modern Earth
Science –
Holt, Rinehart
and Winston
pgs. 455 - 519
occurring due to the
rise in atmospheric
carbon dioxide.
8) Latitude, seasons,
elevation, proximity to
water, and absorption
rate create atmospheric
temperature variations.
9) Convection is the
driving force behind
many weather
phenomena.
10) The Coriolis effect is
the effect of the earth’s
rotation on the planet.
11) Local breezes are
created due to
temperature and
pressure differences
created by land and
water and elevation.
12) Clouds are formed
by various methods that
all include the water
condensing on nuclei
when air reaches dew
point temperature.
effect affects global wind cells
and the jet stream.
11) Diagram sea, land, valley and
mountain breezes.
12) Explain and diagram how
clouds form including
identification and descriptions of
cloud types.
13) Explain how precipitation is
formed and define the various
types of precipitation.
wind cells?
How does the Coriolis
effect alter global
winds?
What is the jet stream?
How do clouds form?
How do cumulus,
stratus, and cirrus
clouds differ?
How does hail form?